“This past weekend I joined 饾悘饾惈饾惃饾惍饾悵饾悷饾惃饾惃饾惌 饾悜饾悮饾悳饾悽饾惂饾悹 for Round 2 of the 饾悕饾惃 饾悑饾悽饾惁饾悽饾惌饾惉 饾悜饾悮饾悳饾悽饾惂饾悹 饾煏饾煋饾煄饾悿饾惁 饾悇饾惂饾悵饾惍饾惈饾悮饾惂饾悳饾悶 饾悅饾悺饾悮饾惁饾惄饾悽饾惃饾惂饾惉饾悺饾悽饾惄 饾悮饾惌 饾悆饾惃饾惂饾悽饾惂饾悹饾惌饾惃饾惂 饾悘饾悮饾惈饾悿 饾悊饾悘 饾悳i饾惈饾悳饾惍饾悽饾惌, teaming up with 饾悏饾惃饾惉饾悺 饾惄饾惈饾惃饾惍饾悵饾悷饾惃饾惃饾惌 and 饾悏饾惃饾悶 饾悇饾惀饾惀饾悽饾惉. At around five and a half hours long (or until the first bike completes 750km), it was a perfect opportunity to build race fitness, find some rhythm again, and get solid seat time. Huge thanks to the team for the invite and the trust they showed me鈥攅specially with 饾悏饾惃饾惉饾悺 饾悘饾惈饾惃饾惍饾悵饾悷饾惃饾惃饾惌鈥欚潗� 饾悳饾惈饾悶饾惏 饾惀饾悶饾悮饾悵饾悽饾惂饾悹 饾惌饾悺饾悶 饾悕饾悮饾惌饾悽饾惃饾惂饾悮饾惀 饾煍饾煄饾煄 饾悳饾惀饾悮饾惉饾惉 heading into the round.

“The conditions couldn鈥檛 have been better, with sunshine throughout the weekend. Qualifying went smoothly, landing us 饾煋饾惌饾悺 饾悽饾惂 饾悳饾惀饾悮饾惉饾惉 饾悮饾惂饾悵 饾煆饾煍饾惌饾悺 饾惃饾惎饾悶饾惈饾悮饾惀饾惀.

“The race itself had its challenges. A few red flags and safety car periods played against us, costing time as the field bunched up鈥攂ut that鈥檚 endurance racing. Josh took the start, I handled the middle stints, and Joe closed out the race. Both Josh and Joe set an impressive pace, and I managed a couple of strong 40-minute sessions to support our charge. Thankfully, apart from the stoppages (and we hope everyone involved is okay), the event ran clean for us.

“After hours of consistent teamwork and focus, we crossed the line 饾煈饾惈饾悵 饾悽饾惂 饾惌饾悺饾悶 饾悕饾悮饾惌饾悽饾惃饾惂饾悮饾惀 饾煍饾煄饾煄 饾悳饾惀饾悮饾惉饾惉 饾悮饾惂饾悵 饾煆饾煄饾惌饾悺 饾惃饾惎饾悶饾惈饾悮饾惀饾惀鈥攁 result the whole crew can be proud of. Endurance racing relies as much on those behind the wall as the riders themselves, so a massive thanks goes to Phil Proudfoot, Andy Read, and Nick Ellis for their sharp strategy, pit coordination, and relentless effort throughout the day.

“It鈥檚 been fantastic to race again alongside Josh and Joe, who have both progressed brilliantly into the BSB Sportbike Championship since we last shared a grid. Wishing them and the team the best of luck for Oulton Park BSB this coming weekend.

“Next up for me is Andy Read鈥檚 Honda K4 at Cadwell Park in May, followed by the Pre-TT Classic on the Billown Course.

“Finally, a huge thank-you to all our sponsors and supporters鈥攜our backing makes weekends like this possible.”

鈥淚t was the final round of the year for Brook Built Racing at the 33rd and final running of the Gold Cup that鈥檚 run since 1989.

