“Finally, a weekend to smile about!

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

Qualifying (Starting P4)

“Throughout 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

“A solid race, but I couldn’t quite stay with the riders ahead. Finished P4.â€�

Race 2

“I 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.â€�

Race 3

“Another 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.â€�

Race 4

“As 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.

“I 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 – the bike was more than capable of holding its own.

“Overall, 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.

“Now it’s on to Donington Park on 25th & 26th July.â€�

Pic credit:

Thunderbike Sport

“The 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.â€�Ìý

Race 1

“Unfortunately, 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.�

Race 2 & 3

“Both 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.�

Race 4

“The 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.Ìý

“Overall, 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.�

Thunderbike Ultra

“The 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.�

Race 1

“Despite 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.

“Unfortunately, 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.�

Race 3

“Having 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.

“While 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.

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

Thanks toÌýGlyn’s Photos and SJG_punkrocknracing_pix for the images.

“Having never ridden Thruxton before, I knew it would be a challenge to quickly learn the track and get up to speed, but I was excited for it. Unfortunately, I made the weekend even more difficult for myself by breaking my foot at work less than a week before. Thankfully, I managed to get the swelling under control, and by the time free practice rolled around on Friday, I was ready to ride.�

Friday – FP1

“This session was all about learning the track and finding my rhythm. I focused on understanding the lines, braking markers, and flow of Thruxton rather than chasing outright pace. By the end of the session, I managed to put in a respectable lap of 1:21.312, giving me a solid foundation to build on.�

Friday – FP2

“With the track feeling more familiar, I pushed harder and concentrated on improving corner speed and braking points. The changes paid off, and I reduced my lap time to 1:20.169, heading into Saturday with growing confidence.�

Saturday – Qualifying

“I started the session on a scrubbed rear tyre for the first four laps, knowing how tough Thruxton is on tyres. After that, I came in for a fresh rear and went back out to push for a faster lap. Unfortunately, a quick shifter failure cut the session short, stopping me from pushing as hard as I’d have liked. I qualified P31 with a best lap of 1:20.253.

“Huge thanks toÌýAlan Jackson, who stepped in after qualifying to check the bike. He managed to reset a fault that I thought might end my weekend, getting me back out for Race 1 that afternoon.â€�

Race 1

“Starting 31st, I got a great launch and made up positions by going around the outside into the first corner. I settled into a strong rhythm, making good overtakes to climb to P22. Unfortunately, a last-corner challenge didn’t go my way, four bikes into one chicane was never going to work. To avoid a collision, I took to the escape road, cutting the corner. As it was the final lap, I couldn’t give the place back, and a two-second penalty dropped me to P26. My best lap was a 1:20.146.�

Sunday – Race 2

“Starting 30th put me on the inside for Lap 1, so I couldn’t take advantage of the start like I did in Race 1. Another hot day made tyre choice important, and with budget limits I fitted a fresh rear but had to run a scrubbed front. Not ideal for 15 laps around Thruxton.

“I ran a solid race and made my way to P24. On Lap 13, I faced a near-identical situation at the chicane as in Race 1, cutting the course to avoid a collision. This time I conceded a place to avoid a penalty, but despite that, I was still handed a two-second penalty, dropping me to P29. My best lap was a 1:19.248.

“Despite the setbacks, I’m pleased with the progress made over the weekend, especially lowering my lap times and improving my pace on a track I’d never ridden before. A big thanks toÌýRayÌýfor the fitness plan I’ve begun. I’ll be sticking to it to improve my strength and endurance for Round 7 at Cadwell.

“Thank you to everyone who came to support me trackside, and to all myÌý2025 sponsorsÌýfor your support this season. On to Cadwell!â€�

“After struggling with severe arm pump throughout the first part of the season, I made the decision to undergo surgery, which unfortunately meant missing Round 4 at Knockhill. The recovery time was worth it — this weekend was my first race back and I’m pleased to say the arm felt great, with no issues at all.

