2010 Final Championship positions
Donington Park - Final Round - 23rd & 24th October
The last round of 2010 and with one championship already in the bag (Thundersport GB Superstock 600 Champion) we decided to ride the new bike for next year to see if we could get some race miles and experience racing the big bike under our belt. Also competing in F600 to wrap up a comfortable 3rd in the championship over the course of the weekend.
The test day was cut to only half a day and a total of three 20 minute sessions. We had to dial in the 600 and get used to a new 2010 Honda Fire blade Superstock bike all in these 3 sessions. I was doing half the session on the R6, coming into pit lane for Simon to swop me onto the 1000cc bike for the remainder of the session. This worked ok but with the completely different bikes it was a challenge to get used to either.
I was riding the CBR1000RR in an invitation only race called the Duke of Donington, and it was my first time on a 1000cc bike. We were very pleased with seeing P1 for almost all of the first session against some big BSB names until being bumped to 3rd in the last lap. Into qualifying and I was steady away in 5th overall, improving my times every lap and already outpacing the Thundersport GP1 champion first time on a stock 1000cc bike. I finished qualifying almost on par with some front running British Superstock riders and ahead of all but one Thundersport GB GP1 rider. To say we were pleased is an understatement. I felt comfortable and also felt there was a LOT more in the tank with a few tweaks and some more time on the bike. After all this pace after less than 50 miles on a 1000cc bike showed promise!!
For the first race on the big bike it absolutely poured with rain, too much rain. I was running in 4th place and bashing bars with some big names until I tucked the front on lap 4 at Coppice. 20 ish other riders also crashed and the race was red flagged. The bike was a little beaten up and unfortunately we could not Iron out the various issues completely before Sundays races and in each race, suffering different problems we had to retire. Very frustrating but again very pleased with the pace and feeling on the bike.
For the 600's I had a 37 point cushion back to 4th in the F600 championship and over the weekend held my 3rd place in the championship, despite not committing fully to the races as I was totally focused on improving my performance on the new bike.
What a great year on my trusty stock Yamaha R6!! Superstock 600 Champion with a meeting still to go and 3rd place in the very competitive F600 championship - and with some more luck it could easily have been a second championship.
More than pleased with the season on the 600 hopefully we'll have some great success on the new Honda at BSB too. Thanks to all our friends, supporters and family for the help over the course of the season. Wish us luck in 2011 and any one that would like to get involved - please drop me an email!!
Mallory Park - 9th & 10th October
Mallory Park is a daunting track in at the best of times, with intimidating tyre walls lining a very fast track and potholes through sections of the track where speeds climb in excess of 100mph. The weekend was made all the more intimidating with so many long races around the non-stop circuit not to mention the fact I was close to sealing the Thundersport GB Superstock 600 title.
We used the test day to familiarize ourselves with the circuit and where to push, and more importantly for Mallory Park, where not to! Simon had made the journey up to test his new bike and we enjoyed a fun day on and off track in changeable conditions. The perfect setup for the weekend, nice and relaxed and with a clear head (bar the horrible cold I was still wielding!).
Qualifying was hectic and I made my way into P2 after sitting on pole for the majority of the session. We were already considerably under the lap record so I knew then the weekend would be a battle to clinch the Superstock title. I had to beat Marc Hughes by 2 points over the course of the weekend. So that was out plan! Marc is very fast at every track and especially at Mallory so the fight was on.
F600 qual was ok but I dropped to 6th trying to make the same tyre work for too many laps. Never mind as my aim for F600 was to get steady points and maintain my 3rd in the championship without burning too much of the energy needed for Superstock.
Superpole for Superstock was a fun and hectic race. There were 4 of us battling it out for supremacy with Erol Ahmet, Sam Middlemas, Marc and myself all going for it. Unfortunately after a great ride on the last lap Erol lost control of his machine and this left me to avoid him and his bike to finish 3rd with Marc 2nd. I now needed to beat Marc and come at least 2nd in both of Sundays races to win the title!
F600 was a crazy race. The pace was hot and the power really showed of the tuned bikes at Mallory. Mallory has a lot of dead stop to full throttle corners which really hindered my stock engine. The bike felt slow for the first time ever, it wasn’t, but the tuned bikes simply blew me into the weeds. I still managed to get a 4th place and a good lap time so I was happy after the 18 lap race!
Sunday was upon us and so was the sun… yes… the Sun! A bright October day warming the track nicely the pace was bound to be hot.
Superstock race 2 – I bolted from the gate and took the lead, fighting hard with Sam Middlemas for the victory. I lead into the last lap and was sure I had it won when Sam came past with a clean move at Edwinas chicane, I kept my head and tried to drag him to the line losing out by only 0.078 of a second. This was infact a good result, if only I recognized that in the 5 mins post race as I wasn’t happy. Sam rode really well and deserved the win.
Superstock race 3 – Again a good start and off into the lead with Sam on my heals and Marc a few seconds back. Sam made a move again and took the lead for a few laps, I then re passed for the lead. With 2 laps to go my throttle slipped down the handle bar and I was struggling to brake, on the last lap I totally failed to pull in the lever and managed to let Sam sneak by to take his 3rd win of the weekend, and the lap record with it. However, 2nd place and the championship was mine!!!! I almost fell off the bike over the line with the relief and I suddenly felt light again, what a tremendous weight off!!
The F600 races were long fast races. I simply tried to stay on the bike with consistent times to ensure steady points. I came away with a pair of 4ths again and maintained my 3rd place in the championship which goes to the final round at Donington in 2 weeks time.
So….. the Champion!!!??? That sounds strange and it’s still not sunk in. I have been looking back on the past few years this evening. Almost 3 years to the day ago I was in hospital, with a very slim chance of surviving with terrible injuries to multiple limbs, and there I am being called to the podium with a TV camera in my face to take my trophy and with it a national club championship. What was going on? The exact same bike, same tyres, same settings, same person that 2 years ago with a very weak body was lapped at the same circuit and only dreaming of being able to win a race. The key to that sentence is to ‘dream’, to dare to have ambition, to believe that the impossible is possible.
Thank you to all the people who have been there, have helped and believed in me along the way. There were times when it was just me on my own with my dreams, and others where I have felt the confidence and belief of others. Too many people to mention here but Sophie by better half has been my rock. Months looking after me and dealing with the emotional backlash – Thank you! I have made some amazing friends along the way that have helped me both in the paddock and enabling me to go racing. My family have supported my every decision and for that I am grateful. This year is proof that hard work pays off and I certainly won’t be letting my gym membership lapse!
