Final Showdown
27/10/2008
I have enjoyed this year and the last round at Pembrey was no exception. Going into the final rounds in second place was more than I hoped for at the beginning of the season, as my goal was top 5. I knew it would be hard to defend my second place as Chris Hawkes is very good at Pembrey, but didn’t think I would be there after the crash at Cadwell’s Dave Holland meeting two weeks earlier had me in plaster with a suspected ankle fracture! On Saturday I was happy to qualify 3rd on the front row as I was struggling to find a set up that worked because the weather was on and off with showers in the morning. The race was dry so I had to make an educated guess on settings. In the race I got a good start but Chris out braked me in to the hairpin and from there he just took off. I couldn’t stay with him. I seemed to fighting with the bike. I did manage to stay ahead of Stanley for about 8 laps but he passed me after making a mistake at Hatchets, I latched on to him for a couple more laps and fought off Adam Foster who crashed out trying to get past me. Unfortunately a back marker got between me and Stanley and I became confused when I saw a yellow flag as to whether or not I could overtake. The back marker slowed to let me past and I slowed too. I just had to go for it in the end as Stanley had pulled quite few bike lengths on me by then. I never got close to him after that. I settled for third. I was still second on points by just one, and was hoping for rain on Sunday- I felt this was the only thing that would slow Chris down to give me a chance to beat him. In the morning it was wet and cloudy and I thought my prayers would be answered, but it soon started to dry. I was very happy to qualify second on the grid just a couple of tenths off Stanley on pole and with Chris on the second row I thought I might be able to get away early and beat him. My start was awful, too excited, and I had the front wheel up in the air and had to roll off. Chris and Stanley were ahead of me after turn one and after making a few changes to the bike I was holding third place quite well and was holding my own until about half way. It was then the tyres started to go off and the bike was moving about. It was quite sudden and I started to slide in and out of corners! I gradually dropped back until Taryn Skinner just picked me off to take my third spot just before the end. I had to settle for 4th. It was hard work. However to end on a high note, I won the last race of the year in the GSXR 600 support race by about 3 seconds. It’s been a great season, I am happy to be third in the Championship.


First Win At Cadwell!
7/10/2008
I took my first win at the Dave Holland Festival weekend at Cadwell Park and what a great weekend it was. Starting at the back of the grid on Saturday due to my transponder not being fitted to the bike (Bloody Mechanic!) I had to some determination to carve my way through the pack in the GSXR race to finish second behind Christian Clark. Setting fastest lap. My determination to do well also paid off in the Open races where once again I had to start from 32nd on the grid and worked my way up to 11th by the end of Leg 2. (Sunday in Leg 3 I was up to 5th after having to start from Saturday’s position of 32 again). I was really enjoying the day and in the GSXR race two I blasted my way from the back once again finishing second behind Chris Hawkes. Hawkes took the overall by just 1 point. If Id fitted my transponder it may have been a bit different. It was good fun though. But, it was on Sunday when things really came together for me. Now with a transponder fitted to my machine I qualified pole in the combined Sound of Thunder, GSXR 600, Hornets and Supermoto race. I led from start to finish and was out right winner beating some of the more glamorous machines like the new KTM RC8 on my standard Suzuki GSXR 600. I also set fastest lap. In race two I crashed out at the Gooseneck while leading the race and was unfortunately, unable to continue for the rest of the day because we could not repair the bike and my leg hurt like hell. However one of my sponsors had some nice words to say after which made me feel better: "We think Ritchie really showed what you can do on a standard Suzuki 600 at Cadwell. Power isn’t always what you need on a circuit like this, we are very proud of him, he rode well, particularly through the gooseneck, where he was sometimes overtaking riders two at a time round the outside, no wonder the crowd clapped him in on the warm down lap" It was cracking weekend, but with a damaged bike that somersaulted at the Gooseneck and dragged me down Mansfield with it I was not looking forward to finding out what the true extent of the damage was.