“Brands Hatch was also a big step for me as it was my first time riding the full GP circuit, having only ridden the Indy layout previously. Learning the longer, more technical sections added an extra challenge, but I was excited to take it on.�

Friday – Free Practice

FP1 – P34/42 | 1:32.981

“Dry and warm conditions gave me a good chance to get reacquainted with the bike and begin learning the GP layout. The main goals were to shake off the rust and see how the arm held up. It felt great to be back out, and we made some minor setup tweaks, focusing on braking stability and front-end feel.�

FP2 – P32/40 | 1:31.859

“The afternoon session was spent continuing to learn the track and push my pace. I took a second off my lap time from FP1 and gained a better understanding of the circuit flow. After the session, I contacted TW Suspension, and with their advice we made a small suspension change to help improve feel ahead of qualifying.�

Saturday – Qualifying & Race 1

Qualifying – P26/40 | 1:30.039

“The suspension changes made a big difference. I felt more confident through the faster sections and was able to push harder than I have all season. I set a new personal best and secured 26th on the grid, which was higher than I expected, especially at a circuit that’s typically been a tough one for me.�

Race 1 – Started 26th, Finished 25th

“Got a decent start and settled into a solid rhythm, having some great battles throughout the race. Towards the end, my fitness started to drop off, which affected my pace. Still, this was the first race all season where I’ve been able to push the whole distance, so that in itself was a big step forward. Brought it home in 25th and learned a lot in the process.�

Sunday – Race 2

Race 2 – Started 26th, Finished 24th

“I got a strong start, moving up to 21st early on and spent most of the race running in P22. I was feeling more confident in race conditions and pushing harder throughout. Unfortunately, as the race wore on, fitness once again became a limiting factor, and a late-race mistake — nearly resulting in a high-side — cost me a few places. I managed to regroup and brought the bike home in 24th, glad to have kept it upright and finished another full-distance race.�

Test day

“I haven’t been to Anglesey for four years, and never on a big bike, so remembering its quirkiness, knew I had to be switched on. The first session was terrible – the Back Straight up to Rocket was mental fast and, all around, grip felt that bad I thought there was oil down or a bike issue. So. pulled in to get my head straight.

“Luckily, I had the main man Gary Walton to help me again: I needed it. Gary quickly saw where I was strong and we worked on the struggling areas. By the end of the day, with a fresh head and a few changes to the bike, I felt good and ready for qualifying. No lap timer, so no clue on times.�

Qualifying

“Great result: a 1:09.851 lap put me 6^th on the grid and P1 in class. This is, of course, a Personal Best.�

Race 1 (10 laps)

“Good start and managed a bit of a gap over Wilf Turner. Settled in nicely, then a bit of a yellow flag cock-up. Long story short, I took it too easy on a yellow flag situation through Rocket that took a while to clear. This allowed Turner to close the gap and, leaving the door wide open before Rocket, I was passed under a yellow flag. Turner was given a five-second time penalty for it, but on appeal, officials deemed him making the pass before he got to the flag, as the incident was actually at Rocket Out and not Rocket In. I had to accept the explanation and was put back to P2 in class and 7^th overall.

“I didn’t have enough time or pace to make a pass back on Wilf and Steven Butterworth got between us. A new PB of 1:09.619 and I’ll learn from that one.�

Race 2 (12 laps)

“From 7^th on grid, got a good start and away again. P1 in class for most of the race and with consistent lap times in the 1:09s. On Lap 9, Turner got past me on the approach to Rocket. It was time to learn a few things and that I did. Now, I could see the sectors where he was stronger and those I was quicker. After closing the small gap, I set about making a pass on Lap 12. I tried everything, but couldn’t quite manage it at Turns 1 and 2, where I was strong. Last lap, I pushed hard through the Corkscrew section, got a mega tight drive on the inside and nailed it to the chequered flag. I missed out at the line by 0.087 of a second. Gutted not to win, but learned a few things and really enjoyed that one. P2 in class, 6^th overall and new PB 1.09.399.�

Race 3 (16 laps)

“Right, it was gloves off time. I was not happy with second again so we had a plan to go one step further. From 7^th on grid, made a mega start and was 4^th overall. A new PB 1.09.3 on lap 3 kept me close to the front lads. Had a small gap over Turner which I expected him to close at some point, but was happy with the plan. Felt so good and settled and knew it was my best chance. Then red flag on lap 4 of 16.�

Re-start (8 laps)

“So new plan was to get away and hope 8 laps weren’t quite enough for him to catch me again.

