Test Day

“Sun shining and with some heat in the air, it made a nice change, but as they say, there is always something… it wasn’t half windy!

“Once again, made fast work of getting a bike setup we could work with, so quickly set about finding some pace in the practice sessions. Was struggling to figure the best way around the bumpy sections, but Gary at NotSoFast soon sorted that out for me. Felt a difference in my riding throughout the day and was looking forward to Qualifying.�

Qualifying

“With no tannoy and the awning pretty much in Darlington, I arrived late to the holding area, so had to manage traffic once on track. Only got one clear lap, but made it count with a 1.24.8. I knew we had more in the tank, but the push was cut short by a red flag. P2 in class and 10^th overall and was happy with that.�

Race 1 (9 Laps)

“We were ready for the race; riding well and sure we had more pace so was excited to prove it. Made a poor start and had to wake up, which we did and was soon on the back of Wilf Turner by the Esses. An early pass was needed so I overtook him into the Complex, only for him to stand me up at the next turn. Onto Plan B, feeling there was plenty of time as we had the pace. Trying to work Turner out and settle down when Steven Duncan wanted a piece.

“Followed them for three laps while Duncan tried to have a look at Turner. By turn 1 on lap 6, got close and ready to capitalise. Rode past Duncan as he had to run wide, so back to Plan A and get past Turner… but that ain’t easy round Croft. With three laps to go and a couple of ideas, I was sure we would make it happen. Then disaster: a red flag as Steve Duncan high-sided badly at the last turn. Hope Steve is ok and on the mend.

“I was sort of happy with my riding but was a little disappointed not to get the win. P2 in class 11^th ´Ç±¹±ð°ù²¹±ô±ô.â€�

Morning Warm-Up

“P3 overall and felt good with the wet race settings we tried. A wet race looked likely and the track was greasy in places after overnight rain. We were happy with a few laps and didn’t want to hurt the wets too much so pulled in.�

Race 2 (10 Laps)

“Heavy rain had left standing water all around the circuit. Never been shy to have a go in the wet and was up for it. Starting P1 in class and 10^th on the grid, I was keen to get the elbows out and find some space. Had a good start, made some passes and was 5^th on lap 1 and working out a decent pace. So much so, we passed Ryan Dixon for 4^th on lap 2 and started to pull away. Was promoted to 3^rd when Tom Norton went down at Tower on lap 2. Running 3^rd but as the pace came down from 1.38s to 1.34s, the front setting was too soft and we started to struggle. Had to ride smart and keep ticking the laps off. Dixon had made good ground and got past only a few yards short of the chequered flag.Ìý P1 in class and 4^th overall. Loved it.â€�

Race 3 (8 Laps)

“Track was mainly dry, but wet in parts. Opted for slicks though several riders gave it a miss. Starting 4^th on the grid was ace – I haven’t been this close to the top lads so let’s have it. Good start and was hanging onto the front two, running 3^rd for a bit with some space to the lads behind. Didn’t run a new rear tyre this race and with the track cooler than Race 1, grip wasn’t as good. Took a while to settle down after slipping on a damp patch between Sunny In and Sunny Out and the guys behind were on the hunt.Ìý

“Dropped down to P6 when Paul Charman passed on lap 5. We exchanged places a couple of times and I followed for two laps, noting where he was vulnerable. Was looking for a pass when Wilf Turner closed up so I needed to go. Got close to Charman through the Complex on the penultimate lap and had mega drive onto the Start/Finish Straight only to then realise I had lost my gear lever. Had to pull off and retire at turn one. I was gutted. Big dent in the Championship lead, but that’s racing I’m told.

“A real shame to end the weekend like that. It didn’t turn out how I felt it might after Test Day and in Qualifying, but lots of positives. Absolutely loved the racing and the challenges caused by the changing weather.

“I am so grateful for the support I receive. I’m living my racing dream at the minute and it is only possible with the help I get. Thank you all and there is more to come from Stone Racing. 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 4th place, closely following the rider in 3rd place. 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 3rd place 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 2nd position in the championship with 1st place 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 4th place 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 Season 

“Next season, I plan to elevate my racing career by moving to the (BSB) Superstock class for the 2025 season, using my Honda 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 at Anglesey 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!�

BEMSEE Round 5 – Cadwell Park

Thunderbike Ultra

Qualifying

Race 1 – P1

Race 2 – P2

Race 3 – P1

 

Clubman 1000

Qualifying

Race 1 – P1 (lap PB of 1:34.68)

Race 2 (cancelled due to weather)

Race 3 – P1

 

Saturday

“The Great British weather played a part in this weekend’s race format. Due to the expectant rain, the decision was taken on Friday evening that Saturday’s races would convert to one long race (12 laps) for each class, with points taken after 6 laps and again at the chequered flag. Sunday’s races would then run as two 6-lap races for each class.

