Test day

鈥淒ry and sunny, though still quite cold. There was a lot of slow traffic to deal with most of the day, but managed to get laps in the 1 min 35secs. Was happy with my riding and the bike setup felt close, so was ready for qualifying.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淨ualified P11 and 8th in class with a 1:35.250 on new tyres. Had hoped for more, but was happy enough and felt I could be strong in the race.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淏it of a scrappy start again! From fourth row of the grid, if you don鈥檛 get away well, there is a lot of scrapping to do early doors, which breaks up the rhythm. Pace was good with low 1:34s and I felt good to the end, missing out on 8th place to Liam Murtagh by 0.065 of a second. A decent race, but felt I should鈥檝e done more.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淲e analysed the data from Race 1 where the bike felt really good, but lacked a little rear grip. Made some changes and felt we had a bike I could really have a good go with. Got a mediocre start, but surprisingly, no one passed me into Turn 1, so got the hammer down. Went from 11th on the grid into P7 by the end of Lap 1 and held this position to Lap 5, running consistently low 1:34s. and keeping a gap to the busy pack behind me. Jack Morgan got past on Lap 5 and Jamie Boyce on Lap 6 before the latter slid off in front of me at Melbourne. Time to drop into the 33s. BUT after Lap 7 the rear grip went from perfect to non-existent. Wilf Turner overtook me on Lap 8 and it took a tremendous effort to control the rear whilst running in the mid to high 34s. and hold on to finish P8. First half of this race we were very strong. Shame about the rear tyre, but we learnt a lot and gave it a good go.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淐ombining my best sector times from Race 2 would show an Ideal lap time of 1:33.5. I felt, with good rear grip and some space, I could improve on that time and achieve a better finish. After speaking to James at No Limits Race Support, we made changes that I was desperate would make the difference.听 I could feel the potential if everything lined up.

鈥淩ace 2 lap time put me 11th on the grid, meaning a good start was paramount. Got boxed in as not aggressive enough and was right in the middle of where I don鈥檛 want to be. The early laps felt so slow and I felt, with some space, I could push on. Our seven-rider group was all split between 0.50s, so breaking out was easier said than done. Made some passes but lost them again as I just wasn鈥檛 aggressive enough. Then the Race was red flagged, reducing the planned 9 laps to a 4-lap sprint. Not ideal as I had to start from 11th again, and didn鈥檛 make the best of starts, got boxed in and found it hard to make passes stick. The 6-rider group was running with only 0.30s between them. The strangest thing, I did a new PB of 1.34s. and it honestly felt like a Sunday rideout. The tyre and grip were perfect, but I couldn鈥檛 get out of the busy pack. Finished 7th in class again; not the way I hoped for the weekend, but we kept it sunnyside, learnt a lot and came away with more confidence.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

“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.”

Test Days

鈥淲e had two test days for the first round which was good to give us extra time to get up to speed. I was happy on Day 1, but struggled with tyre wear and grip on Day 2 when the temperature dropped. I was a little worried on what my qualifying time might be after an average couple of days on the bike, so a quick call to Not So Fast was what I needed just to set the plan.”

Qualifying

鈥淏ike felt great and on Lap 3 I managed 1:56.7, so pulled in to save tyre. This put me P6 in class taking the three BSB lads out of the numbers and, basically, leading my bunch. So, yes, happy. Best lap: 1:56.706 and 10th on grid.”

Race 1

鈥淒idn鈥檛 get a great start and found myself in a close four-way battle for most of the race, which was fun. Had to make up some early ground to get there. Saw parts of the track where I could improve and was looking forward to a strong Race 2. Best lap: 1:56.340 and 10^th in Class.”

Race 2

鈥淕ot a much better start, settled in and led the bunch (in P9) until Lap 5 when I started to drop back. I was running in the mid to low 56鈥檚 and knew I needed to drop into the 54/55鈥檚 to hold position. I wasn鈥檛 sure if the bike started to turn slower or I may have tried too hard to pull away, but it started to feel hard work. This was the hardest part of the weekend to accept as, with clear track ahead, I gave myself the opportunity to pull away, but wasn鈥檛 able to. I then got caught in an incident which put me on the grass and I lost the chance to hold onto the group. Brought it home P9 in Class with a slightly better lap time of 1:56.298.”