“Well, that plan changed straight away. I had a good start, but so did Turner. With no one in front of him on the grid, he got clear into 4^th and set a very good early pace with a 1.09.1. With a 1-second gap, I knew if I didn’t close it soon I could not fight for a win and there was no chance of that. With what I learnt from race 2, I was sure I could make a pass stick and give my amazing supporters something to shout about.

“On Lap 3, the gap looked to have closed a little and I started to settle. The first two laps were a little quick for me, to be honest. I wasn’t quite as switched on after the re-start as before the red flag. Turner was not hanging around so, to get to him, I was staring down the barrel at low 1:09s. Yes, I was pushing and pinching what I could and asked for a tiny bit too much at Peel. A strange slip- off, as I was off brake and off throttle. I guess, too much lean on a turn that offers low grip tight at the apex. Over the weekend I had a few warnings here and they all were ok… until it wasn’t. I’m ok, the bike is fine, just a clip-on to replace and, luckily, old fairings are still on, so it’s a cheap one.

“I was pushed hard by Wilf Turner this weekend. He was riding well and I congratulate him on a great showing. The last race was four wins in a row for him and I had to try and stop that. I’m gutted to have lost the Championship lead and now have some points to claw back. But, no regrets from me. I ain’t winning a Championship by settling for second places.

“I am getting faster and stronger. With the two DNF’s, it might not always look it, but I will say, they haven’t been from recklessness. That’s just not me. I am working on racecraft and trying different ways to increase my pace through the different types of turn. Of course, I need to take it back in a little. I hate to see the damaged bike, so it’s time to tidy it up and go again.

“Honestly, I loved the weekend and, though I say it every time, I did learn so much. I look forward to returning to Anglesey. I was only 1 second off the fastest time of the meeting and know I can go quicker if I could trust 100% throttle on the Back Straight (it’s not straight) and not end up in the sea. Thanks so much to No Limits Racing for a perfectly run meeting and, of course, the orange army and very friendly Anglesey staff.

“Next up Cadwell Park ,where I plan to take some points back. Thanks to the unreal support I get, on and off the track. It means so much.�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

“So, no change in the Premier Championship standings with shared points from the meeting, but it could have been very different and could have gone either way. This event was a rollercoaster and one I look on as a strong positive. Again, I learnt so much and we are definitely getting stronger.

“Thank you so much to my amazing sponsors and supporters without whom it would not be possible. Special thanks to everyone who worked tirelessly on Saturday afternoon to repair the AMCO Yamaha R1 and my equipment to ensure the journey continued – Nigel and Jason – you are absolute stars.

“Also, the strongest praise for all the organisation, marshals and medical staff for an excellent meeting.

“Next up, a cheeky run at Cadwell, then to the long drive to Anglesey for Round 5 see you at the next one.�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

Overall Results:

Thunderbike Ultra Championship – 1st place.

Clubman 1000 Championship – 2nd place.

Thunderbike Ultra

– Qualifying – P4

– Race 1 – P3

– Race 2 – P3

– Race 3 – P2

– Race 4 – P2 (lap PB – 49.047)

Clubman 1000

– Qualifying – P12 on grid, P2 in class

– Race 1 – P2

– Race 2 – P1

– Race 3 – P1

– Race 4 –P1 (Lap PB – 48.922)

“I needed 19 points to secure the Thunderbike Ultra championship and aim for P2 in the Clubman 1000 championship. The weather forecast for Sunday wasn’t looking good, so I decided to wrap up the championships by the end of Saturday. I took a conservative approach in qualifying and in each race.â€�

Saturday

“In the first qualifying session of the day, Thunderbike Ultra, I aimed to go out for a few laps to set a competitive time and preserve my tyres for the main race. This effort resulted in me securing the fourth position on the grid. Following that, in the Clubman 1000 qualifying, I encountered heavy traffic on the track, making it difficult to find a clear space. Despite this challenge, I managed to secure the 12th position overall and the second position in my class after completing one clear lap.�

Thunderbike Ultra

“In the first race, I started in 4th place on the grid. I had a good start, I didn’t push too hard and settled back in 4thÌýplace, closely following the rider in 3rdÌýplace. On the last lap, the rider in 3rd place made a mistake, giving me the opportunity to overtake and secure 3rd place, earning 16 points in the championship. In the second race, I started in 4th place again and only needed 3 points to secure the championship. After another good start, I followed the same rider and the race ended with a similar outcome to the first race finishing in 3rdÌýplace and securing the points I needed.â€�

Clubman 1000

“During the first Clubman 1000 race, we started on a wet but drying track. I chose to use wet tyres, but since the forecast predicted wet weather on Sunday, I didn’t want to wear them out prematurely. I got off to a good start, but as the track dried up, I didn’t want to push too hard and risk damaging my tyres. My main goal was to finish the race safely, and I ended up finishing in P7 on the track and P2 in my class. The next race was a dry one. I started this race in P9 on the grid. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good start, and it quickly became apparent that the suspension setup was incorrect. This made the bike very difficult to ride, and I couldn’t maintain a fast enough pace to keep up with the leading pack. I finished the race in P8 on the track and P1 in my class. Despite this I had gained enough points over these 2 races to secure 2ndÌýposition in the championship with 1stÌýplace out of reach.â€�

Sunday

“With both championships decided on Saturday I was in the fortunate position to go out and enjoy Sunday’s racing with no pressures.â€�

Thunderbike Ultra

“Despite some early morning rain, the track had dried enough for us to use slick tyres for the first race of the day. I started the race in P5 on the grid, had a good start, and was leading by the first corner. After a lap, the battle was between Kieran and me, and we had pulled away from the rest of the pack. The race was stopped early due to a red flag for an accident and sudden rainfall. I finished the race in P2. In the second race, I started in P3, had another good start, and began a close battle with Kieran. I set a personal best lap time of 49.047, but ultimately couldn’t overtake Kieran and finished in P2.â€�

Clubman 1000

“The track had completely dried up in time for the first race. After a visit to TW Suspension, we made an adjustment to the suspension. I started this race in P7. I didn’t get a good start off the line and even though we had made adjustments, it still wasn’t enough to bring me to the leading pack. I finished this race in P6 on the grid and P1 in my class. Before the last race of the season, I made another visit to TW to make some more adjustments. I started this race in P7 and got my best start of the weekend on this bike, leading into the first corner. The bike felt a lot better, not perfect, but it gave me more confidence to run with the leading pack. This race was full of battles for 4thÌýplace on the grid. I had a good final race and brought it home in P4 on the grid and P1 on track, with a personal best lap time of 48.922.

“A huge thank you to Cigma Racing for the £40 spot prize I received on Saturday evening.�

Vince Bennett Memorial Trophy

“After the race, I was surprised to hear my name being called over the PA system to go to race control to be presented with the Vince Bennett Memorial Trophy. I am incredibly humbled to receive this trophy, which is awarded to ‘The rider with the best overall performance of the meeting’. This was a huge surprise, something I really wasn’t expecting. What an honour!

“When I returned to the garage I was then presented with a gift of sweets from Bec’s Sweet and Callum Manley for being the overall winner of the Clubman class. Much appreciated, especially for the drive home.�

Season Thanks

“I would like to express my gratitude to everyone at Bemsee, including the marshals and the medics (thankfully I didn’t require their services this year), for another great season. I also want to thank Kieth and Bradley for their witty commentary throughout the season. Additionally, I am thankful to all the photographers who have braved all types of weather to allow the use of their photos across the season. A special thanks to TW Suspension for all his help throughout the year and to my 2024 sponsors.�

Next SeasonÌý

“Next season, I plan to elevate my racing career by moving to theÌý(BSB) Superstock class for the 2025 season, using myÌýHonda Fireblade.Ìý I am excited for the adventures that lie ahead.â€�

“Last weekend, I competed in something a little different: I was invited to join an endurance team at Anglesey Circuit.