 

“The first qualifying session of the day was for the Thunderbike Ultra. The track was wet, so I went out on full wet tyres. I managed to put a decent few laps in bringing the time down to a 1:50.44, putting me on pole. Next up was the Clubman 1000 qualifying. The track had begun to dry a little. I only had the choice of slicks or wets, so I went out for a single lap on wet tyres putting it on 7th. Any more laps would have destroyed the tyres.

“After qualifying, the game of how quickly you can swap between wheels began for the weekend.

“First up was the Thunderbike Ultra race. The race was quickly red-flagged. On the restart, I didn’t get a good start dropping back to 4th after the first lap. The next few laps were spent moving back through the field taking the lead on lap 6 in time for full points for the first half. The second half of the race saw some tight battles with Donovan until lap 11 when a challenge for the lead resulted in a coming together. Unfortunately, Donovan went down, I managed to stop on with a bit of moto crossing across the wet grass before re-entering the track still in the lead and finishing P1.

“The last race of Saturday was the Clubman 1000 race. With the track still wet, we went out on full wet tyres. This race didn’t last long, as after 3 laps, the track was contaminated with oil. Due to how long it would have taken the circuit crew to clean the track, plus the rain, racing finished for the day. This race was carried over to the Sunday as an 8-lap race (points after 4 and at the chequered flag).�

BEMSEE Round 4 – Donington Park

Thunderbike Ultra (GSXR)

Qualifying – P2

Race 1 – P2 (PB – 1.11.663)

Race 2 – P2 (PB  – 1.11.449)

Race 3 – P2

Race 4 – P1

 

Clubman 1000 (Fireblade)

Qualifying – P7

Race 1 – P1

Race 2 – P1

Race 3 – P1

Race 4 – P1 (Class lap record – 1.10.642)

 

Saturday

“On this weekend, we were the first race out on the track with the Thunderbike Ultra series. I got a good start and took the lead of the race into Redgate. This race turned into a race-long battle for the lead, swapping positions each lap. In the end, Butterworth came out on top after a tight race.

“Next up was the Clubman 1000 race. I started this race P7 on the grid. I got a half-decent start, but it wasn’t long before the race was red-flagged due to a multi-bike accident in McLeans which I got caught up in (I managed to stay on the bike with a long run through the gravel pit).

“After lunch, the race was restarted. This time I got a better start, making a couple of places up on the launch. Unfortunately, as the race went on it became apparent that the suspension setup was still not right for me and I was unable to push on due to the bike crossing itself up on the brakes. I finished this race P5 on track, but 1st in class. After the race, I took the bike to TW Suspension to try to improve the setup, where I found out it was all too soft, so I had to make the best of a bad situation for the remainder of the day.

“Onto the next Thunderbike Ultra race. I started this race on the pole. I got an OK start. I dropped back to P2 and unfortunately, I only had the pace to go with Butterworth but didn’t have the pace to challenge for the lead. This race was one of hot pace and I was able to briefly break the class lap record, only for Butterworth to go and beat it again on the last lap.

“The last race of the day was the Clubman 1000. This time I started P4 on the grid. I got an OK start was still struggling with the suspension and was limited with what I could do. This was an uneventful race bringing it home in P5 on track, 1st in class.�

BEMSEE Round 3 – Snetterton

Thunderbike Ultra (GSXR)

Qualifying – 1st position

Race 1 – 2nd position

Race 2 – 2nd position

Race 3 – 3rd position

Race 4 – 2nd position

MRO 600 (Yamaha R6) – Saturday only

Qualifying – 10th position

Race 1 – 10th position

Race 2 – 8th position

Clubman 1000 (Honda Fireblade) – Sunday only

Race 1 – 3rd position

Race 2 – 2nd position

 

“This weekend was a testing one. Problems seemed to arise throughout the weekend. In the end I made the best out of a bad situation.�

Saturday

“Qualifying was very mixed. First, I went out on the R6 for the MRO 600 qualifying. I got caught up in the pack and couldn’t put a good time in, qualifying P10 for race 1. Next was the Thunderbike Ultra qualifying where I was able to set to good time putting me P1 for race 1.

