Test Day

鈥淔irst session, I had to pull in with a technical issue and in the second session it started spitting with rain half way through. Then the storm hit and the day was cancelled. It was that bad it wrecked my gazebo setup.鈥�

Qualifying (P4 on Grid)

鈥淩ain wasn鈥檛 forecast, but trust me when I say we got it! So, it was going to be my first ride on the Honda in the rain. I had no expectations, but thanks to my JR Performance Wet Race Engine Mapping, the bike felt mega. I had a fair bit of grip which I wasn鈥檛 expecting at Anglesey. 听I chipped away and on the last three laps pushed as much as I dared, which was good enough for the second row – so happy days.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淕ot a good start on the outside and was well positioned until Steven Duncan ran me wide into Turn 2, putting me in 5th. I re-passed him at Rocket and then got onto the back of Luca Jennings. I spent the rest of the race trying to get past Luca, but with little track time I couldn鈥檛 make a pass that I could be sure about.

鈥淚 felt strong, but not having been in that position for a while, perhaps I was too cautious. Finished 4th. My best result in the class so far and I was buzzing. I really enjoyed that one.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淎ll Sunday鈥檚 races were shortened due to a serious incident in the first race of the morning. We send both riders involved our very best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

鈥淪tarting P6 on the grid 听鈥� which is on the inside 鈥� isn鈥檛 ideal because of the short run to Turn 1. I got a good start and beat Phil Crowe to Turn 1 only for him to squeeze me on to the inside curb. So, my run to Turn 2 was impeded and I got swamped. I wasn鈥檛 having that, so got a great run out of Church and tucked in. It was getting busy up to Rocket In and I made a great move to get right back onto Luca again. I got picked on in the bar the night before by the lads saying I was too soft in Race 1. I said if I got the same chance again, I鈥檓 making passes and that I did. I passed Luca several times, but didn鈥檛 defend well enough to be able to gap him. It was a lot of fun trying to get past him and, fair play, he doesn鈥檛 give up easily. On Lap 4 Duncan grasped the opportunity to pass both of us and our battle continued.

鈥淲ilf Turner had enough of watching me fail so he passed me and had a couple of laps to try to do what I couldn鈥檛. I lost the rear out of Church and lost time and they gapped me. I tried to make it back up, but the rear grip wasn鈥檛 great in Race 2 and I tensed up a little, so just brought it home 6th in Class. Luca stayed in front of Wilf, so I felt better that it wasn鈥檛 just me struggling to get the job done.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淧10 on the grid because my lap times and rhythm suffered by battling with Luca for too long. With nothing to lose, I was on the outside and got a good start again.听 Got duffed up at Turn 2 and lost places again so elbows had to come out. I got past Paul Charman after Turn 2 then up the inside of Jamie Boyce at Rocket. Knew I had to get that done early or I would have been waving 鈥榞oodbye鈥� to Turner and Jennings. They had a gap on me, but with clear track ahead, got my head down and worked hard. Pulled away from the lads behind and slowly closed the gap to Wilf. Luca was holding him up slightly, but speeds were quicker than all weekend. I was desperate to get back onto them as I felt strong and wanted one last shot at a podium. Felt good on the bike and dropped into the 1:09s, just 0.2 secs. off my PB from last year.

鈥淭hen a red flag, so I鈥檒l never know if I could have challenged to them, but the fact I鈥檓 think that during the race, shows I鈥檓 getting the new bike in the window I can work with.鈥�

Endurance

鈥淰ery experienced riders, Phil Crowe and John Ingram, invited me to join them in the three-hour Endurance Race. Needing the track time to make up for the Test Day, it was pretty cool and a privilege. We qualified 4th fastest, but had to start from the end of the Line due to Phil using Dunlop tyres. I did the Le Mans Start from last on the Line and by Lap 3 had taken us into 3rd place then 2nd on Lap 6. Phil and John took us to a WIN on track, but no trophy. A great experience and I learned a lot from them. Total legends.鈥�

Summary

鈥淟ots learnt this weekend. Had great fun and have built a lot of confidence with my racing and the bike set up. Matt Sayle鈥檚 photos show I鈥檓 much more relaxed, but not 100% because I know only too well how Anglesey can bite you if you get too greedy. 听I hated the bike at Knockhill, but love it again now and can鈥檛 wait to see what鈥檚 possible on it at Donington where there is a tonne of grip. Feel it鈥檚 going to be a positive one.

