Oulton Park 20th-21st June 2014

Photo: Bikesport Photography

The team and I had a fantastic round at Cadwell Park back in May, coming home with three GP1 wins. However, trying to repeat this success at Oulton seemed quite daunting!! I haven’t ridden this track a lot on a 1000 and didn’t have much luck with it in 2012, so it’s not up there with my favourite tracks. As always, being a two-day meeting made it even more challenging.

After three good practice sessions on Friday, we went out for qualifying. I was slowly getting used to the track and learning how to ride it with all the challenging crests and undulations – something I find a real handful on the ZX10. I got a couple of clear laps early on in the session and ended up qualifying 5^th with a time of 1.41.9. Despite not being on the front row, I was really pleased with my position. I had gone round the track faster than I had ever been before and I knew where I could improve and go a lot quicker.

There was a delay for the first race when we were due to go on track, so we had two warm-up laps and the race was cut back to seven laps. I got a dreadful start and got boxed in going into turn one, which dropped me back to 9^th position. By lap four, I had climbed up to 5^th and was chasing Teasdale. As soon as I got onto the back of him, he ran the slip road at Hizzy’s chicane and I was promoted up to 4^th. The leading trio were a good four seconds ahead so I settled for 4^th. I managed to do a 1.40.1, which I was extremely happy with and confident that I could still go faster.

Photo: Glyn Richardson

I was determined to make up for the bad start I had in race one, so I got a belting start for race two. I was in 2^nd going into Old Hall and Gav Hunt shot underneath me going into Cascades. I tried my hardest to hang onto them and James East was showing his front wheel everywhere. I just couldn’t get the same drive as they could out of the corners on the gearing I was on. On lap three, East passed me on the run into Hizzy’s. I was trying a bit too hard and ran deep into Old Hall, losing the tow. So, I settled for 4^th again and managed to keep a gap between me and Teasdale, who was in 5^th. I didn’t better my lap time in that race, which I was disappointed with but I know that with a gearing change, we could’ve gone a lot faster.

All in all, it was a good meeting and I learnt a hell of a lot. I bettered my previous lap time from 2012 by 3.2 seconds, which I am really happy with. A huge thanks to all of my team for the effort they put in, all of my sponsors which keep me racing, Louise for looking after me and doing my pit board and my mum and dad.

Roll on Rockingham!

Cadwell Park 24th-26th May 2014

Photo: The Bike Insurer

A bit of a late entry, as I went away straight after this round. However, it has been my best result to date and I had to share what went on.

The qualifying session didn’t quite go to plan and I ended up 3^rd on the grid behind Dean Hipwell and Barry Teasdale. Hipwell didn’t make it for race one, so it was just me and Teasdale on the front row. On lap three of twelve, my clutch started to slip so I was struggling to keep up on the straights. With three laps to go, a back marker held Teasdale up so I passed him going out of Barn. Going into Park, I broke as late as I could but Teasdale still tried the move to out-brake me. He ended up on the grass, giving me a five-second lead. This allowed me to cruise home for my first ever GP1 win.

Photo: Bryant Photography

Following my win in the first race, I got promoted to pole due to the mega laps system. I got a really good start but was hounded by Teasdale and Hipwell for the first half of the race. I tried that little bit more to try to break away from them and ended-up with a two-second lead, which I held for the rest of the race. I was extremely happy with winning my second GP1 race and also broke the lap record by half a second, achieving a 1.31.5.

Again, I got a really good start for the third race. I managed to hold the lead until lap four, where Hipwell went under me at the Hairpin, taking advantage of his supersport 600 handling. I followed him and studied where I was stronger and on the last lap, I got the amazing drive out of the final corner and used the extra power of the ZX10 to pass him over the line – beating him by 0.014 of a second! I also broke the lap record again and got down to a 1.31.4. This is a really good race to watch and is available on the Thundersport iPlayer.

