BSB Round 4 Snetterton 300

Luca Wilkinson aka El Loco #76听

FP: I went out and got back used to the track after not riding here since last year. Had a good feeling within 2 laps I had already beaten my personal best lap there and did a 2:04.062 putting me in 3rd place for free practice.

Qualifying: Really good qualifying overall, I went out at the back but couldn鈥檛 get a clear lap in for the first 6 minutes of the session so I pitted and went out with a clear track and put a time that put me on pole. I pitted again and we decided with the team to wait out the rest of the session to save the tires but with 4 minutes left another rider went quicker and听Nick Weston听sent me out at the perfect time giving me the perfect lap with a slip stream and doing a time that put on Pole Position and my PB of 2:02:2 and half a second to P2 on the grid.

Race 1: Unfortunately not much to say about race one, I got a good start and got the hole shot lead for the first 2 laps but on lap 3 I crashed out of the lead at turn 3 putting race 1 to an end.

Huge thanks to the team for working late into the night to get the bike fixed.

Race 2: Starting in 7th after only putting in one flying lap from race 1, I got a good start and got straight into third, at turn 2 on lap 1 I got hit by 2 riders which pushed me wide letting the top 2 get a gap. Dropped back a bit and in the end I got 6th place but had a really good battle with @marleymackenzie and听Ben Jolife听which was a lot of fun and great learning.

Overall a lot to take in with my 1st Pole and 1st crash in the year leaving a lot learned and still a lot to learn but we go again stronger and more confident for the next round at brands hatch.

Zack Weston听

Snetterton definitely isn鈥檛 near the top of my list of tracks I like but Overall a pretty good weekend, struggled with getting a good set up and overall speed through the traps but the team pulled together and got me a good bike set up for the race making the 11 laps feel much easier.

Got a shocker of a start for the race and dropped a few positions but got into my grove and put in some good laps getting past a few riders, battled with a few riders meaning I couldn鈥檛 carry on at that pace and catch the next group of riders but still enjoyed the race. A shame we only had one race this weekend as I felt I had more.

Roll on Brands! Thank you to everyone who makes it possible.

Craig Dance

Tough weekend but learnt a lot having a few issues with the bike but hopefully should be sorted for Brands.

FP1 and FP2听I felt good, was just dusting of the cobwebs.

Qualifying: P32
Was struggling for pace since the bike set up was wrong and had no engine braking.

Race: DNF
Had a little front-end crash on lap 4 on turn 2 but we learn from these mistakes and I鈥檝e learnt a lot.

Onwards and upwards for brands hatch my home circuit鈥�

Hudson Cooper

Snetterton was a really important weekend for me as it marked my return to the听Moto4 Championship after missing time through injury. Coming back into it, I knew it was always going to be tough. Not only was I trying to get back up to speed physically and mentally, but with everything that happened at Oulton, it honestly felt like this was my first proper race weekend in the series because I can鈥檛 remember anything from the opening round.

We started the weekend by听Qualifying听13th on the grid. It was around where I expected to be, but after time away and getting back into the rhythm of racing the Moto4 bike in a championship environment, it gave me something solid to work from heading into the races.

Race 1, I finished 12th. It was a race where I was still finding my feet a little bit and building confidence back up lap by lap. It was valuable track time and an important step in getting myself back into the groove of the championship.

Race 2听was a lot more positive in terms of pace, race craft and set-up. I got a strong start and managed to work my way up to 8th in the opening few laps, which was a big confidence boost and showed that the speed was there. Unfortunately, I couldn鈥檛 quite hold onto that position all the way to the finish and crossed the line in 11th, but there were still plenty of positives to take away.

The biggest positive from the weekend was the pace in the final race. Although it took me a little while to get going, I ended up getting the 6th fastest lap-time in race 2, which is encouraging moving forward to听Brands Hatch听next weekend.

It shows that the pace is there, and now it鈥檚 about putting the full weekend together from the first session and converting that pace into stronger results.

BSB Round 5 Brands Hatch GP

Luca Wilkinson aka El Loco #76听

FP: Not Great. Getting to grips with the track & a rider braked sharply. I had to swerve to avoid them, missed my brake point sending me into the gravel at Sheene鈥檚. I hit the barrier which snapped the rearset, I manage to stay on but session over.

Qualifying: I went out treating the qualifying more like FP as everyone was a session ahead of me. The best I could manage was P12 which I wasn鈥檛 happy with but I took it on the chin.

