“A really positive weekend overall with plenty to take away!

“On the Aprilia RS660, we brought home a solid P10 in the opening race. Things got interesting before we even got going when a rider broke down on the start line, leaving me with nowhere to go and costing me valuable time. I kept my head down, stayed focused, and fought back to finish 10th.

“Sunday was where the Aprilia really came alive. We had some brilliant battles throughout the first race, but I was really struggling to get the bike stopped under braking, making it difficult to attack into the corners. Before the final race, we fitted a fresh set of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Racing brake pads, and the transformation was incredible. The confidence under braking came straight back, allowing me to brake later, carry more speed into the turns and race the bike properly. We finished the day with two P8 finishes, and it was a fantastic reminder of just how much difference quality braking performance makes. A huge thank you to ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ for supplying products that perform when it matters most. Proud to have them supporting the team!â€�

“The Triumph 765 had a tougher start to the weekend. An oil leak in qualifying meant we were just outside the qualifying time, putting us 4th on the grid for the Support Race.

“In that race, I made a move up the inside into Turn 1 on lap 3, but another rider turned in and we had a coming together. Thankfully we both stayed upright, although I dropped back to 8th. I dug deep, worked my way back through the field, and came home with a P3 podium finish.Ìý

“Sunday couldn’t have gone much better!

“Because the Triumph race from Saturday had been cancelled following three separate red flags, we lined up 2nd on the grid for the rescheduled race. I got a great start and settled into 2nd place, keeping the pressure on the race leader. A few laps in, the leader made a small mistake and ran wide. I was in exactly the right place to take advantage, slipped through into the lead, and never looked back. It certainly wasn’t an easy race, but it was an enjoyable one, and taking my first win on the Triumph 765 made all the hard work worthwhile.Ìý

“A massive thank you to ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ, all my sponsors, supporters, family and everyone who continues to back us. Every lap we’re learning more about both bikes, and the results are starting to show. Time to get everything prepared for the next meeting!â€�

“A challenging but promising start to the season, with some clear positives to take away – especially in braking performance.

“After qualifying 7th on the Supersport grid, we showed strong potential in Race 2, moving up to 4th place early on. However, after a couple of moments in the opening laps, the decision was made to retire from the race. It was about the bigger picture – staying focused on the season ahead rather than taking unnecessary risks.”

“In the Supertwin class, we were consistently inside the top 15 and made steady progress across the weekend. The Aprilia 660 in particular is showing real promise heading forward.

“A big positive throughout was the performance of the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ package. On both bikes, the braking was strong, consistent, and gave the confidence to push: especially important around a circuit like Oliver’s Mount. It’s a solid step forward and something we’re excited to build on into 2026…â€�

“Back in May, our team made its debut on the famous nine-mile ‘Triangle’ circuit around Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Northern Ireland. Sharing the tarmac with legends past and present – such as Joey Dunlop, Ryan Farwell, David Todd, John McGuinness and Peter Hickman – our goal was simple but ambitious: qualify within 15% of the fastest lap time and then improve with each outing.�

Qualifying

“After two days of practice, we hit our target every single session. Each lap was faster than the last as we fine-tuned suspension settings, found clearer lines through the Glenshesk and metered our fuel load just right. By the final qualifying run, we were well inside 15% of the benchmark time, thanks in no small part to our machine’s stout engine and the extraordinary stopping power provided by our new partners at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ.â€�

Race Day

Supertwin Race 1

– Start wave: 3rd

– Finish position: 24th

– Key moment: A clean getaway off the line saw us slot into the pack without drama. Mid-race, we battled through Church Bends, but consistent lap times held us firmly in contention.

Supertwin Race 2

– Start wave: 3rd

– Finish position: 16th

– Key moment: A stronger launch this time propelled us past several rivals in the first mile. Tire temperature was spot-on, and our bike’s balance paid dividends round Castlerock, allowing us to pick off a few riders

Reflections & Next Steps

“We’re proud to have met – and exceeded – our own expectations in our very first international road races. Finishing 24th and then 16th out of a stacked field wasn’t just about positions on the board; it proved our package (bike, brakes, rider and crew) is rock solid. That said, relying on a single machine across two races did stretch our resources – lap times suffered slightly late in each outing as fatigue and mechanical wear set in.

“Looking ahead to 2026, we plan to arrive with at least two fully prepped bikes, for two classes allowing us to push harder and chase even quicker laps. One thing’s for certain: once you’ve tasted the Triangle, you’re hooked for life – and we can’t wait to go back…”

“Saturday started dry at 8am, then the rain came just before First Practice. It pretty much didn’t stop until 5pm, when the sun came out, so didn’t do a lap all day – wet and cold is not a good mix.

“On Sunday at 8am, it was wet and very windy, but with no rain. We had tyre warmers on both the bikes. As we got this R6 last minute, we had no wets, so ran it on a Dunlop front slick and treaded rear tyre. We went for two laps just to qualify for the race, taking it very slowly and qualifying 22^nd out of 26.

“Open Qualifying was next, on a drying track with the wet front and slick rear setup. Going out, we managed two laps before a red flag, and didn’t restart, meaning we took 22^nd out of 25.”

Race One (600cc)

“Starting at the back of the grid, I got a mega start and passed a lot of riders to finish 3^rd on the new 600, with only 10 laps’ practice on the bike and 12 overall this year.�

Race Two (600cc)

“This should have been a good one, but after a red flag on the first lap and a restart, I was in 3^rd, going into the last corner, when the rider in front sat up for God knows what reason, putting us onto the grass. I then had to re-join in third-from-last place, securing 11^th – I should have been battling for the win. On a good note, the new R6 is good and we have adapted to the bike well.�

Open Race One

“Starting at the back, we went on to finish 4^th.�

Open Race Two

“Starting from the front row, we didn’t get the best start, but I was in 3^rd at the end of the first lap, 2^nd at the end of the second lap. I was now over two seconds behind the leader, however, and it took most of the race to catch him. I eyed up a move on the last lap when we come up to a back-marker that ended that idea. I therefore finished 2^nd, but set the fastest lap of the race.�

Race One (1000cc)

“Again, starting at the back, I had a mega run, passing everyone but one rider, finishing 2^nd and only just missing the win by 0.09 seconds.�

Race Two (1000cc)

“We were a bit slow on this one and missed the warm-up lap. We therefore had to start last again but had a really good run and passed lots of riders to finish 2^nd by 0.85 seconds, just running out of laps to win this one. One more lap would have done it as I was setting fastest lap after fastest lap, securing the overall fastest lap of the weekend with 57.40 seconds.�

Thanks to Tony Else Photography for the images.