Luca Wilkinson aka El Loco #76

Friday Practice

“Friday’s practice went well. Small issue with the bike, but it wasn’t affecting my lap times, so we just rode around it.�

Saturday

Qualifying

“Went out and pushed on a bit, I knew I didn’t have to put it on pole, so I just rode smart and pushed for a few laps and put it on P2 with Ollie Sims on P1, with our lap times separated by 0.03 of a second.

Race 1

“Started the race but I noticed Ollie hadn’t gone to the grid. I pulled an 8-second lead after 3 laps and just brought it home in 1st place. Unfortunately, I came in to find out Ollie had crashed in the Minitwins qualifying and broken his collarbone.

Race 2

“Pretty similar to race 1; a good start, pulled a big gap and just kept at a consistent pace and brought it home in 1st place and secured the championship win.�

Sunday

Race 3

“It was cold so I had to think about how to ride so I didn’t overdo it. I put a gap to 2nd and brought it home in 1st place.â€�Ìý

Race 4

“My 1st wet race! Good start and just rode smart but after a few laps I caught some back-markers and lost a lot of time letting a few other riders catch. Sean took me into turn 1 after I ran wide, but I retook the position and pulled a little gap to bring it back home in 1st for the last time of the year and with the championship win.

“Fantastic last round with 4 from 4 wins. Big shout out to Ollie who I’ve battled hard with all year, not the way I wanted the year to end. GWS mate.

“Thank you each & every one of our sponsors supporters and friends.�

“A real test of character. We made a last-minute decision to upgrade the front forks and rear shock on the back of strong rides at Snetterton. Must give massive thanks to Advanced Moto, as the speed and service we received were great. Nothing was too much trouble for Neil. I was so looking forward to getting a good setting with the new stuff.

“Test day was not ideal for this, with 60 bikes on track and only 3 x 15 minutes sessions. We had to hope it would feel right from the start in race conditions.

“Qualifying – Being way off the pace, we made no adjustment, so into qualifying we just tried to push on. Set a 1:42.8 secs. which put us 10^th on grid.Ìý This wasn’t bad, but having to force the steering, we knew we couldn’t maintain it for a full race.

“Race 1 – We made a small change and just tried to run with it, but to no avail.Ìý These were the hardest laps ever on the R1. Finished 12^th with a best lap of 1:42.7.

“Race 2 – Made bigger changes to try and make the bike turn quicker. It did feel a little better, but still having to wrestle it round created arm pump. Losing proper throttle control, had a massive slide coming out of Druids so pulled in after 6 laps. Early laps in 1:43’s.”

“Race 3 – We put the settings back as close to those on the old front forks and finally it started to feel like my bike again. Felt like I could do 15 laps not 4! P13 on the grid, but not the best start and we lost 4 places through Old Hall. ÌýSoon got these places back and 1:44’s took us into 12^th with clear track and closing on the pack in front. Braking into Island Bend there was a hell of a bang. The chain had snapped and jammed in the rear sprocket. Luckily, managed to stay upright, got it stopped and parked up. Fair bit of damage including the swing arm.

“A weekend to forget, but WOW, have learnt a lot. Good to be back in the JR Performance awning with old friends – so thanks Joe. Also, thanks to Fin Arscott. We did a track walk and Fin pointed out his racing lines – very helpful.Ìý Being stranded out on track, watched Fin and the other JR Performance boys complete the race and they were brilliant. Wish them every success in the BSB National Superstock.

“Now to repair the bike ready for Brands Hatch and get back on a good run again. Massive thanks to everyone who help make this possible – it means the world to me.”

Luca Wilkinson

Round 2 – Oulton Park

“So, after the incredible (until it wasn’t) weekend at Brands, it’s been a full-on two weeks to get the bike fixed & ready forÌýBemseeÌýRound 2ÌýOulton Park.

“We owe a massive thanks to TeamÌýNW RacingÌýand a lot of other people for the huge effort to sort the bike –Ìýyou sure are the best!

“With beautiful weather, it was amazing to be at this iconic track for Luca’s first time.

We knew we would have some teething issues with the bike having such a big rebuild, but the team worked flawlessly and by the last three sessions, we were in a good position.

“Friday Qualifying went great, finishing P8 – P3 in class.

“Race 1 – Great race with Luca taking the F400 lead and finishing P9 – P3 in class. Very happy with that, having never ridden the track before and knowing the calibre of the riders in the F400.

“Race 2 – Another great start and again fighting for 3rd, Luca finished P4 in class behind the flyingÌýTeam Marshall Racing.

“Race 3 – Great start and into the class lead down into Cascades, Luca pushed hard and again managed a P3 in class behindÌýDavid Lindemann andÌýCraig Dance.

“We are so happy with the results, learning every lap, following some amazing riders who are happy to help and give advice to help Luca improve – we have to say a huge thanks for this it’s an incredible gesture and much appreciated. Each race Luca managed to close the gap to the class leaders, which is our aim this year.�

Zack Weston

Round 2 – Oulton Park

“Qualifying – After a good practice, I was feeling good on the bike and was happy with the setup. I didn’t get out at the front, but I was still able to set my laps on my own and put it on the front row!

“Race 1 – I got an amazing start from P2 and pulled the holeshot. After leading for a few laps and setting good pace, Nathan Harrison came past so I stuck in and tagged onto the back of him, finishing P2.Ìý

“Race 2 – After a good race 1, I was hoping for the same in race 2, it was a good first half of the race starting in P2 and pulling on P3, but the second half I struggled really bad with rear grip and dropped back into p3.Ìý

“Race 3 – After a disappointing race 2, I put everything into race 3. I didn’t get a good start, dropping back to P3, so I sent it into the lead down cascades T3. After a lot of moves and close racing, it came down to the last corner. I tried to drag it to the line but missed out on P1 by 0.03 seconds.

