2011 Season review.
With a best result of 16th our first venture into the British Superbike paddock hasn’t gone completely to plan but we’ve learned some valuable lessons that should stand us in good stead for the 2012 National Superstock Championship. The pace is definitely hot but I have absolutely no doubt we are capable of running right at the sharp end.
We have though decided to end our first season at British Superbikes with a couple of rounds to go, and will focus on building a new bike for the 2012 championship to ensure we are in a position to be competitive from the start. A challenging seasons racing has seen us overcome some considerable obstacles to keep racing. We’ve had some terrible luck along the way but have dealt with it and moved on and hopefully that’s it out of the way for a while. If hard work brings good fortune we should have a great year in 2012.!
Thanks to everyone that has helped me this year. Our sponsors have been brilliant and hopefully we can maintain our partnership into the new year. Thank you to J.C Garages, Held UK, Go Racing Developments & Hatfields Honda.
I will be racing under the J.C Garages Racing banner for the new season and look forward to testing the new bike as soon as it’s ready.
Final thoughts are with the friends and family of the riders our sport has lost this year.
British Superbikes Round 6 - Snetterton 300 (03/07/11)
First practise the bike was handling great with the drastic changes to the shock setting. It wasn't to be though with the bike overheating after 7 laps! It looked like the rad had drained it's water so the engine didn't get to cooling required.
I was defiant though and wanted to try and ride it in qualifying despite the risk of further damage. Thanks to everyone that helped get the bike ready and for the advice throughout the saga. The bike seemed ok over the first few laps of qualifying and I was sitting inside the top 10. A few tweeks from Mark at Go Racing Developments and the bike felt even better.
I pushed hard on lap 8 for a quick one and being 1 second faster in the first 2 sectors showed we were on for a good time, when I pushed too hard for a tight line around the fast corum and lost the front at 100mph+. Hardly any damage done but with the engine overheating that morning it didn't take much persuasion to wear further whilst running on it's side so the decision was made to save the engine and get it stripped for the next round thus retiring from the meeting.
Thanks to my sponsors J.C Garages, Go Racing Developments, Held UK, Hatfields Honda and all that helped rebuild the bike. Also everyone who had worked so hard to get it prepared prior to the meeting. Hopefully the shiney fairings will last a little longer next time!! :)
Thanks to Glyn Richardson for capturing the moment.
British Superbikes Round 5 - Knockhill (19/06/11)
This will be a brief report as our run of bad luck continues. Free practise and first qualifying went well, taking time to learn the track in very wet conditions we were moving up the time sheets with every lap.
Unfortunately in Q2 when conditions were much improved and we had a new set of wet's in the bike it suddenly cut out on the first lap with no option but to walk back to the pits without posting a time.
For the race I was therefore starting way back but made a great start and was top 20 into the first turn, when an unfortunate Jason O'halleran crashed resulting in a number of other riders including myself having nowhere to go but to crash into the gravel trap.
With the help of the marshals I got the bike running and made it back to pit lane for the restart. With much gaffa tape Darren and Gem got the bike ready to go again. With a twisted clipon and sticking throttle I simply didn't feel comfortable pushing the bike without checking it over more thoroughly so ultimately finished 22nd. A long way to go for such a disaster!
British Superbikes Round 4 - Thruxton (30/05/11)
Arriving on Friday afternoon at Thruxton to setup I couldn’t wait to ride the bike with the new settings. With the bike now transformed and so much easier to ride I was itching to get out on track and see how much progress we had really made. I had been watching footage of last year’s race to get an idea where the track went which was a real help – nothing could prepare me for what awaited when we rolled out of pit lane for first practice though!!
Before I get into the ins and outs of the on track action I’d like to thank everyone for the support over the weekend. The entire team together for the first time with Darren from J.C Garages and Mark from Go Racing Developments both there to enjoy the weekend and aid in the progress on and off circuit. Family and friends were there to watch and Chris was on hand to keep things running smoothly as always. Also the Physio team (Sam) at the track looked after me brilliantly all weekend with various aches and pains which is greatly appreciated. Thank you all!!