Race 3

鈥淢ade a few slight changes to the bike for Race 3, keen to run at the pace I felt possible if I could get to the front of the pack and find clear track. Another good start and made up some early places. However, a rider around me had multiple bike problems making it difficult and risky to pass. I had to take avoiding action, then trying to get away from the problem, made a mistake and ran on at the next hairpin, losing 5 places. Frustrated, I got back on track and recovered as many places as possible in the remaining laps. I managed to make my way back to P12 in Class. Lap 2 was my fastest lap of the weekend and, being 0.4 seconds below my PB set last year, it was a massive disappointment not to improve on that. Best lap: 1:55.973 and P12 in Class.

鈥淚n summary, I don鈥檛 think the feel I got from the bike was great, although I may have tried to override to compensate. We all know that does not work. I can be faster when things are right. It wasn鈥檛 all bad and there were lots of positives to take away from the meeting. Whilst my final placings don鈥檛 look spectacular, the 3 podium places were taken by the Tag Honda BSB riders in each race. Allowing for them, my places weren鈥檛 too shabby.

鈥淭hank you to No Limits Racing and the marshals for a well very run meeting and a massive well done on the new YouTube channel. A great addition to club level racing.

鈥淭hank you to every single person and sponsor that makes this possible.鈥�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Test Day

鈥溾�楾errible鈥� is the best word to describe it. Some of it my fault, some out of my control. I managed very few laps due to oil leaks, a rear brake pad falling out, red flag stoppages and tyre grip issues.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淰ery frustrating. We made gearing and setup changes, but something didn鈥檛 feel right. Despite trying my best, went even slower than test day with a 1:35.9, nearly two seconds off my PB. This put me P6 in Class and 15^th on the grid.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淚 thought 鈥榣eave the bike alone 鈥� it must be me鈥�. So, we tried again to no avail. With bikes around me, I could see the biggest issue 鈥� we had no rear grip. The bike wasn鈥檛 sliding; it was spinning so badly that after just eight laps the rear tyre was toast. Had a great start and was in 10^th by the end of Lap 1, but then other riders started picking me off from Lap 3. Finished P5 in Class and 13^th overall. Best lap of only 1:35.218.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淛R Performance stepped in and we put in a softer spring and made a few changes. They worked for the rear and brought the grip back, but now the bike was turning very slowly and gave me arm pump for the first time this year.

From 13^th on the grid, got into 10^th until Halliday passed me. Chased down Steven Duncan and got past him on Lap 10. By then, with two laps to go, I couldn鈥檛 feel my brake lever, but pushed as hard as I could. Held him off until the last lap but had to settle for P4 in class and 11^th overall. Best lap was 1:34.839.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淪at in my van, head in hands, thinking 鈥榳hat鈥檚 going on?鈥�, we decided to change the front settings and, thankfully, it was just about perfect! I had my bike back again. I knew on the warm-up lap I was in with a chance of running where I normally do.听

鈥淏oom! A good start from 11^th on the grid and then made the pass of my season into the Old Hairpin to get straight onto the back of Wilf Turner, who was running in 9^th. On Lap 2, did a new PB of 1:34.104 and felt so comfortable with the pace that a pass into Goddard鈥檚 looked possible, but decided not to have a go. Turner had been riding much better than me and, although comfortable, I could see a few things I wasn鈥檛 doing right. So, thought to stay with him and learn then go if I could. Put in a 1:34.238 on Lap 3. Perfect! It looked like we would get that last dance after all! Then an almighty BANG on the Start/Finish Straight – the exhaust had blown off its connector to the headers and I had to retire. Another DNF, but considering I had been off the pace all weekend, I enjoyed those three laps a lot!

鈥淚t just wasn鈥檛 our weekend. Some my fault, some just life, but again I learned so much. It鈥檚 the first time we didn鈥檛 get a tin pot, but we took P2 in the Premier 1000 Championship by a good margin.鈥�

鈥淐ongratulations to Wilfred Turner. You deserved to win the Championship and it鈥檚 been a pleasure racing so close with you. WELL DONE and I look forward to scrapping it out again next year.

