Test Day

“Hot, and I mean hot! We didn’t get many laps in; lots of stoppages, a lack of marshals and the notorious Brands catching riders out.

“For a change, I didn’t 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.�

Qualifying (P15 on Grid)

“In the first qualifying session, I was near the front and had got myself some space with a tow from fast lads. I thought ‘perfect’, only for the session to be red-flagged coming on to our 3^rd lap. I do hope Jack Morgan makes a full recovery – that was big.

“Called 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.�

Race 1 (P17/10^th in Class)

“A 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.�

Race 2 (P12/8^th in Class)

“Starting 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’t quite close enough. Ran with Liam for a few laps doing 1.31’s 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.�

Race 3 (P10/8^th in Class)           

“Made tweaks to the bike to help with the better pace and go! Great start again.

“Pretty 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’t 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.

“I 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’t 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.

“I 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’t 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.

“Thank you so much to all my supporters and sponsors for not giving up on me.

“Next up: my local, Cadwell Park. I can’t wait.�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Test Day

“Very windy, but I enjoyed the day. It was fun getting to grips with the Croft track – one I don’t go to that often. Had a few brake and data issues to sort, which was annoying, but by the last session I was happy running in the 1:25s.�

Qualifying

“Nightmare! I normally try and go out towards the front, but I was mid-pack so backed off to find space. Every lap I caught riders which cost me valuable time. I was patient, but ran out of time and could only manage a 1:26.�

Race 1

“Great start which was good. I needed it! So good in fact I was 7th in class by the end of Lap 1. Ran consistent mid-1:25s to finish P10 and 7th in class and managed to hold on with Wilf Turner, Paul Charman and Jennings behind me.

“I was happy with the result from where I started, but it didn’t feel easy. I knew the times were not enough for the next race so had to find precious seconds for that one.�

Race 2

“An okay start from 14th on the grid and enjoyed a few passes in the early laps. It was fun racing behind Turner and Charman and running in the low 1:25s until Lap 6. First Wilf and then Paul put in 1:24s and I just couldn’t hold them. From Lap 8, it started to become hard work leading to arm pump so bad I had to do what I could just to bring it home. We were faster, but not lasting the race is not good.�

Race 3

“We made some changes which felt good! I felt my body language was loads better and the bike handling felt easy. I passed Charman on Lap 2 and was looking at closing the gap to Turner, but for some reason by Lap 5 it became hard work. The arm pump, which I very rarely get, kicked in again. By Lap 7, I was done in and started to add a second a lap to drop right back.

“I feel I’m doing all the right things, but for one reason or another, I’m struggling to even run at the pace I was last year.Ìý I’m not far off, but it’s how hard it seems which is concerning me. I have some test time coming up and I’ll try get a better feeling on the bike and mentally to come back stronger for Brands Hatch in a few weeks.

“Once again, thank you so much to all the sponsors and supporters that make this possible.�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

“Spiceboy Racing took on a stacked Championship Clubman 600 grid at Cadwell Park for Round 2 of the NGRRC season, delivering a weekend of close racing, big personal improvements, and hard-fought battles across the field. While Tim Petts led the charge at the front of the midfield, Jon Otter showed clear progression and Nev Otter dug deep through a challenging weekend.�

Qualifying – Saturday

“After splitting test duties, Jon Otter carried strong momentum into the weekend – consistently improving on last year’s pace and banking PBs across sessions. Nev Otter, meanwhile, was left searching for answers, struggling to unlock pace – a theme that would continue.�

Tim Petts (#27): P13 – 1:42.5 (PB)
Jon Otter (#103): P30 – 1:46.5
Nev Otter (#69): P34 – 1:47.6

“With a mixed grid across the team, all eyes turned to race day to see who could move forward.�

Race One – Saturday

“Tim Petts launched straight into the fight at the sharp end of the midfield, getting a clean start and running with the front group before making decisive moves late on.�

Tim Petts (#27): P9 – Top 10 finish | 1:41.3 (PB)

“Further back, Nev made early progress before a bold move into Mansfield didn’t quite come off, forcing him onto the grass and costing valuable ground.�

Nev Otter (#69): P30

“Jon Otter focused on consistency, keeping things tidy and building a solid platform for the races ahead.�

Jon Otter (#103): P32

Race Two – Sunday Morning

“Another strong launch from Tim saw him right in the mix again – this time even closer to the front.�

Tim Petts (#27): P7 – 1:40.7 (PB, fastest lap of the weekend)

“Up to 6th into Turn 1 and running as high as 5th, Tim showed serious pace before arm pump set in late race. Even so, it was a standout result and a big step forward on the new bike.

