鈥�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.鈥�

Friday 鈥� FP1

鈥淭his 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.鈥�

Friday 鈥� FP2

鈥淲ith 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.鈥�

Saturday 鈥� Qualifying

鈥淚 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鈥檇 have liked. I qualified P31 with a best lap of 1:20.253.

鈥淗uge thanks to聽Alan 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.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淪tarting 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鈥檛 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鈥檛 give the place back, and a two-second penalty dropped me to P26. My best lap was a 1:20.146.鈥�

Sunday 鈥� Race 2

鈥淪tarting 30th put me on the inside for Lap 1, so I couldn鈥檛 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.

鈥淚 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.

鈥淒espite the setbacks, I鈥檓 pleased with the progress made over the weekend, especially lowering my lap times and improving my pace on a track I鈥檇 never ridden before. A big thanks to聽Ray聽for the fitness plan I鈥檝e begun. I鈥檒l be sticking to it to improve my strength and endurance for Round 7 at Cadwell.

鈥淭hank you to everyone who came to support me trackside, and to all my聽2025 sponsors聽for your support this season. On to Cadwell!鈥�

鈥淎fter 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 鈥� this weekend was my first race back and I鈥檓 pleased to say the arm felt great, with no issues at all.

鈥淏rands 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.鈥�

Friday 鈥� Free Practice

FP1 鈥� P34/42 | 1:32.981

鈥淒ry 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.鈥�

FP2 鈥� P32/40 | 1:31.859

鈥淭he 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.鈥�

Saturday 鈥� Qualifying & Race 1

Qualifying 鈥� P26/40 | 1:30.039

鈥淭he 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鈥檚 typically been a tough one for me.鈥�

Race 1 鈥� Started 26th, Finished 25th

鈥淕ot 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鈥檝e 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.鈥�

Sunday 鈥� Race 2

Race 2 鈥� Started 26th, Finished 24th

鈥淚 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 鈥� nearly resulting in a high-side 鈥� 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.鈥