Sean, Simon, Chris, Dave, Del, Jay, Jody, Bill, Sam, Nigel, Neil, Greg, Scott, Deb, Julie, Lee, Luke, Dan, Nick, Marc H, Jay, Phil, Phil S, Richard, Dave, Simon, Nathan, Andrew, Iain, Lucy, Dave, Glyn, Rob and a load of others… thank you all.. you know who you are !!
Special mention for Sean, Simon & Chris. Who have all helped so much this year that it wouldn’t have been possible without you guys. Simon for helping sort my racing brain out, lending me parts, believing in me and preparing me to go fast. Sean for your banter and help on the tools, your support has been invaluable and Chris for keeping me cool, working the tools and being there to help. Without you guys WE could not have won a race let alone a championship!
2011 brings new challenges and we are looking forward to kicking the year off as soon as possible.
SBR would also like to thank Seton Tuning & JJM Joinery for their support!
Brands Hatch TV Coverage
Superstock 600 Race 1
Superstock 600 Race 2
Bike Sport News article - 5/10/2010
Anglesey 18th & 19th September
I’d like to start by saying thank you to those that helped me at Anglesey. With the worst weather I have ever witnessed for such a sustained period at a race meeting the guys that put themselves out to help really do deserve a medal!! Horizontal rain with a battering wind soaked you to the skin in less than 10 minutes on pit wall. So a massive thanks go to Sophie, Chris Burrage and Sean Hardwicke…. Thank You !!
The test day for the meeting was in fact dry, which having never been there before we were more than grateful for. I set about learning the track in 5 lap runs to allow time to come in and digest what I had learned. Focusing on line choice and gear selection to ensure I had worked it out in as few laps as possible. It turned out we were less than 0.5 of a second from the previous lap record within 11 laps. I was hoping for a dry weekend !!
Qualifying came on Saturday morning and again it was dry and looking good. I went out to set a time early on a was on pole for the majority of the session until being pipped by a flying Jonathan Lodge using his considerable local track knowledge to his advantage. Luckily I was 2 seconds clear of title rival Marc Hughes.
For F600 I didn’t have another tyre so tried to make the same one last, it didn’t and I lapped 0.6 slower and this put me in 5th on the grid.
The races came and with it the rain. And lot’s of it!! I struggled a lot in Saturdays superpole races with a rear tyre that just wouldn’t grip. I finished 6th in Superstock and 7th in F600. Title rival in F600 Mike Price crashed so I closed to 27 points from the lead and in Superstock I was still sitting in a 70+ point lead.
On Sunday we swopped to our trusty Pirelli tyres and with it we had traction. The first Superstock race went to plan and with Marc not getting out with a slipping clutch I finished 3rd to extend my lead to 90 points! In F600 I struggled a little more and dropped back to 8th.
The second Superstock race was going to plan, settling into 4th position to ensure steady points to maintain my lead. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be with a hot headed youngster clean wiping me out at the end of the back straight and with it my steady points finish. Most frustrating and this put pay to my racing for the day, unfortunately not able to get back out for the final F600 race of the weekend. Thus falling from 27 points behind in F600 to over 40 through no fault of my own. Gutted.
I go into the penultimate round 74 points ahead in Superstock and 40+ behind in F600. Hopefully with 2 clean and fast final rounds I can run the pace to take race wins and put pressure on those around me. I will be going all out to WIN as clearly riding within myself to take steady points doesn’t work!!
Wish us luck!!
Brands Hatch on the box....
Thursday 16th September 2100hrs
Seb Bulpin news
By Steve Day
''After a fine wet weather win from Ritchie Thornton on Sunday during the Termignoni Superstock 600 race ahead of Erol Ahmet and Ricardo Ballerini, Championship leader Seb Bulpin blew away the opposition on Bank Holiday Monday with two stonking wins and a new lap record slung into the mix also.
Thornton was going great guns in the first race of the weekend and with his fine win came another great result from Erol Ahmet who was oh so relieved at making the podium for the first time in quite a while ahead of an ecstatic Ricardo Ballerini and an unlucky Luke Tansley.
Ritchie Thornton and Erol Ahmet all made the podium again on Monday with some impressive rides but Seb’s lap of 48.712 was just too good for the other Superstock machines to produce.
Leon Jeacock returned to the series with yet another podium to add to his Thundersport record and Nick Anderson, who is perhaps one of the most consistent Superstock riders we have out there barring Seb, took a well earned third on Bank Holiday Monday and is without doubt making huge improvements.
With two DNF’s to his name on Monday, Seb’s nearest contender Marc Hughes now faces an uphill struggle if he is to overcome the dominance of Bulpin at Anglesey next round but the entire feild were on song at Brands, with the top twelve finishers all setting times under the 50 second barrier..... well done to you all!
Seb is without doubt the outright favourite now to take the title and proved that even under pressure (due to some unavoidable grass tracking in the wet on Sunday), he can deliver the goods when it matters. ''
Brands Hatch Indy - 28-30th August
With my Superstock championship lead down to 35 points I was conscious that a good weekend was needed at Brands Hatch. With the track only 40 minutes from home you would be forgiven for thinking it’s a track I know well. Having only raced there severely injured it’s the one track this year that I was concerned about visiting. Coming into the weekend my engine was being refreshed by Seton Tuning with the help of Jay from JJM Joinery so I was hoping with a crisp engine we could run a good pace – after all an engine with nearly 4,000 race miles was a little on the tired side.
The weekend started well with some dry track time. 3 test sessions completed with some steady times on worn tyres. With it being a bank holiday the meeting ran with testing & 2 qualifying sessions on the Saturday, 2 qualifying sessions and 2 races Sunday and finally 4 Televised races on Monday. I had worked out that I would roughly cover in total 217 laps of the Indy circuit in 3 days!!
Into qualifying and first up was F600 (Supersport). With some new tyres on the bike I headed out to try to set a time. I was met with a track full of bikes and with the compact nature of the Brands Hatch Indy circuit finding clear track was a challenge. I managed to set provisional pole position with a 49.1 so headed into the pit to prepare for the next session.