“Behind, Nev absolutely rocketed off the line—gaining eight places on lap one—but couldn’t hold the momentum as the race unfolded.�

Nev Otter (#69): P30

“Jon had a strong start but lost ground in the opening corners. From there, he regrouped and stayed right in the fight, finishing just behind Nev while setting a new personal best.�

Jon Otter (#103): P31 – 1:45.5 (PB)

Race Three – Sunday Afternoon

“Starting P7, Tim dropped slightly at the start but stayed consistent, keeping himself firmly in the top 10 fight.�

Tim Petts (#27): P10

“Further back, the father-son battle added extra spice. Jon had his sights set on finally getting one over Nev—but Nev had other ideas.�

Nev Otter (#69): P19

“A much stronger ride saw Nev finally find some rhythm, charging up to 17th before just losing a couple of spots late on after a hard fight.�

Jon Otter (#103): P25

“Jon delivered another solid performance, getting involved in multiple battles and coming out on top—continuing his steady progression and race craft development.�

Weekend Summary

“A weekend of contrasts, but clear progress across the Spiceboy Racing team.

“Tim Petts led from the front with three top 10 finishes, the fastest lap of the weekend, and over 3 seconds improvement on last year’s pace—all while still adapting to his new machine.

“Jon Otter showed some of the biggest gains, consistently improving lap times and race craft, highlighted by multiple PBs and strong race consistency.

“Nev Otter endured a tougher weekend but showed resilience, with a strong recovery ride in Race Three proving the pace is still there when it clicks.�

Tim Petts (#27):
“Mega weekend—really starting to click with the new weapon (aka Keith!). Big step forward in pace and great to be fighting at the front. Plenty more to come.�

“With momentum building, valuable lessons learned, and pace improving across the board, Spiceboy Racing heads to the next round ready to push on.�

Images:

Test day

“Dry and sunny, though still quite cold. There was a lot of slow traffic to deal with most of the day, but managed to get laps in the 1 min 35secs. Was happy with my riding and the bike setup felt close, so was ready for qualifying.�

Qualifying

“Qualified P11 and 8th in class with a 1:35.250 on new tyres. Had hoped for more, but was happy enough and felt I could be strong in the race.�

Race 1

“Bit of a scrappy start again! From fourth row of the grid, if you don’t get away well, there is a lot of scrapping to do early doors, which breaks up the rhythm. Pace was good with low 1:34s and I felt good to the end, missing out on 8th place to Liam Murtagh by 0.065 of a second. A decent race, but felt I should’ve done more.�

Race 2

“We analysed the data from Race 1 where the bike felt really good, but lacked a little rear grip. Made some changes and felt we had a bike I could really have a good go with. Got a mediocre start, but surprisingly, no one passed me into Turn 1, so got the hammer down. Went from 11th on the grid into P7 by the end of Lap 1 and held this position to Lap 5, running consistently low 1:34s. and keeping a gap to the busy pack behind me. Jack Morgan got past on Lap 5 and Jamie Boyce on Lap 6 before the latter slid off in front of me at Melbourne. Time to drop into the 33s. BUT after Lap 7 the rear grip went from perfect to non-existent. Wilf Turner overtook me on Lap 8 and it took a tremendous effort to control the rear whilst running in the mid to high 34s. and hold on to finish P8. First half of this race we were very strong. Shame about the rear tyre, but we learnt a lot and gave it a good go.�

Race 3

“Combining my best sector times from Race 2 would show an Ideal lap time of 1:33.5. I felt, with good rear grip and some space, I could improve on that time and achieve a better finish. After speaking to James at No Limits Race Support, we made changes that I was desperate would make the difference.Ìý I could feel the potential if everything lined up.