Agony At Anglesey
31/07/2008
Taking the series lead to the Anglesey circuit was always going to be difficult to defend as it was never really a strong track for me. Saturday we struggled to get a set up on the bike that worked for me and a 6h place in qualifying was all I could manage at the time. Still, second row was not too bad and in the race I found myself riding round the problems with the bike so I was reasonably happy with bringing the bike home in 5th. However, with Stanley Gamble the main championship threat finishing second behind Ross Richards it left me with a lot of work to do before Sunday's race. After a long chat with Nick White at Kais we set up the bike totally differently for Sunday's practice. After just 4 laps I knew the bike was better and I felt a lot more confident going into round 7 in the afternoon. My start wasn't as good as it should have been, allowing Stanley to get in front of me and I found myself in 7th position after lap1. By lap 6 I had moved up to close third right behind Stanley and Ross, I was looking forward at this point to a good race as my bike was doing everything I asked of it. Unfortunately, Rogerio Lacerda who I had just passed on the lap before left it too late to brake at Rocket One, the sharp left at the end of the back straight. He hit my back wheel taking me out of the race. I was gutted, and had to sit and watch the race with Michael Birch who had fallen at the same corner earlier. No points scored leaves me with a lot to do now, but with 5 rounds left and so many riders now closer together on points for second position anything could happen!


Top of the table!
10/07/2008
After failing to capitalise on the wet races at Donington because of the wrong gearing it was like I had been given a second chance to shine when it started raining at Brands. I was third on the grid after a dry qualifying session and was full of confidence ready for the race. I got a great start and managed to get to the first corner before the rest of the pack. From then on I just got my head down and pulled a big lead to give me some breathing space. I managed to put myself 7 seconds in the lead and then settled into a rhythm. I noticed Stanley Gamble was catching me half way through the race, but unfortunately the pace car came out and instead of having just one rider on my tail I had the whole field following me. By the time the pace car pulled in there was a bit more grip than before. I initially put a gap between me and the others, but I didn't really notice there was more grip out there until Pearson and Gamble came past me. I set fastest lap trying to claw my way back but it was too late. It was disappointing to be leading for most of the race then to end up 3rd. However it still gave me enough points to take the championship lead. Points make prizes!


GSXR Trophy rounds 1 and 2
06/05/2008
I had been eagerly awaiting Rounds 1 and 2 of the GSXR Trophy at Cadwell Park after finishing on a high there at the end of last season. Unfortunately I didn't get off to the best of starts. I managed to highside coming out of the hairpin on the last lap of qualifying and dislocated my right shoulder. While I was sitting in the medical center with an oxygen mask on looking like I was going nowhere but the hospital I heard the news that I had set pole position! After refusing to let the medical staff cut off my brand new leathers to take a look at my shoulder, it luckily popped back into the socket while I was struggling to pull it free from my leathers. The bike only suffered minor damage and was easily repaired ready to go out for the race. I on the other hand was having a hard time convincing the medical team to sign my fit to race form. I had set pole position for the very first time and it was looking like I was not going to be able to race. A few hours later I had to return to the medical center for some tests to determine whether my shoulder was strong enough. After been pushed and pulled about I was signed fit to race! When the race came I didn't get the best of starts and ended up 3rd going into the first bend, but had managed to get to 2nd by park corner. I tried my hardest to stay with the leader Chris Hawkes, but he was riding extremely well and the more I pushed to catch him the more mistakes I made and I ended up going slower as a result. Half way through the race it was becoming clear that I would not be able to catch up with the leader and I had no choice but to concentrate on maintaining the gap between me and the rider in third position. I managed to hold second place until the end of the race which I was very pleased with considering only a few hours ago my arm was out of its socket! The next day it was round 2 of the championship but luckily for me the qualifying results carried over for the weekends racing so I was still on pole. I got another lousy start and ended up 3rd into the corner again, but managed to get up into 2nd on park corner just like I did in the previous race. Again it was Chris Hawkes in the lead and I was determined not to let him out of my sight. He managed to pull a lead on me but I was not going to make the same mistake as last time by overriding the bike trying to stay with him. As a result he didn't manage to pull a gap as large as he did in the previous race. A mixture of Chris tiring and me putting in some fast laps I started to close the gap in the second half of the race. As I could see myself gaining on the leader my confidence grew and I set the fastest lap of the race on lap 10 of 13. Unfortunately I had left it just too late and needed a couple more laps to close the gap completely. I finished the race in second place. I was very pleased with my results for the first two rounds of the championship. After setting the fastest lap in my class for the whole weekend it has given me a massive confidence boost. Setting the fastest lap didn't mean that I would win the race, but it has proved to me that I am quick enough to win races. I just need to work putting in that fast lap every lap!


