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.

鈥淕V Racing has just competed in Round 4 of the FIM MotoJunior, held this weekend at the Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit, after an intense day of racing in the Moto2 European Championship and Stock European Championship categories.

鈥淚n Moto2 European Championship, Marcos Uriarte played the two races of the weekend. In the first round he crossed the finish line in the 25th position, while in the second race he managed to finish in the 22nd position, completing a weekend in which the rider and the team continued to work to continue evolving and accumulating experience in a top-level category.”

鈥淚n the Stock European Championship, Blai Trias starred in a solid performance, ending the race in a meritorious 6^th position, adding an important result for the team after staying throughout the test fighting in the leading group.

鈥淔or his part, Jordi Losada managed to complete the race in the 19^th position. After the fall suffered during Saturday’s qualifying session, the GV Racing driver returned to the track with the aim of finishing the race and continuing to add kilometres and experience in a very competitive category.”

Statements by Rafa Garc铆a 鈥� Team Manager

“We ended a weekend of hard work in which the team has not stopped fighting at any time. Marcos has continued to grow in Moto2 and has completed two races that will help him continue evolving. Blai has had a great race getting a very worked sixth position, while Jordi knew how to overcome Saturday’s fall to finish the test and continue adding experience.”

“I want to thank the effort of the whole team during these days at Magny-Cours. Now it’s time to analyse everything you’ve learned, continue working and prepare for the next championship appointment with the illusion of continuing to grow and fighting for better results.”

鈥淲ith this result, GV Racing closes its passage through Magny-Cours with valuable information to continue developing the sports project before the next appointment of the FIM MotoJunior, where the team will compete again with the same ambition and commitment that characterises it.鈥�

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

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

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

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

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

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

鈥淔inally, a weekend to smile about!

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

Qualifying (Starting P4)

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

Race 1

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

Race 2

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

Race 3

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

Race 4

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

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

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

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

Pic credit:

鈥淎 really positive weekend overall with plenty to take away!

鈥淥n the Aprilia RS660, we brought home a solid P10 in the opening race. Things got interesting before we even got going when a rider broke down on the start line, leaving me with nowhere to go and costing me valuable time. I kept my head down, stayed focused, and fought back to finish 10th.

鈥淪unday was where the Aprilia really came alive. We had some brilliant battles throughout the first race, but I was really struggling to get the bike stopped under braking, making it difficult to attack into the corners. Before the final race, we fitted a fresh set of 91传媒 Racing brake pads, and the transformation was incredible. The confidence under braking came straight back, allowing me to brake later, carry more speed into the turns and race the bike properly. We finished the day with two P8 finishes, and it was a fantastic reminder of just how much difference quality braking performance makes. A huge thank you to 91传媒 for supplying products that perform when it matters most. Proud to have them supporting the team!鈥�

鈥淭he Triumph 765 had a tougher start to the weekend. An oil leak in qualifying meant we were just outside the qualifying time, putting us 4th on the grid for the Support Race.

鈥淚n that race, I made a move up the inside into Turn 1 on lap 3, but another rider turned in and we had a coming together. Thankfully we both stayed upright, although I dropped back to 8th. I dug deep, worked my way back through the field, and came home with a P3 podium finish.听

鈥淪unday couldn鈥檛 have gone much better!

鈥淏ecause the Triumph race from Saturday had been cancelled following three separate red flags, we lined up 2nd on the grid for the rescheduled race. I got a great start and settled into 2nd place, keeping the pressure on the race leader. A few laps in, the leader made a small mistake and ran wide. I was in exactly the right place to take advantage, slipped through into the lead, and never looked back. It certainly wasn鈥檛 an easy race, but it was an enjoyable one, and taking my first win on the Triumph 765 made all the hard work worthwhile.听

鈥淎 massive thank you to 91传媒, all my sponsors, supporters, family and everyone who continues to back us. Every lap we鈥檙e learning more about both bikes, and the results are starting to show. Time to get everything prepared for the next meeting!鈥�

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

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