鈥淚t was a team effort, with Russell covering SuperSport and SuperTwin+, and Ben Long on SuperSport.

鈥淲et weather kicked off Saturday鈥檚 qualifying at the legendary Oliver鈥檚 Mount. Grip was there, but confidence took time to build. I qualified for all races 鈥� albeit toward the back 鈥� but Ben Long found his rhythm early, securing P10 in SuperSport B. I ended with a top 10, while Ben got his first win at Olivers Mount. Not bad for the tight and twisty circuit!鈥�

S饾悮饾惌饾惍饾惈饾悵饾悮饾惒 饾悋饾悽饾悹饾悺饾惀饾悽饾悹饾悺饾惌饾惉

• Free practice on the Aprilia RS660 & Yamaha YZF-R6.
• Wet qualifying: P22 (SuperTwin), P21 (SuperSport Group 2).
• Race 1 (SuperTwin): Red flags galore! Restarted multiple times before finally finishing P15.
• Race 2 (SuperSport B): I came home P17, Ben stormed to P4 from P10.
• Race 3 (SuperTwin restart): P15 again, setting me up for a better grid on Sunday.

饾悞饾惍饾惂饾悵饾悮饾惒 饾悋饾悽饾悹饾悺饾惀饾悽饾悹饾悺饾惌饾惉

• Race 4 (SuperTwin): Wet again, but I found my groove 鈥� P14.
• Race 5 (SuperSport B): Gained confidence, climbed to P13. Ben led most of the race, just missed the win 鈥� P2.
• Race 6 (SuperSport B): I sat this one out to preserve the R6. Ben took full advantage 鈥� hole shot to victory his first win at Oliver鈥檚 Mount!
• Race 7 (SuperTwin): Best start of the weekend, smooth ride to P9.

饾悓饾悽饾惂饾悽饾惁饾悮饾惀 饾悳饾惈饾悶饾惏, 饾惁饾悮饾惐饾悽饾惁饾惍饾惁 饾悶饾悷饾悷饾惃饾惈饾惌

鈥淗uge thanks to Gary 鈥楯ake鈥� Dicken & Andy Fenton for keeping us fuelled and focused. With limited resources, Brook Built Racing wrapped up the season proud and strong.

鈥淭he Steve Henshaw Gold Cup gave us everything 鈥� wet, dry, red flags, drama, and that unforgettable win for Ben. A fitting way to close the season for Brook Built Racing. We are planning to add a different (new to us) class next year (more later) Roll on 2026!鈥�

Practice & Qualifying Week

• Sunday: In favourable conditions, the team completed two laps with a best speed of 114.7mph, a solid start to the week.
• Monday: A red flag incident at Black Dub cut the session short, with Ady stopping safely at Ballaugh.
• Tuesday Evening: Cooler conditions and a delayed start saw riders released in pairs. A strong 116.3mph lap was recorded, with testing focused on shock modifications, including stiffer springs and extended setup.
• Wednesday: No MGP session, but two laps were completed on the Classic SBK Kawasaki ZXR7, averaging 114mph, confirming fuel capacity reliability.
• Thursday & Friday: Further testing and refinements, with laps focused on suspension changes, oil management, and grips.

Race Weekend 鈥� MGP SuperSport & MGP Senior

• Saturday (SuperSport): Despite a pit stop delay due to fuel spillage, the team gained valuable experience in high-pressure conditions, finishing 11th overall with a near-118mph lap.
• Monday (Senior): Starting 4th on the road, Ady moved up to 3rd and maintained strong pace through the opening laps. After a clean 50-second pit stop, the team secured a competitive 7th place finish.
• Unfortunately, both the Classic Superbike and Classic Senior races were cancelled due to weather.

Team Reflections

The 2025 campaign showcased both the performance potential of Brook Built Racing machinery and the resilience of the team. Consistent lap speeds over 114鈥�118mph, combined with successful adjustments to suspension and fuelling strategies, demonstrated clear progress throughout the week.