Superstock qualifying was much the same as F600, only more frustrating with traffic out on track holding me up and wrecking my fast laps. This is simply part and parcel of racing so I persevered and tried to get some clear track. Right at the end of the session I thought I’d cracked it and found some space, I got my head down and went for a fast one, crossing the line thinking that I had managed pole position. Unfortunately I had crossed the line just after the session had ended so my pole time of 48.900 did not count. This left me 2nd which wasn’t so bad.
The following morning we had another 2 qualifying sessions however the track was damp, with half the track having been recently resurfaced it was super slippery so my times did not improve, however, I was fastest in both sessions.
The superpole races were upon us! First up F600 against the big beasties and my plan was simple. From pole to break the riders behind with a flurry of 5 fast laps then hold the lead to the flag…. Simple… right?? 16 laps of the Indy circuit is very hard work so I knew it wouldn’t come easy, and with the talented competition and equipment all hell bent on beating me to the flag. I got a good start and headed into paddock hill first, knowing this was my chance I got my head down and went. My pit board gap to the rider behind grew and grew until I was comfortable to hold steady at a few second lead. Taking the flag to ensure 25 points and pole position for Mondays races.
Rolling into the collecting area for Superstock superpole it started to spit with rain, then heavy rain followed and we were sent back to change to wet tyres. I am usually tip top in the wet so was confident to score a good podium for a front row start the following day. Unfortunately running in 3rd place I was taken off track by another riders crash, narrowly avoiding the rider and his machine I lost a lot of time on the wet grass and sadly finished the race in 14th place and my worst result of the year. This reduced my championship lead to just 27 points from Marc Hughes.
Sundays races were simply great fun and I enjoyed every minute of every lap. The F600 races went well and I finished 2nd and 3rd in the 2 televised races, setting numerous 48 second laps which was really great!! I had led both races, however, I just couldn’t keep the power of the tuned motors at bay and the talented Mike Price & Alan Tanton each pipped me to the line. It was great fun carving through back markers though all three of us nose to tail on lap record pace not giving an inch. The F600 championship is closing up at the top and is seemingly now a 3 way fight for the title. I am 30 or so points behind the lead, with Alan Tanton in between in 2nd with me in 3rd. We should have some great races for the rest of the season hopefully!!
The televised Superstock races were perfect. I was starting from 6th on the grid due to the unfortunate events of the superpole race so I knew I had a job to do in the first lap. In the first race I bolted from the line and barely broke into paddock to dive under the entire front row and take the lead. I set about riding some fast laps to open up a controllable gap and then rode with my head to take the flag ahead of a charging Leon Jeacock, who has just returned from an operation on his wrist and is still riding great carrying the injury. For the second race the plan was the same, fast first lap, see where we are at then try to break them. I managed to this time go around the outside of most of the front row at the daunting paddock hill, then take the lead into druids. Setting some consistently fast laps, including a new lap record of 48.712, I broke the field and took the flag by 5.7 seconds! Unfortunately Marc Hughes crashed out of both races leaving me with a 77 point lead going into the remaining 3 rounds of the Superstock 600 Championships.
Thank you to my supporters: Seton Tuning & JJM Joinery
And thank you to my committed friends and family that all supported me this weekend at Brands. Special thank you to Sophie, Sean and Chris for all their hard work preparing the bike between races and making sure we had everything in place to get the best results possible. Without their help and support competing at the sharp end of two such fiercely competitive classes would be impossible.
Brands Hatch 48.712 !!
TV Coverage - Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park - Round 5 - Superstock 600 & Formula 600
Thundersport GB Superstock 600 & F600
Cadwell Park was the venue for Round 5 of the Thundersport GB Superstock 600 and Formula 600 championships. Going into the weekend we knew that the times were there to run at the front but was also aware it wouldn’t be an easy weekend. The track is long and very physical with endless corners of varying cambers all set to tire you out as much as possible. With the 2 classes it was always going to be a physical battle to complete all the races.
Prior to the meeting I decided to take my bike to be dyno’d as it was feeling very flat down the straights. A quick run up on the dyno revealed it was indeed lacking BHP. I knew I could still run decent times with a clear track though so just needed that hole shot!!
The test day was pretty uneventful (a very good thing!) and I went out to figure out how to ride a bike again after a full 6 week break. Hopped on and in the first session was back on pace after only a couple of laps which really boosted my confidence.
Qualifying Superstock 600
The plan was to go out and do as few laps as possible to prevent tiring myself out. On my first flying lap I set a 1.34.4 which put me pole on my pit board by 1.3 seconds. I pushed for one more fast one but only managed a 1.34.4 again so pulled into pit lane to watch the times with 15 minutes remaining. It was clear no one would match my time and in the end I rolled back to the awning after completing only 4 laps on pole position by 0.9 seconds… Chuffed!
Qualifying F600
Same plan again was to go out and do as few laps as possible. I didn’t manage to get a clear track this time for 3 laps so rolled the throttle to find a gap. I put my head down for one fast lap and it was perfect. A 1.33.5 was more than I had expected over the whole weekend yet alone in my 5th lap of the day! This put me pole by a massive 2 seconds and I again sat watching the lads try to get close from pit lane….a very cool feeling!
Now for the 2 superpole races and we knew we needed the bike perfect for the races. Sean worked his magic and fuelled the bike, changed the wheels and checked everything over ready to do battle!
Superstock 600 Superpole
From pole I got the hole shot but knew I had to push to get to park corner first to break Marc Hughes. He unfortunately dived past on the run down park straight and I knew then it was going to be a dog fight. I was very comfortable riding 2 seconds off pace following him round waiting for a chance to dive through and break him. Only this plan was then scuppered by the rain! It started spitting then raining in random places on the track and I wasn’t willing to risk points crashing so slowed to ensure a finish. Marc pushed on running off track and generally looking out of shape but in the end took a great well deserved win. A very brave ride indeed from Marc and I was pleased to come home 2nd.
Formula 600 Superpole
Bolting from the line I again took the hole shot only to be passed by the faster bikes down the back straight. I fought hard and passed Adam Oliver for the lead. I put my head down and broke the chasing riders and gapped them comfortably. I knew I could comfortably take the win so tried to relax my arms to last the long race distance. In doing so I overlooked the need to get off the bike at Mansfield, held too much lean angle, decked out my engine casing and low sided into a very frustrating DNF. As it was the super pole race not only did I lose the 25 points but also my pole position for the races on Sunday. The only positive was to see Jody take the win and with it the pole spot for the TV cameras. Well done dude!!
