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

鈥淏rook Built Racing competed at the British Historic Racing Club meeting at Darley Moor on 18鈥�19 July aboard the A Read Associates Ltd. Honda CB350 K4.

鈥淭his was a late change to our racing programme. Our original plan had been to compete at Scarborough on the SuperTwin, but following the incident at the Southern 100, the bike required more extensive repairs than initially anticipated. Rather than compromise the preparation, we elected to switch our entry to Darley Moor and focus on the Honda CB350.

鈥淒arley Moor is a circuit I have very limited experience of, having only raced there once previously in 1993. With minimal recent track time, the weekend became one of steadily building confidence and improving pace.

鈥淎 special thank-you goes to Grahame Collinge for his invaluable support throughout the meeting, and to Andy Read for both his assistance in the paddock and the opportunity to race the Honda.

鈥淎s is often the case with classic machinery, reliability became part of the story. In Race 1, while running in a strong third place, a spark plug worked loose, causing the engine to run lean and ultimately melting the plug. Although disappointing, it was encouraging to know we were already running at the front of the field while still learning the circuit.

鈥淲ith replacement spark plugs sourced by Andy, Grahame and I completed a trackside thread repair to get the bike back into action. It was far from an ideal paddock repair, but it enabled us to continue the meeting and gather valuable championship points.”

鈥淭he remainder of the weekend showed consistent progress:

鈥淩ace 2: 3rd in class, 5th overall, while improving lap times by approximately two seconds.

鈥淩ace 3: Another 3rd in class, closing significantly on the race leaders and finding a further two-second improvement.

鈥淩ace 4: Our pace earned a front-row start in P3. A close four-bike battle for the lead developed between two 350s and two 500s, producing some excellent racing. We finished 2nd in class and 3rd overall, crossing the line just 1.5 seconds behind the winner.

鈥淭o improve by around four seconds over the course of the weekend, despite limited circuit experience and overcoming mechanical issues, was an encouraging result and demonstrates both the potential of the Honda and the continued progress of the team.

鈥淥ur focus now turns to preparations for the Classic TT, where I will be making my debut while competing on both the A Read Associates Ltd. Honda CB350 and the OC Graphics Kawasaki ZX400.

鈥淔inally, thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters. Your backing allows us to continue competing, developing the bikes, and representing your businesses at race meetings throughout the season. Your support is genuinely appreciated, and we look forward to updating you again after the Classic TT.鈥�

Photo credit: John Hale.

鈥淲hat a week of racing at the Southern 100 on the Isle of Man!

鈥淭he weather was kind to us for most of the event, but as anyone involved in road racing knows, there’s always something that tests you along the way.

鈥淭his year I competed in two middleweight classes, the SuperTwin and the Supersport, giving me plenty of track time and valuable opportunities to build confidence and improve my pace around the Billown Course.

鈥淢onday evening’s practice went exactly to plan. I completed two sessions on the Supersport and one on the SuperTwin, improving my lap times every time I went out and getting both bikes working well.”

鈥淭uesday evening proved to be much more challenging. The plan was to complete two SuperTwin sessions before finishing with the Supersport, but after just two strong laps on the SuperTwin I was unfortunately taken out by another rider at Balabeg.

鈥淎 huge thank you to all the marshals, medics and spectators who looked after me. From making sure I was fit to continue, arranging transport back to the paddock, and even providing cold drinks and phones so I could let the team know I was okay, the support was incredible. Moments like this really highlight what makes the road racing community so special.

鈥淭he incident created a race against the clock. The SuperTwin required significant repairs, there wasn’t enough time to prepare for the final practice session, and I had to sit that one out. Thankfully, Monday’s pace had been enough to secure qualification, putting me 22nd on the SuperTwin grid and 21st for the Supersport B Race.

鈥淎fter a late night in the paddock, the team worked tirelessly to rebuild the SuperTwin and have it race-ready for Wednesday evening.

鈥淪tarting from around two-thirds down the grid made clean getaways difficult in the mass starts, but both races were encouraging. I finished 20th in the SuperTwin race and 17th in the Supersport race, while finding around four seconds per lap compared with my qualifying pace on both machines.

鈥淭hursday brought the main race day, beginning with the Supersport B Race before the SuperTwin feature later in the afternoon.”

鈥淚n the Supersport race I maintained my position throughout much of the race, improved my lap times again, and crossed the finish line in 20th after another strong performance.