Team Principal Russell Brook said: 鈥淲e are proud of the effort from everyone involved in Brook Built Racing at this year鈥檚 MGP and Classic TT. The results reflect our determination, and the lessons learned will help us take another step forward next season.鈥�

Images: Tracy鈥檚 Pictures

饾悜饾悮饾悳饾悶 饾悜饾悶饾惄饾惃饾惈饾惌: 饾悂饾悮饾惈饾惈饾惒 饾悞饾悺饾悶饾悶饾惂饾悶 饾悅饾惀饾悮饾惉饾惉饾悽饾悳 鈥� 饾悞饾悳饾悮饾惈饾悰饾惃饾惈饾惃饾惍饾悹饾悺

鈥淭he legendary Oliver鈥檚 Mount circuit once again played host to the Barry Sheene Classic, and this year鈥檚 event offered its usual blend of unpredictability, grit, and glory.鈥�

饾悞饾悮饾惌饾惍饾惈饾悵饾悮饾惒

鈥淭he weekend opened with a wet, untimed three-lap practice session. With slick conditions and little to gain by pushing hard, it was a chance to test grip and settle into the rhythm of the track.

鈥淏y qualifying time, the rain remained but confidence was on the rise. Despite the moisture, a solid performance secured a 13th-place start.

鈥淭eammate Ben Long took to the support race aboard his Yamaha R6 and delivered a commanding performance, holding 2nd place throughout to land another podium at Oliver鈥檚 Mount. Despite poor visibility, Ben鈥檚 consistency paid off. He noted the fog affected how hard he could push, but his pace was impressive nonetheless.

鈥淣ature had the final say as dense fog rolled in, forcing all racing to be halted for the rest of the day.鈥�

饾悞饾惍饾惂饾悵饾悮饾惒

鈥淪unday welcomed clearer skies and fading rain. By the time the first SuperTwins race began, the circuit was largely dry, though lingering damp patches at the hairpins kept everyone alert. Choosing full dry-condition tyres proved mostly effective, and an excellent launch placed the rider in 10th for much of the race. However, with confidence still tentative over the slick sections, two positions slipped away in the final laps, resulting in a 12th-place finish.

鈥淭he second race offered much the same 鈥� a partially dry track and strategic decisions to be made. A less favourable grid position on the inside led to a congested start. Nonetheless, a strong race followed, ending with a respectable 14th-place finish.鈥�

饾悓饾惃饾惂饾悵饾悮饾惒 饾悇饾惎饾悶饾惂饾悽饾惂饾悹

鈥淭hings kicked off smoothly as planned. The goal was to re-familiarise myself with the course before pushing for a qualifying lap in the second session. Unfortunately, due to an incident in another class, that second timed session was cancelled.鈥�

饾悡饾惍饾悶饾惉饾悵饾悮饾惒 饾悇饾惎饾悶饾惂饾悽饾惂饾悹

鈥淲e opened with a timed session, but qualifying ultimately stood based on Monday鈥檚 first outing. I had qualified, though not quite where I hoped to be. The Mike Kerruish Plumbing Lightweight Race got underway, but a sudden downpour after lap one put an early end to racing for the night.鈥�

饾悥饾悶饾悵饾惂饾悶饾惉饾悵饾悮饾惒 饾悇饾惎饾悶饾惂饾悽饾惂饾悹

鈥淩acing resumed with a full restart of Tuesday鈥檚 race, using Monday鈥檚 times to set the grid. I didn鈥檛 have the strongest slot but managed a solid start and enjoyed being back on the legendary 4.25-mile Billown circuit. I finished a respectable 20th in the main race.鈥�

饾悡饾悺饾惍饾惈饾惉饾悵饾悮饾惒 鈥� 饾悜饾悮饾悳饾悶 饾悆饾悮饾惒

鈥淭he rhythm changed with racing held throughout the day. Having made the main race, I was also selected for the consolation race, which turned out to be a competitive scrap among notable riders. I launched brilliantly from the third row, securing second at Ballakeighan, holding it until Cross Four-Ways where I dropped to third. Racing in a tight pack on closed roads demands sharp instincts聽鈥� balancing attack and defence while predicting others鈥� moves. The Brook Built Aprilia RS660 proved highly competitive. After easing off on defence, I found myself down in fifth, but I knew I could claw back. I made it to fourth going into the final lap and, after another rider’s misstep at Ballakeighan, grabbed third and held it to the chequered flag. That podium finish was a vital lift for the week.

鈥淭he second Bushy’s Brewery Lightweight Race started as well as could be from the grid position I had. I quickly made up a few positions and enjoyed racing around the Billown circuit; it was a solid ride, to come home in 17th place.鈥�

饾悁饾惉饾悽饾悵饾悶 饾悷饾惈饾惃饾惁 饾惈饾悽饾悵饾悽饾惂饾悹

鈥淚鈥檓 also finding my place as team principal for Brook Built Racing. At the Southern 100, Adrian Harrison piloted the Brook Built Yamaha R6, qualifying for the main SuperSport race and finishing 24th and 21st in his respective outings.鈥�

Pic credits: Tracys Pictures/David Glossop

鈥淭he much-anticipated first mainland UK road race of the year did not disappoint 鈥� great weather, a legendary circuit, and my return to solo racing after last year鈥檚 injury.

鈥淛oining me were teammates Ben Long and Adrian Harrison, representing Brook Built Racing in style. Ben competed in the SuperSport 600 on the R6, while Aidy rode the supported ZXR750 in Classic Superbike 鈥� both scoring impressive podium finishes!鈥�

Practice & Qualifying

鈥淔ree Practice went smoothly as I re-familiarised myself with Oliver鈥檚 Mount. In qualifying, I struggled to find a clean lap due to traffic, eventually placing 14th 鈥� which put me 15th on the grid (no #13 slot). Not ideal, as it meant starting on the inside, where getting boxed in is a real risk.鈥�

Race 1 鈥� Saturday

鈥淎 clean start is vital at this narrow, technical circuit. I launched well but got caught behind a group mid-pack and lost a few spots. Managed to make up some ground at the first hairpin and brought it home in 16th 鈥� not bad for my first race back after over six months off the bike.鈥�

Races 2 & 3 鈥� Sunday

鈥淩ace 2: A better grid spot (outside line) and a couple of empty slots ahead gave me a cleaner start. I pushed into 10th by the first corner and ran as high as 9th. Mid-race, yellow and adhesion flags forced me to back off 鈥� got passed and lost momentum, finishing 12th.

鈥淩ace 3: Got a strong start, but the race was red-flagged on lap 2. During the restart, I noticed my oil warning light staying on 鈥� turned out to be a loose wire, but I chose to pull in on the warm-up lap. Better safe than sorry 鈥� no engine or track risks worth taking.鈥�

Team Highlights

鈥淗uge congrats to Ben Long and Adrian Harrison 鈥� both put in excellent rides and earned a 3rd place podium each! Brook Built Racing is building momentum fast 鈥� proud to be part of it.鈥�

Photo credits: Mark Huckerby & BJB Photos

TT 2025: Brook Built鈥檚 First TT 鈥� A Debut to Remember

鈥淭T 2025 was a new chapter for Brook Built 鈥� and what a debut it turned out to be. While we鈥檝e supported bikes at the Manx Grand Prix, this year marked the first time we entered and ran a bike in the full Isle of Man TT. There鈥檚 no other place like the 37戮-mile Mountain Course to test a builder鈥檚 work, and we came here with one goal: to see how competitive our Brook Built Aprilia RS660 SuperTwin could be against the best in the world.

