Test day

“Dry 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.�

Qualifying

“Qualified 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.�

Race 1

“Bit of a scrappy start again! From fourth row of the grid, if you don’t 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’ve done more.�

Race 2

“We 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.�

Race 3

“Combining 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.Ìý I could feel the potential if everything lined up.

“Race 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’t 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’t 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’t 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’t 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.�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

Test Days

“We 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

“Bike 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

“Didn’t 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

“Got 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’s and knew I needed to drop into the 54/55’s to hold position. I wasn’t 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’t 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

“Made 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.

“In summary, I don’t 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’t all bad and there were lots of positives to take away from the meeting. Whilst my final placings don’t look spectacular, the 3 podium places were taken by the Tag Honda BSB riders in each race. Allowing for them, my places weren’t too shabby.

“Thank 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.

“Thank you to every single person and sponsor that makes this possible.�

Photos by Matt Sayle Photography

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.�

Test Day

“‘Terrible’ 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.�

Qualifying

“Very frustrating. We made gearing and setup changes, but something didn’t 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.�

Race 1

“I thought ‘leave the bike alone – it must be me’. So, we tried again to no avail. With bikes around me, I could see the biggest issue – we had no rear grip. The bike wasn’t 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.�

Race 2

“JR 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’t 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.�

Race 3

“Sat in my van, head in hands, thinking ‘what’s going on?’, 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.Ìý

“Boom! 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’s 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’t 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!

“It just wasn’t our weekend. Some my fault, some just life, but again I learned so much. It’s the first time we didn’t get a tin pot, but we took P2 in the Premier 1000 Championship by a good margin.�

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

“I am so grateful to my amazing sponsors, family and friends for their support throughout the season. Without you we don’t go racing. Simple! I have absolutely loved it and I hope you have too.�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

Test/Practice (Friday Morning)

“Very short and not ideal conditions to find a bike setup, but it was the same for everyone who didn’t 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.�

Qualifying (Friday Afternoon)

“Qualifying was bone dry. Got some clear track and did my best with what practice I’d 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’t what I was looking for.Ìý

“I 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.�

Race 1 – 10 laps (Saturday Morning)

“Had 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’t 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.

“To 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’d had a little more ‘dry bike’ 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.�

Race 2 (Saturday Afternoon)

“We didn’t 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’t risk the wet practice and I felt at an advantage, having I worked out where the grip was and wasn’t.Ìý

“Unfortunately, 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 – you never know when you might need them.

“It 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’s effort and my performance at this meeting.

“Conditions 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.�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court

Test day

“Started off very steady as I didn’t 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.�

Qualifying

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

Race 1 (11 laps)

“The 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’s. 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.â€�

Race 2 (14 laps)

“Starting 8^th on the grid, one behind Wilf Turner – I needed a good start. I did get one, but Ryan Dixon ahead of me didn’t. 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’t 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!

“I 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’t shake him off. With two laps to go, I had a poor drive out of Charlie’s 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.

“Then 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.

“I was sure I could pass again and had a few ideas, but no such luck. A few things haven’t gone our way this year, but that’s racing and I’m sure that will change.

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

Race 3 (13 laps)

“From 6^th on grid, same plan to ‘get a good start and go’ was my best chance. ÌýWell, that would be too easy. Didn’t 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’m 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.

“I 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’t 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.Ìý He ran slightly wide at Barn, lost the front, but turned into Marc Marques and saved it. Ìý

“With two laps to go, I made a pass at Mansfield but couldn’t 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.

“He didn’t go too defensive out of the Gooseneck, to my surprise, and as I was strong all weekend at Mansfield, thought ‘perfect’. 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’s easy to say that now.

“I 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.Ìý

“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.ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý

“We both ended up in the 1.32 club for the first time, not just once, but lap after lap. I don’t know why, but a 1.32 at my home track was always a dream target for me. I guess I’m 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.

“7^th overall, P2 in class.�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court