Superstock 600 Race 2
After fixing the bike with the help of Sean Hardwicke (the main man for the weekend!!), Bill Lees, the Anderson crew, the James crew and many others we were set for Sundays races. From 2nd on the grid now I set off knowing I had to hold the lead through the first few corners and down the back straight. Marc tried to lunge up the inside at turn 2 and I slammed the door shut knowing that was my chance to get the 1 second gap I needed. I put my head down straight away and broke the field. Lap after lap concentrating on not making mistakes again and took the win in controlled fashion for a flag to flag win. A lap record to boot was great!!
Formula 600 Race 2
From 5th on the grid against far faster machinery this was going to be a first lap brawl!! I was all set to get the job done fast and gap the field. Adam Oliver managed a monumental jump start which seemed to confuse some of the field. I got a good start and ducked into 2nd for the first corner. I drove underneath Richard Mcneil around the long Chris Curve and sneaked up the inside into the gooseneck to take the lead on lap one. From here I settled into a very comfortable pace not needing to push to take the win. With +5 on my pit board and a rider on my tail towards the end of the race it could only be Adam Oliver with his 10 second penalty so I wasn’t too fussed when he passed me on the last lap. The race was red flagged and I won the race on track in the end with Adam bumped back to 4th with his penalty. Big Shiny trophy number 2 for the day J
Superstock 600 Race 3
Determined to bang in some 33 second laps I was really up for this race. On a used tyre it was touch and go whether it would last race distance though. Off the line and I was in second place chasing Marc Hughes. I put in a hard but fair move for the lead and really put in some fast laps. With a 1.33.9 and another lap record I broke them by 1.9 seconds. Unfortunately with 2 laps to go my tyre went off and my pace faded. Marc managed to just get past with a win it or bin it move and I was then lining up a move at the last corner to take the win. I then stupidly throttled too hard out of Mansfield high siding but saving it but this allowed a chasing Mark Newland to get past. On the last lap I went from a win to 3rd in an instant. On the plus side it was my mistake and it won’t happen again!!
Formula 600 race 3
The final race of the weekend. As you can imagine by this time I’m toast!! My arms hanging lifeless and my legs feeling like jelly! We thought about not riding this race because I wasn’t sure I could physically turn the bike around the physical track. We decided on a new tyre to take some of the hard work away and do the best job we could. Sean once again prepared the bike perfectly, allowing me time to take on fluid and relax. I really couldn’t have competed this weekend without Sean’s help and Sophie getting the pit board bang on every lap. Both absolute stars!!!!! To the race and on the line I pumped myself up to try to get the adrenalin flowing to counteract the tiredness and pain in my muscles. Off the line and I was stuck well and truly behind Richard Mcneil. His bike is so fast that it made passing on my stock bike nigh on impossible. I did though line him up as he made a mistake and that was all I needed. I was away, head down and charging for 2 laps to break the field. Then it was just a case of rolling round for the win which was controlled and safe. Job done and another win. Happy Days J
I hope all the fallen riders are back with us asap. James Henry especially!!
Thanks to everyone that helped & supported this weekend. Sophie & Sean who worked tirelessly to ensure we were ready to win at every opportunity. The Thundersport paddock has really become so friendly and we really enjoy our weekends with everyone. Jody, Bill, Neil, the Andersons, the James’s, the cadwell guys, middlesmas’s thank you!!
Thanks Glyn Richardson for the pic :)
TV Coverage from Oulton Park - Round 4 Superstock 600
TV Coverage from Cadwell Park
Bikesport news
By Steve Day
''Seb Bulpin leads Marc Hughes in the Termignoni Superstock 600 class after a fascinating opening three rounds at Pembrey, Snetterton and Cadwell.
Bulpin has returned to action with a bang after a life threatening crash a few years ago and when in the zone, seems almost impossible to beat.''
Round 4 Superstock 600 & F600 (Supersport) Oulton Park – 26/06/2010
This meeting took forever to come around after the fun of Cadwell. With no spare time to get the bike properly fixed up we patched it back together and headed up to Oulton the evening before to get settled in.
We had 3 test sessions on Friday morning to get to grips with learning the track that I hadn’t ridden in the dry since 2008. In the first session after 2 laps it was red flagged, and then the session was called over so no progress made. In the next session again it was red flagged after 2 flying laps and we were told the remaining time would be added to the final session. After 4 laps of the final test session it was game over with another red flag, they let everyone back out for 2 more however I was unable to continue due to complete brake failure (scary!!).
Jody & Bill Lees once again saved my bacon and bled through some new fluid and we fitted the pads that Jody had given me (thanks mate!!)
With one 15 minute qualifying session per class it was crucial to get a good run and stick in some fast laps.
F600 Qual
I got my head down from the off and was in P3 after 3 laps when the session was red flagged again!! With my brakes still not right I chose not to go back out and fell from 3rd to 11th in qualifying. Not good me thinks……
Superstock 600 Qual
I tried to get out front on my own in clear track but didn’t manage it. 2 of the BSB Superstock contenders competing this weekend managed to get out in front. I was behind a Kawasaki for the whole session, being held up loads in every corner yet being totally blitzed in a straight line. I was trying to get past to get in a lap time but with such a big gap being pulled on every straight I was just too far back to make a move. Surely these things can’t be that fast ?????
With my progress hampered I only managed 6th on the grid. Considering I had been on Pole position for the first 3 rounds I was a little frustrated. There were 4 BSB contenders competing so I was only 2nd out of the regulars with my championship rival Marc Hughes on the back of the front row.
F600 Race 1
From 11th on the grid this was always going to be tricky. I knew the bikes I was racing against had a huge advantage. To mention a few there were some Irish Supersport contenders racing on ex raceways R6’s, ex Parkalgar Honda etc. Some truly awesome bits of kit with exceptional riders on board. I managed to get off the line ok and into 6th place. I was passed on the back straight quickly and bumped back. Into the twisties I managed to get my head down and pick them off. I worked my way up into 3rd place, passing riders around the outside and blocking their exit on the corners so they couldn’t use their power to beat me down the straights. Tough but it worked and I was over the moon with a podium! 3rd place J
Superstock Race 1
My aim for this weekend was to beat my title rival and extend my championship lead. The BSB riders using this meeting as practice had raced here a few weeks previous so had loads of track time and circuit knowledge under their belts. Not to mention BSB budgets, fork kits, POWER!! Etc. I got away well and held second place in the race right up until half way through the last lap where I simply lost concentration and didn’t brake late enough in to shell oils hairpin. Jordan Thompson passed me and I got to the line in 3rd overall. I had extended my lead which was fine by me and my times were coming on nicely now I had an idea where the track went.
