鈥淩ound 9 of the British Superbike Championship took us to the iconic TT Circuit Assen, where Luke Hedger continued his impressive comeback following the serious injuries sustained after a fall from a second-story roof at work earlier this season.

鈥淭he weekend was focused on continued recovery, rebuilding confidence, and finding speed, and Luke delivered exactly that. Qualifying saw a significant step forward as he broke into the 1:38 bracket for the first time with a superb 1:38.8 lap, finishing ahead of three riders and showing clear progress throughout the session.”

鈥淩ace 1 brought even more encouragement. Luke lowered his lap time again, recording a personal-best 1:38.1 around the famous Dutch circuit. The improvement highlighted the hard work being put in both on and off the bike, with pace continuing to build despite the challenges of returning from injury.

鈥淭he final race of the weekend delivered another breakthrough. Luke dipped into the 1:37s with an outstanding 1:37.9 lap, comfortably his fastest-ever lap of Assen and a clear indication that both rider and team are moving in the right direction. While the race results themselves did not fully reflect the progress made throughout the weekend, the underlying speed and competitiveness were there for all to see.”

鈥淢ost importantly, Assen demonstrated that Luke’s recovery remains firmly on track. Each session brought improvements, with lap times consistently falling and confidence growing every time he headed out onto the circuit.

鈥淲ith plenty of positives to take away from the Netherlands, the team now turns its attention to the final rounds of the championship at Donington Park and Brands Hatch. If the progress shown at Assen is anything to go by, there is every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead.

鈥淎 huge thank you to all of our amazing partners, sponsors, supporters, and everyone behind the scenes. Your continued support makes this journey possible, and we look forward to finishing the season strongly together!鈥�

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

Luca Wilkinson

鈥淔ree Practice:听All about learning the track as this is another new one for me. I spent the whole 25 mins just trying to learn. Finished the session 2.9s off 1st so plenty of work to do.

鈥淨ualifying:听Didn鈥檛 go as well as I鈥檇 hoped, ended up coming 14th but the gap to the front had closed to 1.8s so I was happy with the progress. I was feeling more confident about the track and where I was for the start, knowing I could get a good start and hopefully get straight into the top 10 I was confident I could go forwards.

鈥淩ace 1:听Got a fantastic start and managed to go from 14th to 8th of the start and up to 7th in the 1st lap. Worked hard to stay in the group but we got the gearing slightly too short so I struggled making any moves having to do everything on the brakes to keep with the leading pack, ended up coming P9. Really pleased with the finish and felt I had the pace to do more in race 2.

鈥淩ace 2:听We put in new gearing & it immediately made a difference. I got a good start from 11th on the grid and had a huge battle with 8-10 other riders and almost managed the win. I got a great drive & slipstream coming into the final chicane on the last lap but Lewis Mullen pulled off a great move & just dived past me to the apex. Tried everything to get him back before the line but he just beat me by 6/100th of a second taking the win and I came home in 2nd. Well done to Arnie Carr for his podium. So happy with that & my best race of the year. Also got awarded the Most Coverage Award by Clifford which was really cool. Amazing weekend and an incredible weekend for the entire Team with PB finishes for everyone.鈥�

Zack Weston

鈥淲hat a weekend it was, I didn鈥檛 have massive hopes for this round as it was a track I had never been to and only having two sessions to get to pace and have a set up that works isn鈥檛 easy but the team worked hard on and off my bike to get it perfect.听

鈥淧ractice听was mainly about getting laps in and learning the track and that I did, I went out on scrubs and just did lap after lap learning and taking in as much as possible. I managed 36 laps across the two practices and closed the time to the front rides to around 1.8s which I was happy with considering the tyres I was on.

鈥淨ualifying听didn鈥檛 go as I鈥檇 hope I did manage to go quicker then practice but with people trying to get tows off of quicker riders messed up the end of qualifying but still happy with where I qualified for Race 1 鈥� P22.

鈥淩ace 1: For the first time this year I actually got the bike of the line and didn鈥檛 lose a position.