New Era Superclub Round One
18/03/2008
My first race of the GSXR Trophy this season is at Cadwell Park. With the first round of the New Era Superclub at Cadwell before then I thought it would be ideal practice to enter the meeting. The New Era Superclub 600 class is known to be very competitive with quick riders on well specked up bikes. On the Saturday I managed to qualify 9th out of 25 riders which I was very pleased with considering the competition. This would be my starting position for both the Saturday and Sunday races. It took me a while to get up to speed on the dry track in the first race after qualifying in wet conditions. I dropped back a few places in the first laps of the race, but once I settled down I managed to claw my way back during the 30 minute race to finish in 8th position. On the Sunday I managed a fairly good start and was having a good race until one of the riders in front of me ran too hot into a bend and off the circuit, then rolled back onto the track on the next bend right in front of me. I was going too fast to slow down in time or change direction to get out of the way and I hit his back wheel. Apart from some scuffs the only damage the bike had was a bent brake disc. Disappointing as it was a brand new one, but the damage could have been a lot worse. With a new brake disc on I was ready to go out in the next race. I got away quite well and managed to stay up the sharp end for most of the race. I held 6th position right up until the last lap when I was passed by the rider that I collided with in the previous race. I finished the race in 7th which I was pleased with. It was hard work all weekend with the track changing from wet, dry and damp. The cold temperature combined with the wind didn't help the situation either. It was good to get out in a race situation again after the long break and I can't wait until I return to the circuit for the first race of the GSXR Trophy.


Back on track!
20/02/2008
It has been a long time since I rode the bike at the end of last season and I was itching to get back out on it again. We had our engine stripped and checked over by our local Suzuki dealer Steve Jordan Motorcycles (www.stevejordanmotorcycles.co.uk) to make sure it was in good shape for the new season. We also made a trip to Kais Performance (www.kais-performance.co.uk) who specialise in suspension tuning to get the bike set up as best as possible for the new season. With all this done there was no excuse not to get back out on the bike again! I went to Brands Hatch to get back into the swing of things and to test the suspension changes that had been made. It took me a while to get up to speed after the long winter break but it soon became apparent that the changes in suspension had made a big difference to the bike. Despite the very cold track temperature I was able to put in some quick laps. The following day I was at Mallory Park for the GSXR Trophy pre season testing day. It was a chance to meet up with the racers, organisers and coaches from the 2007 season and to meet the ambassador for the 2008 GSXR Trophy series John Reynolds, three times British Superbike Champion. At first it looked like we were never going to get out on the track. The visibility was very poor due to thick fog and the temperatures were below freezing. By lunch time the fog lifted enough for us to get a green light to go out on the track, but the temperatures were still extremely cold and the fact that the geese were still standing on top of the frozen lake made us all wonder if it was safe to go out at all! Despite the conditions we all still took to the track and got some track time in. It was hard work riding in that kind of temperature because after 5 or 6 laps our fingers were so cold that we couldn't feel the brake levers properly and had to pull in for our own safety to let them warm up a bit before going back out again! Both days were very hard work because of the extreme cold but it was very beneficial to me to get back out on the bike again. It was a good shakedown after the winter break and has got me back into the swing of things for the new season ahead.


