Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – May  2008 Oulton Park – Pirelli - Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship 3rd – 5th May 2008 Jon returned to a circuit he had raced at twice before, once on the Honda RS125 last year and once on the formula 125 Aprilia the year before when he won his first National race.  Once again a large field of 57 were entered for the Superstock 600 class. After the difficulties at Cadwell Park the settings were put back to those used for the Brands Hatch GP circuit, and alterations to the handlebars to help leverage. Free practise on Saturday held late in the day was dry and sunny. Old tyres were used and Jon steadily improved his times throughout the session to end 29th on 1m 48.7s. He reported that he had plenty in hand and would go faster in the first qualifying session. The gearing was changed for a smaller rear sprocket as Jon was hitting the rev limiter in fifth the fastest part of the circuit between Clay Hill and Druids. This was the preferred option to increasing the sprocket size and using sixth gear. The first qualifying session would again be late in the day. Rain affected the first sessions however the Superbike qualifier before Jon’s began damp and dried out enough for the rides to change to slicks. A new set of tyres were used on a track which still had some damp patches. Several riders were caught out by the conditions. As with most other riders that stayed on, lap times were not as fast as the free practise the day before until at least halfway through the session. Times began to tumble and Jon bettered his previous best with a lap of 1m 48s to go 18th with two laps to go. Unfortunately as he began what should have been a quicker lap slower riders leaving the pits slowed his pace preventing an improvement leaving him 27th. Another 0.5s would have kept him in 18th position and 1.0s would have moved him up to 10th place. With so many riders on the track more attention is to be paid to when Jon leaves the pits as it is essential to get as many clear laps as possible. The second qualifier was held on the morning of race day and this time Jon waited until the field had long departed to prevent getting baulked by slower riders. Jon improved his time with a lap of 1m 46.7s to end 26th on the grid. An improvement of 1s would have moved Jon up to 9th place which demonstrates just how competitive this class is. The start of the race would see Jon drop back as he misread the lights and ended the first lap in 34th place. He quickly made up places to end the fifth lap in 26th position when the pace car came out. After the pace car came in Jon made up two more places to finish 24th. Brands Hatch – Pirelli - Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship   10th - 11th May 2008 With no qualifying for this meeting as grid positions where determined from the previous snowed off meeting at Brands, free practise on Saturday would be used to try a new exhaust system to improve mid range power. The bike was taken to the dyno and remapped for the new exhaust. Free practise ended with Jon 2s off his best qualifying time with a lap of 1m 38s. Jon expressed concern regarding the new pipe which was very close to the footrest which interfered with his riding position. The performance of the new pipe was also uncertain. The footrests were adjusted for Sunday mornings warm up to allow his right foot to clear the exhaust. Clearly this was the main difficulty as Jon’s times improved to match those in qualifying.  In the race Jon made a much better start compared to previous races getting used to the delay between the lights going from red to off. He finished the first lap in 27th position and climbed to 22nd after three laps when for the second time in two races the pace car came out. With a collision behind the pace car just in front of Jon as the pack were gaining on the front runners Jon had to slow along with a few other riders which allowed the group ahead to get away as the pace car pulled in. Jon was to complete the race having a close battle with Anthony Rogers for the last ten laps to end the race in 20th position.  Jon with young fan At last team set-up needed to shelter from the sun rather than snow and rain Hottrax National 6 hour Endurance Race – Snetterton 18th May 2008 Jon was looking forward to his first 6 hour race of the season at Snetterton with the Ducks Cross Racing Team which has a few changes for this year. With Mick Thompson retiring, Grant Wagstaff has joined the team, and the motors have been upgraded to supersport specification for more speed. The bikes were run in at Silverstone a couple of weeks ago and Martin Landmann and Grant practised on Friday and Saturday. Jon would try the chosen race bike in warm up before qualifying. Jon reported that there was a head wind along the back straight which was preventing the bike revving out. Before changes were made Grant took the bike out for the first qualifying run. Jon followed and posted a time of 1m 14s to put the team 4th on the grid overall and 1st in the supersport 600 class. Martin completed qualifying and confirmed that the head wind was having an effect on the top end performance on the back straight. The gearing was changed for the race and new tyres and brake pads fitted. Jon began the race with a Le Man start and made a good getaway to complete the first lap in 4th place overall right behind the Moores racing teams 600 Yamaha. He soon moved into 3rd place and led the class, and