My first race with BMCRC in the Rookie 600 class at Brands Hatch. I came fifth in the first race from the sixth row of the grid, then scored three wins from pole. This was the first time I had run the number 59 having been allocated the two digits by the club. It's now my preferred number for obvious reasons.
In my first year I hopped up to the faster Clubman 600 class, mid-season. Here I am in second place on a borrowed Angel Racing Honda CBR600RR. Ahead of me (59) is Jonny Angel (1) and behind me is Dean Daniels (65). This was an awesome race to be part of - a proper scrap!
The cheesy smile says it all. My second race meeting and two more trophies for a win in the Rookie 600 and a second in Clubman 600 at an Auto 66 meeting at Cadwell Park.
My first race was at Mallory Park in March 2006. It was freezing cold and snowing during the final race. With people crashing left, right and centre I began to question my sanity. Winning the ten-lap race by over eight seconds answered all the questions. I'll never forget the feeling of winning my first road race.
A wildcard entry into the R6 Cup had perhaps come a bit too soon for me in October 2006. In at the deep end in my novice year, I'd never even sat on the bike before first practice. I qualified in fifteenth before crashing out of the restarted wet race at Stirlings - a weekend to forget but I learned a hell of a lot from some very talented young riders.
Mallory Park saw me score my first MRO Supersport pole position and a pair of podium finishes up against the ultra-fast Seton Tuning team. The fact that I could match the pace of two more experienced riders without the back up of a team, on my own and working from the back of my van was hugely encouraging.
The first round of the year, leathers sparkling, bike gleaming. Beneath all the glitz I'm in agony having fractured my pelvis just a fortnight earlier testing in Spain.
Winding it up, ready to nail it out of Sears for the long run down the Revett Straight. Snetterton wasn't kind to me at the first visit, with an engine failure forcing me out of the meeting. The second visit was a little better, though being outgunned by the four Seton-tuned bikes meant that two fifths and a fourth were all I could manage. It was fun trying though!
En route to my best result of the season at Cadwell Park. Having jump-started the first race I was pushed back from fourth to eleventh on penalised time and was well revved up for the first Sunday race. Beating the likes of Anthony Cooper, Denver Robb and Andy Weymouth was a great lift in only my second year of competition. I eventually finished second to a consistently fast Liam Lyon
Last lap on the run down to Lodge corner at Oulton Park, MRO Supersport Championship 2008. You might be able to tell from my body language that I’m feeling pretty chuffed to have scored my first ever ‘Gentleman’s Set’ - pole position, both race wins and the fastest lap.
After the joy of my most successful race weekend to date at Oulton Park a few weeks earlier, leading Gary May to the first of three wins at Anglesey’s awesome Ty Croes circuit, North Wales was the icing on the cake. The end of the 2008 season just made me even more addicted to racing!
Snetterton, qualifying for British Supersport. This turned out to be the only sunny part of the weekend and without a chance to improve my time ended up way down the grid. In the race I made a great start only to be wiped out at the first turn. Hell of an experience though, and it’s a paddock I can’t wait to return to.
I absolutely love Cadwell Park. After a bodged race one, In the second race I managed to clear off from the pack. With a lap to go, I had a four second lead and the win in sight. Then my quickshifter failed, causing the bike to cut out. ‘Gutted’ doesn’t even come close...
I absolutely love Cadwell Park. After a bodged race one, In the second race I managed to clear off from the pack. With a lap to go, I had a four second lead and the win in sight. Then my quickshifter failed, causing the bike to cut out. ‘Gutted’ doesn’t even come close...
There’s really nothing like Corams at Snetterton to test your nerve. Resist braking on the way in, fling it on its ear and drive it as hard as you dare all the way out, the rear tyre protesting against the 180-odd horses you’re desperately trying to force through it – heaven...
Keeping the front end down on the Fireblade has been one of the things I’ve had to get used to, swapping from a revvy 600 to a torquey 1000. Trying to keep the throttle pinned out of Russells isn’t easy – a touch of rear brake and a lot of body language needed...
The racing at Snett is always pretty close and even though Baker’s Superbike had the outright horsepower and speed, he didn’t get away and only just took each win at his local circuit. The big battle throughout the weekend was between me and Stu Hall – this was the last lap dash to the line... for the third time!