Cadwell Park was an amazing weekend for both me and my team. I won three GP1 wins on the trot – something I have never done before. I also extended my lead in both championships. The team did a mega job all weekend and as always I’d like to thank all of my sponsors!!

Snetterton 200 3rd-5th May 2014

Photo: The Bike Insurer

Round three of the Thundersport GB championship was at Snetterton race circuit in Norfolk – a track that I rode well on the Ducati. I was leading both the GP1 and stock championships going into this round, so I was excited to see how I would perform on the ZX10.

As it was a Bank Holiday weekend, the practice day was moved forward to Saturday. I feel like I made great use of the time given and a good set-up was put together. This gave me confidence for qualifying on Sunday.

It took me a while to get going during qualifying as there was a lot of traffic. However, coming round Coram, I could see that I had a clear track ahead of me so put the hammer down. It was a decent lap which sent me straight into second place behind Phil Crowe. Michael Pearson put in a really quick lap towards the end of the session and took pole, which knocked me down to third. I was happy with this position but knew I would have to work hard in the race.

I got a reasonable start for the first race and was 4^th into turn one behind Connor Tagg, who got an amazing start off the third row of the grid, Crowe and Pearson. I was eager to get to the front so I went under Crowe and Pearson into turn two. I got my head down to catch Tagg and got a good drive out of the Bomb Hole. This allowed me to ride round the outside of him at Coram and I led the race going into lap two. I tried to put in a gap into the chasing pack but, coming down the back straight, Pearson used the extra power of his GP1 bike and breezed past me. I got right on his back wheel to try and get in his slip stream, but a couple of laps later Neeves passed me down the straight on his BMW. I managed to pass them both  numerous times over the next few laps but on lap nine, I missed a gear coming out of the last corner and the pair pulled a lead. A lap later, Neeves pushed the front a little too much and went down at Nelsons. I was safe in second place, so I settled for finishing two seconds behind Pearson.

Photo: Ian Daisley ProBikeART

We woke up to beautiful weather on Monday, ready for the last two races of the weekend. The mega laps system put me second on the grid and I was excited to battle, once again, with the GP1 bikes. I got a great start in race two and led the opening lap but, as in race one, Neeves and Pearson soon passed me down the straight. We were nose to tail and I decided to make a move on Neeves at Murrays. However, I didn’t quite make it and it cost me the drive out of the corner, with Seb Bulpin managing to pass. By half distance, the top five were covered by less than a second. Barry Teasdale out-broke me at the end of Bentley straight, dropping me to 5^th in the GP1 race and 2^nd in the Stocks. Two laps later I slipped underneath him round Coram and was soon on Bulpin’s tail. I passed him round the hairpin, only to get out-dragged on the straight. The last lap flag was shown but I wasn’t close enough to make a move. I finished 4^th overall and won the stock race. It was a really enjoyable race and the top four were covered by 0.3 of a second!

I was excited for race three but unfortunately didn’t make the best of starts. I was 4^th going into turn one but Bulpin high-sided in front of me coming onto the back straight and I had to brake to avoid hitting him. This let Teasdale through and gave the top three around a two second lead. I got my head down and within three laps, I caught Teasdale and passed him into the hairpin.  This put me on the back of Pearson and we started to pull away from Teasdale, but on lap seven I lost the rear round turn one and didn’t want to risk falling off and losing points. Therefore, I decided to just settle for 3^rd overall and 1^st in the stock race.

It was such an enjoyable meeting and there was some really close racing. I was very happy with my pace and I cannot wait for Cadwell Park at the end of the month. I had a fantastic race with Mike Dickinson at my last meeting there, so I am really looking forward to it.

I have a 31 point lead in the GP1 class and a 47 point lead in the superstock class.

I’d just like to thank the whole team, who did a mega job all weekend, and a huge thank you to all of my sponsors who make it possible: a.l.joinery, Seadrift Offshore, DPC Distribution, QC Engineering and Design, FSC Engineering. ProBikeART, Paintzfiction, Al’s Autos, 5-Ways and designerhelmets.com.

