Luca Wilkinson aka El Loco #76

Round 1 – Oulton Park

“Friday practice was OK. I didn’t 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.

“Race 1 – Great start from last up to 14th and trying to push forward, but the new leathers really caused me pain. I’d 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.

“Race 2 – 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’ve now resolved the mechanical issues that were causing the problems. Roll on Donington Park.�

Round 2 – Donington Park

“Straight 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.

“Race 1 – A wet race! Not the best start as I spun up off the line, and on the first lap through Starkey’s a rider ahead lost the rear and sent me across the wet grass at 100mph – 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.

“Race 2 – 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’t wait to go again at Knockhill.�

Zack Weston – #35

Round 1 – Oulton Park

“Definitely not the weekend I thought it would be – 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 ±è´Ç²õ²õ¾±²ú±ô±ð.â€�

Round 2 – Donington Park

“Overall 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’t amazing as I couldn’t 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 ±è´Ç²õ²õ¾±²ú±ô±ð.â€�

Craig Dance

Round 1 – Oulton Park

“A 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 – we’re looking into it.

“Race 1 – 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 – 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 ±è´Ç²õ²õ¾±²ú±ô±ð.â€�

Hudson Cooper – #27

Round 1 – Oulton Park

“The 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.

“In 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’d also like to apologise to Luke Fitchett, who hit my bike during the incident.

“During 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 – meaning I sadly missed Round 2 at Donington Park.

“While 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’ve made and confirmed we have genuine top-ten pace in this highly competitive championship.

“I 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.

“My focus now turns to recovery. I’ll 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 – it’s 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.�

The whole team now looks ahead to the next rounds at Knockhill and Snetterton, with everyone at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ wishing Hudson a speedy recovery.

Image credits: Torq Media

Luca Wilkinson aka El Loco #76

Friday Practice

“Friday’s practice went well. Small issue with the bike, but it wasn’t affecting my lap times, so we just rode around it.�

Saturday

Qualifying

“Went out and pushed on a bit, I knew I didn’t 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

“Started the race but I noticed Ollie hadn’t 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

“Pretty 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.�

Sunday

Race 3

“It was cold so I had to think about how to ride so I didn’t overdo it. I put a gap to 2nd and brought it home in 1st place.â€�Ìý

Race 4

“My 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.

“Fantastic last round with 4 from 4 wins. Big shout out to Ollie who I’ve battled hard with all year, not the way I wanted the year to end. GWS mate.

“Thank you each & every one of our sponsors supporters and friends.�

Luca Wilkinson

Round 2 – Oulton Park

“So, after the incredible (until it wasn’t) weekend at Brands, it’s been a full-on two weeks to get the bike fixed & ready forÌýBemseeÌýRound 2ÌýOulton Park.

“We owe a massive thanks to TeamÌýNW RacingÌýand a lot of other people for the huge effort to sort the bike –Ìýyou sure are the best!

“With beautiful weather, it was amazing to be at this iconic track for Luca’s first time.

We knew we would have some teething issues with the bike having such a big rebuild, but the team worked flawlessly and by the last three sessions, we were in a good position.

“Friday Qualifying went great, finishing P8 – P3 in class.

“Race 1 – Great race with Luca taking the F400 lead and finishing P9 – P3 in class. Very happy with that, having never ridden the track before and knowing the calibre of the riders in the F400.

“Race 2 – Another great start and again fighting for 3rd, Luca finished P4 in class behind the flyingÌýTeam Marshall Racing.

“Race 3 – Great start and into the class lead down into Cascades, Luca pushed hard and again managed a P3 in class behindÌýDavid Lindemann andÌýCraig Dance.

“We are so happy with the results, learning every lap, following some amazing riders who are happy to help and give advice to help Luca improve – we have to say a huge thanks for this it’s an incredible gesture and much appreciated. Each race Luca managed to close the gap to the class leaders, which is our aim this year.�

Zack Weston

Round 2 – Oulton Park

“Qualifying – After a good practice, I was feeling good on the bike and was happy with the setup. I didn’t get out at the front, but I was still able to set my laps on my own and put it on the front row!