鈥淏ig kudos to Justine and Rob of RT Motors for making the long trip again and, of course, the main man Jason Hugill, whose support is invaluable.听

鈥淭hank you to all my support and sponsors for sticking by me. I say it all the time but it鈥檚 100% not possible to do this without you. We have more to go yet, but feel like the hard work is paying off and some success is close now.

鈥淐ongratulations to Tommy Fielding on being crowned the Pirelli Super Series Champion. He 100% deserves it. I鈥檓 very pleased for him and grateful for all the help he gives me off-track. He鈥檚 a good egg. He is looking to go to BSB next year and deserves every chance. If any companies want to sponsor him, I am sure they won鈥檛 regret it!

鈥淔inally, 鈥榃ell done鈥� to No Limits Racing, the Marshals and the medical professionals, who we are very lucky to have when things go wrong.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

鈥淭he final round of the 2026 BHR Championship at Cadwell Park brought the racing season to a close, with Brook Built Racing competing across two classes and with two very different machines.

鈥淭he听Honda CB350K4听continued its Classic 350 campaign in听Race 14B 鈥� A. Read Associates Ltd. Classic 350, while the newly acquired听Brook Built Racing Kawasaki ZXR400听made its short-circuit debut in听Race 29A 鈥� Pre-2000 Sports Production up to 400cc.

鈥淭he Cadwell weekend delivered some close racing, challenging conditions and valuable development work on the Kawasaki, providing an excellent conclusion to the team’s 2026 programme.鈥�

HONDA CB350K4 鈥� CLASSIC 350

鈥淭he Honda produced four competitive races at Cadwell, with the weekend featuring everything from dry conditions to a damp track following overnight rain.鈥�

Race 1 鈥� 3rd in Class

鈥淎 poor qualifying position left us with plenty of work to do from the start.

鈥淎 strong opening lap moved us into听4th in class, before the focus turned to closing down Joe Taylor.

鈥淎t the front, Paul Hogan and Paul Wood established a strong pace and eventually finished first and second respectively.

鈥淭he battle for third went right to the flag. We managed to make the decisive move and听pip Joe Taylor on the line to take 3rd in class.

鈥淎 strong recovery from the qualifying position provided a positive start to the weekend.鈥�

Race 2 鈥� 2nd in Class

鈥淥riginally postponed from Saturday’s programme, Race 2 was eventually run on a听damp and wet but drying circuit听following overnight rain.

鈥淭his presented a new challenge, being our first race in these conditions on a classic bike. With wet tyres and tyre warmers not permitted, tyre feedback and rider confidence were particularly important.

鈥淭he standard tyres performed extremely well, providing good feedback as the circuit dried.

鈥淲e initially听led the Classic 350 class and ran 3rd overall, but Joe Taylor’s experience in the damp sections proved decisive. He made the pass for third overall and the class lead.

鈥淲e ultimately finished听2nd in class, with Phil Hogan completing the podium.鈥�

Result:
1st 鈥� Joe Taylor
2nd 鈥� Brook Built Racing
3rd 鈥� Phil Hogan

Race 3 鈥� 2nd in Class / Fastest Lap

鈥淩eturning to a dry circuit, we started from a good grid position and made what initially appeared to be a strong start.

鈥淗owever, the faster 500cc machines quickly came through, forcing us to concentrate on limiting the positions lost during the opening lap.

鈥淲e remained at the head of the 350cc class until Paul Wood produced an excellent pass at Mansfield.

鈥淧aul then used the traffic to his advantage, placing a couple of 500cc machines between the two 350s through the chicane. This gave him clear track and allowed him to establish an advantage.

鈥淥nce clear of the traffic, we began to close the gap and pushed hard through to the finish.

鈥淭he effort produced the听fastest lap of the race, but Paul held the advantage to the flag.鈥�

搁别蝉耻濒迟:听2nd in class, with Phil Hogan 3rd.

Race 4 鈥� Class Victory

鈥淭he final Honda race of the weekend provided the perfect conclusion to the CB350K4 campaign.

鈥淪tarting from a strong grid position, we made an excellent start and immediately tagged onto a couple of the faster 500cc machines.