Final round at Cadwell Park
25/09/2007
I set myself a goal at the start of the season to finish in the top 10. After not scoring many points in the previous round at Snetterton when I played my joker (double points) it was going to be a tall order. Cadwell Park was the last race of the season and I was sitting in 12th position in the championship. I had entered into some races the day before the event to get used to the circuit. With most of the riders in my series doing the same thing there wasn't a great deal of advantage to be had. My lap times throughout the day were well off the pace. I was struggling to get to get up to speed with the technical circuit compared with the riders that had been there before. I didn't manage to get may lap times any lower than 1:42 compared with the low 1.39s that the leaders were doing. I finished the day wondering how I was going to go quicker on the race day. Sunday morning I woke up knowing that getting a good place in qualifying was going to be hard work. Somehow I went a whole 2 seconds quicker and did a low 1:40. This put me 12th on the grid which was further than I was expecting. With the previous days performance to go by I was expecting to be well back. I got a great start in the race and went from 12th on the grid up to 5th into the first corner. I was passed shortly after and dropped to 6th. Knowing that had made a great start and was up with riders that had been faster than me all weekend, I knew that more would come past if I didn't try and match their pace. I got my head down and started hitting low 1:39 laps. I held 6th place until about half way through the race when I nearly highsided out of the chicane and dropped back to 7th. I caught the rider back up again and stuck on his tail throughout the race but couldn't find that extra bit to get past him. I finished the race in 7th place which was much more than I was expecting. I was very pleased with my performance in the race. Not only did I go 3 seconds faster than I could the day before when I thought I had no more in me, I also won another Top Gun Top Novice award! This was enough to achieve my goal of finishing in the top overall top 10 with a 10th place in the final championship standings!


It’s no joke with a joker!
05/09/2007
Snetterton was an important race for me because I had played my joker. Every rider has the chance to play their joker at a round of their choice to double their points scored in the race. I had gone to the track to practice a week before to get a good set up with the bike. I came away with a good suspension set up and a good idea of what gearing I should be using for the high speed circuit. I had managed to put myself seventh on the grid in qualifying. This was the best qualifying position I had achieved so far and I was confidant I was going to do well on my joker round. I got great start and was right up neck and neck with the front runner going into the first corner. Due to having to start from 7th I had to weave through the riders in front of me and this upset my line into the first corner. I had to brake a little earlier than I would usually and I was third as we all tipped into the corner. By the second bend I had dropped to 5th because if the lack of momentum I had carried taking the none correct line into the first bend and having my nose chopped off tipping in. If I hadn't started from the second row I would have probably got to the corner first! Half way round the first lap I had miss counted my gears going into a corner and was a gear higher than I should be. I didn't notice until I opened the throttle and the bike just bogged down. I was passed and dropped to 6th which was frustrating considering I had almost got to the front off the start. On the second lap I was passed by another rider who had qualified behind me but was marginally quicker than me. I was expecting him to catch up at some point in the race, but I was a little shocked he was there by lap 2! Still, sitting in 7th I was wasn't all that fussed, it was a high position for me to be in and I knew I could tag onto the back of the guy in front who was just a tiny bit faster and hope to get pulled through with him. However at the end of the second lap exiting the chicane he lost the front and slid down in front of me. I was very close to him at this point and I had to sit the bike up to avoid running over him and I ran onto the grass. I got on the power as quick as I could and was sliding all over the place in a rush to get back onto the track not loose many positions, but with it being early on in the race the riders were still all very close and lots came past. I had dropped to 15th place which was very frustrating after everything was looking to be going well. I got my head down to try and catch up again, but catching riders is one thing, passing them is another. I managed to get to 11th by the end of the race which wasn't a bad result considering what had happened. I was very pleased with how I rode during the race but it was a little disappointing to finish where I did when I played my joker. Looking at the lap times after the race there is no reason I would have not been able to finish 6th/7th had I not gone onto the grass. The rider that crashed in front of me happened to be a good friend of mine in the paddock and we had been sharing information with each other the week before when we practiced and throughout the race weekend on the hope it would make us both a lot faster. It is ironic though that we had been helping each other go faster and it went wrong for both of us in the race. I don't really blame him for crashing, it's not like he crashed on purpose! As usual I just wonder what if? But then again, I always seem to ask myself that after a race. What if I hadn't been in the wrong gear and got passed on the first lap? Would that have kept me in front of the incident? One day it will all go right and I'm sure I will be loving it when it does!