“Overall, a great weekend of racing, time with family and friends and some of our amazing sponsors.

“Huge thank you to all of my sponsors.�

Image credits:

Luca Wilkinson

“The dust has settled on the first race weekend on the newÌýKawasaki UKÌýZX-4RR at Brands Hatch and what an amazing weekend it was.

“First, we have to thank theÌýNW RacingÌýteam for all the support coming into this weekend. We have worked hard and everything was in place with the setup lookingÌýgreat.

“With the weather bright and sunny but very cold, in Friday practice we just chipped away. Happy with progress and with the whole team having put in good times, we were ready for qualifying.

“Racing on a mixed grid consisting of SuperTwins, Thunderbike Sport and the F400s made for an interesting mix of bikes. Qualifying went really well and Luca ended up P6 overall and P2 in class behind the ever-quickÌýCraig Dance.

“Race 1 – Great race where Luca ended up in P1 in class and 11th overall. Not a bad start.

“Race 2 – With the sun setting, it had gone very cold. Luca carried on pushing and put in a PB but didn’t have the pace to go with Craig and came home P2 in class and P12 overall.

“Race 3 – Great start and into the class lead down into Paddock Hill, after that Luca lead from start to finish to get P1 in class and P6 overall.

“Race 3 – Again, last race of the day and the sun was going down and the temperature was again dropping. Another great start and following Craig who was setting a great pace. Hitting PBs on every lap, Luca took advantage of a back marker and managed to pass Craig on the Brabham Straight. Unfortunately, that’s where the weekend went down fast. Coming into Graham Hill Luca lost the front on the brakes. He was fine but the bike decided to protest.

“Overall, it was a fantastic weekend for not only Luca but the whole team.â€�

Zack Weston

“Practice: I went out thinking it would take some time to get up to speed, but I felt really comfortable and confident on the bike, and I was able to get up to speed straight away, surprising myself and the team.

“Qualifying: After a good practice, I was confident going into qualifying. I didn’t quite get out where I wanted to but I was able to dig in and set a lap time that put me on the front row!

“Race 1: After an amazing qualifying, I was ready for race 1. I didn’t get the best start but it was a long race so I knew it was fine, it was a difficult race as it was 18 laps and I was struggling with rear grip but I managed it to the end and missed out on a podium by 0.1 seconds, to achieve P4.

“Race 2: After missing out on a podium in race one, I went for it in race 2, I got a good start getting into P2 into turn 1 and then taking the lead into turn 2 –Ìýit was a good race with lots of changes in positions and I was able to get up into P2 and finally get the podium.

“Race 3: After a good start, I had a huge slide out of T3 and dropped back 6 positions, I thought my race was finished, after a couple of laps I got back into my rhythm and picked riders of one by one, going onto the last lap I was in p4 and gave it everything and was able to get P3 on the line.

“Overall, a great weekend with some amazing racing, time with friends and family along with a some of our amazing sponsors and Club35 members.�

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 4thÌýplace, closely following the rider in 3rdÌýplace. 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 3rdÌýplace 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 2ndÌýposition in the championship with 1stÌýplace 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 4thÌýplace 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 SeasonÌý

“Next season, I plan to elevate my racing career by moving to theÌý(BSB) Superstock class for the 2025 season, using myÌýHonda 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 atÌýAnglesey 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 4thÌýafter 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).�

“Round 4 saw us go to the spectacularÌýDonington ParkÌý– another new track for Luca, but we had enlisted the awesomeÌýNW Racing to help learn the track on Friday morning with our mega instructor, Andrew Wales, booked for the afternoon. It was tough and Luca worked really hard learning the track, especially the section from Redgate to McLeans. Pleased with the pace, we were ready to go.”

Qualifying:

“We had a target, and Luca absolutely smashed it, with his first ever qualifying pole position and 0.5 under the track record.”

Race 1:

“Got the holeshot, but this was no walk in the park. Beat the official track record with a blistering 1:21:920Ìýand finished 2^nd behind Zack – just in front ofÌýKade Watt after a race-long battle which was cut short due to a red flag.”

Race 2:

“Great start and another race-long battle with Zack and Kade. Lost the lap record to Zack but gained the win – very happy with that.”

Race 3:

“Straight into the lead and Luca and Zack started to pull away. With a 1.8sec lead, it was looking comfortable until Luca lost the front in the last chicane and down he went, taking Zack with him so a disappointing DNF for both but no injuries and bikes fixable.”

Race 4:

“Despite the DNF, Luca and Zack were still 1 and 2 on the grid. The pace was a little slower this race which played into Luca’s hands as he settled in after the off in Race 3. Lots of place swaps ensued and with a bit of luck encountering the back makers on the last lap Luca, finished 1^st.

“So, to summarise, we went from a DNF to PRETTY AWESOME! As always, thanks to all our sponsors and all the help we’ve had along the way.�

BEMSEE Round 4 – Donington Park

Thunderbike Ultra (GSXR)

Qualifying – P2

Race 1 – P2 (PB – 1.11.663)

Race 2 – P2 (PB Ìý– 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, 1stÌýin class.â€�

BEMSEE Round 3 – Snetterton

Thunderbike Ultra (GSXR)

Qualifying – 1stÌýposition

Race 1 – 2ndÌýposition

Race 2 – 2ndÌýposition

Race 3 – 3rdÌýposition

Race 4 – 2ndÌýposition

MRO 600 (Yamaha R6) – Saturday only

Qualifying – 10thÌýposition

Race 1 – 10thÌýposition

Race 2 – 8thÌýposition

Clubman 1000 (Honda Fireblade) – Sunday only

Race 1 – 3rdÌýposition

Race 2 – 2ndÌýposition

 

“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.