Race1: I get a really good start making my way to P6 by turn 2 and tried my best to hold on to the leading group. Got passed but a couple laps later he crashed out promoting me back to P6.The rest of the race I was in a heated battle between听Oakley Racing听and听Lewis Mullen听. On the last lap Lewis dove up my inside running me a bit wide and Freddy managed to get past both of us but I managed to drag Lewis to the line behind Freddy just beat me to the line, finished in 7th. Great race.

Warm up: Another incident! A rider ran wide through Hawthorns, I went to go up the inside but he pulled it back & I had to grab the brakes to avoid him & the bike ended up flipping over the barrier. The bike was badly damaged but the team did an amazing job to get the bike ready for race 2 and a massive thanks to听Andy Wales,听Lucas King听SIMON,听Zack Weston.

Race2: I went out knowing there could potentially be something wrong with the bike. Good start to get in with the leading group but on lap one my right handlebar just slightly twisted in, tried to manage it for a couple laps but it kept moving so I came in got it done up and went back out. In the end I finished last but still enjoyed the expert pit boarding from听Nick Weston听and听Kiera King.

Overall probably a weekend to forget but we move on & learn. On to Oulton next week.

Zack Weston听

Fp1/Fp2

Practice went really good I felt really comfortable on the bike I had a few issues on the old tyres I was using but overall very good, finishing p16 combined.

Qualifying.

Bit of a tricky one tbh, I put my lap time early on on my own in the session then spent the rest of the session catching slower riders on laps I was down on my Quickest but still happy with my position and felt I had more for the race.

Race 1

Unfortunately another rider crashed and I collided with their bike ending my race on lap 1, there was nothing I could鈥檝e done to avoid it just wrong place wrong time.

Massive thank you to the team听Adam Cooper听, Kieron, Andy with their work on and off my bike everything was on point this weekend.

Craig Dance

My home round was looking to perform better than I did but learning loads every time I鈥檓 out.

FP1-FP2听felt good just learning the track since it was the first time on the bike here and had a little of at Druids but bike had basically no damage.

Qualifying听was struggling for pace trying to get tow from someone then last lap finally got a tow and was up by a lot on my time but got red flagged at the final corner.

Race 1听Started P38 due to my grid penalty from Snetterton but I chipped away in the race and brought it home for a P24.

We go again for Oulton Park鈥�

Hudson Cooper

Heading to Brands Hatch just a few weeks after Snetterton, I was feeling really positive. We made some good progress at the last round and I couldn’t wait to get back on the bike.

I’d only ever raced the Indy circuit before, so riding the full GP layout for the first time was an incredible experience. It’s such an iconic track and finally getting to complete a full lap was something I’ve looked forward to for a long time.

Free Practice

The first two practice sessions were all about learning the extra sections of the circuit and building confidence. Every time I went out I felt more comfortable, improved my personal best and started to understand where I could find more time. It definitely felt like we were moving in the right direction.

Qualifying

We made the most of every minute in qualifying, completing 14 laps. On my final lap, despite not having the ideal track position or a tow, I managed to set my fastest time of the weekend. Qualifying 12th and finishing just 1.5 seconds off pole position was something I was pleased with, especially around such a demanding circuit.

Race One

I made a solid start, although I got boxed in on the inside into Paddock Hill Bend. By the time we reached Druids I was up to eighth, but after the run through Cooper Straight I had slipped back to 11th as the pack shuffled around.

The race then settled into a brilliant battle with Thorley, Tyler and Aeziah. Unfortunately, on lap three I lost the front going into Druids. I managed to stop what could have been a big high-side, but I couldn’t save the bike. Sadly, Thorley was caught up in the incident and also crashed. Sorry Thorley.

Race Two

Starting from 14th on the grid, I made another good start and moved up to 13th early on. Unfortunately I just couldn’t quite stay with the group ahead, so it turned into a fairly lonely race.

After Thorley’s crash I focused on riding consistently, managing the gap behind and bringing the bike home safely. I crossed the line in 11th, collecting more valuable championship points and more importantly more experience.

Overall, there were plenty of positives to take away from the weekend. Every lap on the GP circuit helped me improve and I feel like we’re continuing to move forward with every round.

Next up is Silverstone alongside MotoGP. Racing on the world stage at one of the biggest events of the year is going to be an amazing experience and one I’m really looking forward to.