I had a TV camera on my bike on Monday, so hopefully you’ll see some great footage of the races!!

Roll on Cadwell in three weeks!

Donington Park 12th-13th April 2014

Photo courtesy of The Bike Insurer

I felt quite confident going into the second round of the championship at Donington Park. We had previously taken part in the BSB test day there at the beginning of April, as we knew that Thundersport would not be holding its own test, and I felt to have made some good progress throughout the day.  I left the circuit eagerly anticipating the race weekend.

We went straight out into a 15-minute qualifying session on Saturday. As we had no track time before this, I knew that I had to get up to speed as quickly as possible. However, I encountered a problem with my gear selector on the first lap and had to come into the pits straight away. Alan quickly rectified the problem and I set off back onto the track. It took a couple of laps to get heat back into my tyres and then I put one flying lap in. A red flag was put out as I completed this lap, as somebody had dropped oil going into the first corner. I was disappointed that I hadn’t managed a faster time but ended up 8th fastest overall.

This qualification meant that I would have to push myself to get up front for the first race. Fortunately, I got a really good start and moved up into 4^th by turn one. I managed to hang onto the back of the leading trio for the first lap but they slowly started to pull a gap on me. The race got red flagged on the fourth lap, which meant that we had to restart. I didn’t get a good start when the race restarted and I was 8^th by the end of the first lap. I slowly picked my way through and, by lap 3, I was in 6^th behind Dan Stewart and Michael Neeves. With three laps to go, I made a move on Neeves and passed him going into the Melbourne loop. The following lap I passed Stewart going into Goddards. I pulled a one second gap straight away and finished the GP1 race in 4^th overall and 2^nd in the Superstock race.

I was still quite disappointed with my performance on the first day, so I decided to walk the track that evening with Alan to see if I could do some things differently. I found that this walk worked wonders and I felt a lot happier going into the second day of racing.

The mega laps system meant that I was pushed up to 6^th on the grid for races on Sunday. Again, I got a good start in the second race and had a good first turn. I got into third, behind John Ingram and Neeves, but Danny Murphy soon passed me into Coppice. On lap three, I slipped up the inside of Neeves at the Old Hairpin and got my head down to try to catch Murphy and Ingram. However, they were just a bit too far away.

With three laps to go, we were onto the back markers and I tried to sneak up inside of one into the Foggy Esses but he closed the door. This allowed Phil Crowe to take the drive and pass me on the run down to the Melbourne Loop. We were closing in on Murphy on the last lap but he had a massive crash going down the back straight. Luckily, he got away with it relatively unscathed. I finished the second race in 3^rd overall and 2^nd in the Superstock race. I also bettered my lap time by over a second to 1.34.5.

Photo courtesy of The Bike Insurer

I had a reasonable start going into race three and didn’t lose a place on the opening lap. However, by lap three, I was suffering from really bad brake fade and I didn’t have the confidence to make any moves on the brakes. I slipped down to 6^th place when Michael Pearson passed me and then Barry Teasdale got me into turn one. We had a little scrap but he also started to have brake issues and I managed to get him into the Foggy Esses. The last lap flag came out and I made one last ditch effort to get into 5^th. I got the run on Neeves out of the Esses and block passed him into the Loop. I ended up 5^th overall and 2^nd again in the Superstock race. It wasn’t the end to the weekend that I wanted but I was happy to bring home 5^th with the issue that we had.

Overall, it was a difficult weekend at times but we learned a lot and I am once again feeling very confident for the third round at Snetterton in three weeks time. I’d like to thank the whole team for all the hard work they put in and also to all of my sponsors who continue to make this possible.

Roll on Snett!

Brands Hatch 7th-9th March 2014

Following a great week of testing out in Spain on board the ZX10 in January, I eagerly anticipated the first round of the season. I had no idea how I would perform or whether my shoulder injury would impede me, but I did know that I could not wait to get back out on track. It had been a long year and I was so excited to be racing once again.