First practice – go time – warp speed 9,000….. out of pit lane and onto the wide grippy track and instantly full throttle around the fast sweeping corners. 5th gear knee down and sliding (140mph +)really is something to behold and strangely it didn’t take much getting used to. I felt fast and the bike was great but what did the pit board have to say? Well it was positive and my first session at Thruxton was rewarded with a 16th place overall. No mean feat with the talent and experience on track and the fact I am 30bhp down on most around the fastest power track in the UK. Chuffed!
Into qualifying and a few small changes to the bike. Unfortunately it rained as we went out so the session was a tricky one with dry tyres on a damp track. Head down and ensuring we had a safe session we finished 22nd although didn’t get to see if the setting changes had worked out. Qualifying 2 was dry so it was time to go fast! On my first lap I knew the bike wasn’t quite as good so popped back into pit lane after a few more laps to change it back. The few laps had killed the best of the tyre and I didn’t improve but the bike felt much better again and we were consistenly matching my fastest lap. We qualified 18th with our time set on the very first lap.
The race was hairy and after pushing for 15th place I was run wide and off the track by a very optimistic move by the rider behind. This dropped me into the clutches of a gaggle of riders on unreasonably fast machines. I was blitzed on the straights only to ride around the outside in the long fast corners…. Only to be blitzed again holding me up preventing me from bettering my position. Very positive though with the bike handling so well but unfortunately finishing 21st only 0.6 of a second from 16th.
Really enjoyed the whole weekend and we’re learning more and more every outing. Can’t wait for Knockhill now to get back out there and hunt down a good result!
Thanks Rob from Max Revs Images for the pics :)
British Superbikes Round 3 - Croft (15/05/11)
It was off to the home of motorsport in the North East and Yorkshire for round 3 of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 championship. We arrived to be welcomed by grey skies and strong winds – not the best recipe for a smooth running race meeting!
Another new track for us and lot’s to learn in a short space of time so we started by walking the track just to make sure I knew where it went. With the track walked we prepared the bike for first practice and with the weather very changeable it would be a last minute tyre choice for the first session. It was destined to be a wet first few laps of the Croft circuit which was definitely not ideal for learning the fast and bumpy track. The session went ok and we were hoping for a dry track to make some progress in first qualifying.
With our prayers answered the qualifying sessions would both be on a dry track. I pushed hard during both 25 minute sessions but struggled a lot with the setup of the bike. Still tank slapping and being generally unstable it was back to the drawing board after fighting the bike onto the latter end of the grid! K-tech were on hand to take a look at the suspension and on first glance it looked like we were miles off the recommended base settings….. D’oh. Some very drastic changes made and even pushing the bike back to the awning it felt far more like the racing machine it should be.
Very positive for the following days race that progress had been made I finally felt like we had sussed whatever was holding us back. Warm up was a damp session on dry tyre’s and instantly the bike felt better and I could push harder even on the damp surface in light drizzle.
For the race starting so far back the plan was simple, try to make some positions in the first lap and then take as many riders as possible whilst getting a feel for the bike so we could make more progress for the next round. Starting 34th I made my way through to 25th at the flag. If only we had the bike how it was in the race from first practice I am certain we would have been much further up and we are all now positive looking ahead to the next round at Thruxton in 10 days time.
Thanks to Darren from J.C Garages for his support this season and his considerable help at Croft to keep the progress with the bike going. Chris was brilliant preparing the bike and generally making sure everything was sorted for the sessions…..and Soph made a few brews!!
It’s great to be racing at BSB this year with the support of Held UK, Go Racing Developments, Hatfields Honda and JC Garages. Roll on the next round.
British Superbikes Round 2 - Oulton Park (02/05/11)
Racing for the second time in the National Superstock Championship at Oulton Park was certainly an opportunity to relish both in the run up to and over the race weekend itself. Chris and Darryl were on hand with their support and hard work to steer us through the weekend in the paddock and I can’t thank you guys enough for your help!!