“Race 1 – I got an amazing start from P2 and pulled the holeshot. After leading for a few laps and setting good pace, Nathan Harrison came past so I stuck in and tagged onto the back of him, finishing P2.Ìý

“Race 2 – After a good race 1, I was hoping for the same in race 2, it was a good first half of the race starting in P2 and pulling on P3, but the second half I struggled really bad with rear grip and dropped back into p3.Ìý

“Race 3 – After a disappointing race 2, I put everything into race 3. I didn’t get a good start, dropping back to P3, so I sent it into the lead down cascades T3. After a lot of moves and close racing, it came down to the last corner. I tried to drag it to the line but missed out on P1 by 0.03 seconds.

“Overall, a great weekend of racing, time with family and friends and some of our amazing sponsors.

“Huge thank you to all of my sponsors.�

Image credits:

Luca Wilkinson

“The dust has settled on the first race weekend on the newÌýKawasaki UKÌýZX-4RR at Brands Hatch and what an amazing weekend it was.

“First, we have to thank theÌýNW RacingÌýteam for all the support coming into this weekend. We have worked hard and everything was in place with the setup lookingÌýgreat.

“With the weather bright and sunny but very cold, in Friday practice we just chipped away. Happy with progress and with the whole team having put in good times, we were ready for qualifying.

“Racing on a mixed grid consisting of SuperTwins, Thunderbike Sport and the F400s made for an interesting mix of bikes. Qualifying went really well and Luca ended up P6 overall and P2 in class behind the ever-quickÌýCraig Dance.

“Race 1 – Great race where Luca ended up in P1 in class and 11th overall. Not a bad start.

“Race 2 – With the sun setting, it had gone very cold. Luca carried on pushing and put in a PB but didn’t have the pace to go with Craig and came home P2 in class and P12 overall.

“Race 3 – Great start and into the class lead down into Paddock Hill, after that Luca lead from start to finish to get P1 in class and P6 overall.

“Race 3 – Again, last race of the day and the sun was going down and the temperature was again dropping. Another great start and following Craig who was setting a great pace. Hitting PBs on every lap, Luca took advantage of a back marker and managed to pass Craig on the Brabham Straight. Unfortunately, that’s where the weekend went down fast. Coming into Graham Hill Luca lost the front on the brakes. He was fine but the bike decided to protest.

“Overall, it was a fantastic weekend for not only Luca but the whole team.â€�

Zack Weston

“Practice: I went out thinking it would take some time to get up to speed, but I felt really comfortable and confident on the bike, and I was able to get up to speed straight away, surprising myself and the team.

“Qualifying: After a good practice, I was confident going into qualifying. I didn’t quite get out where I wanted to but I was able to dig in and set a lap time that put me on the front row!

“Race 1: After an amazing qualifying, I was ready for race 1. I didn’t get the best start but it was a long race so I knew it was fine, it was a difficult race as it was 18 laps and I was struggling with rear grip but I managed it to the end and missed out on a podium by 0.1 seconds, to achieve P4.

“Race 2: After missing out on a podium in race one, I went for it in race 2, I got a good start getting into P2 into turn 1 and then taking the lead into turn 2 –Ìýit was a good race with lots of changes in positions and I was able to get up into P2 and finally get the podium.

“Race 3: After a good start, I had a huge slide out of T3 and dropped back 6 positions, I thought my race was finished, after a couple of laps I got back into my rhythm and picked riders of one by one, going onto the last lap I was in p4 and gave it everything and was able to get P3 on the line.

“Overall, a great weekend with some amazing racing, time with friends and family along with a some of our amazing sponsors and Club35 members.�

“That’s a wrap for Greg’s 2024 season, huge thanks to the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ team for the awesome stopping power this season!â€�

Donington Park BSB Round 8

“Not the way we wanted to end the season, making a return to the ‘Craner Club’ for the second year in a row.