鈥淚 am so grateful to my amazing sponsors, family and friends for their support throughout the season. Without you we don鈥檛 go racing. Simple! I have absolutely loved it and I hope you have too.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

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�

Test/Practice (Friday Morning)

鈥淰ery short and not ideal conditions to find a bike setup, but it was the same for everyone who didn鈥檛 do the optional track day on the Thursday. Test 1 was damp. Test 2 was mostly dry, but I went out on wet tyres which was the wrong call. Test 3 was fully wet and that was the best run out we had.鈥�

Qualifying (Friday Afternoon)

鈥淨ualifying was bone dry. Got some clear track and did my best with what practice I鈥檇 had. By lap 3, the front was too soft so had to adapt my riding to manage a 1.44.275. This put me 2^nd in class and P11 on the Grid. My main Championship rival, Wilf Turner was P8 so it wasn鈥檛 what I was looking for.听

鈥淚 made a bike change and went out in Emergency Practice. Lapped quicker than my qualifying time without trying too hard and on old tyres. This session was a big help in getting the bike to run at a pace needed to have a chance of the Class win. Then made another change which turned out to be perfect. For another dry race I would have left the bike as it was. This pleased me as it shows how quickly we can achieve good settings and will help a lot in the future.鈥�

Race 1 鈥� 10 laps (Saturday Morning)

鈥淗ad an OK start, but got boxed in a little at turn 1. Wilfrid Turner put in a couple of laps in the 1.41s and Paul Charman was between us. Watched them fighting for position while trying to work out a plan. I didn鈥檛 have the pace to pass them mid-race, only to just stay with them. With two laps to go, Turner made a pass on Charman and pulled a small gap. On the last lap, going into Shell Oils Corner, I made my way past Charman and pushed to get back to Turner.

鈥淭o the end, I tried for a passing opportunity, but too little too late and I crossed the line 0.8 secs. behind him. I lapped in the 1.42s every lap and felt strong until the end, which is great for Oulton Park. I really enjoyed the race and was happy with my ride but disappointed with the dreaded P2 again. I feel if I鈥檇 had a little more 鈥榙ry bike鈥� time I would have been stronger and might have been able to get the top spot. I gave it all I had and it was a good run again from Wilf. P2 in Class and 9^th overall with new PB of 1:42.172.鈥�

Race 2 (Saturday Afternoon)

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 get a Race 2 due to a medical emergency nightmare. There was a fair few crashes in the races leading up to our planned 4:50pm race, which was almost certainly going to be a wet one. I was confident from the wet practice sessions of being strong in a wet race. Many riders didn鈥檛 risk the wet practice and I felt at an advantage, having I worked out where the grip was and wasn鈥檛.听

鈥淯nfortunately, the race meeting was cancelled because the medical centre was fully committed in dealing with serious injuries. I wish the riders involved a full and speedy recovery.

“Well done and thank you to the amazing medical staff and marshals who look after us at these meetings 鈥� you never know when you might need them.

鈥淚t has been decided the race lost will not be re-run at Donington, which makes our Championship win look slim now, but we shall push to the very end.

“Feel really proud of the team鈥檚 effort and my performance at this meeting.

鈥淐onditions were awful and I was quite unwell all weekend, but I made sure it did not affect the input or the results. Thanks to Tony for helping us out and filling in for Neil. Great company all weekend.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

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

Test day

鈥淪tarted off very steady as I didn鈥檛 feel great on or off the bike. Had a nap on the lunch break then Dr. Walton was sent into the caravan! After a few stern, well-needed words, the leathers were back on and I was out lapping in the low 1:34s on old tyres. Gary said the bike looked too soft so we popped in a setting, grabbed some chicken and a drink and never saw him again. He obviously thought we could do the business.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淕ot some clear track and went ok with a 1.34.0, putting me 7^th on the grid and P1 in class.鈥�

Race 1 (11 laps)

鈥淭he plan was to get a good start, run in the low 1:33s and get the class win.

“Got a great start and was running 5^th just behind Brendan Mallinder when he had a massive off at Charlie鈥檚. I was expecting a red flag which normally happens when I get a good start, but thankfully Mally is a tough lad and he was up and safe so the race went on. Dropped back to 5^th overall when Steven Butterworth caught me, but kept the lap times consistent and brought it home in an overdue P1 with a new PB of 1:33.1.鈥�

Race 2 (14 laps)

鈥淪tarting 8^th on the grid, one behind Wilf Turner 鈥� I needed a good start. I did get one, but Ryan Dixon ahead of me didn鈥檛. I had nowhere to go and Turner got away first into Coppice. I kept out of trouble and hooked on to the back of him and settled. I wasn鈥檛 in a rush to try a pass and learnt a few things following him up until Lap 6 when someone behind showed me a wheel, so I had to go!

鈥淚 had a few looks on Lap 7, passed Wilf at Mansfield and did a 1:32.4 (new PB). I tried to pull away with a 1:32.7, but couldn鈥檛 shake him off. With two laps to go, I had a poor drive out of Charlie鈥檚 2 and he passed me at Park Corner. I was carrying too much speed to make a cut-back work, so I was back to square one.