A huge thank you to everyone who came over to say hello throughout the weekend. Your support really does mean a lot.

鈥淲hat a weekend at Snetterton! This was only my second time ever racing at the circuit, so to come away feeling this positive is a massive confidence boost. We managed to get the bike set up almost perfectly throughout the weekend, and I felt more comfortable every session. A huge thank you to 91传媒 for all of their support 鈥� it really does make a difference.”

鈥淥ne of the races was definitely a rollercoaster! I worked my way from 9th place all the way into the lead, opening up a gap of nearly a second. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake which dropped me back to 6th, and after that I struggled to find the same rhythm and pace again but still happy with the result finishing in 5th

鈥淓ven so, I鈥檓 leaving the weekend incredibly happy with the progress we鈥檝e made. It was one of those races where it genuinely could have been anyone鈥檚 to win, and that鈥檚 a great position to be in, We鈥檒l take all the positives, keep working hard, and come back even stronger.”

鈥淣ow it鈥檚 full focus on Brands Hatch 鈥� I can鈥檛 wait to get back out there!听

鈥淎s always, a massive thank you to my team, sponsors, family and everyone who continues to support me. Your support means everything!鈥�

鈥淔inally, a weekend to smile about!

鈥�100% race completion, some decent results, and most importantly, confidence back on the bikes. Hopefully we’ve finally turned a corner.鈥�

Qualifying (Starting P4)

鈥淭hroughout the weekend, I struggled with the brakes overheating and the pads glazing, but this was the first time I’ve properly raced the 750 without any mechanical issues.:

Race 1

鈥淎 solid race, but I couldn’t quite stay with the riders ahead. Finished P4.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淚 got a great launch before a red flag brought the race to a halt. On the restart I made another strong start and stayed with the leader, but just didn’t quite have enough to make a move. Finished P2.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淎nother great start saw me lead into Turn 1. I expected the 1000cc bikes to out-drag me down the back straight, but the 750 held its own. By lap 3 the brakes were becoming a real struggle, but thankfully I’d built enough of a gap to manage it. Finished P1.鈥�

Race 4

鈥淎s I was still struggling with the brakes, we swapped them over before the final race, which made a huge difference. Another strong start saw me battling with Tyler for the opening laps, swapping positions several times before I finally took the lead. From there I pushed on and took the win by 9.185 seconds.

鈥淚 always believed the 750 could be competitive in Thunderbike Ultra, but coming to Snetterton with its long straights, I expected the 1000s to have a clear advantage. I’m really pleased to have been proven wrong 鈥� the bike was more than capable of holding its own.

鈥淥verall, I’m really happy with how the weekend went. It was great to feel confident again and to come away with consistent finishes, podiums and a pair of wins.

鈥淣ow it’s on to Donington Park on 25th & 26th July.鈥�

Pic credit:

Thunderbike Sport

鈥淭he weekend started strongly in Thunderbike Sport qualifying. I was initially able to get some good times on the board but knew there was still more pace in the bike. With the track becoming increasingly busy, I chose to back off and create a gap to give myself some clean air for a final push lap. The strategy paid off, and I secured P1 in class.鈥�听

Race 1

鈥淯nfortunately, we were still struggling with the issue that was affecting my starts. As the lights went out, I produced another impressive kangaroo impression, losing several positions off the line. I quickly settled into a rhythm and began fighting my way back through the field, enjoying some great battles along the way. By the chequered flag, I had recovered to finish P2.鈥�

Race 2 & 3

鈥淏oth races followed a very similar pattern. Another difficult launch off the line left me with work to do in the opening laps, but I was able to make progress through the pack and enjoy some close racing as I regained positions. Despite the strong pace, the gap to the leader was too much to close, and I brought the bike home in P2 in both races.鈥�

Race 4

鈥淭he final race of the weekend started in familiar fashion, with another poor start dropping me several places from my P6 grid position. Once again, I fought my way forward and was involved in some fantastic battles throughout the race. The highlight was a thrilling last-lap fight with Jamison. I had lined up a move, but unfortunately we caught a backmarker at exactly the wrong moment in the last part of the track, ending any chance of an overtake. I crossed the line in P3, but thoroughly enjoyed the battle and ended the weekend on a positive note.听

鈥淥verall, it was a weekend of strong pace and hard-fought racing. While the starts continue to be an area we need to improve, the speed was there all weekend and there are plenty of positives to take into the next round.鈥�

Thunderbike Ultra

鈥淭he weekend started with a frustrating qualifying session. I headed out on the 750 but quickly realised we were still suffering from a clutch issue, forcing me to return to the pits without being able to complete a representative lap. After switching to the 1000, I was left with very little time to get a lap on the board, but I managed to put in a qualifying time. Due to the bike change, I was handed a six-place grid penalty for Race 1, dropping me to P12 on the grid.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淒espite the penalty, I got a strong launch off the line and immediately started working my way through the pack. With some good pace and consistent lap times, I was able to make up positions throughout the race and fight my way through to a solid P5 finish.

鈥淯nfortunately, in the Powerbike race, the 1000 developed an overheating issue which caused further mechanical problems and left us unable to continue competing on that bike for the remainder of the day. The team switched focus to repairing the 750, and after a lot of hard work we managed to get it ready in time for Sunday morning.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淗aving missed Race 2, I was forced to start Race 3 from the back of the grid. I made good progress through the field, enjoyed some great battles, and worked my way up to finish in P6.

鈥淲hile it was encouraging to get the bike back out and be competitive again, the damage to the clutch had already been done before the repair. To avoid causing any further issues and risking a bigger failure, we made the difficult decision to sit out Race 4.

鈥淎 challenging weekend with plenty of setbacks, but there were positives to take away.鈥�

Thanks to听Glyn’s Photos and SJG_punkrocknracing_pix for the images.

Luca Wilkinson aka El Loco #76

Round 1 鈥� Oulton Park

鈥淔riday practice was OK. I didn鈥檛 feel great in the new leathers and had a small issue with the electronics on the bike (quickshifter and blipper), but it was OK. In qualifying I only got two laps in as the clutch failed, so we qualified at the back of the grid.

鈥淩ace 1 鈥� Great start from last up to 14th and trying to push forward, but the new leathers really caused me pain. I鈥檇 never had arm pump and it was the worst feeling. I eventually had to retire on lap seven as it was becoming dangerous. So disappointed, but the right decision.

鈥淩ace 2 鈥� Starting from P14 I had another brilliant start up to P8, settled in and was battling for P9, but the engine started overheating and I eventually got meatballed (black and orange flag). A really disappointing weekend, but the team worked so hard and we鈥檝e now resolved the mechanical issues that were causing the problems. Roll on Donington Park.鈥�

Round 2 鈥� Donington Park

鈥淪traight from my exams, it was a mad dash to get on track. Three laps to settle, then Nick pulled me in, told me what I needed to do, and I beat my previous PB by 2.1 seconds with a 1:41.9 to sit P9 by the end of the session. In qualifying I got onto the pace straight away and on my fourth flying lap went quicker still for a new PB of 1:40.8, putting me ninth on the grid. Really happy with a top-ten grid spot.

鈥淩ace 1 鈥� A wet race! Not the best start as I spun up off the line, and on the first lap through Starkey鈥檚 a rider ahead lost the rear and sent me across the wet grass at 100mph 鈥� new underwear time! I jumped the access road and managed to rejoin just before Coppice, dead last. The safety car came out and caught the riders in front, so we lost the pack and I was 12.5s behind at the restart. I settled in, pushed as hard as I could, had a few little slides but brought it home in 9th, setting a time that put me on the front row in P2. Well pleased.

鈥淩ace 2 鈥� I got a good start but Marley overtook, then up towards McLeans I dived up the inside of Ben to take P2, which I held until he got back past into the Esses. The first couple of laps we were all swapping positions, but with about five laps to go I got back into 2nd and tried to catch Marley. Unfortunately it started to rain slightly and I had a slide out of Melbourne which knocked my confidence, so I dropped back from the leading three. On the last lap Lewis came up my inside into Melbourne, then into Goddards I made a late dive up the inside and held it to the line, with Lewis only 0.01s behind. Very, very happy with the weekend and I can鈥檛 wait to go again at Knockhill.鈥�

Zack Weston 鈥� #35

Round 1 鈥� Oulton Park

鈥淒efinitely not the weekend I thought it would be 鈥� a bit of bad luck with technical issues that made the bike really difficult to ride. I did what I could in the races and brought it home. Donington is next weekend so we go again there. Thank you to everyone who makes it 辫辞蝉蝉颈产濒别.鈥�

Round 2 鈥� Donington Park

鈥淥verall we made a good step with the bike. The team did an amazing job every session, solving technical issues and putting together set-ups. Qualifying wasn鈥檛 amazing as I couldn鈥檛 get into a rhythm, but I got stuck in during the race and moved forward. Race 2 started well and I was battling with a group of riders, but I struggled with rear grip in the latter stages. A massive thank you to the team for all their hard work this weekend. Roll on Knockhill, and thank you to everyone who makes it 辫辞蝉蝉颈产濒别.鈥�

Craig Dance

Round 1 鈥� Oulton Park

鈥淎 difficult weekend getting used to the bike and bedding in all the new gear in FP1 and FP2. Qualifying was decent in P30. I had pace and felt confident, but something felt wrong with the bike as I was basically last in every speed trap, which is unusual for me 鈥� we鈥檙e looking into it.

鈥淩ace 1 鈥� DNF. On lap one a rider ahead had an issue and unfortunately I was directly behind him. I just managed to swerve in time but still ripped my fairings off, which meant I was shown the meatball flag to retire the bike. Race 2 鈥� P31. I definitely felt I could have done a lot better, but it is what it is and we roll on to Round 2. Thanks to the team for getting my bike ready and looking fresh, and thank you to my sponsors who make all this 辫辞蝉蝉颈产濒别.鈥�

Hudson Cooper 鈥� #27

Round 1 鈥� Oulton Park

鈥淭he weekend at Oulton Park started on a very positive note as I continued to build confidence and pace in my debut season in the Moto4 British Cup. After running around the top ten in class throughout free practice, I qualified an impressive P7.

鈥淚n Race 1 I had a great start and was running competitively inside the top five. Unfortunately my race ended on the penultimate lap while running P5, after I lost the front through the dip in the chicane and crashed out of contention. I鈥檇 also like to apologise to Luke Fitchett, who hit my bike during the incident.

鈥淒uring the crash I suffered a significant laceration to my neck after contact with the screen of the bike, as well as a knock to the head. The British Superbike Championship medical team were outstanding, providing exceptional care both at the circuit and during the assessments that followed. I was later diagnosed with concussion which, under championship regulations, ruled me out for 20 days 鈥� meaning I sadly missed Round 2 at Donington Park.

鈥淲hile it was disappointing not to line up, the positives from Oulton Park far outweigh that. Qualifying P7 and battling with the front group for a top-five position showed the progress we鈥檝e made and confirmed we have genuine top-ten pace in this highly competitive championship.

鈥淚 still attended Donington Park for Round 2 and took part in the Moto4 rider fitness test. It was great to support the NW Racing team all weekend, and I was also invited onto the BSB Radio commentary team for the Moto4 class, which was a great experience.

鈥淢y focus now turns to recovery. I鈥檒l keep working on my fitness programme with my personal trainer at Storme CrossFit Ashby and come back stronger, fitter and even more motivated for the next round at Snetterton. A huge thank you to everyone who has messaged and offered support since the crash 鈥� it鈥檚 been massively appreciated. Thanks also to the entire NW Racing team, my chief mechanic Simon from Powertech UK, my sponsors, and everyone who continues to support me on this journey.鈥�

The whole team now looks ahead to the next rounds at Knockhill and Snetterton, with everyone at 91传媒 wishing Hudson a speedy recovery.

Image credits: Torq Media

“Friday started off strong with a P4 finish in Free Practice 1, followed by an even better result in Free Practice 2 where we secured Pole Position. Qualifying wrapped up the day with a P2 finish, just 0.07 seconds behind Nikki Coates, which placed us into Heat 2.”

“Saturday鈥檚 Heat Race 2 was a good race from start to finish coming out on Pole giving us confidence heading into Sunday鈥檚 main race. Drawing out the top 6 from each heat placing me 2nd on the grid for Sundays race.”

“Unfortunately, Sunday didn鈥檛 go as planned. During the warm up lap Scott Carson crashed at the bottom of Craner Curves directly in front of me, and despite my best efforts to avoid the incident, I sadly collided with him. This meant we were unfortunately unable to continue with the race.”

“A disappointing way to end the weekend after such a positive start, but we鈥檒l regroup, rebuild, and come back stronger for the next round. Thank you to everyone for the continued support 鈥� it means a lot.

“Wishing Scott Carson a speedy recovery.”

Photo credit Camipix Photography – Motorsport