Third top gun award at Anglesey
20/08/2007
After finishing 11th at Castle Combe in the previous round I was determined to get back into the top ten finishers at Anglesey. The track was soaked for Saturday practice after heavy rain in the night. These are conditions which I seem to deal with better than most on the control tyres, so I was feeling confidant I could set a good pace. It may have only been a practice session but I could soon see that allot of people were finding it difficult, including allot of riders that are usually faster than me. The rain stopped on Sunday for qualifying but the track was still damp. It may have not been as wet as the day before but I was certain that the conditions were still in my favour. If my performance the day before was anything to go by I was confidant I could qualify on the front row. After just 3 laps of qualifying I had been given a black flag telling me to pull off the circuit immediately. It turned out that my rear spindle crash protectors had fallen off and the marshals pulled me in because they were not sure exactly what had fallen off my bike. This was very frustrating because in the first 3 laps of the qualifying session I was actually second fastest. The other riders getting a whole 10 laps of qualifying managed to go faster in the extra 7 laps they had over me and I ended up qualifying 10th. It wasn't a terrible place on the grid but I was so sure I would be on the front row and I was feeling very disappointed. When the race came the track had completely dried and I no longer held the advantage I had when it was wet. I made a good start and made up some places into the first bend. The racing was close and I dropped a few places as the race went on, but a few crashed out which stopped me dropping backwards in position. After 14 laps the there was a bad crash and the race was stopped. The race was then restarted as a 12 lap sprint race with the starting positions determined from our position in the race before it was stopped. This meant I started 9th on the grid instead of 10th. I made another good start and was 5th around the first corner. I was struggling with one bend in particular and because it ran onto a long straight I was loosing around half a second a lap. I was slowly dropping positions because of this and by the end of the race I had dropped to 9th place. I was a little frustrated that I couldn't seem to get one of the corners right and it had cost me a few places, but I was still very happy to finish in the top 10 which is a target I always set myself. I also picked up my third top gun award for being the first novice. The forecast was to be rain all weekend and I spent most of race day looking at the sky looking hoping for rain again because I knew I was fast around the track in the rain. It never happened but I can't really complain. I rode the best I could and was happy to cross the line in the top ten again after failing to do it in the previous round.


First crash and second top gun award at Oulton Park
08/07/2007
Due to round 3 of the ACU GSXR Trophy at Silverstone been cancelled because of too much rain, there would be two point scoring races at Oulton Park to make up for it. Knowing this would be a crucial round with lots of points up for grabs I went to the circuit 3 weeks before the event to try and get a good bike setup. I came away at the end of the day feeling confidant that I knew the circuit and had a good set up for the track. I started the race day really well qualifying in 8th position. This was the best qualifying result I had ever had and I still felt I could have gone much faster. My confidence was sky high and I couldn't wait to get out there and race. My start in race one was not great and I dropped to about 10th into the first corner. Confidant that I was strong around the circuit I didn't let this bother me as I was certain I would be able to make my way through the field. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance because about half way around the track I was taken out by another rider. I was turning into Hislop's chicane and was almost at the apex when another rider came up the inside and t-boned me. Talking to the riders after the race that had seen the incident all of them said there was no way the rider was ever going to make the corner and how stupid it was. I was very disappointed because I had really high hopes for that race and I ended up with no points through no fault of my own. After a rush to get the bike back together I managed to get out in the open race which I had entered into for a bit of extra practice. This was a good opportunity to get back out on the circuit and test the bike was ok before my second main GSXR Trophy race. My back was feeling soar from the crash earlier, but I just put that down to a few aches and pains. I realised it was more than that when I was getting shooting pains up my back when trying to muscle the bike around. After just 3 laps I had to stop because it was getting too painful. The rest of the day was not looking good. I could barley walk around when I got off the bike and at that point I thought my day was over. I just sat still and hoped it would somehow get better in time for my second race. After giving up all hope of getting on the bike again that day I decided just a few minutes before the race that I would just ride round and finish the race to get another signature on my novice licence. My start in the second race was brilliant. I managed to get into 5th but the race was red flagged within half a lap due to a huge pile up on first corner. There was about 30 mins delay until the restart which gave my back a bit longer to sort itself out and the pain killers to kick in a bit more. It was still hurting but for some reason the most comfortable position for me to sit in was actually on the bike and I couldn't help notice that until the red flag had come out my back didn't get any of the shooting pains because I had been a little less extreme in my riding style. When the race was restarted I decided I was going to go for it again and hope that adopting a more gentle riding style would enable me to go quick enough to get some points. I got another great start and got into 6th position and held it for the first lap, but because I wasn't using my natural riding style I was losing a bit of time and I was passed by two riders and dropped to 8th. Knowing I could go quicker I instantly tried to get back at them and I started to ride more aggressive again, but straight away I got shooting pains up my back. Realising that there was a gap behind me I decided to let the others go and hope that my pace was good enough to hold 8th position. I was so glad to see the chequered flag at the end of the race when I came across the line. I had managed to hold 8th and got the top gun top novice award for the first novice across the line. After looking like I was going to end the day without finishing either of my races I was extremely pleased with the result. The day was a mixture of highs and lows and I can't help wonder "what if" all the time. What if I wasn't taken out in the first race? What if I didn't have a bad back in the second race? Would I have held onto that 6th if I was 100%? I suppose all racers ask themselves "what if" after a race meeting. After all... how often does everything run to plan!


