2013 Race Reports

ANGLESEY RACE TRACK

Anglesey, is known for its stunning location and great views of Snowdon and hosted round seven of the Thundersport GB Sportsman Elite 600 championship in beautiful warm and dry conditions, this is how it went for me.

With not a single cloud in the sky we got underway with some perfect testing conditions, unfortunately I was struggling most of the day to find a good set up for the bike, and after a few changes we felt we were moving in the right direction.

A fresh set of tyres fitted for qualifying on the Saturday morning and I felt I could post a good time, which secured me in eighth position on the packed grid. Not a bad start and I could not wait to get the racing under way to improve on my grid position further in the races.

Unfortunately during race one I could not capitalise on that grid position after dropping back off the start a couple of places but fortunately able to regain them again after a few laps by which time the leading pack had made a break leaving me lonely and in seventh (fourth in stock class) when the chequered flag made its appearance.

I was a little disappointed with my performance as I felt I could have achieved a better result and I could have challenged the leading pack but there was something missing with my set up and I could not put my finger on it.

Trying not to get to hung up over my result I took my mind away from it by taking on the Sea for a Sunday evening swim, after leading half the paddock with me around the rock faces of Anglesey to join me.

During Monday morning warm up we fought through the lingering fog and I felt we had made a break through with my set up after a few minor changes. But when it got to the race I still didn’t feel I had the pace to run with the leading pack. Due to a couple of my competitors, failing to complete the race from crashing out, I was able to cross the line second in class and fifth overall. I was still a little disappointed with this result as I felt I did not ride with the focus you need to be competitive. Nevertheless, it was a great result for my championship hopes in the Superstock category.

Race 3, the final race of the weekend, we continued to work on finding the feeling I needed with the bike to push hard around the flowing nature of the circuit, and after a few more tweaks we headed out to the race. Now having to adjust to how the bike was going to feel it took me a little while to get into the race, and by then the leading pack had once more made a break.

I did not give up and I started to post my fastest lap times of the weekend and closed in on my championship rival Sam Thompson. I passed him on the penultimate lap, taking fourth in class and sixth over all, another solid result.

Having now had time to reflect on the weekend, I feel I should not have been so hard on myself due to a number of reasons. These are:

• Jamie Harris, who is not a regular contender of the championship but an Anglesey track  specialist due to only living five minutes  away, and was setting phenomenal lap times which were consistently below lap record  pace from the previous year.
• Being only four tenths of a second away from  the original lap record that had been held  since 2008 (and the closest I have been to  lap record pace this season)

With taking all of that in to consideration I am very pleased with what I achieved. I now look towards the penultimate round at Mallory Park on the 29th of September, I arrive there with a 60 point lead over third place rider James Shaw and nine point deficit to the leader Sam Thompson, whom I have slowly caught up with and still 150 points up for grabs it is wide open.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I have a few test days booked to keep me on the bike and riding, so I look forward to testing some new parts and enjoying myself. And of course I would like to say a massive thank you to all my loyal sponsors, family and friends for supporting me all the way. 

OULTON PARK & ROCKINGHAM MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Rounds five and six got under way at Oulton Park and Rockingham Motor Speedway, Oulton Park is known for its beautiful scenery and undulations where Rockingham is tight and twisty but fast and flowing. Both rounds had there tough points but also some amazing highs, this is how it went for me.

Oulton Park

After a tough days testing and qualifying seeing me down on the fourth row in sixteenth position I definitely had my work cut out but I was up for the challenge. The first race being half wet and dry forced me to pick a wet set up. Taking an average start I maintained my position and sat in sixteenth position for the opening laps before I started to gain positions. I looked after my tyres throughout the race as the track begun to dry out and a fantastic race commenced between Sam Thompson and I, he is currently leading the Superstock 600 championship. Fortunately this time I was able to come out on top and finish third overall and second in class to Curtis Wright. A fantastic race and one I was very proud of as I did not give up and I fought very hard throughout the race. 