“The first race of the day was the MRO 600. This is when the weekend’s problems began. The race initially got off to a good start and I began to make places up until lap 3 where an engine issue arose, and I began to lose power due to being down to three cylinders. I managed to keep going but this cost me places bringing it home in P10.Ìý

“The next race was the Thunderbike Ultra race, I got a good start off the line, but Symon got a better start leaving myself and Butterworth spending the next three laps having better pace but struggling to pass him. Once we were able to pass him the remaining two laps went well but I didn’t have the pace to challenge for P1. I brought it home in a comfortable P2.

“Onto the next MRO 600 race. After investigating the R6 engine problem and realising it was terminal, I went out on the wet bike which was massively down on power. I started the race P12. I managed to fight with the pack in front being able to out ride them in the corners and brought it home in P8. It was clear after this race that this bike was nowhere near competitive enough to continue to compete this weekend.�

BEMSEE Round 2 – Pembrey

DART MRO 600

Qualifying – P7

Race 1 – P1

Race 2 – P1

Race 3 – P4 (lap PB)

Race 4 – P5 (lap PB)

 

Thunderbike Ultra

Qualifying – P2

Race 1 – P1

Race 2 – P2

Race 3 – DNF (lap PB)

Race 4 – P2

 

Saturday

“The first race of the day was the DART MRO 600. As the track was still damp from the rain at the end of qualifying, I went out on intermediate tyres. This proved to be the right choice for the track conditions. I started from P7 on the grid. All the riders in front and around me were on full wet tyres. This race became a matter of picking people off lap by lap as their tyres began to give up and mine still had plenty of life.

“The second race of the day was the Thunderbike Ultra race. The track had dried up by this point on the racing line, with just a few wet patches here and there so I went out on slick tyres with the knowledge of the track from the previous racing giving me the confidence to go out on slicks whilst others around me who hadn’t been out yet went out on wets.

“The third race of the day was back to the MRO 600 This was very much an identical race to the first race. Again, I brought it home in P1.

“The last race of the day was the second Thunderbike Ultra. This was the first full-dry race of the day. I stuck with the set of dry tyres from the previous race for this race. I started this race in P3 on the grid. I got a relatively good start and made it up to P2 by the first turn. Unfortunately, I did not have the pace to keep up with the man in P1 but was able to keep a good gap to the man behind me bringing it home in P2.�

Sunday

“The first race of the day was again the MRO 600 race. Despite getting a good start, on a dry track I didn’t have the pace to keep up with the leading pack. I was however able to get a new lap PB of 1.01.553, bringing it home in P4 with a very tight battle between P4, 5 and 6.

“The second race of the day was the Thunderbike Ultra. This race got off to a good start and I was able to battle for P1 with the lead man. This came to an end on lap 6 when we tangled into turn 1. I came out worse with this ending my race. On lap 5, I was able to achieve a new lap PB for this category of 1.01.454.

“The third race of the day was the MRO 600. I got a good start off the line and then a rider to my left squeezed me into the rider on the right. We tangled handlebars which slowed me down on the approach to turn 1. This gave the riders behind an opportunity to get by me. Unfortunately, I got stuck behind a slower rider that was positioning his bike perfectly to block any attempts of an overtake. Once I finally got past him, I had to push on to close the gap to those in front catching them with two and a half laps to go. By lap 11, I had overtaken the two riders in front of me. Unfortunately, in the last lap I caught a backmarker in the wrong place, giving one of the riders behind the run on me down the straight. I brought it home in P5 with another PB of 101.402.

“The last race of the day was the Thunderbike Ultra race. Unfortunately by this point in the weekend I was feeling the effects of no winter training due to having my ACL surgery so unfortunately, I didn’t have the fitness for this race and settled for a comfortable second place.

“My next round is the 4-5^th May at Snetterton.�

Thunderbike Ultra

Qualifying – P5

Race 1 – P6

Race 2 – P7

Race 3 – P2

Race 4 – P5

MRO 600

Qualifying – P10

Race 1 – P13

Race 2 – P8

Race 3 – DNF mechanical Failure

Race 4 – P7

“This weekend was the first round of the season. After a long winter being off the bike due to injury and ACL recovery, I was looking forward to the season starting.

“This weekend’s luck of the draw meant that both qualifying and races for the Thunderbike and the MRO 600 were back-to-back. It wasn’t long before the effects of the shoulder injuries became apparent, and I realised that there was still some way to recovery. It was quickly obvious that it was going to be a difficult weekend.