“Practice went well; I finished P8 on scrubbed tyres from last round.

“Qualifying was going well, sitting in P3, but then I got pushed back to P4 so I went back out to put a fast lap in.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t make it past Craner, losing the front at 120mph. I got seen at the track and then blue-lighted straight to Resus at Queens Hospital in Nottingham in the ambulance.

“I had CT scans, X-rays, stitches and some more, but was back at the track by 11:30pm with a pizza, so huge thanks to the medical team at the track and at the hospital for getting me sorted so quickly.

“I picked up a few injuries, taking a little chunk out my hand, breaking a bone in my ankle and picking up a bad concussion, so now it’s time to rest and recover to get back out on a bike as soon as possible.

“There’ll be plenty of off-season practice over the next few months and Greg’s looking forward to getting out again next season at BSB in the Kawasaki Superteen class.�

SNETTERTON

Friday:

– Free Practice (P6) / Qualifying (P5)

“Best qualifying of the year so far so can’t be too disappointed. It was a shame to catch a slower rider in the final sector on my last lap which would’ve put me on the front row. Happy with 5th as I was on my own with no slipstream for the whole session.�

Saturday:

– Race (cancelled due to weather)

Sunday:

– Race (P5)

“Best finish of the season so far and happy to keep improving my results. Struggled a bit on the last couple of laps but we know we’ve got the pace to be up at the front.�

“Happy to be awarded the ‘Fast as Fuchs’ rider of the round. The brakes were amazing as usual, giving me the confidence to push harder at each round!

DONINGTON PARK

Friday:

Free Practice (P9)

Qualifying (P9)

Saturday:

Race 1 (P7)

“Was running 6th and pushing through the group when the red flags came out and I got put back to 7th.�

Sunday:

Race 2 (P8)

“A false neutral caused me to drop back from the front group but I pushed hard and caught the front group back up but it was too late to make any moves but I was happy with my pace.

“Overall good weekend I had good pace just a couple little things causing me to not quite get the results I wanted.

“Next stop: Brands Hatch…”

Donington photo credits: @olithephoto

“Round 4 saw us go to the spectacularÌýDonington ParkÌý– another new track for Luca, but we had enlisted the awesomeÌýNW Racing to help learn the track on Friday morning with our mega instructor, Andrew Wales, booked for the afternoon. It was tough and Luca worked really hard learning the track, especially the section from Redgate to McLeans. Pleased with the pace, we were ready to go.”

Qualifying:

“We had a target, and Luca absolutely smashed it, with his first ever qualifying pole position and 0.5 under the track record.”

Race 1:

“Got the holeshot, but this was no walk in the park. Beat the official track record with a blistering 1:21:920Ìýand finished 2^nd behind Zack – just in front ofÌýKade Watt after a race-long battle which was cut short due to a red flag.”

Race 2:

“Great start and another race-long battle with Zack and Kade. Lost the lap record to Zack but gained the win – very happy with that.”

Race 3:

“Straight into the lead and Luca and Zack started to pull away. With a 1.8sec lead, it was looking comfortable until Luca lost the front in the last chicane and down he went, taking Zack with him so a disappointing DNF for both but no injuries and bikes fixable.”

Race 4:

“Despite the DNF, Luca and Zack were still 1 and 2 on the grid. The pace was a little slower this race which played into Luca’s hands as he settled in after the off in Race 3. Lots of place swaps ensued and with a bit of luck encountering the back makers on the last lap Luca, finished 1^st.

“So, to summarise, we went from a DNF to PRETTY AWESOME! As always, thanks to all our sponsors and all the help we’ve had along the way.�

“I got my 2024 British Superteen season underway last weekend with my Kawasaki ZX-4RR at Oulton Park.Ìý

“I had a test day on the Thursday, followed by several sessions and two races planned across the bank holiday weekend.”