鈥淚 got a really good start and just went for it, making up 8 positions in the first lap and getting right in the back of the front group and I had the pace to be with them but battles with a few riders and people not making the smartest of moves meant the front group got away and got a gap the rest of the field but after a hard fight and nearly getting wiped out I manage to finish the race in P16.

鈥淩ace 2: The pace I had in race one put my P10 on the grid for race two and I knew I had more pace in me so after another good start I got stuck in getting up to P8 and battling hard with everyone and setting a 1:20.0.

鈥淎fter a chaotic 14 laps I managed to finish the race P12. I can鈥檛 thank the team enough for all the hard work they鈥檝e put in this weekend making my bike the best it鈥檚 ever felt and making it possible for me to ride it how I know I can.

鈥淭hank you to everyone who makes it possible.鈥�

鈥淭he 2026 Classic TT was always going to be a challenge. Preparing a pair of very different bikes for the famous 37戮-mile Mountain Course, learning the circuit as a newcomer, and then racing against some of the best historic machinery and riders made for an experience I will never forget.

鈥淭he little Honda CB350 K4 had already been a joy to ride throughout the year, but before heading to the Isle of Man it received a serious makeover for the Classic TT. We fitted a new engine, a larger-capacity fuel tank to allow three laps, a megaphone exhaust and new fairings and paint, along with countless smaller details and hours of preparation. The aim was simple: make the little Honda as capable and reliable as possible for the demands of the Mountain Course.

鈥淥ne of the biggest moments of the week came with my newcomer lap, led by Carolynn Sells who controlled the lap superbly and settled any nerves.

鈥淐ompleting that lap was a fantastic experience and a major milestone. There is something very special about finally getting out onto the Mountain Course after all the preparation and anticipation. Huge thanks to everyone who helped make it happen, particularly Ben Long, Grahame Collinge and Andrew Read, as well as everyone who supported me throughout the Classic TT.

鈥淭he next challenge was to take the OC Graphics ZXR400 out on course, although the weather was already beginning to dictate the programme. At the TT, you quickly learn that plans can change in an instant.”

鈥淢y first experience of being out on the course by myself proved to be particularly eventful.

鈥淔irst up was the ZXR400 in the Ultra Lightweight class. With more time and the right parts available, I would have rebuilt the engine properly, but we took a chance and hoped it would manage a couple of laps. The Mountain Course tests everything, and unfortunately this proved to be a mistake.

鈥淭he bike felt weak almost from the start. I noticed the engine temperature beginning to rise from Sulby, and then, coming out of the Gooseneck, the engine lost a little more power. It wasn’t enough to stop me immediately, and I hoped I could get over the mountain and make it to the next session.

鈥淭hat wasn’t to be.

鈥淓ven though the engine had been tested on the dyno and at Jurby, it finally gave up at Joey’s, around a mile beyond the Gooseneck. I pulled the bike into a safe place and began the long journey back towards the paddock on foot.

鈥淐rossing open moorland with gorse bushes, dry stone walls and barbed-wire fences certainly wasn’t how I had imagined the day going. I eventually made it back to the Gooseneck, where a fellow called Russell kindly gave me a lift back to the paddock, just in time for the Historic Classic.

鈥淔ortunately, the little CB350 K4 was ready to go, and it was a completely different experience. The bike has been a joy to ride all year and had received a huge amount of attention in preparation for this event. We managed to complete a lap, although I had planned to go for two before the session was eventually stopped by a chequered flag.

鈥淭he evening session was cancelled, giving the team a chance to regroup.

鈥淕rahame Collinge and Ben Long retrieved the ZXR400, while Andrew Read and I concentrated on preparing the 350.

鈥淭he lads then put in a huge amount of work, staying up late to carry out an engine swap in the 400 and get it ready for another attempt. That effort summed up the team perfectly. They were constantly being challenged, but they never stopped working to find a solution.

鈥淚 couldn’t have wished for a better group of people around me.