Race 2 unfortunately didn’t go as planned having struggled with a dry set up all weekend I still could not get my head around the problem and I crossed the line in fifteenth place, my lowest finish of the season to date, but hey in this full grid of fast riders this was a blip, and still not too bad.

After Oulton Park I was heading to Rockingham in second place in the Superstock Championship and 18 points behind the leader Sam Thompson. After Oulton Park I decided I needed more track time and I booked two track days in between the race weekends at Snetterton and also Rockingham. This test day’s played out perfectly and I had a renewed confidence after adjusting and playing around with my riding style to suit the R6 a little more.

Rockingham Motor Speedway

Rockingham, started of positively setting very good lap times on worn tyres and improving session by session and I felt very comfortable heading in to qualifying. I set my fastest time on lap four placing me fifth on the grid however I bought out the red flags to stop the session prematurely when I took a big crash. The medical team did a fantastic job before moving me from the track to the medical centre with severe lower back and pelvis pains. Fortunately the medical team were satisfied that I had not sustained injuries, and I was just very battered and bruised. They declared me fit to race.

Race one was approaching and I felt very second hand but I could not wait to get back out on circuit and back to what I knew I could do. Unfortunately it was not to be as I experienced another crash through the fastest turn on the circuit when I was forced to trail the brake a little longer due to the rider in front of me not carrying the same speed through the corner. This was a shame as I only had two laps to complete and was in third place and a safe podium at this point in time. 

Race 2 the following day and I was experiencing some pressure because thus far during the weekend I had ridden so well and also so near to lap record pace from the first time I got out on track, but this had not translated to any points so far this weekend. In fact all I had gained was bruises and a good imitation walking like John Wayne!

I experienced a miserable start, front wheel pawing the air and no chance of getting the power down whilst I battled for some control. My competitors streamed past leaving me in fifteenth place through the first corner not helped by the tight line required to enter this corner.

I found myself battling hard in the mid pack picking off places with hard moves. A few lap’s into the race and it was halted for a fallen rider and a full re start was the result. This time whilst my start was not particularly great it was not as bad this time around. Once more I settled in to put on some quality hard passes to keep an eye on the leading rider.

By two thirds distance I had elevated myself toward the first four riders and right behind my championship rival Sam Thompson, who took first in class to my second across the line. Grateful to be visiting the podium and further twenty points in the bag!

Race three, with another tentative race start which my dad thinks could have been his fault in the race to get the bike repaired, leaving the clutch lever not being adjusted as he knows I like it. I got the hammer down in the first couple of laps and was battling with another eight riders swarming all around me. It was tricky to pass a rider without being lined up by someone else and losing a place, but I did eventually get free of this pack and create some space to catch the leaders. With my rival Sam Thompson falling, fortunately with no injury I had gained another place and was now fighting for the lead. Eventually I crossed the line in second place, which equated to first in the ‘stock’ championship and another twenty five points.

After an eventful weekend I managed to remain in second place in the stock championship, but increase the buffer from third to 40 points, and also reduce the deficit to first place to only thirteen points. 

CADWELL

It’s that time again, my 4th race meeting of the season held at Cadwell Park known for its beautiful views and tight undulating tarmac. Having not been 100% fit for the week leading up to the weekend I knew I was on the back foot from the start, but I couldn’t wait to swing my leg over the bike to put some solid testing laps in.

My first test session of the weekend did not go well at all due to the pure shock of how fast and tight this circuit is on a big bike. I felt very sea sick I was just hoping it didn’t feel like this for the remainder of the weekend. Eventually by the closing stage of the test day I was able to deliver some good laps but I still did not feel 100% on the ball. Qualifying however went well with a ninth place on the grid.