鈥淭heir pace helped us establish a gap over the rest of the 350cc field, and we successfully maintained the class lead to the chequered flag.鈥�

The result was a听Class 350 victory.

Result:
1st 鈥� Brook Built Racing
2nd 鈥� Paul Wood
3rd 鈥� Phil Hogan

KAWASAKI ZXR400

鈥淐adwell Park also marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Brook Built Racing, with the first short-circuit race meeting for our newly acquired听Brook Built Racing Kawasaki ZXR400.

鈥淭he bike was entered into the听Pre-2000 Sports Production up to 400cc听category, competing within a mixed grid that included 400cc machines, 650cc twins, 750cc multi-cylinder bikes, 800cc air-cooled machinery, open singles and 1000cc twins, alongside the superbikes and Supersports of the era.

鈥淔or this first meeting, the priority was very clear:

鈥淒evelop the bike, gather information and understand what is required to make it competitive.

鈥淭he Kawasaki was not fuelling correctly, so the weekend became an important development exercise. We worked progressively through the problem, making improvements throughout the meeting while gathering valuable information about the bike’s behaviour and identifying the work required over the winter.

鈥淭he races themselves were enjoyable, although the mixed-class nature of the grid meant that there were relatively few direct class battles.

鈥淒espite the development focus, the ZXR400 produced some very encouraging results.鈥�

ZXR400 鈥� Class Results

Race 1 鈥� 2nd

Race 2 鈥� 1st

Race 3 鈥� DNS

Race 4 鈥� 4th

鈥淭he class victory in Race 2 was particularly encouraging for a bike at the beginning of its development programme.

鈥淢ore importantly, Cadwell provided valuable track time and helped establish a clear direction for the winter development work.

鈥淭he objective now is to address the fuelling issues, further develop the Kawasaki and return in 2027 with a much better understanding of the machine and its potential.鈥�

2026 SEASON REVIEW

鈥淐adwell Park brought the curtain down on what has been an exceptional year for Brook Built Racing.

鈥淭he 2026 season has been a journey into听classic motorcycle racing, taking the team from its BHR Championship programme through to the听Classic TT.

鈥淭he Honda CB350K4 has provided competitive and enjoyable racing throughout the year, while the introduction of the ZXR400 has opened a new avenue for the team and given us an exciting development project heading into 2027.

鈥淭he season has provided an enormous amount of experience, both on the circuit and behind the scenes, and has given the team a strong platform from which to continue developing.鈥�

Photos: Mark Barthorpe & Paul Foster

鈥淲hat a weekend!听 It鈥檚 been a tough year so far, with plenty of ups and downs both in and out of racing. After being disqualified at Oulton Park following a race win, I was determined to keep pushing and come back stronger.听

鈥淎fter watching Barry Burrell鈥檚 lap time in Heat 2, I honestly didn鈥檛 think I had it in me to match it. But somehow, everything came together when it mattered!鈥�

• Pole position in qualifying
• Pole position in the heat race
• Pole position in the main race

鈥淎nd to top it all off, I set the new lap record in the main race!听

鈥淚鈥檓 so happy with the weekend. It was one of my best races yet, and I honestly couldn鈥檛 have asked for much more.

鈥淚鈥檓 now joint 3rd in the championship, just 36 points off 1st, with over 100 points still available. There鈥檚 still everything to play for!听

鈥淎 massive thank you to everyone who supports me and the team. Bring on Assen!鈥�

Test day

鈥淔irst time at Knockhill and we had a great test day, getting to know the little ripper of a circuit. I had bike struggles but worked through some and rode around the rest. Went faster in every session and finished in the high-51 seconds, so thought we had a nice starting point.鈥�

Qualifying (P8 on Grid)

鈥淚 went out at the back with new tyres on and did my own thing. Bike felt okay and I was happy with the time.鈥�

Race 1 (P7 in Class)

鈥淲as going well until Lap 7 when I hit a false neutral at Turn 1 and lost a lot of time. Three riders got past and trying to bridge the gap I got tired quickly. With nothing more to be gained, I just brought it home.鈥�

Race 2 (P7 in Class)

鈥淕ot a decent start and picked up three places from P11 on the grid. Again, felt okay until Lap 7 when I started to get tired and feel arm pump. Last few laps I was just a passenger and didn鈥檛 enjoy it.鈥�

Race 3 (P5 in Class)

鈥淢ade some changes to set up but didn鈥檛 feel any improvement, so same again. A decent start from P10 on the Grid and stuck with a group of 4 riders for 6 laps or so but then started to drop back.鈥�

Recap

鈥淚 had a lot going on learning a new track and a new bike. Knockhill is tight and very physical, especially on a big bike. I failed to find the right setup and tried to ride around issues instead of getting them dialled out. Completely my fault and wish I was back there now doing it all again with what I feel I know now. I was expecting to go well at this one. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I wasn鈥檛 terrible, but I鈥檓 gutted as I know what that bike and I are capable of when things are right. At least I stayed on when several riders, always known for their safe riding, weren鈥檛 so fortunate.听

鈥淭hank you to Nigel and the gang for welcoming us to Scotland. It was brilliant and I haven鈥檛 laughed that much in a long time. Also, a huge THANK YOU to Justine and Rob of RT Motors for making the trip all that way and for the help and support through the meeting. I鈥檓 so grateful. Also, to the guys at home tuning in and sending messages of encouragement.

鈥淔air play to all the lads for safe, no silliness racing at what was a new track for a lot of us. Well done No Limits for making it happen and thank you to all the staff and Marshals who were all spot on. Great appreciation shown from both sides at the end of the last race.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure we will be back and I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l be more ready next time. Now to work on what we know and be in a better place come Anglesey in three weeks.

鈥淎lthough I didn鈥檛 get the results I hoped for, I still loved the weekend. I know that is made possible by the sponsors, so thank you all so much.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Test day

鈥淚 was buzzing to ride the Honda again. We set off strongly with a 1:33.6 on my 3^rd lap, then managed a 1:32.9 in session 4. I was happy with the lap times despite finding it far too physical and struggling towards the end of each session. We needed to find a better setting to help me run a race distance. Without the datalogger yet again, we made improvements, but I wasn鈥檛 fully sure with the feeling. I had a few moments, very nearly losing the front at The Hairpin and up out of the seat twice, so started to tense up towards the end of the day.鈥�

Race Day Free Practice

鈥淚 tried to relax more and felt really good, but the lap times were poor 鈥� in the 1:34s. My head needed a shake as my confidence dropped. It was a waste of a session as I had no idea if it was me, the bike or both. I went for a nap!鈥�

Qualifying (P12 on Grid)

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get onto the circuit in a good position and every time I was on a good lap I would catch a bunch of riders. I dropped off and tried to find space, but it was a nightmare. I kept calm and gave myself just one lap at the end to put in a time of 1:33.277 which put me 12^th on the grid. That lifted my confidence again and gave me a feeling we could make better bike changes.鈥�

Race 1 (P7 in Class)

鈥淚 was worried about my first race start on the Honda as the two practice runs had been terrible. In fact, it wasn鈥檛 bad and I got away to make a pass on Jamie Boyce at Park putting me in P11. I settled behind Liam Murtagh and Luca Jennings and felt okay, dipping in the 1:32s, but on Lap 4 they started to drop me slightly. Being the first race on the bike, I just didn鈥檛 settle enough.听 听

鈥淪till trying to work things out, I didn鈥檛 want to push too much and make a mistake. Jamie then came back past with Brandon Petty chasing him down. I found myself sandwiched between them. Petty made a move on me at The Hairpin, but didn鈥檛 make it stick. He then got past me again at Charlies 1 so I decided to stay behind him, try to let him pull me on as I didn鈥檛 want to slow us up too much.听

鈥淎 couple of laps later, I felt good and had the pace to re-pass him. With a lap and a half to go, I was setting up a move at Chris Curve when we had a random dump of what felt like hailstones. By Mansfield, it had stopped so I was straight back on it trying to get past. Then more heavy rain through Hall Bends and I locked the front at The Hairpin and ran on. Paul Charman snuck past me, but knowing the rain couldn鈥檛 have settled below the over-hanging trees, I went hard into Barn Corner and managed to out-drag him to the line.听

The red 鈥榝lag came out for the rain and crashes it caused. It was a shame to finish that way as I was in good flow. I really enjoyed the race and to say it was my first one on the 鈥楤lade, 7^th in Class was okay.鈥�

Race 2 (P6 in Class)