鈥淚 also want to give a special mention to the Mike Hailwood Foundation, who do so much work supporting newcomers at both the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT. Their help and encouragement are hugely appreciated.”

鈥淭he following days brought more progress on the CB350 K4.

鈥淭he meeting was being heavily affected by the weather, so every opportunity to get laps in became important. We managed to complete more laps and reached another significant milestone: the chance to put together two consecutive laps and four laps in total.

鈥淒uring one lap, I was black-flagged at the end of Sulby Straight because officials believed there was a loose exhaust pipe. Nothing was found to be wrong, and I was allowed to continue.

鈥淥n the second lap I could push a little harder and begin to understand what the course was like at speed. Learning was the biggest focus of the year, and with a few damp patches around the course I was very conscious of the low-adhesion flags and making sure I respected the conditions.

鈥淚t was another step forward, and one that the whole team could be proud of.

鈥淭he K4 was running well and sounded fantastic.

Meanwhile, the ZXR400 continued to give us headaches. We had tried to get it ready, but after another late night we found a small water leak and the engine still sounded rough. We made the decision to park it for the day rather than take another unnecessary risk.

鈥淲ith the evening practice cancelled, Ben Long once again set about trying to make the ZXR ready for the rest of the Classic TT.

Another engine swap later 鈥� and another long night for the team 鈥� we hoped we might finally have a bike ready to go.

鈥淔riday practice went really well.

鈥淚 managed two laps on the CB350 K4 and another lap on the ZXR400. The 400 was still a little asthmatic and down on speed, but after everything that had happened, simply getting it back around the course was a great achievement.

鈥淭hat should have been the end of the day, with the plan to relax for the evening and begin preparing for Monday’s racing.

鈥淏ut, as anyone who knows the TT will tell you, you can’t plan too far ahead.

鈥淛ust as the lads sat down with a well-earned pint, we found out that the entire schedule had been brought forward by two days because of incoming weather.

鈥淎 good call by the organisers, in my opinion, but it meant everyone had to get straight back into race mode.听

鈥淩ace day began with two qualifying laps on the ZXR400.

鈥淭he first lap was disappointing. The bike felt slow and asthmatic, so Ben immediately went to work, removing the carbs so I could change the jets.

鈥淭he second lap was much better, with a noticeable improvement in performance. At least we were moving in the right direction.

鈥淭hen came the Historic Junior Classic TT race on the CB350 K4 鈥� our first Classic TT race.

鈥淭he first lap and a half were fantastic. The little Honda was singing, and everything was going exactly as we’d hoped.

鈥淭hen, through Kirk Michael, it suddenly dropped onto one cylinder.

鈥淚 kept going and hoped it might come back, but it didn’t. Eventually I pulled in at Rencullen.

鈥淭wo racers passed me before I spotted the problem: the plug cap had come off.

鈥淟uckily, it was a simple fix.

鈥淚 pushed the cap back into place, bump-started the bike and got going again. I even managed to repass one of the riders before the finish.

鈥淭o get our first TT start and finish was a fantastic feeling.

鈥淎fter all the preparation, setbacks and late nights, simply seeing that chequered flag was something special.

鈥淭he next day was the Ultra Lightweight race on the ZXR400.

鈥淚t didn’t go to plan in the end, but while it lasted, I absolutely loved it.

鈥淥n the first lap I managed to catch ten seconds on the rider ahead on the road. We swapped places several times before reaching the first-lap pit stop, giving me another completely new experience.

鈥淭he lads did a fantastic job in the pit stop, and I managed to make up another twenty seconds to the next rider.

鈥淯nfortunately, on the run towards Ballacrain, the throttle cable snapped.

鈥淭hat brought the race to an end.

鈥淚t was frustrating, especially after all the work that had gone into getting the 400 back on the grid, but that’s racing 鈥� and particularly racing around the TT Mountain Course.

鈥淭here was, however, something to celebrate. We received a finishers medal for the previous day’s Historic Classic Junior race.”