F600 Race 2
This race didn’t go at all to plan. A bad first lap left me down the order and with the faster bikes I struggled to get past them. I worked my way up to 8th and settled for that at the flag to ensure we had a bike & rider in one piece for the last Superstock race.
Superstock Race 2
Another tough one but it went completely to plan once again. I got away well and passed Marc into the first corner leaving me 2nd into turn 2. I was demolished on the next straight by another green machine! Didn’t realize this was supersport again? I was bumped back to 4th by Jordan Thompson who was riding great on a well set up bike. This lad was smooth and fast and his bike was evenly matched with mine so I didn’t mind him duffing me up ;) I held 4th to the flag and Marc came home close behind in 5th.
With steady 1.44’s in 3 races of the day and a best of 1.44.4 in blistering heat with minimal grip I was very pleased indeed. I have extended my lead in Superstock 600 and closed in on 3rd in F600. Hopefully there will be fewer wild card riders at the next round and Marc and I might be able to have some fun battling for the win!!
Thanks to Sophie, Sean & Darryl for all their help. Couldn’t have done it without your help.
We are still without any sponsors for entries, tyres, fuel etc. Any fine fellows interested??
Get well soon to all the fallen riders
Round 3 Superstock 600 & F600 (Supersport) Cadwell Park – 01/06/2010
This round was always going to be a tough one to be competitive at simply due to our history here. For me personally I had a huge crash here in 2007, caused by another rider making a mistake and leaving me in hospital for months, and a wheelchair for even longer. To go out and simply ride around this track was a challenge as every time I passed over that spot my concentration was broken with the memories of the months spent in hospital, the pain and torment of such serious injuries and the long struggle to recover. Every lap reminding myself to hit my braking marker at the end of the straight and get my head back on the race. It wasn’t just a challenge for me, but for my family and particularly my girlfriend who spent all that time looking after me and keeping me going. Thank you Soph!
To the racing….
The test morning sessions were wet so I didn’t venture out. I have good pace in the wet and don’t need to be falling off trying to go fast for no reason so we relaxed in front of the TV waiting for the afternoons first qualifying sessions for both Superstock and F600.
Qual 1 F600
It was raining hard and the track was nigh on waterlogged. I ventured out to do 3 laps to put in a banker but a safe one at that. After one corner my feet fell off the pegs and I realized I couldn’t continue as my new pegs were too smooth to grip. I pulled in and Phil Page helped by taking a hack saw to my pegs to rough them up so I could ride. I did 2 laps after that which left me 14th. Not good! P14
Qual 1 Superstock
Again pouring with rain my intention here was to complete the full session and steadily improve to get a front row slot. After spending the entire session in 21st position on my pit board I bumped in one quick lap at the end to ensure a front row start. Sounds risky but it worked J P3
Qual 2 F600
The track was damp, and to top it off it was spitting with rain from the start of the session and looked like it was only going to get worse. I rolled out knowing I needed a fast time in the first 4 laps. With my tyre’s roasting I bolted from the assembly area first and banged in a steady out lap then 2 fast laps. The first flying lap being a 1.36.4 and the second being a 1.35.0 to put me pole from John Simpson by 1.3 seconds. John won the BSB Superstock race at Cadwell the week previously. I unfortunately did not get to race with him in the tricky conditions over the weekend as his bike expired in the Superstock qualifying that followed this session. As I headed down park straight on my in lap it poured with rain… so session over and I was pole. Get in!! P1
Qual 2 Superstock
The track was pretty wet again for this session but I went out on dry tyres to thump in a quick one before it got any wetter. My first lap being a 1.53.5 (pants!) and my second being a 1.39.0 to take pole again by 0.961 from my good friend Simon Gardner. Sorted I had just taken pole on the toughest track of the year by a second in both classes…. I was obviously pleased J P1
F600 Race 1
From pole I felt comfortable that the considerably faster bikes could be held at bay around the first few corners allowing me to break them. I set off on the warm up lap in the lead and tipped into the first corner, felt fine, as I tipped into charlies 1 the bike whipped around on the rear and low sided. Before I had a chance to say ‘’oh F*&k!’’ I hit the tyre wall back and head first bouncing back in the air. Quick body check and I hopped up to see my bike all smashed up in the tyre wall. What had happened?? Not 100% sure but a faulty lead from the generator and a cold tyre are high on the list of suspects. OUCH!!!! DNF/DNS
Superstock Race 1
With the bike all smashed up I freaked out. I am so sorry to all my friends that were there to help as I was so gutted I might miss this race due to the damage from the crash I was just taking it out on those folks kind enough to be helping me. Thanks for bearing with me and soldiering on to get the bike fixed. In approx 20 mins flat the guys had repaired both footpegs hangers, the exhaust, bodywork, both handle bars & changed the wheels for the race. THANK YOU ALL!! I rolled to my pole position on dry tyres with the weather looming really not comfortable with my bike and unsure if it was 100% ready. No time to think and away we went. I took the lead, then was passed by a charging Jonathan Lodge. After 2 laps the rain came down and the race was red flagged. Were were given a monster 5 mins to change wheels… with the drama of the crash the tools were all over the place and we couldn’t find anything we needed. Jody Lees & Bill Lees came to our rescue and between us we got out just in time for the wet restart. I simply wanted to score some points and after Marc Hughes crashed I rolled it home to take 2nd and extend my championship lead. P2
Phew…. Sunday over!!!!!!!
Superstock Race 2
After a good night’s sleep I woke determined to right the wrongs of the previous day. I wanted nothing but to win. I was now 2nd on the grid due to my 2nd in the superpole race. I bolted from the line and took the lead and instantly pulled a 2 second lap. After 5 laps I made a mistake and hit neutral going into barn corner. I had to wait until I had rolled around it before hooking 2nd and getting going again. This allowed Jonathan Lodge to get back on my tail. He flew past on the Park Straight like I was standing still even though I had good drive from Charlies. I then re passed him on the exit of charlies onto the straight as he seemed to miss a gear. I put my head down and pulled away breaking the previous lap record in the process eventually winning by 2 seconds from Marc Hughes who had better Lodge in the final laps P1
F600 Race 2
These bikes are fast! Very fast! And on the straights they blast past not even bothering with a slip stream. (Soon to be seen on a TV near you!!)