鈥淟ights out and it was an okay start from P14 on the Grid. The bike felt good for 3 laps and then it was hard work. I鈥檇 made a change for this race and it was completely the wrong way 鈥� my fault as I didn鈥檛 listen to advice and lived to regret it. 听

听鈥淭he arm pump was the most painful I have had. I was a passenger for most of the race, but never stopped trying. I did manage to pass Liam on the last lap as he was having the same issues. Strangely, 6^th place was my best ever in the Pirelli Super Series. I gave it all I had just to finish and was proud of myself, not for performance, but for staying onboard. A fair few riders went down in that one. The hard graft paid off, but I was not happy.鈥�

Race 3 (P7 in Class)

鈥淲e went back to Race 1 settings and it felt so much better. I had a lot of work to do starting P15 on the Grid because of a bad lap time in Race 2. Got away okay again, got stuck in and was enjoying it.

鈥淥n Lap 2, I got to Wilf Turner and saw a rare pass could be on over The Mountain. So, on Lap 3 I did just that, putting me in a great position to get away and go with Liam, Boyce and Jennings. Then, four turns later, I missed my gear change into The Hairpin, ran on and lost two places to Wilf and Paul Charman. A nightmare. My fault for rushing and not engaging 1st gear correctly.听

鈥淚 went into chill mode, got back to work and felt strong. I managed to pass Charman, then Petty, to get on the back of Turner again. Close racing with Wilf, we hunted down Liam, Jennings and Boyce. I tried to squeeze a pass on the last lap into Hall Bends, but had to back out at the last second. We both got past Boyce and Wilf closed the door early at The Hairpin. I went for a run to the line and, just like last year, I lost out.

鈥淕reat racing by all the lads and I really enjoyed that race to finish the weekend. If I hadn鈥檛 missed that gear I was sure this would have been my best finish.

鈥淕ood things are coming and I hope to see some of you up north at Knockhill for Round 7. I can鈥檛 wait.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Test Day

鈥淗ot, and I mean hot! We didn鈥檛 get many laps in; lots of stoppages, a lack of marshals and the notorious Brands catching riders out.

鈥淔or a change, I didn鈥檛 need many laps. I felt I was riding well and enjoyed lapping in the 1:32 mark with little effort, while working a few things out when I got some space.鈥�

Qualifying (P15 on Grid)

鈥淚n the first qualifying session, I was near the front and had got myself some space with a tow from fast lads. I thought 鈥榩erfect鈥�, only for the session to be red-flagged coming on to our 3^rd lap. I do hope Jack Morgan makes a full recovery 鈥� that was big.

鈥淐alled back after a long stoppage and, knowing I would be mid-pack, did a Wilf Turner trick and went out at the back. With the track to myself, I managed a 1:32.4, which I was ok with. Would have liked a little more, but still trying to build up the pace and work out what grip we had. Due to all the stoppages our race was moved to Sunday, meaning we had a busy day ahead with 3 races.鈥�

Race 1 (P17/10^th in Class)

鈥淎 very poor start and then got boxed-in badly at Paddock Hill and Druids, losing a good few places. I quickly got my act together and moved back up to P17 by the end of Lap 1, but was at the back of a train of five riders. Getting used to the pace, I was looking to make up a couple more places, but we were too close together. By the time I had worked a few things out it was the chequered flag. We ran a good pace and I had a good feeling with the bike so was keen to try again in Race 2.鈥�

Race 2 (P12/8^th in Class)

鈥淪tarting 16^th on the grid, I was now on the outside, which I prefer at Brands. This time I ripped off the line, got stuck in and made passes around the outside of Paddock Hill Bend then inside at Druids with inches to spare. I found myself on the back of Liam Murtagh, who is riding strongly this year. I tried to pass him into Surtees, but wasn鈥檛 quite close enough. Ran with Liam for a few laps doing 1.31鈥檚 until he edged away from me. As the gap gradually widened, I was being chased by Jamie Boyce and Steven Duncan so had to kept it tidy to hold my position until the end. Great race and pleased to run consistent 1:31s all race and matched my PB from last year at 1:31.2.鈥�

Race 3 (P10/8^th in Class)听听听听听听听听听听听

鈥淢ade tweaks to the bike to help with the better pace and go! Great start again.