proceeded to stretch an advantage of 2s a lap. Jon was lapping consistently at 1m 13.3s and managed a sub 1m 13s lap to finish his stint in 3rd place overall and first in class. Grant took over from Jon and began to catch Moores who had overtaken the team during the pit stop. Again the team moved into the lead and stretched an advantage. As Grant came into site on the 59th lap he ran onto the grass coming out of Coram curve. Recovering Grant did another lap and pulled into the pits reporting the bike was not sounding good under load. Clearly there was a major problem with the engine so a decision was made to retire. With such a good start this was extremely disappointing to all concerned particularly Martin Landmann the team owner who never got to ride. There is no doubt that with the current rider line up and performance of the bike the team is capable of winning their class and challenging the 1000cc class runners for overall honours. Donington Park – Pirelli - Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship 17th – 19th May 2008 With 58 entered for the fourth round of this championship qualifying would again be very close. The original exhaust system was fitted for this meeting and checked on the Dyno to get a comparison with the one used at Brands Hatch. A slight increase in power over the whole range was the result therefore this system will stay. Free practise on Saturday was held in dry sunny conditions at 1.30 pm. Jon gave a good account of himself with a lap of 1m 42.6s to finish 24th. Again positions were separated by fractions of a second. The 600 class is proving to be by far the most competitive class at the British Superbike meetings. There would be no room for error in the first qualifying session to be held on Saturday at 4.30 pm as wet and windy weather was expected for Sunday. With new tyres Jon gradually began to improve upon his free practise time. However he was hovering in the mid thirties as everyone was improving their lap times as the session was coming to an end. With one lap left Jon was fortieth with the possibility he could miss the cut as those behind went faster. He crossed the line with a lap of 1m 41.0s to finish 29th. 2.2s separated Jon from pole position. Without this lap Jon would not have qualified as three other riders went quicker than his previous best lap.    The second qualifying session was scheduled for 1.30 pm on Sunday which began overcast with rain threatening as predicted. By midday the rain had arrived and was set to stay. Wets were installed and suspension adjustments made. Jon did seven laps to check the set up and called it a day as several riders had already fallen off trying too hard. Monday mornings ten minute warm up was limited to three laps as Jon was turned away at the start for having an incorrect front tyre sticker. The race began with Jon getting initially a good start off the line. Choosing to go round the outside at Redgate he got pushed wide loosing several places as he entered the Craner Curves. The race was soon to be red flagged after two riders collided at the Melbourne Loop. From the restart Jon made his best start to date choosing an inside line into Redgate gaining more places as he drove down the Craner Curves. He crossed the line after the first lap in 26th place. On the third lap as he entered the downhill section breaking for the Melbourne Loop the rear end of the bike tried to catch up with the front throwing Jon out of the saddle. Fortunately he gained control but lost several places in the process ending the third lap in 35th place. Jon regrouped and set about chasing those in front to end the race in 30th place. Our partners for the 2008 season include: Fowlers of Bristol – Own brand Weise leathers and gloves and Vemar Helmets. Bohn Body Armor – Body protection. RS Workshop Equipment. Silkolene – Engine protection. Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd Cambridge Coring and Flooring ltd Huntingdon Business Centre Splash Motorcycles for the paintwork. Ducks Cross Racing Team backed by Carrino Flooring Ltd Ian Walker   Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – April  2008 Brands Hatch - Pirelli-Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship 4th – 6th April 2008 Jon was looking forward to the first National meeting of the year at the Brands Hatch GP circuit a circuit he had raced at once before on a GP125 Honda. We arrived at the circuit on Thursday evening with the team truck and set up in the paddock. Martin Landmann the team principal had been working hard to get the truck ready in time. With a large awning, living accommodation, mains electricity and a compressor this would be a perfect home for the next three days.    