“Race 2 lap time put me 11th on the grid, meaning a good start was paramount. Got boxed in as not aggressive enough and was right in the middle of where I don’t want to be. The early laps felt so slow and I felt, with some space, I could push on. Our seven-rider group was all split between 0.50s, so breaking out was easier said than done. Made some passes but lost them again as I just wasn’t aggressive enough. Then the Race was red flagged, reducing the planned 9 laps to a 4-lap sprint. Not ideal as I had to start from 11th again, and didn’t make the best of starts, got boxed in and found it hard to make passes stick. The 6-rider group was running with only 0.30s between them. The strangest thing, I did a new PB of 1.34s. and it honestly felt like a Sunday rideout. The tyre and grip were perfect, but I couldn’t get out of the busy pack. Finished 7th in class again; not the way I hoped for the weekend, but we kept it sunnyside, learnt a lot and came away with more confidence.�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

“Spiceboy Racing kicked off its 2026 campaign at Brands Hatch Indy for Round 15 of the North Gloucester Road Racing Club (NGRRC) championship, delivering a weekend of close racing, consistent progress, and multiple personal best performances in a highly competitive Clubman 600 field of 37 riders.�

Qualifying – Saturday Morning

In dry and sunny conditions, all three Spiceboy Racing riders secured solid grid positions in a tightly packed field:

• Nev Otter (#69): P17
• Tim Petts (#27): P18
• Jon Otter (#103): P29

With minimal lap time differences across the grid, the stage was set for a closely contested weekend.

Race One – Saturday Afternoon

The opening race of the season saw Spiceboy Racing teammates Nev Otter and Tim Petts immediately resume their close on-track battles. The pair fought throughout the race, with the outcome decided only on the final corner.

• Tim Petts (#27): P11 – an impressive debut result on his new machine and a highlight of his weekend
• Nev Otter (#69): P13

Jon Otter delivered a strong and confident performance, gaining five positions and showing a marked improvement in pace:

• Jon Otter (#103): P24 (+5 positions)

Race Two – Sunday Morning

Race Two continued the theme of tight midfield competition, with riders battling in closely matched groups throughout.

• Tim Petts (#27): P14 (from P11), setting a new personal best lap time
• Nev Otter (#69): Finished close behind in another competitive showing
• Jon Otter (#103): P25 (from P24), continuing to build consistency and racecraft

Race Three – Sunday Afternoon

The final race of the weekend saw further progress across the Spiceboy Racing team, with all riders delivering strong performances.

• Nev Otter (#69): P12, achieving a new personal best
• Tim Petts (#27): P13, maintaining consistent front-midfield pace
• Jon Otter (#103): P22, recording a standout personal best lap over 2.5 seconds quicker than his previous best at Brands Hatch

Weekend Summary

“Spiceboy Racing leaves Brands Hatch with a highly encouraging start to the 2026 season. Competing in a large and competitive field, all three riders demonstrated consistent pace, race-long battles, and clear progression across the weekend.

“Tim Petts impressed with a near top-10 finish and strong adaptation to his new bike, while Nev Otter delivered consistent results and secured a personal best in the final race. Jon Otter showed significant development, gaining positions and achieving substantial improvements in lap times.â€�

Nev Otter added: “A really strong weekend for the team. The competition was tough, but we did ourselves proud—three riders, three PBs, and plenty of close racing. All the action is up on our YouTube channel.�

“With multiple personal bests, strong midfield competitiveness, and valuable early-season momentum, Spiceboy Racing looks ahead to the next round with confidence.�

Test Days

“We had two test days for the first round which was good to give us extra time to get up to speed. I was happy on Day 1, but struggled with tyre wear and grip on Day 2 when the temperature dropped. I was a little worried on what my qualifying time might be after an average couple of days on the bike, so a quick call to Not So Fast was what I needed just to set the plan.”

Qualifying

“Bike felt great and on Lap 3 I managed 1:56.7, so pulled in to save tyre. This put me P6 in class taking the three BSB lads out of the numbers and, basically, leading my bunch. So, yes, happy. Best lap: 1:56.706 and 10th on grid.”

Race 1

“Didn’t get a great start and found myself in a close four-way battle for most of the race, which was fun. Had to make up some early ground to get there. Saw parts of the track where I could improve and was looking forward to a strong Race 2. Best lap: 1:56.340 and 10^th in Class.”

Race 2

“Got a much better start, settled in and led the bunch (in P9) until Lap 5 when I started to drop back. I was running in the mid to low 56’s and knew I needed to drop into the 54/55’s to hold position. I wasn’t sure if the bike started to turn slower or I may have tried too hard to pull away, but it started to feel hard work. This was the hardest part of the weekend to accept as, with clear track ahead, I gave myself the opportunity to pull away, but wasn’t able to. I then got caught in an incident which put me on the grass and I lost the chance to hold onto the group. Brought it home P9 in Class with a slightly better lap time of 1:56.298.”