We got set for first practice with no idea on gearing, suspension settings etc. With no one we knew with any Honda experience at Oulton Park and no testing on the circuit we were up against it. Not to be deterred we were confident of a strong result at a track I knew well on the 600cc bikes. Out onto track and instantly feeling comfortable and able to push we were well inside the top 15 when I came in for a few changes to try after 5 laps. Unfortunately my hip locked exiting pit lane (injury due to the vicious highside at Brands Hatch a week earlier) and I was forced to spend the remainder of the session in the med centre. This was quite an eye opener though as with two great physio’s on hand I certainly left in better shape that when I entered.
Qualifying was a struggle start to finish and we couldn’t work out why. We had changed the gearing slightly which wasn’t causing any issues but the bike was proving to be un-ridable. I was unable to open the throttle even in a straight line without the bike tank slapping and trying to throw me off even at the end of the straights! Deciding it must be the settings we went for something radical for qualifying 2 as we were struggling down in 29th position.
Out I went with some confidence that we had sorted it and only a few corners in to the session I realised it had got worse. Hanging on for dear life to try to put in a time we didn’t give up and kept trying to push on. Unfortunately the time sheets put me in 30th and the last of the 54 qualifiers to make the main grid. Good that we made the race despite the comprehensive bike dramas but nowhere near where we should be and with a bike that still won’t work, not even on the straights.
Putting our heads together we stripped the front end and as soon as we loosened the steering damper it was evident the head bearings were very, very loose. We put the bike back together and all was well for the morning. Just a little behind the curve on setup. Unfortunately as we left for warm up Chris noticed that the front wheel was badly bent. On closer inspection so was the rear so that was warm up missed too!! Nightmare but at least it was spotted and we could put in our spare wheels for the race. How the wheels were bent is a mystery..... one of the massive 150mph tank slappers caused by the loose head bearings is my guess.... and again.... my fault.
The race didn’t go so great either, finishing in 26th place but feeling good on the bike again with some good info to get back towards the sharp end. Such a shame I didn’t spot the problem at the start of the weekend as the rest of the bike is brilliant. Onwards and upwards we are positive going into the next round at Croft. Points are the target!
Thanks to everyone that worked to sort the bike problems, Chris, Darryl and all of our sponsors and supporters that ensure we can go racing :)
British Superbikes Round 1 - Brands Hatch (25/04/11)
The big show! The British Superbike Championship (BSB) series is widely regarded as the most competitive domestic road racing series in the world, and the racing in all classes at Brands Hatch on what was a sweltering bank holiday weekend certainly went a long way to reinforce that.
I was racing for the first time in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 championship onboard my privately run 2008 Honda CBR1000RR machine. My previous racing experience in comparison to the rest of the top 30 odd riders is drastically limited (up against multiple TT race winners, superbike riders, national lap record holders, factory teams etc) so my team, family and friends expectations were seemingly realistic. If I could break into the top 20 on a new bike, in a new class on new tyres then that would have been a good result for them – for me? Well….. I am a racer and clearly a racer in a race is there for one position and that’s to win, however unrealistic!
I turned up on Thursday to get setup, with my helpers not able to come until the following day and managed to get a great spot overlooking Paddock Hill bend. BSB is very different to club racing and there is lot’s to sort out at the first meeting with passes, scooter passes, living area and separate working area in the paddock all of which to a BSB regular would be second nature… I got on with it and was relaxing with some dinner ready for the following days practice before I knew it.
Now for the daunting bit, my first session in BSB and it was a 45 minute practice session. Chris had us ready to go in his usual precise manner and I was quietly confident heading down to the pit lane. Out on track I instantly felt at home and focused on the job at hand, finding a setup! With Mark from Go Racing Developments on hand we made huge strides very quickly and were instantly running at the very front of the time sheets – top banana.
Qualifying 1 went well and with a minute to go I was lying in 3rd place, eventually dropping back to 5th in my group at the flag. It was a great feeling looking back riding so hard with a lot of guys I was watching last year on TV around me, and behind me!