鈥淭hen we had a red flag. Normally, the result goes back a lap, but most of the riders had passed the line so it was declared a result.

鈥淚 was sure I could pass again and had a few ideas, but no such luck. A few things haven鈥檛 gone our way this year, but that鈥檚 racing and I鈥檓 sure that will change.

鈥�7^th overall, P2 in class and PB 1:32.417.鈥�

Race 3 (13 laps)

鈥淔rom 6^th on grid, same plan to 鈥榞et a good start and go鈥� was my best chance. 聽Well, that would be too easy. Didn鈥檛 get a good start and Turner was off. By Park Straight, there were 3 bikes between us and he was pulling away. So, my turn to do the catching up. I knew I had to make the passes to get to him. Put in two mega sectors, used bits of the track I鈥檓 scared of and found myself on his tail at The Chicane in just one lap. It was the longer, 13-lap race, so thought my best plan was to keep him honest and have a go later in the race.

鈥淚 was playing with my riding, learning where he was strong and where I was stronger, so that when I made the pass I could go and not let him pass me back.

“He wasn鈥檛 messing about, dropping in 1:32s for most of the race. Whenever he pulled away, I could get straight back on to his wheel, matching his pace, so I was still sure we would be ok. With four laps left, I gave the nod to the pit board lads, letting them know it was GO time and set about getting in front. I could see he was pushing the limit.听 He ran slightly wide at Barn, lost the front, but turned into Marc Marques and saved it. 聽

鈥淲ith two laps to go, I made a pass at Mansfield but couldn鈥檛 stop and turn fast enough, so he cut straight back. Tried again at The Chicane and he closed the door on that one too. Going onto the last lap, I had good drive down Park Straight, got on the brakes late, but so did he. Both bikes making big shapes, we both ran deep so that was one chance gone. So, it had to be Mansfield. At Chris Curve, he clipped the banding and had a big rear slide mid-corner, so I got real close going into the Gooseneck.

鈥淗e didn鈥檛 go too defensive out of the Gooseneck, to my surprise, and as I was strong all weekend at Mansfield, thought 鈥榩erfect鈥�. But Tom Norton must have had an issue of some sort as we caught him from nowhere. I had a split-second decision to make. If I sent it in and he was in my way, there would have been no way to stop, so decided not to take the risk. Looking back, I think I would have missed him, but it鈥檚 easy to say that now.

鈥淚 kept Wilf honest to the end, but with nothing between us all weekend it would have had to be a lunge and I chose to keep a shiny bike instead.听

“Congratulations to Wilf. He kept his cool and rode mega. We had some great, clean racing and both gave it all we had. Not ideal for my championship but we fight on to the end.听聽聽聽聽

鈥淲e both ended up in the 1.32 club for the first time, not just once, but lap after lap. I don鈥檛 know why, but a 1.32 at my home track was always a dream target for me. I guess I鈥檓 living the dream. With what I learnt this weekend, there is more time to be made up, so the target moves on to the 31s. See you next year, Cadwell.

鈥�7^th overall, P2 in class.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

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�

Test day

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been to Anglesey for four years, and never on a big bike, so remembering its quirkiness, knew I had to be switched on. The first session was terrible 鈥� the Back Straight up to Rocket was mental fast and, all around, grip felt that bad I thought there was oil down or a bike issue. So. pulled in to get my head straight.

鈥淟uckily, I had the main man Gary Walton to help me again: I needed it. Gary quickly saw where I was strong and we worked on the struggling areas. By the end of the day, with a fresh head and a few changes to the bike, I felt good and ready for qualifying. No lap timer, so no clue on times.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淕reat result: a 1:09.851 lap put me 6^th on the grid and P1 in class. This is, of course, a Personal Best.鈥�

Race 1 (10 laps)

鈥淕ood start and managed a bit of a gap over Wilf Turner. Settled in nicely, then a bit of a yellow flag cock-up. Long story short, I took it too easy on a yellow flag situation through Rocket that took a while to clear. This allowed Turner to close the gap and, leaving the door wide open before Rocket, I was passed under a yellow flag. Turner was given a five-second time penalty for it, but on appeal, officials deemed him making the pass before he got to the flag, as the incident was actually at Rocket Out and not Rocket In. I had to accept the explanation and was put back to P2 in class and 7^th overall.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have enough time or pace to make a pass back on Wilf and Steven Butterworth got between us. A new PB of 1:09.619 and I鈥檒l learn from that one.鈥�

Race 2 (12 laps)

鈥淔rom 7^th on grid, got a good start and away again. P1 in class for most of the race and with consistent lap times in the 1:09s. On Lap 9, Turner got past me on the approach to Rocket. It was time to learn a few things and that I did. Now, I could see the sectors where he was stronger and those I was quicker. After closing the small gap, I set about making a pass on Lap 12. I tried everything, but couldn鈥檛 quite manage it at Turns 1 and 2, where I was strong. Last lap, I pushed hard through the Corkscrew section, got a mega tight drive on the inside and nailed it to the chequered flag. I missed out at the line by 0.087 of a second. Gutted not to win, but learned a few things and really enjoyed that one. P2 in class, 6^th overall and new PB 1.09.399.鈥�

Race 3 (16 laps)

鈥淩ight, it was gloves off time. I was not happy with second again so we had a plan to go one step further. From 7^th on grid, made a mega start and was 4^th overall. A new PB 1.09.3 on lap 3 kept me close to the front lads. Had a small gap over Turner which I expected him to close at some point, but was happy with the plan. Felt so good and settled and knew it was my best chance. Then red flag on lap 4 of 16.鈥�

Re-start (8 laps)

鈥淪o new plan was to get away and hope 8 laps weren鈥檛 quite enough for him to catch me again.

鈥淲ell, that plan changed straight away. I had a good start, but so did Turner. With no one in front of him on the grid, he got clear into 4^th and set a very good early pace with a 1.09.1. With a 1-second gap, I knew if I didn鈥檛 close it soon I could not fight for a win and there was no chance of that. With what I learnt from race 2, I was sure I could make a pass stick and give my amazing supporters something to shout about.

鈥淥n Lap 3, the gap looked to have closed a little and I started to settle. The first two laps were a little quick for me, to be honest. I wasn鈥檛 quite as switched on after the re-start as before the red flag. Turner was not hanging around so, to get to him, I was staring down the barrel at low 1:09s. Yes, I was pushing and pinching what I could and asked for a tiny bit too much at Peel. A strange slip- off, as I was off brake and off throttle. I guess, too much lean on a turn that offers low grip tight at the apex. Over the weekend I had a few warnings here and they all were ok鈥� until it wasn鈥檛. I鈥檓 ok, the bike is fine, just a clip-on to replace and, luckily, old fairings are still on, so it鈥檚 a cheap one.

鈥淚 was pushed hard by Wilf Turner this weekend. He was riding well and I congratulate him on a great showing. The last race was four wins in a row for him and I had to try and stop that. I鈥檓 gutted to have lost the Championship lead and now have some points to claw back. But, no regrets from me. I ain鈥檛 winning a Championship by settling for second places.

鈥淚 am getting faster and stronger. With the two DNF鈥檚, it might not always look it, but I will say, they haven鈥檛 been from recklessness. That鈥檚 just not me. I am working on racecraft and trying different ways to increase my pace through the different types of turn. Of course, I need to take it back in a little. I hate to see the damaged bike, so it鈥檚 time to tidy it up and go again.

鈥淗onestly, I loved the weekend and, though I say it every time, I did learn so much. I look forward to returning to Anglesey. I was only 1 second off the fastest time of the meeting and know I can go quicker if I could trust 100% throttle on the Back Straight (it鈥檚 not straight) and not end up in the sea. Thanks so much to No Limits Racing for a perfectly run meeting and, of course, the orange army and very friendly Anglesey staff.

鈥淣ext up Cadwell Park ,where I plan to take some points back. Thanks to the unreal support I get, on and off the track. It means so much.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

鈥淪o, no change in the Premier Championship standings with shared points from the meeting, but it could have been very different and could have gone either way. This event was a rollercoaster and one I look on as a strong positive. Again, I learnt so much and we are definitely getting stronger.

鈥淭hank you so much to my amazing sponsors and supporters without whom it would not be possible. Special thanks to everyone who worked tirelessly on Saturday afternoon to repair the AMCO Yamaha R1 and my equipment to ensure the journey continued – Nigel and Jason 鈥� you are absolute stars.

“Also, the strongest praise for all the organisation, marshals and medical staff for an excellent meeting.

鈥淣ext up, a cheeky run at Cadwell, then to the long drive to Anglesey for Round 5 see you at the next one.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court