Race 1 couldn’t have started any better with a flying launch off the line, and a good first lap saw myself in fifth place and quickly taking fourth place on the second lap. Setting a good pace early on in the race I was able to hang on to the leading pack. At quarter race distance I started to lose ground on the three-wheeled freight train ahead of me, subsequently I then also lost fourth place to British Supersport rider Craig Neave. I carried on posting fast lap times throughout the 14 lap race circulating on my own until about the tenth lap when I could see that I was closing swiftly on fourth placed Richard McNeil. I took chunks of 1.5 seconds each lap but unfortunately was not able to attempt to pass by the chequered flag. I am proud of this race and how I was able to keep my concentration for so long whilst posting consistent times all the way through the race. Not only was I able to finish fifth overall I had won the Superstock 600 class, my first win of the season and I couldn’t wait to get going for the second race on Monday morning.

After a great race result I had a very relaxed evening checking the Yamaha R6 over and I felt very good for Race 2 the following day. This race was unfortunately red flagged on the second lap, due to an incident with another rider crashing quite badly. The restart saw me in to fourth place but I soon dropped back in to fifth but as before I was able to hang on to the leading pack right through the race, although I could not quite able to make my presence known to the group ahead. I was over the moon with another solid performance and again I was the first superstock rider across the line! Two races and two wins I was ecstatic. With a few tweaks the evening before on my suspension I am so near now to a great base setting. The icing on the cake would be a similar performance over the final race of the weekend.

Race three, and once again I dropped the clutch and was rewarded with a flying start off the line, but as the race unfolded I was not able to hang on to the leading pack. I was physically tired and the illness now telling on me. This said I still managed to cross the line in a solid seventh place overall, and second in Superstock class. I attained 70 points out of a possible 75 a really great reward and a brilliant weekend for the team!!

I could not have even imagined achieving these results during Saturday’s testing when I was

struggling very much. The progress my team and I made throughout the weekend was immense and I cannot thank them enough. I would like to make a point of saying thank you to my friends who made a big effort coming all the way up to Lincolnshire to watch me race. I am so glad I was able to put in a good performance for them to watch. I would also like to mention Chris Moore whose help is always second to none with regard to my suspension. Chris went out of his way to come to Cadwell when he had some serious university work to complete, because he knew I was struggling. Thank you Chris.

As always I would to say a massive thank you to all my sponsors and support team who make it possible for me to put a good performance when I step onto the bike. I am proud to have these people/organisations behind me!

SNETTERTON

It is time again for the next race report of my 2013 race season. This time it was held at Snetterton in Norfolk famous for its long fast straights and dodgy weather system. With the recent weather having looked to have taken a turn for the better for a change, we were hoping for a good solid dry weekend, this is how it went for me.

Friday testing got underway well on the original two mile long circuit, putting in some solid laps testing several new suspension changes and also the circuit on the bigger bike. Managing to squeeze in 4 good testing sessions along with a couple of tricky damp sessions I felt ready to go for Saturday mornings qualifying.

After securing my best result of sixth place thus far this season in qualifying during the last lap I couldn’t wait to get underway with the races. A perfect start to the weekend as we move closer to a good race set up on the Yamaha R6. A sudden down pour of rain a few hours before my race meant it was looking a bit hit and miss as it was very hard to determine if the circuit would dry in time for my first race. Literally in the nick of time the sun shone through and cleaned the track up for a dry race, game on!

The lights went out but only after an average start I started to make my move and lift the pace shortly after one lap. I now felt very strong indeed having made some good suspension changes between qualifying and race one. During lap 2 I set the fastest lap of the race and started to close in on the leaders just ahead of me using the power and torque from my Seton Tuning prepared machine. Unfortunately as I upped my pace the race was red flagged which put an instant halt to my momentum.

The race was then restarted and I was hoping to retain the pace I had before the red flag incident. Unfortunately it was not meant to be after another rider bumped into me at the second corner causing me to crash out of the race. This was a big disappointment to the team as this was shaping up well before the red flag incident. Not only was there damage to bike I also walked away with deep gash on my finger exposing the broken bone.

After this incident I lost a bit of confidence riding closely with some of my competitors most of which are new to me this season and after three crashes in three race meetings, I just wanted to score two good finishes from the televised races on Sunday.