I knew I had to break them from the first corner or I stood no chance in a head to head race. I bolted from my 5th place grid spot (due to crashing in superpole race) and was 2nd through the 1st corner. I made a clean pass on the leader into turn 2 (where I had crashed a day earlier) and pushed hard onto the back straight. Braking as late as I dared no one had come past. Now I could use the twisty section to break them!! Getting my head down I pulled a few seconds over the next few laps, then another couple and I knew I was comfortable with +5.5 secs showing on my pit board. I steadied my pace and held the gap to the flag eventually crossing 4.3 seconds in the lead from championship leader and rocket bike rider Michael Price. Get In!!!! I was chuffed to bits as I didn’t think it was possible to beat such fast bikes & riders on my Superstock bike. P1
Superstock Race 3
I again led the race for the first lap until I made a mistake due to tiredness and ran on the grass allowing 2 riders past. Really frustrated as if I was only doing one class it wouldn’t have happened. I got my head down but didn’t have the energy to make a pass so just sat and watched finishing right on the tale of the guys in front in 3rd. Not happy but was content with maintaining championship lead P3
F600 Race 3
By now I could barely stand! Shattered, sore and ready for home I decided not to ride. Then it came over the tanoy the race was being cut to 7 laps from 10. We booted in a tyre and got ready. On the first lap I was in 3rd position so couldn’t hold my corner speed thus the more powerful bikes cleaned up on the straights. Bumped back I finished 6th going 3 seconds slower than my usual pace. I won a front tyre so was happy. P6
All in all a good weekend. I have extended my championship lead in Superstock and jumped up to 4th in the F600 championship I think (TBC).
Thanks to everyone that helped before, during and since the meeting. It was a tough one but if we can win on that track we can win anywhere. It was also awesome to see some of our marshal friends wearing Seb Bulpin Racing clothing :)
Thanks to Soph, Sean, Del, Simon, Laura, Arron, Hannah, Jody, Bill, Josh, Michelle, Phil, Andrew R, Dave R, John, Richard, Glyn, Angie, Lucy, Iain, Simon and everyone else that was there to help & support. Couldn’t have done it without you guys.
All I need now is a sponsor as the bike needs an engine refresh, suspension refresh, new rear sets, new fairings and the exhaust straightening out before the next round on 26th June and we don’t have the money to do it. If you can help please let me know. We are getting loads of TV coverage so would be a great way to advertise your company. Please message me for details if there is any way you can help a struggling racer.
TV Coverage from Round 2 at Snetterton (17/05/2010)
Race 1 Superstock 600
Race 2 Superstock 600
Race 2 F600
In the biking press.... (13/05/2010)
By Steve Day
''Seb Bulpin rode superbly to take three massive wins in the Termignoni Superstock 600 class. He was fastest all weekend on his Yamaha 600 and was rarely threatened at any point for the lead as he continued his assault on the Superstock title. His fiercest opposition came in the form of Marc Hughes, Erol Ahmet and Tom Gazzard who all impressed but failed to deal with the awful weather conditions quite as well as Seb did. Nick Anderson, Rob Brown, Sam Middlemas and Scott Wilson were the best of the rest and will now look to Cadwell to attain their first podiums of the season.''
Snetterton on TV !!!
The Thundersport GB 2 Hour show will be on TV this week as all the action and highlights from Snetterton hits your screens on Thursday at 21:15hrs on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin 545)
You'll see me in the F600 & Superstock 600 races. 4 in total :)
Snetterton - Round 2 Superstock 600 & F600 (F600 = tuned 600cc supersport) (05/05/2010)
Coming into this round I should have felt pretty confident, however, I didn’t! After so long struggling and fighting to get to the front after my crash in 2007 I wasn’t sure if Pembrey was just a lucky meeting. Had I just clicked with the track? Could I run a decent pace at other tracks? Would my arm stand up to the hard braking of Snetterton? All of these questions that were making me nervous and the meeting couldn’t come soon enough during the preceding weeks to find out the answers.
We had half a day of testing which started wet. I didn’t venture on track until it was dry in the second session to avoid any silly mishaps. I set about learning the track all over again with the excellent guidance of a legendary R6 racer ;) Times in testing weren’t great although I knew if I pulled each piece together we would be in with a shout at the sharp end.
I was competing in both Superstock 600 and F600 at Snetterton. My bike being Superstock specification I knew it would be a hard slog down the long straights in F600 so was concentrating more on Superstock.
- 1st Qualifying F600
Venturing out on a used rear tyre to ensure I had some decent rubber for the stock qualifying I was looking to set a conservative time to ensure a half decent grid position. I managed a 1.12.474 before my gear linkage fell off after 4 laps…. D’oh. 6th place so far and not bad for 4 laps.
- 1st Qualifying Superstock 600
With the forecast for the 2nd qualifying session looking like rain I knew I had to post a decent time in this session. We threw in a new rear tyre and headed out with the rest to set a time. After a lap to ensure the tyre was working properly I stuck in some times. I put in 3 steady mid 1.11’s in a row with the fastest being a 1.11.532 which put me in pole on my pit board by over half a second. I pulled into the pit lane for a rest and a chat with the guru. We decided I could run a new line to make some time and headed back out…. I failed when I tried the new line and ran wide so decided it was best to head to the awning and settle for my time so far. I finished the session on Pole position.
- 2nd Qualifying F600
I spent this session sitting in my warm caravan eating rocky bars and drinking tea :)
- 2nd Qualifying Superstock 600
I spent this session eating a classic ‘Gold Bar’ and drinking some more tea.
This put me Pole for Superstock & 6th for F600 as both of the second sessions were wet thus no rider improved their times. Now on to the races…….
- Race 1 F600
Bolting from 6th on the grid I was in 2nd place behind charging Chris Mort. Chris went down in a strange crash right in front of me at some 130mph. He unfortunately injured himself and the race was red flagged (GWS Chris!!). The restart was good and I led out onto the back straight. Conscious their bikes were so much faster than mine I over compensated and missed my braking marker into the esses. I rejoined the track in 14th and settled for rolling around and ensuring the bike was in one piece for Superstock race 1. I finished in 9th after a few fallers and passing some others.