鈥淧retty much the same start though Steven Duncan joined the party this time. Duncan made a brave pass on Liam into Hawthornes and I had the best view in the house. My bike was even better in this one so no excuses and I managed a PB of 1:31.0 to close the little gap they had. Then spent six laps trying to get past the fastest Kawasaki I have ever seen, while Liam was trying to get past Duncan again. I thought I was going to get two for the price of one at Druids, but wasn鈥檛 sure if Liam could see me as he came back onto the racing line. I had a nibble at Graham Hill Bend to which he chopped my nose off. Duncan now had a few bike lengths on us so back to working out Liam again.

鈥淚 felt strong and thought if I can pass Liam I might just get a chance on the last lap to take Steven. I tried everything, but Liam rode well and made it hard. To be honest, even if that wasn鈥檛 possible, the fact I was thinking it shows we are so much stronger than we have been. I got really close coming onto the Start/Finish Straight with two laps to go, but another red flag and the fun was over. Credit to Liam, he has really found the pace again this year and it was great trying to work him out.

鈥淚 feel like a weight has been lifted this weekend. I have now made the step with the bike that I have been looking for, putting me back in the race. I can鈥檛 tell you how happy I am and how much I enjoyed finally racing again. The earlier three rounds were tough to take, but we are on the way back now.

鈥淭hank you so much to all my supporters and sponsors for not giving up on me.

鈥淣ext up: my local, Cadwell Park. I can鈥檛 wait.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Test Day

鈥淰ery windy, but I enjoyed the day. It was fun getting to grips with the Croft track 鈥� one I don鈥檛 go to that often. Had a few brake and data issues to sort, which was annoying, but by the last session I was happy running in the 1:25s.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淣ightmare! I normally try and go out towards the front, but I was mid-pack so backed off to find space. Every lap I caught riders which cost me valuable time. I was patient, but ran out of time and could only manage a 1:26.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淕reat start which was good. I needed it! So good in fact I was 7th in class by the end of Lap 1. Ran consistent mid-1:25s to finish P10 and 7th in class and managed to hold on with Wilf Turner, Paul Charman and Jennings behind me.

鈥淚 was happy with the result from where I started, but it didn鈥檛 feel easy. I knew the times were not enough for the next race so had to find precious seconds for that one.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淎n okay start from 14th on the grid and enjoyed a few passes in the early laps. It was fun racing behind Turner and Charman and running in the low 1:25s until Lap 6. First Wilf and then Paul put in 1:24s and I just couldn鈥檛 hold them. From Lap 8, it started to become hard work leading to arm pump so bad I had to do what I could just to bring it home. We were faster, but not lasting the race is not good.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淲e made some changes which felt good! I felt my body language was loads better and the bike handling felt easy. I passed Charman on Lap 2 and was looking at closing the gap to Turner, but for some reason by Lap 5 it became hard work. The arm pump, which I very rarely get, kicked in again. By Lap 7, I was done in and started to add a second a lap to drop right back.

鈥淚 feel I鈥檓 doing all the right things, but for one reason or another, I鈥檓 struggling to even run at the pace I was last year.听 I鈥檓 not far off, but it鈥檚 how hard it seems which is concerning me. I have some test time coming up and I鈥檒l try get a better feeling on the bike and mentally to come back stronger for Brands Hatch in a few weeks.

鈥淥nce again, thank you so much to all the sponsors and supporters that make this possible.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

鈥淪piceboy Racing took on a stacked Championship Clubman 600 grid at Cadwell Park for Round 2 of the NGRRC season, delivering a weekend of close racing, big personal improvements, and hard-fought battles across the field. While Tim Petts led the charge at the front of the midfield, Jon Otter showed clear progression and Nev Otter dug deep through a challenging weekend.鈥�

Qualifying 鈥� Saturday

鈥�After splitting test duties, Jon Otter carried strong momentum into the weekend 鈥撎齝onsistently improving on last year鈥檚 pace and banking PBs across sessions. Nev Otter, meanwhile, was left searching for answers, struggling to unlock pace 鈥� a theme that would continue.鈥�

Tim Petts (#27): P13 鈥� 1:42.5 (PB)
Jon Otter (#103): P30 鈥� 1:46.5
Nev Otter (#69): P34 鈥� 1:47.6

鈥淲ith a mixed grid across the team, all eyes turned to race day to see who could move forward.鈥�

Race One 鈥� Saturday

鈥淭im Petts launched straight into the fight at the sharp end of the midfield, getting a clean start and running with the front group before making decisive moves late on.鈥�

Tim Petts (#27): P9 鈥� Top 10 finish | 1:41.3 (PB)

鈥淔urther back, Nev made early progress before a bold move into Mansfield didn鈥檛 quite come off, forcing him onto the grass and costing valuable ground.鈥�

Nev Otter (#69): P30

鈥淛on Otter focused on consistency, keeping things tidy and building a solid platform for the races ahead.鈥�

Jon Otter (#103): P32

Race Two 鈥� Sunday Morning

鈥淎nother strong launch from Tim saw him right in the mix again 鈥� this time even closer to the front.鈥�

Tim Petts (#27): P7 鈥� 1:40.7 (PB, fastest lap of the weekend)

鈥淯p to 6th into Turn 1 and running as high as 5th, Tim showed serious pace before arm pump set in late race. Even so, it was a standout result and a big step forward on the new bike.

鈥淏ehind, Nev absolutely rocketed off the line鈥攇aining eight places on lap one鈥攂ut couldn鈥檛 hold the momentum as the race unfolded.鈥�

Nev Otter (#69): P30

鈥淛on had a strong start but lost ground in the opening corners. From there, he regrouped and stayed right in the fight, finishing just behind Nev while setting a new personal best.鈥�

Jon Otter (#103): P31 鈥� 1:45.5 (PB)

Race Three 鈥� Sunday Afternoon

鈥淪tarting P7, Tim dropped slightly at the start but stayed consistent, keeping himself firmly in the top 10 fight.鈥�

Tim Petts (#27): P10

鈥淔urther back, the father-son battle added extra spice. Jon had his sights set on finally getting one over Nev鈥攂ut Nev had other ideas.鈥�

Nev Otter (#69): P19

鈥淎 much stronger ride saw Nev finally find some rhythm, charging up to 17th before just losing a couple of spots late on after a hard fight.鈥�

Jon Otter (#103): P25

鈥淛on delivered another solid performance, getting involved in multiple battles and coming out on top鈥攃ontinuing his steady progression and race craft development.鈥�

Weekend Summary

鈥淎 weekend of contrasts, but clear progress across the Spiceboy Racing team.

鈥淭im Petts led from the front with three top 10 finishes, the fastest lap of the weekend, and over 3 seconds improvement on last year鈥檚 pace鈥攁ll while still adapting to his new machine.

鈥淛on Otter showed some of the biggest gains, consistently improving lap times and race craft, highlighted by multiple PBs and strong race consistency.

鈥淣ev Otter endured a tougher weekend but showed resilience, with a strong recovery ride in Race Three proving the pace is still there when it clicks.鈥�

Tim Petts (#27):
鈥淢ega weekend鈥攔eally starting to click with the new weapon (aka Keith!). Big step forward in pace and great to be fighting at the front. Plenty more to come.鈥�

鈥淲ith momentum building, valuable lessons learned, and pace improving across the board, Spiceboy Racing heads to the next round ready to push on.鈥�

Images:

Test day

鈥淒ry and sunny, though still quite cold. There was a lot of slow traffic to deal with most of the day, but managed to get laps in the 1 min 35secs. Was happy with my riding and the bike setup felt close, so was ready for qualifying.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淨ualified P11 and 8th in class with a 1:35.250 on new tyres. Had hoped for more, but was happy enough and felt I could be strong in the race.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淏it of a scrappy start again! From fourth row of the grid, if you don鈥檛 get away well, there is a lot of scrapping to do early doors, which breaks up the rhythm. Pace was good with low 1:34s and I felt good to the end, missing out on 8th place to Liam Murtagh by 0.065 of a second. A decent race, but felt I should鈥檝e done more.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淲e analysed the data from Race 1 where the bike felt really good, but lacked a little rear grip. Made some changes and felt we had a bike I could really have a good go with. Got a mediocre start, but surprisingly, no one passed me into Turn 1, so got the hammer down. Went from 11th on the grid into P7 by the end of Lap 1 and held this position to Lap 5, running consistently low 1:34s. and keeping a gap to the busy pack behind me. Jack Morgan got past on Lap 5 and Jamie Boyce on Lap 6 before the latter slid off in front of me at Melbourne. Time to drop into the 33s. BUT after Lap 7 the rear grip went from perfect to non-existent. Wilf Turner overtook me on Lap 8 and it took a tremendous effort to control the rear whilst running in the mid to high 34s. and hold on to finish P8. First half of this race we were very strong. Shame about the rear tyre, but we learnt a lot and gave it a good go.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淐ombining my best sector times from Race 2 would show an Ideal lap time of 1:33.5. I felt, with good rear grip and some space, I could improve on that time and achieve a better finish. After speaking to James at No Limits Race Support, we made changes that I was desperate would make the difference.听 I could feel the potential if everything lined up.