Race 2, and I dropped a little way back just trying to get into my rhythm, I was soon able to get in to a groove and after three laps I ‘pulled the pin’ to work my way to the front of an eight wheel dice, and finished in seventh place over the line, but third in Superstock class and my first podium of the weekend. I was really happy with this result and it picked my spirits up a little. Not only was I happy with the result I was also very happy with the times I had posted which was half a second off of the formula (tuned) 600 bikes, and I was the fastest Superstock 600 rider. Not only was I pleased for myself I was happy for my team as the mood was now back to normal after the disappointment from the day before.

Race 3 saw me get off the line well and I was able to maintain my position but I lost a few places over the course of the first lap with all the jostling in first few corners dropping to eleventh place, whilst I was still settling into a rhythm. I realise now that I left it a little too long before putting in some fast laps and I could not get onto the leading pack. I did work my way in to sixth place and take another third place in class, and second podium of the weekend.

This was another good result leaving me with confidence as we head in to the next round at Cadwell Park at the end of May.

I am over the moon with my results and I did what I had to do to build my confidence after the incident on Saturday, and I am very pleased with my progression within the Sportsman Elite 600 championship. I proved again that I can run at the sharp end and contest for podium finishes. I am very excited for the next round at Cadwell Park. I absolutely love riding my Yamaha R6 so fingers crossed for an enjoyable and consistent Cadwell!

As always I would to say a massive thank you to all my sponsors and support team who make it possible for me to put a good performance when I step onto the bike. I am proud to have these people/organisations behind me!

DONINGTON PARK 

Hi all, welcome to the Second race report of my 2013 season. After a very exciting first round at Brands hatch I was raring to go. Eager to climb the steep the learning curve I am facing this season we headed of to Donington Park known for its daringly fast flowing nature and scary downhill and flat out craner curve.

As we all know the weather has not been at its best with bitterly cold temperatures and snow, but I had bought plenty of clothing to keep warm. Saturday test day had not got of to the best of starts with a down pour of sleet and snow I sat out the first sessions hoping it would eventually sort itself, so we could get on with some serious testing which fortunately did arrive, enabling us to stick the dry tyres on and start searching for a comfortable setting. After a positive days testing I was excited to give qualifying a good crack.

A cold start to the Sunday and I decided to go into qualifying on wet tyres as a safe option, so I wasn’t risking the rest of my weekend. A good positive start with a solid tenth place, just where I left of from Brands Hatch. Now with only one race on the Saturday I could not wait to get out there and improve my riding and setup.

Race 1 and I was very nervous as always entering the race but I was very excited, I didn’t gain the best of starts and dropped back a little but I pressed on and put in a good first lap forcing my way back in to tenth place. I carried on pushing throughout the early stages of the race and saw myself in a comfortable 6th place. Steadily picking up my pace as the race progressed I was able to close in on 5th place and take the position away from him in the dying moments of the race. Over the moon with my result I was bumped up to 5th on the grid for the Bank Holiday Monday races, only one tenth of a second shy of my first front row on the 600. Even though I was very happy with my result I still knew there was a lot more work to do to get the bike working to how I like it and lap the same lap times as the leading pack.

After a long think and a bit of trial and error with I was ready for race two, and I couldn’t wait to try out the changes we had made. A fantastic start saw me move up one place in to fourth into the first corner and on the tail of the leading pack, unfortunately I could not hang to on them for too long before a gap started to appear, but that did not phase me as I was focused on riding my own race and riding as consistent and relaxed as possible. Encountering a fight for the last podium place due to a rider crashing early on in the race I was able to hold my own and fight for my first podium of the season in third place overall but second in the superstock class. A brilliant race and one I am very proud of. I was ecstatic with how I rode the bike even though I was still not 100% comfortable with the setup I was running.

Prior to race two my team and I made a few more changes to try and make the bike a little easier for me to ride. I managed to get off to a good start and put myself in to second position coming out of the first corner, I pressed on as hard as I dared whilst still working out how the changes we made to the bike affected the handling. Unfortunately I got stuck battling with a few riders the leader broke away and I was not able to close the gap any more. I was able to maintain the position between myself and the leader until 3rd place rider made my life difficult once again, and I had lost my concentration forgetting about my own race, and getting sucked in to other riders races.