鈥淲e teamed up with the hugely experienced Michael Russell 鈥� a name many of you will know from his all-classes challenge in 2023, where he competed in every solo and sidecar class. His knowledge of the course and adaptability made him the ideal rider to showcase what our machine could do.鈥�

Practice Week: Weather, Wrenches & Wins

鈥淢onday鈥檚 free practice session was cut short due to poor weather, but we did get the RS660 through scrutineering for the first time 鈥� a proud moment for all involved. Every TT session requires a full scrutineering check, so it was good to get that first one under our belts.

鈥淭uesday brought clearer skies, and Michael got his first laps in across all three bikes: the Superbike, SuperSport, and our SuperTwin. The SuperTwin and SuperSport sessions run together, so we made the smart call to put in one lap on each to help ensure qualification.

鈥淚n the first timed session, Michael clocked a top-20 lap on the SuperTwin with a 113.384 mph average 鈥� a very promising start.

鈥淭hursday鈥檚 practice was cancelled due to weather, but that gave us time to sort some issues 鈥� tightening on the steering stem, a stripped wheel spindle, and an extended tank for 2 extra litres of fuel.

鈥淔riday鈥檚 qualifying saw us improve again 鈥� Michael averaged 114.512 mph, placing us 30th.

鈥淪aturday brought another weather-related delay, but we caught and fixed a small oil leak during scrutineering. Our final qualifying lap on Sunday earned us 23rd place and 26th on the starting grid for Race Day.鈥�

Race Week: The Real Test

Superbike (Monday):

鈥淢ichael unfortunately retired on lap three due to an electrical issue, but showed great pace beforehand.鈥�

SuperSport (Monday):

鈥淢ichael finished 21st with an impressive 118.802 mph average.鈥�

SuperTwin Race 1 (Tuesday):

鈥淐ut to 2 laps due to weather, Michael delivered a stellar ride from 26th to 13th place, with an average speed of 116.035 mph and a bronze replica to show for it. He reported brake drag, which we traced to a calliper anti-squeal spring and corrected ahead of the second race.鈥�

SuperSport Race 2 (Wednesday):

鈥淢ichael brought the Fraser Evans GSXR750 home in 20th place at 119.664 mph 鈥� fast and consistent riding all week long.鈥�

Thursday:

鈥淎nother washout. We went go-karting and visited Tony Bass at Slick Tuning鈥�

SuperTwin Race 2: The One We Won鈥檛 Forget

鈥淔riday鈥檚 three-lap SuperTwin race was our moment. Michael started strong, but during the fuel stop after lap one, we ran into a serious issue: the fuel tank wasn鈥檛 venting, creating a vacuum that made the cap difficult to remove. The tank had deformed slightly, and we couldn鈥檛 get a full refill in. Michael left pit lane not knowing he might not have enough fuel to finish 鈥� an incredibly tense moment for us all.

鈥淎s he passed each timing point on the final lap 鈥� Ballaugh, Ramsey, the Bungalow 鈥� we waited, watching. Then, finally, he came into view at Cronk-ny-Mona, down the straight and across the line.

鈥淎gainst all odds, Michael brought the RS660 home in 13th place, securing another bronze replica 鈥� and proving both the rider鈥檚 skill and the bike鈥檚 resilience. He later confirmed he鈥檇 felt fuel starvation on the final lap, managing throttle and pace perfectly to finish.鈥�

A Huge Thank You

鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 have done it without the team: Grant Evans, Andy Fenton, Charlie Eccott, Brad Burn, and Simon Rice 鈥� thank you for keeping us running when it mattered most.

鈥淎nd to our sponsors 鈥� this was your TT debut too. Your support helped us reach the start line, and just as importantly, the finish line.

鈥淭his was just the beginning for Brook Built at the TT. With two top-15 finishes, two bronze replicas, and a ton of experience under our belts, we鈥檙e already looking ahead to the next challenge.