The NLR’s ‘Motul ACU National’ endurance race last weekend atÌýAnglesey Circuit saw me team up with the ‘You 2 Are Bullies’ team, along with David James and Keith Stringer, for a three-hour endurance race.

“During the team qualifying on Saturday morning, each of us had a stint on the track. Our best lap time was 1:11.01, which put us in P2 in our class, and we started in row 9 on the grid.

“In the afternoon, the race began. We decided on a strategy of longer stints at the start and shorter stints toward the end, with each rider doing approximately 45 minutes before swapping. Unfortunately, a red flag at a crucial moment caused us to lose time. Despite this setback, we were determined to catch up.

“After David’s stint, we were 42 seconds behind the leader in our category with only 35 minutes left. Instead of risking more time in pit stops, we decided to do a final stint and go all-out to close the gap to the leader. As we saw the time gap decreasing on the pit board, we gained belief that catching and passing the team in P1 was possible. With seven laps to go, we managed to overtake and took the lead in our class.

“We finished the race as winners in our class and P7 on the track!�

“Round 6 of the No Limits Racing championship took us to the coastal circuit of Anglesey. Blessed with good weather throughout the weekend, we experienced solid results, improvements to the bike and a costly off-track excursion.

“Friday was a general testing day. I’d found in the last few rounds I could hit a pace and then plateau. TW Suspension were in the paddock and I paid a visit to check the bike’s geometry. It’s been changed and tweaked for the short circuits and road racing and errors can creep in. Over the last three seasons, it turned out to be quite large from when I initially got the Aprilia RS660.

“Saturday – Qualifying. The 10-minute qualifying practice began on Saturday morning without incident, and the bike felt instantly better. While building pace throughout the session, I managed to qualify in 7th spot, on the outside of row 3. Not a bad position.”

“Saturday –ÌýRace 1. A few hours later, I got a reasonable start in the 7-lap race and didn’t lose any places, by mid race I had settled up into 7th place with the top 8 all lapping within a second a lap. Being a short start-finish straight, I missed the last lap flag. Hitting some lapped riders, I did not ride as defensive as I could have and lost position on the last few corners to finish 8th and qualify 8th for the next race. Lap time from the previous race is used to provide grid slot for next race. Also, as NLR run the endurance championship, there were no further solo races on Saturday.

“Sunday – Race 2. I got a reasonable start, finishing the last lap in 7th, making another position up to 6th a lap later I had a clear track and able to close the gap on 5th position. The 10-lap race ended and I finished in 6th place, I had managed to do the 3rd fastest time of the race which gave me P3 for the next race.

“Sunday – Race 3. A couple of hours later saw my best start yet, exiting the second corner in 3rd place. I dropped back to 5th by the chequered flag, but still my best result of the weekend.

“Sunday – Race 4. The last race of the weekend didn’t end so well. I got a good start with the leading pack, but near the end of the lap another rider from behind tried an ambitious move and ran into the side of me in the fast downhill section before the corkscrew. There wasn’t time to separate, myself and the bike went down hard, aggravating old shoulder, chest and neck injuries, writing off my leathers, gloves and helmet and bursting the petrol tank, as well as the usual crash damage to bodywork, handlebars and switchgear.

“It’s been a costly weekend to come away from, but will do our best to be out at the next round at Oulton Park in just over a week. Recovery and bike parts permitting. Big shout out to Tuet from TW suspension, and Chris Hayes for supporting me all weekend. Also, big shout to the Froggatt Racing team for all your help and support, and the many well-wishers who’ve been in touch. I leave the meeting 5^th in the championship, and two rounds remaining.

“Special thanks to our sponsors and supporters who make going racing easier.�

Pic credits: .