The harder I tied to regain my concentration the worse it got, and by now I was navigating around lapped riders which was hard to anticipate the closing speed and also where on track we would have to think of a way around them as safely as possible. Unfortunately it ended with me crashing out of 3rd place in the Superstock class on the final lap, when all I had to do was bring it home for a podium!

This is racing though and the pace is ferociously fast at the front of the grid, so I really cannot complain at all, and with my Seton Tuning prepared Superstock R6 giving me serious power and strong torque right through the rev range, I know that I have one of the best bikes on the grid, my bike really does rock!

A little gutted with the way the final race ended up, I am over the moon with my overall performance from the weekend. My team and I worked hard all weekend, progressing and learning all the time. The bike and I both have areas we can improve to help me to be a much better, consistent and stronger rider. I am very excited for the next round at Snetterton where we aim to keep learning and progressing to close the gap between myself and the leading front group.

As always I would to say a massive thank you to all my sponsors and support team who make it possible for me to put a good performance when I step onto the bike. I am proud to have these people/organisations behind me and I hope you can all make it to my next round at Snetterton on the 26th-28th of April.

BRANDS HATCH 

Hi everyone and welcome to my first race report of the season. As you will all well be aware I have switched championships this year to compete aboard a Yamaha R6 within the Sportsman Elite Series hosted by the fantastic Thundersport GB organisation. Having not clocked many miles aboard the new machine, previously owned and built by Seton Tuning prior to this meeting. It was going to be a steep learning curve but one I couldn't wait to start and start, this is how we went.

The first round of the season was held at Brands Hatch, known for its daunting first corner and its action packed undulating features and It’s one of my favourites! A wet start to the weekend with the rain consistently pouring down all the way through Friday testing meant it was a tricky adaptation to the all-new R6. With a good solid days riding under my belt I was happy to start qualifying on the Saturday morning. I slowly picked up my pace up and managed to qualify in tenth place out of thirty-eight riders. I was over the moon with that result as although it was extremely cold it was the first time out on the bike outside of testing when I had to push to get the best qualifying position I could. I couldn't wait to get on with my first race.

A tricky tyre choice entering race 1 and I opted to stick with full wet tyres. I got a good start but a slow first lap after being beaten up a bit but I was soon able to find a good rhythm and built my pace, to work my way up in to 8th place.

But unfortunately with four laps to go my rear tyre was getting very worn causing me to rapidly lose positions however I finished the race in 12th place! A great start to season and I learnt lots throughout the race, which are now longer in duration than I am used to.

Now I have moved classes we only have one race on the Saturday, which left me time to think and make a few changes for the races on Sunday.

Race 2, I didn’t get a good start after slipping into a false neutral off the line; lucky to not get hit I dropped back rapidly. After a few laps of getting my head into the game I started to move forward taking places and work my way up the pack. At half race distance I crashed out of the race on oil that had been dropped and subsequently cleaned up in the race before mine. I was very lucky to get away with little damage, and it was a simple fix for my final race.

Race 3, I got off the line well and after a careful first few laps to make sure everything was ok I steadily upped my pace and started to put some good consistent lap times together. My aim was to ride and race as relaxed as I could to bring the bike home in a decent position given that the weather by now was seriously cold indeed. I was able to do this and finished in tenth place. I was over the moon with the way the race played out particularly as the conditions were so changeable. 

It was a fantastic first weekend aboard the beautifully prepared R6 and I now cannot wait to get underway with round 2 at Donington Park during the Easter weekend, where we are all fingers crossed for warmer weather!

A huge thank you goes out to all the friends, family, sponsors and my team who are constantly helping me get out at each round doing all they can to help my racing dreams come true. The support I am receiving is fantastic and I hope I can do you all proud throughout the forthcoming season. Thank you.