Rain at Croft helped me get my best result so far
24/04/2007
I came away with my best result so far at the second race in the ACU GSXR Trophy season at Croft. We arrived at the circuit on Friday morning with the whole day to get everything sorted. Knowing this was a tricky and technical track to master it wasn't going to be easy having never been there before, so we had a walk around the circuit to see the layout and try and work out the best lines. After having my gearing all wrong at Brands Hatch the previous week I knew how important it was to make a good decision on what gearing to use for the track. Having a slightly better understanding of the track after I had walked it and seen it in the flesh we went back to the bike and changed the gearing and fitted the new tyres to the bike. With all this done we had the rest of the day to relax and prepare for the weekend. After practice and qualifying I had started to get a feel for the circuit. I qualified 14th out of 29 riders, which I was pretty happy with considering it was a difficult track and I had not been there before. With the first race not counting as a championship race I decided that I would use it as more valuable time to understand the tricky circuit and try out some suspension changes to help settle the bike over the many bumpy sections on the track. The first race went reasonably well and I finished 16th and improved on my qualifying time. I had also entered myself into the northern masters 600 race as another opportunity to practice. Making another small change to the suspension for this race I finished 11th. Feeling very pleased with my knowledge of the track and the bike setup I was feeling confidant and ready for the main championship race on the Sunday. With a brand new back tyre nicely scrubbed in during the short 3 lap practice in the morning I was confidant that this was going to be a good race. I got a good start and made a few positions into the first corner. On the second lap it started to rain very lightly and this threw my confidence. With the rain not heavy enough to affect grip on the track but a visor full of water droplets it affected me mentally and I slowed down much more than I should have and got passed by a few riders and dropped back quite a way through the pack. On lap 3 this all changed. It started raining really hard and within the space of a few corners the track was completely wet. I had seen the rain on the weather forecast and was hoping that I would have a wet race because I knew I was fast in the wet. As soon as the track became wet my confidence went sky high and I soon started to catch the riders that had passed me on the previous lap. It wasn't long before I passed them and had the other riders in sight. As the race went on I was catching and passing more riders and more riders were struggling as standing water started to form on the track. Some went down which was bumping me up a few more places through the field too. The last lap flag came out and I had one more rider in my sights. I put in a perfect last lap and ended up right on his tail approaching the last corner where I made a lunge up the inside to pass him in the bend and manage to stay in front of him by 100th of a second across the line to claim 6th place! I got the Top Gun highest place novice award and was whisked off to have my picture taken with the top 3 riders. I guess all those years of sliding around on a motocross bike really paid off! I always knew I would do well in the wet, but I never expected to come through the field like I did in that race. Everything went right throughout the whole weekend and it has given me a big confidence boost!


