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

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.

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 辫辞蝉蝉颈产濒别.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

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

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

Test Days

鈥淲e had two test days for the first round which was good to give us extra time to get up to speed. I was happy on Day 1, but struggled with tyre wear and grip on Day 2 when the temperature dropped. I was a little worried on what my qualifying time might be after an average couple of days on the bike, so a quick call to Not So Fast was what I needed just to set the plan.”

Qualifying

鈥淏ike felt great and on Lap 3 I managed 1:56.7, so pulled in to save tyre. This put me P6 in class taking the three BSB lads out of the numbers and, basically, leading my bunch. So, yes, happy. Best lap: 1:56.706 and 10th on grid.”

Race 1

鈥淒idn鈥檛 get a great start and found myself in a close four-way battle for most of the race, which was fun. Had to make up some early ground to get there. Saw parts of the track where I could improve and was looking forward to a strong Race 2. Best lap: 1:56.340 and 10^th in Class.”

Race 2

鈥淕ot a much better start, settled in and led the bunch (in P9) until Lap 5 when I started to drop back. I was running in the mid to low 56鈥檚 and knew I needed to drop into the 54/55鈥檚 to hold position. I wasn鈥檛 sure if the bike started to turn slower or I may have tried too hard to pull away, but it started to feel hard work. This was the hardest part of the weekend to accept as, with clear track ahead, I gave myself the opportunity to pull away, but wasn鈥檛 able to. I then got caught in an incident which put me on the grass and I lost the chance to hold onto the group. Brought it home P9 in Class with a slightly better lap time of 1:56.298.”

Race 3

鈥淢ade a few slight changes to the bike for Race 3, keen to run at the pace I felt possible if I could get to the front of the pack and find clear track. Another good start and made up some early places. However, a rider around me had multiple bike problems making it difficult and risky to pass. I had to take avoiding action, then trying to get away from the problem, made a mistake and ran on at the next hairpin, losing 5 places. Frustrated, I got back on track and recovered as many places as possible in the remaining laps. I managed to make my way back to P12 in Class. Lap 2 was my fastest lap of the weekend and, being 0.4 seconds below my PB set last year, it was a massive disappointment not to improve on that. Best lap: 1:55.973 and P12 in Class.

鈥淚n summary, I don鈥檛 think the feel I got from the bike was great, although I may have tried to override to compensate. We all know that does not work. I can be faster when things are right. It wasn鈥檛 all bad and there were lots of positives to take away from the meeting. Whilst my final placings don鈥檛 look spectacular, the 3 podium places were taken by the Tag Honda BSB riders in each race. Allowing for them, my places weren鈥檛 too shabby.

鈥淭hank you to No Limits Racing and the marshals for a well very run meeting and a massive well done on the new YouTube channel. A great addition to club level racing.

鈥淭hank you to every single person and sponsor that makes this 辫辞蝉蝉颈产濒别.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Luca Wilkinson aka El Loco #76

Friday Practice

鈥淔riday鈥檚 practice went well. Small issue with the bike, but it wasn鈥檛 affecting my lap times, so we just rode around it.鈥�

Saturday

Qualifying

鈥淲ent out and pushed on a bit, I knew I didn鈥檛 have to put it on pole, so I just rode smart and pushed for a few laps and put it on P2 with Ollie Sims on P1, with our lap times separated by 0.03 of a second.

Race 1

鈥淪tarted the race but I noticed Ollie hadn鈥檛 gone to the grid. I pulled an 8-second lead after 3 laps and just brought it home in 1st place. Unfortunately, I came in to find out Ollie had crashed in the Minitwins qualifying and broken his collarbone.

Race 2

鈥淧retty similar to race 1; a good start, pulled a big gap and just kept at a consistent pace and brought it home in 1st place and secured the championship win.鈥�

Sunday

Race 3

鈥淚t was cold so I had to think about how to ride so I didn鈥檛 overdo it. I put a gap to 2nd and brought it home in 1st place.鈥�听

Race 4

鈥淢y 1st wet race! Good start and just rode smart but after a few laps I caught some back-markers and lost a lot of time letting a few other riders catch. Sean took me into turn 1 after I ran wide, but I retook the position and pulled a little gap to bring it back home in 1st for the last time of the year and with the championship win.

鈥淔antastic last round with 4 from 4 wins. Big shout out to Ollie who I鈥檝e battled hard with all year, not the way I wanted the year to end. GWS mate.

鈥淭hank you each & every one of our sponsors supporters and friends.鈥�

Test Day

鈥溾�楾errible鈥� is the best word to describe it. Some of it my fault, some out of my control. I managed very few laps due to oil leaks, a rear brake pad falling out, red flag stoppages and tyre grip issues.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淰ery frustrating. We made gearing and setup changes, but something didn鈥檛 feel right. Despite trying my best, went even slower than test day with a 1:35.9, nearly two seconds off my PB. This put me P6 in Class and 15^th on the grid.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淚 thought 鈥榣eave the bike alone 鈥� it must be me鈥�. So, we tried again to no avail. With bikes around me, I could see the biggest issue 鈥� we had no rear grip. The bike wasn鈥檛 sliding; it was spinning so badly that after just eight laps the rear tyre was toast. Had a great start and was in 10^th by the end of Lap 1, but then other riders started picking me off from Lap 3. Finished P5 in Class and 13^th overall. Best lap of only 1:35.218.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淛R Performance stepped in and we put in a softer spring and made a few changes. They worked for the rear and brought the grip back, but now the bike was turning very slowly and gave me arm pump for the first time this year.