With 58 entered qualifying would be very close with only 40 allowed to race leaving 18 very disappointed riders. Free practise would concentrate on getting the gearing a right and suspension settings aided by Bill Waddington of Whitecross Motorcycles. Jon ended free practise in 25th position with a time of 1m37.9s. Jon reported that the bike was hitting the rev limiter along the back straight so a sprocket with one tooth less would be used for the first qualifying session. He also felt the bike was diving too quickly under braking so adjustments to the suspension settings where made after consultation with Bill. Qualifying was dry and sunny and Jon began to reduce his lap times as the session progressed as he became more familiar with the circuit. His lap time dropped to 1m 36.1s ending the first qualifying session in 25th position. Jon was confident he would improve his lap times further in Saturdays second qualifying session. Jon confirmed the adjustments made to the gearing and suspension was an improvement so no further adjustments would be made. Saturday morning dawned dull and overcast with rain expected. Just prior to the second qualifying session it began to rain so wet tyres where installed. With no hope of improving on the first session Jon decided to make use of the time getting more experience on the Metzeler rain tyres. After the one wet session at Donington two weeks before Jon was happy with the front end grip but felt the rear was less grippy than he had previously experienced with the Bridgestones he had used last year. Again Bill made adjustments to the suspension to improve grip in the wet. As the session began Jon as expected was competitive in the wet conditions at one time running as high as 4th place. Times began to improve as the rain stopped. As Jon entered the fast left hand Stirlings bend he lost the back end. Fortunately Jon was uninjured and the bike suffered only minor damage. He still managed to finish 15th overall in this session without the benefit of completing the session on the drying track. The weather forecast for race day was looking decidedly inclement as snow was forecast. Sure enough when we awoke on Sunday morning a thick blanket of snow greeted us. We decided that the racing would be cancelled and began to pack up. Fortunately Martin Landmann braved the conditions and came to Brands on Sunday and helped clear everything away. As expected the meeting was cancelled and rearranged for 10th/11th May 2008. Jon at Brands resplendent in his new Weise Leathers and gloves, and Vemar helmet courtesy of Fowlers of Bristol. Snetterton - Pirelli-Metzeler MRO Stocksport 600 Championship 11th – 13th April 2008 Fridays practise day began dry and sunny with showers forecast in the afternoon. Old tyres were used for the first four sessions while Jon got up to speed on a circuit he is familiar with. As expected the rain arrived after lunch along with much lower temperatures. It was decided not to practise further. Jon reported the Yamaha was very harsh over the bumps at Riches and Corams so with advice from Bill Waddington pre-load and compression damping was backed off on the front and rear suspension. Saturday dawned dry and sunny. The morning warm up and both qualifying sessions would be run in the dry.  Low mileage tyres would be used for qualifying and Jon ended the first session in second place with a time of 1m12.6s. Deciding to use the same tyres for the second session Jon did not improve his time but remained on the front row qualifying in third place within 2/10ths of the pole man.  As the flag dropped for the first race the field headed towards Riches for the first time. One rider decided to outbreak the whole field causing mayhem as they entered the first corner. This allowed the leader and eventual winner Ashley Chivers to get away. Jon settled into third place never to be challenged to the line. The second race began under a clouded sky which looked like threatening rain. In addition the track had been covered in oil after a sidecar blew up in an earlier race which affected the track from Sears corner though to Russells which would prove extremely tricky if rain were to fall. Jon made a mediocre start crossing the line in sixth place after the first lap. After six laps one rider fell and as the field began the seventh, rain began to fall at the Esses and Coram. As the leaders approached one by on they fell, one at Coram and three more at the Bomb Hole. This left Jon, now very cautious of the conditions to win by eight seconds from the next man home. Jon ended the day the overall winner and leading both the overall and junior championships.  First race rostrum – Junior class 1st Ashley Chivers, 2nd Jon and 3rd Ben Lightowler. Thruxton - Pirelli - Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship   18th – 20th April 2008 Jon returns to a circuit he has raced at once before in 2005 on his Aprilia when he remembers he was flat out everywhere apart from the complex. With lap speeds of over 100mph this would be a different proposition on the 600 Yamaha. Bill Waddington recommended a change to the front suspension rebound damping and one tooth was taken off the rear sprocket after Snetterton for the first practise session. Jon gradually improved his lap times as he became more familiar with the circuit and ended the session in 22nd place with a time of 1m 24.7s. He reported that the gearing was too short but the handling was fine. Saturday dawned wet and windy so the tyres were changed for wets and adjustments made to the suspension by Bill. Jon began the first qualifying session cautiously having slipped off in the wet at Brands. Thruxton is known for its grip in the wet so much so that it would take some getting used too. As the first qualifying session progressed Jon climbed the leader board and finished 14th, 2/10ths off 9th place with a lap time of 1m30.7s. The second session was scheduled eight hours later at 5.20pm. The conditions remained wet and a new rear wet tyre was installed. Again the battle to qualify raged as only 40 of the 54 entries would go through to the race. Jon continued to improve his lap times over the first session as did many of the other riders. With one lap to go Jon was 26th fastest. He climbed seven places with