- Race 1 Superstock
I set off from pole and led from flag to flag leading by 8 seconds after 6 laps. Great to win and was looking forward to the following days races.
- Race 2 F600
I led this race from 8th on the grid (I was bumped back due to my poor superpole race the previous day). The race was declared dry even though some of the track was wet. We were forced to run dry tyres even though I wanted a wet front at the very least. It was tricky with the wet surface and lots’s of riders fell and were hurt. GWS Darryl Cox!! The race was again red flagged due to the fallers. After the restart on cold tyres I wasn’t keen so ensured I didn’t fall off and finished 5th.
- Race 2 Superstock
I led this race from flag to flag leading by 9 seconds at one point. Controlling the pace from the front and took the flag with a 6.5 second lead over a now charging Marc Hughes regaining his form after an unfortunate off earlier in the weekend.
- Race 3 F600
Again 8th on the grid I led on the exit of turn one after some very late braking. I really wanted to put a gap into the following riders knowing their bikes were so much faster. I managed to create a 3 second gap early on, however, my plan to run old tyres for F600 was backfiring as I couldn’t run the lap times past half race distance. Michael Price came past on the back straight on lap 6 of 10 and I knocked it off to ensure I finished a steady 2nd and was able to run the Superstock race 20 minutes later.
- Race 3 Superstock
My brother kindly collected my trophy at the presentation as we rushed to change wheels for the Superstock race. I had just complete the f600 race, ran the length of the paddock, changed the rear wheel, refueled the bike, downed a bottle of water, set my tyre pressures, put my helmet on and headed out again to the grid for the last race already panting from rushing around. (Thanks Chris Burrage for helping with the wheels. Would have been stuffed without you mate!!!). Made it to the grid and calmed myself down. Off the line and I think it was Erol that was trying to hold the inside line. I didn’t brake until very late and once again led from flag to flag for a clean sweep in Superstock.
I really enjoyed the racing and I’m sure the gang will be back to push at the front at Cadwell Park for the next round. I hope I am fit enough for 2 classes there as it’s pretty tough.
Thanks to everyone for their help - Sean Hardwicke, Sophie Ayres, Simon Gardner, Josh Bulpin, Chris Burrage and many more. Special thanks to Simon for helping me so much in the run up to the meeting!!
Motors TV Coverage of Race 2 from Pembrey Thundersport Superstock 600
Quality still isn't great as I lack the technology to convert it properly. I will remedy this soon. There is an interview at the end of this too.
9th, 10th, 11th April Pembrey - Round 1 Superstock 600
So off I went to Wales on my own. Packed the van then picked up the caravan and set off into the wilderness (down the M4) to deepest darkest Pembrey race circuit at the end of the M4 (edge of the world!) I was greeted by Phil & Jo with a cup of tea – a fine cuppa after 4 hours behind the wheel!
I had travelled alone as Soph was going to the funeral of Simon Exton. I was unable to attend as racing at Pembrey with no testing having never ridden there on a 600 would have been downright dangerous – Max (Exton) & family were apparently joined by hoards of friends and family which was great to hear and that Max delivered a perfectly fitting speech to those that attended. Sorry I couldn’t be there mate but I was thinking of you!!
Back to the bikes and the weather was brilliant for the Friday test day and the forecast was looking even better for the remainder of the race weekend. The 1st session was a little hairy learning the track the way I used to….. running in hot and out braking myself as much as possible. I was taming this session on session until I felt I could piece a lap together the following day in qualifying.
9am Sat and qualifying was upon us. I was nervous to see how I could go if I pushed for a time. Something I have been physically unable to do for so long. I was out first and was riding on nerves and aggression. Smooth yet making lots of mistakes!! I saw P1 on my pit board (Thanks Sean & Soph) and decided to pull into pit lane to calm myself down before trying again. I walked over to the timing screen to see I had been bumped to P3. This was the motivation I needed and the rest had settled my nerves. I bolted from pit lane and set about going for pole. With ten minutes still remaining I was stuck in traffic and frustrated until I found a gap for a few laps…. This was my chance and I pulled the pin running the front harder and accelerating until I was spinning and bouncing out of each and every turn. I set pole by 0.2 secs and my second best lap was 0.7 better than anyone else too. My first outright pole ever!!
Superpole race. 18 laps! Starting from pole I got my usual poor start and was 4th into the first corner. Exiting in 3rd I hooked onto Marc Hughes with Ricardo Ballerini out front setting a blistering pace. He was pulling away from us and I couldn’t get past Hughes who was all over the curbs but riding well. Around lap 10 we could see Ricardo coming back towards us as his pace died. Mark made a mistake and I nipped past and chased down Ricardo. Coming across the line for the last lap I had reeled in a 6 second deficit. I passed Ricardo as he ran wide at the 2nd hairpin on the last lap and took a defensive line into the flat out kink to avoid being re passed but this cost me time into the final turn. Ricardo dived under the inside, however, I wasn’t letting this race go and ran around the outside to win the race at the line. On returning to the pits Ricardo and I were pulled into race control and both given a 10 second penalty for passing under yellows. The marshals at the kink thought I had passed there not the corner before (GUTTED!!) and Ricardo had passed me on the last corner under yellows. The marshals at the corner before believe I passed there (because I did) as Ricardo ran wide, not under yellows but the result still stands. I therefore lost my first win since my accident in 2007 and I am still totally gutted. With a 10 second penalty I was given 3rd place. No one is to blame it’s just one of those things and I will be back stronger and faster at the next round to get that P1 trophy. The only consolation is knowing I won that race fair and square and that the Seb of old is officially BACK!
Race 1 Sunday – 3rd into the first turn and 2nd on the exit I fought hard to stick with a charging Marc Hughes. He had the pace and pulled away as I was caught in a battle with Erol Ahmet. Erol didn’t seem to have the pace to keep with Marc and I was struggling to get past as every time I led Erol chucked it straight back with true grit and determination. I finally bagged 2nd place but was unhappy to finish so far behind the winner (10 seconds).
Race 2 Sunday – I was very determined not to let Marc get away for a second time and we battled hard on a hot pace for the first few laps passing each other yet still pulling away from the pack behind. I decided to let Marc lead and sit behind until the last lap as I didn’t want to be caught in a crash (that looked likely!). On the last lap I had lined up a move into the same corner I had nipped under Ricardo on Saturday, however, Marc had a massive slide and I shut the throttle and didn’t go for it. My fault and I followed Marc to the line. We finished 8 seconds ahead of 3rd place (Ben Field) and 11.5 ahead of 4th (Erol Ahmet).