Thursday: Testing

“My times put me in P8 and IÌýgot to try a few different settings ahead of the race weekend.â€�

Saturday: Free Practice (P10)

“Good free practice session and I made a few changes after the test and felt confident heading into Quali later in the day.�

Quali (P9)

“Not the position I’d hoped for in Quali, but I was confident that I could push on from the 3^rd row of the grid if I could get a clean start in race 1.�

Monday: Warm Up (P8)

“I made another change overnight ahead of warmup and the bike felt good ahead of race 1.�

Monday: Race 1 (DNF)

“After another rider stood the bike up into cascades, I ended up dropping back a few places on the first lap. While I was pushing to catch back up to theÌýgroupÌýin front, I made a mistake into the last corner, causing me to run on into the gravel. I thought I’d saved it but unfortunately the bike had dropped which meant I couldn’t continue.â€�

Race 2: Cancelled

“I hope everyone involved in the incident in the BMW class is having a fast recovery.

“Unfortunate end to the weekend as I had a good feeling with the bike and was ready to push on in race 2.

“On to Donington Park next weekend and feeling confident to have a much better round.�

Pics:

Luca Wilkinson

“On Friday we did a track walk with the one and only Andy Wales – Luca’s instructor – and Aleisha Layton. In Friday’s practice, we chipped away at the times with lots of learning thanks to Andy.

“On Saturday, it was straight into qualifying. Not a great pace, but managed P4 in the very last lap and within 0.2 seconds off pole.

“Race 1 – I got the holeshot, but dropped to third halfway through the lap. Settled in and felt good hanging on to the second-place rider. Unfortunately, on lap 4, I was hit from behind and lost three places. With a bent shock adjuster, I couldn’t get my foot on the peg properly. Brought it home 5^th for some valuable points.

“Race 2 – Starting 7^th and another great start. I was again sitting in third but the group were all together. Red flag so a restart, followed by a four-lap dash. Not a great start and ended up on the outside of turn 1 on the still-wet kerbs. Dropped down to 6^th, the battle was on. Managed to work my way back up to 4^th and get the fastest lap so pole for Sunday’s race.

“Race 3 – Straight into the lead until lap 5 where he dropped down to 4th. Time to dig in. More laps of dicing, with backmarkers playing their part & a fair few place changes. Into the final lap and 3 changes for the lead ending in 1st at the line by just 0.002secs. So close he didn’t even know until we told him in the pits.

“Race 4 – Starting 4^th, great start into the lead but race red-flagged on lap 5. Restart running in 1^st but with two laps to go I hit a false neutral coming into turn 1 and dropped to 4^th. Last lap and it was three abreast going into turn 1, and I almost ended up on the grass, but had the inside line full ‘block pass’. So into the lead and set my personal PB and first time into the 1:06s – an amazing 1^st-place finish.�

Aleisha Layton

“Where do I start?! During Friday practice, we built up our pace gradually and were in the 1:08s which I was very happy with.

“Qualifying: the track was pretty busy and I just couldn’t get a clean flying lap in, so had to settle for P10.

“Race 1: I managed to get amongst the leading group, due to another great start which put me in P6 straight away. I managed to get up to P3 with one lap to go, but ended losing out and settled for P4. But this was a race I was very happy with.

“Race 2: The weather was a mixed bag most of the day, so dad tried a new setup and let’s just say it didn’t work… but another lesson learnt!

“Race 3: We woke up with the sun shining, so we went and did a track walk. Off the lights, I got my usual good start. But I just struggled to get going after that. I can actually say this was my worst race to date. This is something that’s been noted and I must work on.

“Race 4: After a weekend that basically didn’t go as smoothly as I liked or expected, this lit the fire for the last one before the journey home. I ended in P5 but was with the leading group and only 1.4 seconds off from the leader. So was super happy with this. I finally sort of woke up and set my PB of the weekend with a 1:07.4, which I believe was the second fastest of the weekend.

“I enjoyed the weekend but it was a weekend we learnt from the most. My first wet qualy. My first dry race which ended up full wet, on dry tyres. So, lots to take in. To me, all these new things are another step in the right direction and I’ll carry on giving it my best to get to where I need to be.