ACU GSXR Trophy kicks off at Brands Hatch
16/04/2007
The sun was out all day for the first race of the ACU GSXR Trophy season. After getting a base setting for my suspension to suit my weight and it being a track I really enjoyed I was looking for a good result. Practice was cut short to only 4 laps due to a bad crash which didn't even give us 4 minutes track time. I knew the track fairly well and it would have been just as inconvenient for the other riders, so I wasn't too worried. The next time out was qualifying which proved to be quite difficult. I got suck behind a rider that was slow enough to hold me up, but quick enough to be awkward to get past. I ended up 13th on the grid which was not where I was expecting to be. When I think about it now I should have dropped back until I found myself in some space and put a quick lap in. I had to get a good start in the race to make up for a poor qualifying. It became apparent when the lights changed that running the standard road gearing on the bike was not doing me any favours. With the Indy circuit being short and twisty all the riders had geared the bikes for acceleration because there was no need for a high top speed. They all shot away at the start noticeably quicker than me and I lost a few places into the first corner. I started to make up places as the race went on and worked up to 12th when the race was stopped due to an accident. The restart was even worse than my previous attempt and I was way down the order, but lucky for me the race was stopped yet again, so I would get another run at it. My 3rd attempt was a little better than the previous one, but still not that great due to my gearing. I lost a few places into the first bend yet again, but I knew I could work through the field because I had done it before the race was stopped the first time. I set myself a goal to get into the top 10 and I knew it was still possible even though I had a fair few places to make up. I got my head down and started working through the pack to just outside the top 10 and it looked like I was going to achieve my goal when I went up the inside of somebody into paddock hill bend and lost the back going down the hill nearly getting thrown off the bike. I managed to get the bike under control again, but by the time I got back up to speed loads of riders came past me and I dropped back to 16th place. With only a few laps to go I couldn't work any further up the field again and finished in 16th place, loosing out to 15th on a photo finish across the line which would have given me at least 1 point. To not score any points on my first race of the season was very disappointing. With the exception of making the mistake on paddock hill corner I was very pleased with the way I rode as a whole that day and tried not to get to wound up over it. One thing I have learnt from all the motocross racing I have done it's that sometimes it just doesn't go your way, not matter how hard you try!


My First Ever Road Race - Snetterton
19/03/2007
I thought it would be good to get a race under my belt before the start of the ACU GSXR Trophy championship, so I entered a New ERA Superclub meeting at Snetterton. It was a 2 day event which I decided to enter only for the second day. I went up on the Saturday so that I could see how everything worked on a race day and have a look at who I was racing against. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end, these Superclub Formula 600 guys are fast. On the Saturday the leader broke his own track record on a Triumph 675 triple. After meeting the Holbeach tyres team on the Saturday, sorting out new tyres and generally just taking it all in, me and the bike were ready for a days racing on the Sunday. The weather was really windy and gales were blowing all night leaving the paddock looking like a disaster area. Awnings had been twisted, broken and had fallen on top of some bikes. It was bad! Luckily we took ours down. The start of the day was bright and dry and practice for the 600s was first so there was no hanging about. Straight out, no messing. This helped the nerves, but 15 minutes practice still left me short on track knowledge on a circuit which was new to me. Race 1 - I didn't get a very good start and was trailing at the back, but about 2 laps in a rider hi-sided right in front of me at the chicane. The race was red flagged and we had to restart. A better start for me this time with a bit more confidence I finished 15th. Race 2 - This was the best, knowing the track better and more confident in overtaking on a fast circuit. I finished 12th and picked up my first trophy as top finishing Novice. I was really pleased with my positions in both races considering I had qualified only 23rd out of 25 riders. Starting from the back row of the grid leaves you with a lot of work to do. Although to tell you the truth I was quite happy to be there with it being my first ever race! Roll on Brands!


Oulton Park Testing
26/2/2007
The track riders love to ride is what I'd heard and I was really looking forward to putting the GSXR through some proper testing after running in over the first 200 miles. The weather was crap wet to start with, drying slightly by midday, just in time for lunch, and then wet in the afternoon again. Not being able to run wets in my race series I set my mind to some serious practice in the wet on the series control tyre. By the end of the day I was keeping up with the lads on full wets. If we have to run these tyres in the wet as well as dry then these Dunlops are pretty good I'm pleased to say. When the track dried after lunch I got about 4 laps in before it started raining again. My lap times were well off the pace, I would love to go there again with more in the dry to improve on my lap times, it's a great circuit. One slightly worrying thing is the Micron didn't pass the noise test. It was registering 107db with the baffle in. We got round the problem in the end by missing a session and repacking the silencer. It looks like it will need to be repacked frequently to keep the noise at 105db. Still a good day, apart from the weather!

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