Looking ahead to the next round at Snetterton on May bank holiday there are lots of riders that will be challenging for race wins. Ricardo Ballerini will be back with a bang I’m sure with Marc Hughes looking like being a very tough rival. Ben Field showing amazing pace considering his limited experience and of course title favorite Erol Ahmet back on the (million dollar) tyres he is used to will certainly be challenging at the front.
Quick mention for Sam Middlemas who was looking fast in testing at Pembrey until his bike expired in qualifying. He will be back and running at the sharp end for sure!
Thanks for the support from those who made it to Wales (Soph, Phil, Sean, Jo, Richard Espin, Simon Goy, Dave Richardson & more) and to those supporting from home.
1 Pole Position, 1 Race WIN!! (3rd), 2 Second places and a rear tyre won!
The races from Sunday will be on TV on Thurs 29th April at 9.30pm. (Sky 413, Virgin 545)
Race 1 from Round 1 @ Mallory Park Formula 600
Poor quality unfortunately as I have filmed my TV with a camera. I will endeavour to find a way to upload the full quality races soon. This was the first formula (tuned) 600 race that I competed in on my Superstock R6.
TV Schedule for Round 1
Thursday 25th April on Motors TV at 9pm -> 11pm
Please don't expect a full race following yours truly as I unfortunately didn't lead either of the races. There should be some great action in all classes though and you'll see me tanking around the outside of turn 1 in both races!
Races will also be available online soon and I will post the info when I have it.
Round 1 Formula 600 Mallory Park 13/14th March '10
Friday test day was a wash out! Pointless going and I really wish I had taken my lap top to get through some work.
Saturday the weather improved although it was still cold all day with seemingly very little grip on track. There were 45 riders trying to qualify in the top 20 to make the main grid over 20 minutes so as you can imagine it was pretty hairy! I managed to take pole early on for the first 6 minutes which unfortunately led to me not pushing hard enough for the remainder and I saw my pit board go to 3rd, then 6th and finally 10th on the last lap. Lesson learned !
Race 1 was pretty good. I held a fast line around the outside of the long turn 1 and managed to jump up a few places on lap 1. Only to tangle while passing another rider losing 5 seconds and dropping to 8th where I finished.
Race 2 (Sunday and still cold & dry) was a slight improvement in my riding again. I flew around the outside of turn 1 to take 4th place on lap one. With my head down the far faster tuned supersport bikes (mine is stock engine) pulled lots of time on the drag out of the slow bus stop chicane onto the start finish only for me to catch them braking into turn 1. On lap 10 of 14 still in 5th we came upon some back markers to lap. I almost hit one of them forcing me wide allowing 4 riders to jump underneath and ruin my race. I finished a frustrated 9th when 5th was so close.
Race 3 was steady away. Working my way up to 7th and held it to the flag.
I should get some good TV coverage as I was well placed on my superstock bike against the more powerful tuned supersport bikes. I will be racing in the Superstock class in April so I’m hoping for some more solid performances.
Muchos gracias to the dudes and dudettes that came to watch and help out with tyre changes, pit board, advice and your company !
Thanks to Rob @ Maximum Revs Images for the pic ;)
Thanks to Glyn Richardson for the pic
1st Test @ Mallory Park 6/3/2010
We ventured up to Mallory Park near Leicester on a very cold evening to get ready for the official Thundersport GB test day the following morning. Parked up with electric powering the heater to keep our toes warm overnight only for a very kind man to pull it out and leave us to freeze - Thanks!
Being back on the bike was great and I loved every minute of it. The training has paid off and I was able to ride like I have always believed possible. My (metal) arm felt strong as a result of the endless hours in the gym and I was seeing the chequered flag in every session and wanting more rather than after 3 or 4 laps hurting and slowing. Times were very promising so hopefully we'll have a good race weekend from this Friday onwards.........
Thanks to Rob @ Maximum Revs Images for the pic
Thanks to Glyn Richardson for the pic
(Feb 2010) Winter bike prep
A large part of racing bikes is maintaining your steed to the highest level you can afford. My budget is tight to put it mildly this year so this winter I focused on the important parts that needed replacing and the rest I've just muddled through with. The bashed up MHP titanium exhaust has been straightened, shortened and re-packed by Mark @ MHP to keep the noise down & prepare it for the next impact! Hopefully there won't be many of those this year ;)
Rear sets (foot pegs & brackets to the layman perusing this) have been replaced and upgraded which required some truly deep technical activity using both an Allen key and a spanner in unison - good job I'm a fully trained up tea drinking garage mechanic! New levers to improve feel and replace the bent standard ones. Other equally exciting parts have been replaced or upgraded too. None more exciting than the new brake caliper bolts..... hmmm.....
Ahh the shiney bodywork you can see below. Free from imperfection, oozing style and professionalism it is not. It is, however, the result of many hours (cough) in the evenings and weekends knee deep in fiberglass dust and Halfords spray cans. From any more than 6 feet it looks pretty darn good so I’m pleased with the finished article.
First ride of 2010 will be a pootle around at Mallory park this weekend (21st Feb) Onboard footage possibly to follow.....
(Dec 2009) Looking ahead to 2010.....
With the new season approaching fast I've decided to move to Thundersport GB. I will still be campaigning the same bike (2008 Yamaha R6) and am looking forward to getting back in the race paddock and enjoying some BBQ's with good friends !
I won't be testing in Spain like the rich kids, I won't even be riding my bike until the week before the first round! I will, however, be busting a gut in the gym to ensure I can be competitive again for the first time since a very big accident in 2007. Will it work? Who knows but I'm showing willing ;)
My trusty pit girl, Sophie, is all prepped and ready to make lot's of cups of tea and everyone is welcome to pop in.... you might even get a biscuit.
The racing is on TV this year which is definitely a bonus, just so long as I go fast enough to make the coverage. I'll update channel and schedule details nearer the time.
I'd post a pic of my bike looking shiney - but I haven't got that far yet!
Looking forward to seeing lot's of marshalls, spectators and fellow racers soon.
(Nov 2009) Oulton Park Test Day - Nov 2008
This is me having a play on a trackday way back in November 2008. Hope it takes you away from the winter boredom for a few moments at least!