From 13^th on the grid, got into 10^th until Halliday passed me. Chased down Steven Duncan and got past him on Lap 10. By then, with two laps to go, I couldn鈥檛 feel my brake lever, but pushed as hard as I could. Held him off until the last lap but had to settle for P4 in class and 11^th overall. Best lap was 1:34.839.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淪at in my van, head in hands, thinking 鈥榳hat鈥檚 going on?鈥�, we decided to change the front settings and, thankfully, it was just about perfect! I had my bike back again. I knew on the warm-up lap I was in with a chance of running where I normally do.听

鈥淏oom! A good start from 11^th on the grid and then made the pass of my season into the Old Hairpin to get straight onto the back of Wilf Turner, who was running in 9^th. On Lap 2, did a new PB of 1:34.104 and felt so comfortable with the pace that a pass into Goddard鈥檚 looked possible, but decided not to have a go. Turner had been riding much better than me and, although comfortable, I could see a few things I wasn鈥檛 doing right. So, thought to stay with him and learn then go if I could. Put in a 1:34.238 on Lap 3. Perfect! It looked like we would get that last dance after all! Then an almighty BANG on the Start/Finish Straight – the exhaust had blown off its connector to the headers and I had to retire. Another DNF, but considering I had been off the pace all weekend, I enjoyed those three laps a lot!

鈥淚t just wasn鈥檛 our weekend. Some my fault, some just life, but again I learned so much. It鈥檚 the first time we didn鈥檛 get a tin pot, but we took P2 in the Premier 1000 Championship by a good margin.鈥�

鈥淐ongratulations to Wilfred Turner. You deserved to win the Championship and it鈥檚 been a pleasure racing so close with you. WELL DONE and I look forward to scrapping it out again next year.

鈥淚 am so grateful to my amazing sponsors, family and friends for their support throughout the season. Without you we don鈥檛 go racing. Simple! I have absolutely loved it and I hope you have too.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

Test/Practice (Friday Morning)

鈥淰ery short and not ideal conditions to find a bike setup, but it was the same for everyone who didn鈥檛 do the optional track day on the Thursday. Test 1 was damp. Test 2 was mostly dry, but I went out on wet tyres which was the wrong call. Test 3 was fully wet and that was the best run out we had.鈥�

Qualifying (Friday Afternoon)

鈥淨ualifying was bone dry. Got some clear track and did my best with what practice I鈥檇 had. By lap 3, the front was too soft so had to adapt my riding to manage a 1.44.275. This put me 2^nd in class and P11 on the Grid. My main Championship rival, Wilf Turner was P8 so it wasn鈥檛 what I was looking for.听

鈥淚 made a bike change and went out in Emergency Practice. Lapped quicker than my qualifying time without trying too hard and on old tyres. This session was a big help in getting the bike to run at a pace needed to have a chance of the Class win. Then made another change which turned out to be perfect. For another dry race I would have left the bike as it was. This pleased me as it shows how quickly we can achieve good settings and will help a lot in the future.鈥�

Race 1 鈥� 10 laps (Saturday Morning)

鈥淗ad an OK start, but got boxed in a little at turn 1. Wilfrid Turner put in a couple of laps in the 1.41s and Paul Charman was between us. Watched them fighting for position while trying to work out a plan. I didn鈥檛 have the pace to pass them mid-race, only to just stay with them. With two laps to go, Turner made a pass on Charman and pulled a small gap. On the last lap, going into Shell Oils Corner, I made my way past Charman and pushed to get back to Turner.

鈥淭o the end, I tried for a passing opportunity, but too little too late and I crossed the line 0.8 secs. behind him. I lapped in the 1.42s every lap and felt strong until the end, which is great for Oulton Park. I really enjoyed the race and was happy with my ride but disappointed with the dreaded P2 again. I feel if I鈥檇 had a little more 鈥榙ry bike鈥� time I would have been stronger and might have been able to get the top spot. I gave it all I had and it was a good run again from Wilf. P2 in Class and 9^th overall with new PB of 1:42.172.鈥�

Race 2 (Saturday Afternoon)

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 get a Race 2 due to a medical emergency nightmare. There was a fair few crashes in the races leading up to our planned 4:50pm race, which was almost certainly going to be a wet one. I was confident from the wet practice sessions of being strong in a wet race. Many riders didn鈥檛 risk the wet practice and I felt at an advantage, having I worked out where the grip was and wasn鈥檛.听

鈥淯nfortunately, the race meeting was cancelled because the medical centre was fully committed in dealing with serious injuries. I wish the riders involved a full and speedy recovery.

“Well done and thank you to the amazing medical staff and marshals who look after us at these meetings 鈥� you never know when you might need them.

鈥淚t has been decided the race lost will not be re-run at Donington, which makes our Championship win look slim now, but we shall push to the very end.

“Feel really proud of the team鈥檚 effort and my performance at this meeting.

鈥淐onditions were awful and I was quite unwell all weekend, but I made sure it did not affect the input or the results. Thanks to Tony for helping us out and filling in for Neil. Great company all weekend.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court