鈥淪ee you on the Mountain again soon鈥︹��

鈥淩ound 8 of the No Limits Racing championship returned to Donington GP for the final round of the championship. Returning to racing after recovering sufficiently to race since my Round 6 incident, I was pleased with performance. The weather was mainly good for an October meeting and ended the season strong with a 5th place in the SuperTwins Championship.

Thursday 鈥� Testing

鈥淩ound 8 had no official test day, so I booked onto a track day a couple of days before. The main goal was to find out if I would be able to race at the weekend. I was pleased after seven 20-minute sessions on our R6 I was able to race, and go some way to being 鈥榖ike fit鈥� for the weekend.鈥�

Saturday聽鈥撀燬uperTwins Qualifying

鈥淲e went straight into our 10-minute qualifying practice on Saturday morning at 9:02am in cold, but dry conditions. While building pace throughout the session I managed to qualify in 5th position, In the middle of Row 2. Having not raced since mid-August, and some riders fresh from the previous week BSB meeting and a strong field I was happy with this.鈥�

SuperTwins 鈥� Race 1

鈥淒ue to No Limits Racing holding the ACU Endurance Championship, many sprint race classes only do one race on Saturday. The first race began just after lunch, conditions were a little warmer I got a reasonable start in the 8-lap race and managed to hold 8th at the finish line. Normally I would expect to be nearer qualifying, but happy this time after the layoff.鈥�

Sunday 鈥撀燬uperTwins Race 2

鈥淚 got a reasonable start, holding 7th on track. The leading four riders made a gap to the group of racers I was in 4th 鈥� 7th. 聽We swapped places a few times during the race but entering the last lap I was in 7th place. I felt I had the pace to be in this group all race, and may need to make any moves on the last lap to move up the results. 聽I made a pass at the Melbourne Loop for 6th, and as luck had it, 5th place had made a pass on me under a yellow flag earlier in the race and given a 10-second penalty, promoting me to 5th.鈥�

SuperTwins 鈥� Race 3

鈥淎 couple of hours later saw my best start yet, exiting the second corner in 4th place. However, rain started to spit on Lap 1 and got a bit heavier at one section from Melbourne Loop to Goddards, resulting in the race being red flagged. Some confusion getting the grid back together resulted in tyres colling down too much. The restart was a 5-lap dash with a single warm-up lap. Going down Craner Curves on the warm-up, I could feel the bike slide, and the wooden feeling in the steering that comes with cold tyres. I decided to give the tyres time to warm up and push later in the race. This dropped me to 7th in class, where I remained to the chequered flag.”

Race 4

鈥淩ain came and temperatures dropped before the final race, as I could no longer gain in championship position, and with nothing to gain, I decided to sit out the race.鈥�

Summary

鈥淎ll in all, 2024 has been a good season, but missing rounds and races at Cadwell (3 races), Anglesey (1) and Oulton (2), hindered defending a Top 3 in the championship.

鈥淪pecial thanks to our sponsors and supporters who make going racing easier.鈥�

Pic credits: .

鈥淩ound 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.

鈥淔riday 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鈥檚 geometry. It鈥檚 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.

鈥淪aturday 鈥� 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.”

鈥淪aturday 鈥撀燫ace 1. A few hours later, I got a reasonable start in the 7-lap race and didn鈥檛 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.

鈥淪unday 鈥� 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.

鈥淪unday 鈥� 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.

鈥淪unday 鈥� 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鈥檛 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.

鈥淚t’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.

鈥淪pecial thanks to our sponsors and supporters who make going racing easier.鈥�

Pic credits: .

鈥�The Southern 100 Road Races are one of the highlight meetings. As with most other road races, I entered the lightweight (Super Twins) on the Brook Built Aprilia RS660, and SuperSport races on the Yamaha YZF R6. The meeting was hampered by some incidents on track, Nobel鈥檚 hospital capacity and poor weather, but racing took place.