a lap of 1m27.5s to qualify 19th for the race. The Superstock 600 race on Sunday was to be the last of the day. At 5.50pm the grid formed Jon made a poor start from the fifth row and lost more places to quicker bikes through the fast back section of the circuit. After the first lap Jon crossed the line in 34th position and lost a further 4 places to end the fifth lap in 38th place. Upping the pace Jon began to real in the group in front managing to get up to 34th place before the race was red flagged after ten of the fourteen laps. Jon managed to improve his best dry lap with a time of 1m 23.8s. Inside the Ducks Cross racing teams awning. A welcome facility particularly in the snow and rain. Cadwell Park - Pirelli-Metzeler MRO Stocksport 600 Championship   25th – 27th April 2008 Jon returned to another circuit he had not raced at for two years although he first tested a Yamaha R6 there 11 months ago. Fridays test sessions began in dry sunny conditions which allowed Jon to concentrate on getting used to the technically demanding track. In the fourth session he got below the 1m 40s barrier with a 1m 39.3s lap. The remaining sessions would be in damp conditions preventing further improvement in lap times. Saturdays qualifying sessions on new tyres surprisingly only brought marginal improvement over Friday’s best with a time of 1m 38.9s ending qualifying in 8th position. Jon was finding it difficult to turn the bike quickly enough through certain sections of the track. Adjustments were made to the front suspension to speed up the steering for the first race. The first race began with Jon holding position after the first lap. He was closing in on 7th place but the pack ahead were getting away. After 3 laps the rider in front fell at the hairpin handing Jon 7th which he held till the flag. With no improvement to the steering further adjustments were made for the second race. Again Jon made a reasonable start but he could not hold on to those ahead and eventually succumbed to the following rider to finish in 9th place. The adjustments had not improved the handling for the 2nd race. Post race analysis of the data logger showed Jon’s ideal lap to be 1m 37.1s with his best splits spread over all twelve race laps. This would suggest that more time at the circuit would help close the gap with more consistent lap times closer to the ideal lap. Our partners for the 2008 season include: Fowlers of Bristol – Own brand Weise leathers and gloves and Vemar Helmets. Bohn Body Armor – Body protection. RS Workshop Equipment. Silkolene – Engine protection. Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd Cambridge Coring and Flooring ltd Huntingdon Business Centre Splash Motorcycles for the paintwork. Ducks Cross Racing Team backed by Carrino Flooring Ltd Ian Walker Photo courtesy of Racing Line Photography Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – March  2008   Brands Hatch - Pirelli-Metzeler  MRO Stocksport 600 Championship 8th and 9th March 2008 Friday practice dawned wet and windy. The first two sessions were used to wear out some old wet tyres and to get Jon back into the swing of Brands Hatch one of his favourite circuits. The circuit had dried sufficiently for the remaining sessions which would allow Jon to get used to the Metzeler Racetec control tyres. Jon reported good grip from the tyres with no signs of going off after four sessions. Friday evening the bike was checked over and some concern was raised when the motor was found to be burning an excessive amount of oil. Removal of the plugs confirmed that one cylinder was suffering with possibly either a broken ring or worn valve guides. Surprisingly the performance did not appear to be affected. By chance we were in the same garage as Tim Bourne who was a top class racer in the eighties and early nineties who came second  in the 1988 ACU Star 1300 Open Championship and rode a factory Kawasaki in the British Superbike championship in 1991 and 1992. Tim came out of retirement last year to race in the 1000cc Forza Extreme class at a few Bemsee meetings to win five out of eight races. An amazing achievement after such a long lay off. Tim very kindly gave some very useful advice to Jon throughout the weekend which would be reflected in his results. Brands Hatch - Pirelli-Metzeler  MRO Stocksport 600 Championship 8th and 9th March 2008 Friday practice dawned wet and windy. The first two sessions were used to wear out some old wet tyres and to get Jon back into the swing of Brands Hatch one of his favourite circuits. The circuit had dried sufficiently for the remaining sessions which would allow Jon to get used to the Metzeler Racetec control tyres. Jon reported good grip from the tyres with no signs of going off after four sessions. Friday evening the bike was checked over and some concern was raised when the motor was found to be burning an excessive amount of oil. Removal of the plugs confirmed that one cylinder was suffering with possibly either a broken ring or worn valve guides. Surprisingly the performance did not appear to be affected. By chance we were in the same garage as Tim Bourne who was a top class racer in the eighties and early nineties who came second  in the 1988 ACU Star 1300 Open Championship and rode a factory Kawasaki in the British Superbike championship in 1991 and 1992. Tim came out of retirement last year to race in the 1000cc Forza Extreme class at a few Bemsee meetings to win five out of eight races. An amazing achievement after such a