Qualifying 2 didn’t go to plan at all. I went out on a used tyre to get comfortable before putting a new rear tyre in for a fast time. On returning to the pits we found my exhaust had split and really was causing a reduction in power. We put in the new tyre anyway and I still managed to go 0.2 faster posting a 47.5 second lap despite being near the bottom of the finish line speed trap. I was left in 15th on the grid for the race out of 52 qualifiers so I was quite pleased although a little frustrated I didn’t get to use the new tyre with normal power.
Into the race and I didn’t know what to expect… I prepared myself for a battle and a battle it was. The first part of the race was stopped early on when a rider crashed at clearways, I was close behind and the flying debris smashed a vent off my helmet and cracked my screen.
The restart was equally manic and riders were bumping and barging at well over 100mph in all corners of the first lap. I was in 11th and holding station behind John McGuiness until a huge high side at Graham Hill bend broke my rhythm and almost took me out of the race. I eventually came home 16th frustrated that I had missed my chance of scoring decent championship points.
So that was it…. Round 1 over in a whirlwind. Lots of valuable lessons learned and we are now moving onto Oulton Park this coming weekend for round 2 and I’ll be trying my hardest to get those points I worked so hard for at Brands Hatch. Progress has been made with the setup of the bike and it’s starting to feel like mine the more miles I do.
Thanks to all my helpers, sponsors, friends and family for making this season possible and as you already know, I will do everything I can to get up the sharp end!
The race is on Eurosport at 8pm Thursday 28th April.
2 weeks to go until BSB round 1 at Brands Hatch.....
And so it begins.... the start of any season wouldn't be quite right without some high drama and seemingly impossible hurdles to overcome in the run up to the get go. This time for us it is the bike and the all important engine. With some drastic issues it was looking unlikely we would be competing at the first round. However - I have teamed up with a like minded sponsor (Thanks mate!) that has made this year possible and we are now well on the way to getting the bike ready for round 1.
Massive thanks go to Go Racing Developments, Hatfields Honda, Held UK and a brilliant new Sponsor to be announced soon for pulling together to get us out there :)
With 2 weeks until Brands Hatch and our small teams first shot at a National Superstock 1000 round I am ready. Fitter & stronger than ever and with a few miles testing sorted to start the process of becoming accustomed to the 1000cc Honda we are now looking forward to the challenge to come. See you all at Brands Hatch 22nd-25th April for some fast and fierce racing on the infamous Indy Circuit.
Pic of me testing at Brands in March '11
2011 National Superstock 1000 Entrants
Click the image for the latest entrants into the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship.
Held UK Clothing Support
Held UK have come onboard for the 2011 National Superstock campaign. It really is great to know I am racing in the most protective riding gear on the market.
Click the logo for more details.
2011…. New Year and with it new challenges
The new year is upon us, time is marching on and there seems to be so much to do in very little time. I have taken on a new challenge for 2011 that will test my ability and determination like never before. I have purchased a Superstock Honda Fireblade for the National Superstock 1000 championship that is run alongside the British Superbike series. This is a totally private entry, that will see close friends work together to achieve the best results possible.
A year ago I wrote a similar update for the site. In it I was equally unsure of the season ahead as I am now, with little idea of how the coming races would progress and whether I could ride fast again. Although taking 27 podiums in 2010 was brilliant and more than I ever expected from the season. In 2011 I am on a new bike that I have no experience of racing, in a new class and racing against a new level of competition so there is lot’s to adapt to, however, there will be no excuses. I work hard, train hard and race hard and there will be no change over the course of the new season, so let’s just hope lady luck is on our side and we’ll do ok.
Our small team consists of me (rider, team boss, financier, mechanic, driver etc), Simon (Simon say’s…..), Chris (chief mechanic), Sean (also chief mechanic) and finally the lovely Sophie who will be keeping the kettle brimmed and stomachs from rumbling. If you are reading this and thinking ‘they could do with an extra pair of hands’ or even better ‘wow Seb could do with a few ££££ to have a proper go at this’ then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Testing will be limited to the UK as with no outside funds I can’t stretch to much, but what we will have is time to adapt to the changing conditions that we may encounter early in the season and a body strong and ready to race.
Best of luck to all for the new season!