鈥淎fter mediocre qualifying due to taking no risks in poor conditions, I managed to get satisfactory results, enjoyed the racing immensely, and my team-mate (Adrian Harrison) made the podium on the second Brook Built Racing Yamaha R6.鈥�

Monday Eve Practice and Qualifying

鈥�The weather over the weekend and Monday had been bright and sunny; perfect conditions and everyone was looking forward to a good start to the weeks racing. I had two practice and qualifying sessions for the lightweight and the first Super Sport practice in the schedule. Unfortunately, after a serious incident during the newcomer sighting laps, the evening got delayed and due to no capacity at Nobel鈥檚 Hospital, the race had to be cancelled. This was a big blow to everyone.鈥�

Tuesday Evening practice, qualifying and lightweight race

鈥淗aving lost the first night, we were straight into Lightweight qualifying, then Super Sport, followed by the first Lightweight race. Weather conditions were poor with rain and the occasional dry spell meaning the track never dried fully.

鈥淲e had three laps in the Lightweight to qualify, being my first outing on track I rode safely to refamiliarise myself with the circuit and conditions; others were more willing to take more risk, or just adapted to the conditions better, but I managed to qualify 29^th in second last grid slot.

鈥淲ith a few laps completed, the Super Sport qualifying was a little better, and in four laps I managed Row 5 in the B final 鈥� the first race planned to run next day.

鈥淣ext up, we were heading out of the paddock to line up for the first Lightweight race. Conditions had deteriorated to heavy rain, and the dark clouds made visibility poor, especially for us further down the grid. Right from the start, visibility was poor from the spray coming from other bikes, the rain and poor light. I made a few places off the line and decided to play safe and get to the finish line in the reduced (to 5 laps) race. I managed to complete the first race in 24^th 辫辞蝉颈迟颈辞苍.鈥�

Wednesday Racing

鈥淲e all passed scrutineering and waited in parc ferme for racing to begin. It rained all day and didn鈥檛 stop for the evenings racing; the day was cancelled with no racing taking place.鈥�

Thursday Racing

鈥�With the delays and cancelled sessions, I had a Super Sport race (one got cancelled) in the morning and the second Lightweight race in the afternoon. Without any rain, the track got better as the day went on, being fully dry after only a handful of races.

鈥淚n the Super Sport race, conditions were mostly dry. I opted for a front wet tyre combined with a dry rear as it was difficult to fully judge the conditions. I had qualified on row 5 while Adrian, my team-mate, had made pole position. I made a good start and made my way to 9^th position for most of the race, until I out-braked myself on the last corner going into the last lap and lost three places. We all seemed to be running the same pace as we stayed together without swapping places on the last lap. I finished 12^th and thoroughly enjoyed racing at the Billown circuit for the first time this meeting. A nice bonus was learning my team mate had made second place on the podium.

鈥淔or the second Lightweight race, we started from our original qualifying position, middle of the back row for me. I managed a great start, making several positions and passed more during the first lap. I caught the next group at the end of lap 2 and getting set to make a pass when the red flag came out near the end of lap 3 after an incident at Stadium Corner and the race was called a result. I鈥檇 made it to 15^th from 29^th and have to say it felt like the best two laps I鈥檝e done at the S100, leaving the circuit with a big smile.

鈥淎lthough it was a challenging S100 this year for everyone including the organisers, who I must commend for making tough decisions and keeping the meeting going, the new start procedure gets a big thumbs up from me; I didn鈥檛 hear any negative comments about it, it was a good meeting. Seeing old friends and making new ones I left the meeting in great spirits.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to thank my personal helpers: Grahame Collinge and Chris Haynes for getting me out on track each evening, also the second half of the Brook Built Racing team helping Adrian Harrison. His dad Conrad, Nick Colley and son, Mucky Al, and Steve Hebden.

“Also, a special thanks to our sponsors and supporters who make going racing easier.”

Main photo credit: Tracey Harrison Photography