long lay off. Tim very kindly gave some very useful advice to Jon throughout the weekend which would be reflected in his results. Saturday began with a dry ten lap practise session which saw Jon post the sixth fastest time. The two remaining sessions would be qualifying for the grid position for the two races on Sunday. The skies were darkening for the first and just as Jon was getting up to speed the rain began to fall cutting short any chance of improving his lap times. He ended tenth after this session. The second was wet and with no chance of improving his time it was decided not to take part in this session choosing to conserve the engine. Tenth on the grid is where he would start the races. Jon was not overly concerned as he was confident he could run a much quicker race pace following practise times he had achieved on Friday.                            The first race on Sunday would be dry and as the lights went out Jon made an excellent start moving up several places into Paddock Hill bend. The race was fast and furious for the first two laps with Jon getting the better of a few more riders to move into fourth place after three laps and he set after Mark Cringle on the 675 Triumph. With better drive out of clearways as the Triumph was sliding Jon overtook Mark into Paddock where he would stay to the finish. Jon’s fastest lap of 50.7 seconds compared well with his previous best on the supersport spec bike. The front runners were checked on the Dyno after the race and this would highlight the problem with the cylinder as it belched smoke. The second race of the day was wet and the wet control tyre was an unknown quantity as Jon had used Bridgestone wet weather tyres last year which were excellent. Jon again made a good start and settled into a race long battle for sixth place. The race was stopped after eight laps as one of the leading riders crashed which left the bike in the middle of the track handing Jon fifth place overall. Jon found the grip out of clearways did not give him the same confidence as the Bridgestone’s although the front tyre did perform well. The engine was checked and a broken oil ring spring was found. This was replaced ready for the next meeting at Donington. Donington Park - Pirelli-Metzeler  MRO Stocksport 600 Championship 22nd and 23rd March 2008 The Friday track day was entered to allow the bike to be run in. Four sessions were run before full power was used. Will Debage who helps Sam Bishop offered to install a different map for the Power Commander which would improve on the standard map for the Micron exhaust. Will discovered that the Power Commander did not have a map installed which meant that the bike was not performing as well as it should at Brands Hatch relying on the standard ECU fuelling map. The weather would prove to be a test of man and machine as the conditions were extremely changeable, ranging from heavy winds, sleet and snow with sunny spells. The temperatures were low all weekend. Free practise was wet and Jon ended third fastest again complaining of lack of rear end grip. The first qualifying session was dry and sunny and Jon posted the second fastest time two tenths off pole position. The second session was postponed until Sunday morning. Sunday dawned wet and cold and it was decided not to take part in the second qualifying session as Saturday’s times would not be bettered. As the races progressed the track began to dry and the sun began to shine although track temperatures would remain cold. Race one was dry and sunny as Jon made a mediocre start ending the first lap in fifth place. Within two laps he was up to third place and spent the next six laps homing in on the leaders. As he entered the chicane to start the ninth lap the two leaders were slowing each other up and Jon was right on their tale and hoping for a better drive out of Goddard’s he had a massive highside which abruptly ended his race, captured on film http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=ED&gallery=18 . He hobbled to the side of the track as the marshals collected the bike. At the end of the race Jon was taken to the medical centre and cleared to race again although his right ankle was swollen and painful. The bike had superficial cosmetic damage and was repaired in good time for the next race.      Photo courtesy of Racing Line Photography On inspection the left hand side of the tyre looked brand new a sign that the tyre was not working in the cold conditions. Also the left hand side of the tyre may have cooled as the last left hander was Starkey’s half a lap back. Jon decided to take part in the second race despite feeling uncomfortable on the bike to secure as many championship points as he could. A slow start put Jon back to ninth after the first lap with lots to do. He gradually made progress as he became familiar with the bike again unable to apply weight onto the right hand footrest having to adapt his riding style accordingly. Lap times improved as the race progressed and he began to pick off the riders in front one by one. Going into the last lap he had his sites on the two riders in front and heading to the chicane for the last time he out braked both riders on the outside to snatch fourth place on the road. The third place rider was excluded for a technical infringement handing Jon third place. The Superstock 600 races set a blistering pace all weekend as lap times compared very favourably with those of the Supersport 600 class. The MRO races at Brands Hatch and Donington have proved invaluable as preparation for the first National Metzeler Superstock 600 championship race which takes place at Brands Hatch on 4th – 6th April 2008. A review of the weekend using information provided by the data logger suggests we need to concentrate on rear end grip. This will need to be achieved without affecting the front end grip. NOTE – THE SUPERSTOCK 600 RACES FROM DONINGTON WILL BE TELEVISED ON MOTORS TV ON MONDAY 7TH APRIL AT 7.00PM WITH REPEATS ON 9TH, 10TH, 11TH AND 17TH.  