Race 3

“Made a few slight changes to the bike for Race 3, keen to run at the pace I felt possible if I could get to the front of the pack and find clear track. Another good start and made up some early places. However, a rider around me had multiple bike problems making it difficult and risky to pass. I had to take avoiding action, then trying to get away from the problem, made a mistake and ran on at the next hairpin, losing 5 places. Frustrated, I got back on track and recovered as many places as possible in the remaining laps. I managed to make my way back to P12 in Class. Lap 2 was my fastest lap of the weekend and, being 0.4 seconds below my PB set last year, it was a massive disappointment not to improve on that. Best lap: 1:55.973 and P12 in Class.

“In summary, I don’t think the feel I got from the bike was great, although I may have tried to override to compensate. We all know that does not work. I can be faster when things are right. It wasn’t all bad and there were lots of positives to take away from the meeting. Whilst my final placings don’t look spectacular, the 3 podium places were taken by the Tag Honda BSB riders in each race. Allowing for them, my places weren’t too shabby.

“Thank you to No Limits Racing and the marshals for a well very run meeting and a massive well done on the new YouTube channel. A great addition to club level racing.

“Thank you to every single person and sponsor that makes this possible.�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Test Day

“‘Terrible’ is the best word to describe it. Some of it my fault, some out of my control. I managed very few laps due to oil leaks, a rear brake pad falling out, red flag stoppages and tyre grip issues.�

Qualifying

“Very frustrating. We made gearing and setup changes, but something didn’t feel right. Despite trying my best, went even slower than test day with a 1:35.9, nearly two seconds off my PB. This put me P6 in Class and 15^th on the grid.�

Race 1

“I thought ‘leave the bike alone – it must be me’. So, we tried again to no avail. With bikes around me, I could see the biggest issue – we had no rear grip. The bike wasn’t sliding; it was spinning so badly that after just eight laps the rear tyre was toast. Had a great start and was in 10^th by the end of Lap 1, but then other riders started picking me off from Lap 3. Finished P5 in Class and 13^th overall. Best lap of only 1:35.218.�

Race 2

“JR Performance stepped in and we put in a softer spring and made a few changes. They worked for the rear and brought the grip back, but now the bike was turning very slowly and gave me arm pump for the first time this year.

From 13^th on the grid, got into 10^th until Halliday passed me. Chased down Steven Duncan and got past him on Lap 10. By then, with two laps to go, I couldn’t feel my brake lever, but pushed as hard as I could. Held him off until the last lap but had to settle for P4 in class and 11^th overall. Best lap was 1:34.839.�

Race 3

“Sat in my van, head in hands, thinking ‘what’s going on?’, we decided to change the front settings and, thankfully, it was just about perfect! I had my bike back again. I knew on the warm-up lap I was in with a chance of running where I normally do.Ìý

“Boom! A good start from 11^th on the grid and then made the pass of my season into the Old Hairpin to get straight onto the back of Wilf Turner, who was running in 9^th. On Lap 2, did a new PB of 1:34.104 and felt so comfortable with the pace that a pass into Goddard’s looked possible, but decided not to have a go. Turner had been riding much better than me and, although comfortable, I could see a few things I wasn’t doing right. So, thought to stay with him and learn then go if I could. Put in a 1:34.238 on Lap 3. Perfect! It looked like we would get that last dance after all! Then an almighty BANG on the Start/Finish Straight – the exhaust had blown off its connector to the headers and I had to retire. Another DNF, but considering I had been off the pace all weekend, I enjoyed those three laps a lot!

“It just wasn’t our weekend. Some my fault, some just life, but again I learned so much. It’s the first time we didn’t get a tin pot, but we took P2 in the Premier 1000 Championship by a good margin.�

“Congratulations to Wilfred Turner. You deserved to win the Championship and it’s been a pleasure racing so close with you. WELL DONE and I look forward to scrapping it out again next year.

“I am so grateful to my amazing sponsors, family and friends for their support throughout the season. Without you we don’t go racing. Simple! I have absolutely loved it and I hope you have too.�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court