鈥淩ace 2 lap time put me 11th on the grid, meaning a good start was paramount. Got boxed in as not aggressive enough and was right in the middle of where I don鈥檛 want to be. The early laps felt so slow and I felt, with some space, I could push on. Our seven-rider group was all split between 0.50s, so breaking out was easier said than done. Made some passes but lost them again as I just wasn鈥檛 aggressive enough. Then the Race was red flagged, reducing the planned 9 laps to a 4-lap sprint. Not ideal as I had to start from 11th again, and didn鈥檛 make the best of starts, got boxed in and found it hard to make passes stick. The 6-rider group was running with only 0.30s between them. The strangest thing, I did a new PB of 1.34s. and it honestly felt like a Sunday rideout. The tyre and grip were perfect, but I couldn鈥檛 get out of the busy pack. Finished 7th in class again; not the way I hoped for the weekend, but we kept it sunnyside, learnt a lot and came away with more confidence.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

鈥�Spiceboy Racing kicked off its 2026 campaign at Brands Hatch Indy for Round 15 of the North Gloucester Road Racing Club (NGRRC) championship, delivering a weekend of close racing, consistent progress, and multiple personal best performances in a highly competitive Clubman 600 field of 37 riders.鈥�

Qualifying 鈥� Saturday Morning

In dry and sunny conditions, all three Spiceboy Racing riders secured solid grid positions in a tightly packed field:

• Nev Otter (#69): P17
• Tim Petts (#27): P18
• Jon Otter (#103): P29

With minimal lap time differences across the grid, the stage was set for a closely contested weekend.

Race One 鈥� Saturday Afternoon

The opening race of the season saw Spiceboy Racing teammates Nev Otter and Tim Petts immediately resume their close on-track battles. The pair fought throughout the race, with the outcome decided only on the final corner.

• Tim Petts (#27): P11 鈥� an impressive debut result on his new machine and a highlight of his weekend
• Nev Otter (#69): P13

Jon Otter delivered a strong and confident performance, gaining five positions and showing a marked improvement in pace:

• Jon Otter (#103): P24 (+5 positions)

Race Two 鈥� Sunday Morning

Race Two continued the theme of tight midfield competition, with riders battling in closely matched groups throughout.

• Tim Petts (#27): P14 (from P11), setting a new personal best lap time
• Nev Otter (#69): Finished close behind in another competitive showing
• Jon Otter (#103): P25 (from P24), continuing to build consistency and racecraft

Race Three 鈥� Sunday Afternoon

The final race of the weekend saw further progress across the Spiceboy Racing team, with all riders delivering strong performances.

• Nev Otter (#69): P12, achieving a new personal best
• Tim Petts (#27): P13, maintaining consistent front-midfield pace
• Jon Otter (#103): P22, recording a standout personal best lap over 2.5 seconds quicker than his previous best at Brands Hatch

Weekend Summary

鈥淪piceboy Racing leaves Brands Hatch with a highly encouraging start to the 2026 season. Competing in a large and competitive field, all three riders demonstrated consistent pace, race-long battles, and clear progression across the weekend.

“Tim Petts impressed with a near top-10 finish and strong adaptation to his new bike, while Nev Otter delivered consistent results and secured a personal best in the final race. Jon Otter showed significant development, gaining positions and achieving substantial improvements in lap times.鈥�

Nev Otter added: 鈥淎 really strong weekend for the team. The competition was tough, but we did ourselves proud鈥攖hree riders, three PBs, and plenty of close racing. All the action is up on our YouTube channel.鈥�

鈥淲ith multiple personal bests, strong midfield competitiveness, and valuable early-season momentum, Spiceboy Racing looks ahead to the next round with confidence.鈥