The first sessions of the weekend are always part of a test day on the Friday. Since our return from Cartagena, I have learnt to really evaluate the track and my own actions when riding the bike. This influenced my decision to spend the day learning, rather than aimlessly trying to set the fastest time I possibly could. The bike actually felt pretty good from the word go, so I spent most of the day getting used to it and improving my lines. As we approached the last session of the day, we stuck a new set of tyres on and went out to put a few hard laps in. The bike felt brilliant and my times were good, so I was confident with myself and the team for the qualifying session.

The following day, we prepared for qualifying. I tried to get out first so I could get a clear track. My tyres were fresh, so I really wanted to set a good time. However, within a lap I came across a lot of traffic and I struggled to get a clear lap in. I then came into the pits in an attempt to find a bit of space. I went back out on track and got a slightly clearer lap, but not enough to set a faster time. I finished the session 6^th fastest and would then start 6^th on the grid for the first race.

Race one took place later that day. Admittedly, I got a really bad start and got boxed in going into Paddock Hill Bend. I had dropped back but by the end of the lap, I had climbed up to 8^th position – I still had a lot of work to do! By half distance, I got up to 5^th place but Murphy and Waghorn were seconds ahead of me. I got my head down and with three laps to go, I was on them. Straight away I made my move on Waghorn, going into Paddock Hill, but he quickly got me back going into Druids. The last lap flag was shown and I wasn’t close enough to make the same move again, so I had to come up with another plan. I focused on getting a good drive out of Clearways and immediately rode round the outside of him. I even managed to cut to the inside and pip Murphy to the line. I was over the moon to have finished 3^rd overall in the GP1 race and 2^nd in the Superstock class in my first proper race in over a year. Also, due to the mega laps system, I got the 4^th fastest lap time. This meant that I would start Sunday’s races from 4^th position on the grid.

We woke on Sunday morning to the most beautiful weather and the track temperature was up. I practiced my start at the end of morning warm-up and I am so glad that I did. As the second race commenced, I got a great start off the line. Being on the outside of the track made my run into turn one a whole lot easier and I was in third place going into Druids. The bike had developed a bit of chatter on the front end, so I didn’t have the confidence to attempt to keep up with Crowe and McNealy. On the 3^rd lap, Crowe lost the front going into Paddock Hall Bend and unfortunately took a big tumble into the gravel. Luckily, he walked away but it did promote me into second place. Murphy hounded me all race but I managed to hold him off to the end. I came away with another great result; 2^nd in both classes and crucially, more solid points.

Race three was the last race of the weekend. After talking to Alan, our team mechanic, we made some changes to the front end to hopefully get rid of the chatter I suffered from in race two. Again, I got a great start and I was third going into Paddock Hill, behind Murphy and McNealy. I got a good run up to Druids and managed to ride round the outside of Murphy. I had far more confidence in the front end, so I got my head down and tried to get onto the back of McNealy. I got within a quarter of a second of him but I couldn’t get quite close enough to make a move. Unfortunately, I struggled to chase him towards the end of the race, due to back markers, and he managed to pull a second away from me. McNealy won the race and I again came 2^nd in both races.

I was extremely happy with how the weekend went. I left Brands Hatch confident with my results, as I am now second in both the GP1 and Superstock championships. If you would have told me at the start of the weekend how well I would do, I wouldn’t have believed you. I would just like to say a massive thank you to the whole a.l.joinery racing team for providing me with an amazing bike, excellent help and the whole opportunity. I would also like to thank all of my personal sponsors; Seadrift, FSC Engineering, QC Engineering & Design, DPC Distribution, Premier Helmets, Oaksmith Construction, Paintzfiction, ProBikeART and everyone else who has made this season possible!

Roll on Donnington Park next month!!

Thank you to Peter Wileman photography, Johny Wills and The Bike Insurer for the pictures.