鈥淟ater, on the SuperTwin, I made what felt like my best start of the week, gaining several places in the opening laps while continuing to reduce my lap times. It felt like my strongest ride of the meeting, so I was a little surprised to finish 21st, but the overall progress made throughout the week was hugely encouraging. Every outing brought faster lap times, giving us a solid platform to build on for next year’s event.

鈥淎 massive thank you goes to everyone who helped make the week possible. Grahame Collinge, who worked tirelessly to keep both bikes fuelled, prepared, through scrutineering and on the grid every session. Andy Fenton, for your endless support and invaluable local knowledge throughout the week. And my teammate Ben Long, for all your help and encouragement both on and off the track.

鈥淚’d also like to say a huge thank you to 91传媒 for providing the confidence and outstanding stopping power needed to push hard around the Billown Course, and to Aztec Oils for supplying products that kept both bikes running reliably throughout a demanding week of racing. Having dependable equipment makes a huge difference at events like this, and I’m incredibly grateful for their continued support.

鈥淩oad racing is never straightforward, but after overcoming Tuesday’s setback, rebuilding the bike and continuing to improve every time I headed out, I’ll take plenty of positives away from this year’s Southern 100.鈥�

Photo Credit: Tracey鈥檚 Pictures

鈥淔inally, a weekend to smile about!

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

Qualifying (Starting P4)

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

Race 1

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

Race 2

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

Race 3

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

Race 4

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

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

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

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

Pic credit:

Barry Sheene Classic 鈥� Oliver鈥檚 Mount

鈥淭he Barry Sheene Classic at Oliver鈥檚 Mount provided another fantastic opportunity to race both the A Read Associates Ltd Honda CB350K4 and my own Brook Built Racing SuperTwin. Joining me for the weekend was Ben Long, competing aboard the Brook Built Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

鈥淲e were treated to fantastic weather throughout the entire event, which is a rarity at Oliver鈥檚 Mount and made for excellent racing conditions all weekend.

鈥淧ractice began positively, with three laps completed on each bike to get settled into the demanding road circuit. Qualifying followed, with strong results across the board. The Brook Built Racing SuperTwin was qualified in 10^th position, while the Honda CB350K4 secured second in class and was the leading 350cc machine on the grid. Ben also qualified successfully for the main 600 Supersport race on the Yamaha R6.鈥�

Road Racing New Classic Solo 鈥� Honda CB350K4

鈥淩ace 1 saw me make a good start and settle into second place early on. Maintaining a consistent pace throughout, I held the position all the way to the chequered flag.

鈥淩ace 2 was another strong outing. After another good start, I maintained solid pace throughout the race and was rewarded with the class victory.

鈥淩ace 3 proved to be another textbook race. A strong performance resulted in a second-place finish, which was enough to secure the overall New Classic Solo class victory for the weekend.鈥�

Pub & Kitchen Twins 鈥� Brook Built Racing SuperTwin

鈥淩ace 1 got underway with a good start, and after a competitive race I brought the bike home in 8^th position.

鈥淚n Race 2, the start wasn鈥檛 quite as strong, but I settled into a solid rhythm and worked my way to an 11^th-place finish.

鈥淩ace 3 was unfortunately less straightforward. I was boxed in approaching the first corner and lost several positions. The race was subsequently red-flagged, but while making my way back to the grid the bike cut out, preventing me from taking the restart and resulting in a non-start for the final race.鈥�

HM Civils Supersport 鈥� Yamaha YZF-R6

鈥淢y teammate, Ben Long, enjoyed a successful weekend aboard the Brook Built Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Competing in the highly competitive HM Civils Supersport class, Ben continued to improve throughout the event, beating his previous best lap times around Oliver鈥檚 Mount. His efforts were rewarded with consistent finishes of 18^th, 21^st, and 19^th in the three Supersport races, marking another positive step forward in his road racing development.鈥�

Thanks

鈥淏oth bikes performed faultlessly throughout the weekend, running and stopping perfectly with Aztec Oils Endurance 10W/50 engine oil and 91传媒 GPFAX brake pads.

鈥淎 massive thank you goes to all of our sponsors and supporters who continue to make our racing possible. Your backing is greatly appreciated and plays a huge part in every result achieved on track.

鈥淲e now look forward to the next event and building on a successful weekend at The Southern 100.鈥�

Pics: Adam Garrett/Mark Huckerby

Thunderbike Sport

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

Race 1

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

Race 2 & 3

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

Race 4

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

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

Thunderbike Ultra

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

Race 1

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

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

Race 3

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

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

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

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