“I was able to get some clean laps in during qualifying, but these proved not to be quick enough to get as far forwards on the grid as I had hoped.

“The first Thunderbike Ultra race got underway; I got an ok start off the line but got boxed in. It was a pretty uneventful race and I brought it home P6.

“A quick swap of the bike and it was onto the MRO 600 race. I really felt the effect of the pain in my shoulders and couldn’t run with the leading pack and as the race went on, this compounded and I fell further down the pack to P13.

“After a short break, it was back to it for the last two races of the day. This didn’t get off to a good start. I was held up by a spectator’s van stopped in the tunnel to chat to someone on the way to the grid meaning myself and a fellow competitor missed the warmup lap meaning I had to start from the back. This put some fire in my belly, I put my head down and manage to make my way through the pack up to P7.

“It was then straight onto the MRO 600 race. I still had some remaining fire in my belly and I was able to get a good start from P16 on the grid. Coupled with the frustration of missing the previous warm up lap and the race being shortened by the red flag I made it through the pack and to the end bringing it over the line in P8.”

“Onto Sunday, the first two races were on my wet bikes. For the Thunderbike Ultra race, I started up in 5^th place on the grid. It was a pretty steady race due to track conditions. I was able to make a few places up to get to P2.

“Next was the MRO 600 – I started the warm up lap and it was obvious that there was something not quite right with the bike. I was able to start the race but wasn’t able to complete the first lap due to only running on three cylinders.

“The last Thunderbike Ultra race was pretty uneventful, we did have a dry track however a yellow flag for the entire race meant I couldn’t progress further up the grid.

“For the final MRO 600 race I was starting further down the grid due to not completing a flying lap in the earlier race. I spent this race fighting my way back through the pack to finish in P7.

“The next round is the weekend of 13-14 April at Pembrey Circuit.�

“This weekend at Snetterton was another successful one – a great number of championship points were gained.�

DART MRO 600 (R6)

Qualifying – 5th

Race 1 – 3rd

Race 2 – 2nd

Race 3 – 2nd

Race 4 – 2^nd

“After qualifying, I started 5^th on the grid. Due to the budget being tighter as we come to the end of the season, I made the decision to use the same tyres that I used throughout the Cadwell Park weekend. This meant I didn’t have as much grip as I would have liked or needed.

“In the first race, I got off to a good start but I wasn’t able to keep up with the pace of the leaders. I finished this race in 3^rd position which brought my grid position to the front row for the next race.

“In the second race, I got a good start but again I did not have the pace to battle with the lead man. I finished this race in 2^nd position, bringing my grid position up to 2^nd where I remained for the rest of the weekend.

“Sunday’s races were much more exciting – I found some pace and was able to battle for the lead. In the third race, there were multiple changes to the lead which eventually ended with a drag race to the line resulting in a photo finish of 0.005 seconds between us, with me finishing in 2^nd place with a PB of 1:57.701.

“The fourth race was much the same story, however by this point I had very little grip left in the tyre causing me to run wide in the final stages of the race. I brought it home in 2^nd position with 0.814 to the lead. Huge congratulations to Harry Fowle on winning the championship this weekend.”

Thunderbike Ultra (GSXR)

Qualifying – 1st

Race 1 – 1st

Race 2 – 1st

Race 3 – 1st

Race 4 – 2^nd

“I qualified on Saturday morning on the pole position. In the first race, I got my normal start, Stacey kept me honest all race. I was able to control the pace and it wasn’t long before we pulled away from the rest of the pack. I brought it home in 1^st position.

“The second race was a repeat of the first race. In this race, there were more changes to the lead but I again brought it home in first place.

“The third race again saw close battles between myself and Stacey. Stacey was pushing me on pace all the way through. I finished P1 with a lap PB of 1:59.220.

“By race four, Kieran Smith had made his way up the grid. My start wasn’t as strong as normal, but I was able to keep the lead. For the majority of the race, the battles were between 1^st and 2^nd places, with Kieran watching and waiting for the right opportunity. A mistake on the final lap and I dropped from 1^st to 3^rd. This gave Kieran the opportunity he had been waiting for and he quickly took the lead. This gave me the chance to rectify my mistake. I pushed hard to the end and gained 2^nd ±è´Ç²õ¾±³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô.â€�

“I go into the final round at Brands Hatch leading the Thunderbike Ultra championship with it all still to play for. I am also currently second place in the MRO 600 championship.