鈥淥ne race remained: the three-lap Historic Senior 500cc race on the CB350 K4.

鈥淭he final race brought almost perfect conditions.

鈥淎fter everything that had happened during the week, the CB350 K4 was ready to take on three laps of the Mountain Course.

鈥淭he race was brilliant.

鈥淭he little 350 was running well and I was thoroughly enjoying every mile. We were running in 10th place and, with another few miles, there was a real possibility of bringing the bike home with a very good result. But the Mountain Course had the final word. At Hailwood Heights, the bike expired.

鈥淕utted is an understatement.

鈥淎fter all the work from the team, all the late nights, the engine changes, the preparation, the weather interruptions and the effort that had gone into getting both bikes onto the grid, to be so close to the finish and then have the bike fail was incredibly disappointing.

鈥淏ut that’s racing at the TT.

鈥淎nd despite the disappointment, I wouldn’t change the experience for the world.

鈥淟ooking back over the Classic TT, the results only tell part of the story.

鈥淭here were the laps, the races, the mechanical failures and the chequered flags. But there was also the learning, the atmosphere, the people and the sheer effort required behind the scenes to make everything happen.

鈥淔rom preparing the CB350 K4 before the event, to recovering the broken ZXR400, changing engines late into the night, rebuilding and preparing bikes between sessions, adjusting carburation and constantly adapting to the weather and schedule 鈥� the team never stopped.

鈥淏en Long, Grahame Collinge and Andrew Read deserve enormous credit for everything they did. Their commitment and determination were incredible, and I could not have wished for a better team around me.

鈥淎 huge thank you to 91传媒 for helping keep us safe and performing at our best at the Classic TT. Their braking performance, reliability and confidence under hard riding conditions make a real difference when every corner counts. We鈥檙e proud to have 91传媒 supporting us on the bike 鈥� thank you for being part of the team!

鈥淭hank you as well to everyone who helped, supported and encouraged us throughout the Classic TT, including the Mike Hailwood Foundation and all those who helped newcomers experience this incredible event.

鈥淎nd thank you to everyone who provided photographs and captured the moments throughout the week.

鈥淭he 2026 Classic TT gave me my newcomer lap, my first laps alone on the Mountain Course, my first TT race start, my first TT finish, a finishers medal, some fantastic racing 鈥� and plenty of lessons along the way.

鈥淭he bikes may not have made it to the end of every race, but we kept pushing, kept learning and kept getting back out there.

鈥淭hat is what the TT is all about.

鈥淲hat an experience. I wouldn’t change it for the world.鈥�

Pics: Mark Huckerby/RC Photos/Tracey Harrison

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

鈥淭eam KYT Americas earned a hard-fought Superbike class victory at the inaugural N2RA 6-Hour Endurance Race at Virginia International Raceway, overcoming a mechanical failure that put the team more than 20 minutes behind just minutes into the six-hour event.

鈥淭he team consisted of Rise Moto founders, Brandon Cretu and Brian D鈥橝pice, along with KYT Americas-sponsored athlete Dan Kruger. Rise Moto serves as the North American distributor for KYT Americas.

鈥淐retu and Kruger are long-time friends and international road racing veterans, with both having competed at the legendary Isle of Man TT and Macau Grand Prix.”

鈥淭he team鈥檚 race took a dramatic turn just three laps after the start when a clutch failure forced an unscheduled pit stop and complete clutch replacement. The repair cost Team KYT Americas more than 20 minutes, leaving them with a significant deficit almost immediately.

鈥淥ver the remaining hours, Cretu, D鈥橝pice and Kruger steadily fought their way back through the field, ultimately overcoming the early setback to secure first place in the Superbike class. Proving that anything can happen in endurance racing and a team should never give up!

鈥淔ollowing the victory, the team collectively decided to donate its entire $4,000 first-place purse to the Roadracing World Action Fund, supporting the organization鈥檚 efforts to provide Airfence and other soft-barrier protection at motorcycle racing and track-day events throughout the United States.鈥�

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