Jon is pleased to announce that Fowlers of Bristol will also be supplying him with Vemar helmets. Our partners for the 2008 season include: Fowlers of Bristol – Own brand Weise leathers and gloves and Vemar Helmets. Bohn Body Armor – Body protection. RS Workshop Equipment. Silkolene – Engine protection. Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd Cambridge Coring and Flooring ltd Huntingdon Business Centre Splash Motorcycles for the paintwork. Ducks Cross Racing Team backed by Carrino Flooring Ltd Ian Walker      Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – FEBRUARY 2008 Testing at Donington Park – 22nd February 2008 Jon was fully recovered after having his appendices removed 3 weeks ago and looking forward to his first test of the year. He even managed several 20 mile cycle rides around Grafham Water to get his fitness level back to where it was before the operation. The bike had been fully rebuilt to Superstock specification using one of the Ducks Cross Racing’s stock motors by Mike Hemingway. A run on the Dyno confirmed the same output previously recorded using the modified Micron system with MHP end can and Power Commander. The suspension has been serviced and AIM data logging added which will provide invaluable data regarding the engine and suspension. The test day dawned and considering the time of year the weather was almost perfect apart from occasional strong winds. The day was spent running in the motor and getting to understand information provided by the data logger. Unfortunately it was impossible to get the mileage expected as only two of the sessions went the distance. This was particularly disappointing as Jon’s lap times were dropping consistently at a track he had not visited before. Several sessions were stopped after only two laps.(To see photos visit http://trackdaydigitalimages.com/220208fmc/ # 71)                   AIM DASH – NICE!!!!!!!!                                             SUSPENSION POTENTIOMETERS With the competition likely to be fierce in the National Superstock Championship it has been decided to employ the services of Bill Waddinton who will assist with the suspension set up using the data logging. It is considered that this is the area to concentrate on rather than straight line speed. This will undoubtedly help Jon as a rider as suspension set up is probably the one single area that can bring the biggest lap time improvements. Next stop Brands Hatch for the first round of the MRO Superstock 600 championship on 7-9th March 2008. In addition to support from the Carrino backed Ducks Cross Racing team the following have confirmed their continuing support: Fowlers of Bristol – Own brand Weise leathers and gloves KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/ Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/ RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/ Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/ Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377 Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600 Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/ Ducks Cross Racing Team backed by Carrino Flooring Ltd    Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2008 20082008 Plans are now well under way for Jon’s assault on the National Superstock 600 and National Endurance championships. Jon will run under the Carrino backed Ducks Cross Racing teams banner on a brace of Yamaha R6s. His own bike has been converted to Superstock specification with encouraging results on the dyno which gave only 2 bhp less than last year’s supersport version.   Testing dates are being arranged for February along with warm up races at the MRO meetings at Brands Hatch and Donington Park in March. Dates will be posted on the website shortly. Some National Superstock 600 race dates clash with endurance championship. It is hoped that as some races are on Saturday they will coincide with the Endurance races allowing Jon to race on the Sunday. The truck is currently being prepared and should really look the part. Jon is currently taking part in the National schools karting challenge and topped the times for his school in practise at Caxton raceway.  His 15 year old sister Rebecca was second quickest. They will form part of a three man squad to take on six other schools in the regional final next Thursday. The top three teams will go on the National final at Buckmoor Park at the end of February. Late news Jon was taken to hospital today (29/1/08) suffering from severe stomach pains with appendicitis being a possible cause. He will undergo micro surgery tomorrow to investigate further. If invasive surgery is required Jon will need to take it easy for a few weeks but should be fully recovered before the season starts. This is particularly disappointing for Jon as he has been training very hard over the winter to maintain a high level of fitness.      Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2007 2007 A season of two halves GP125 class The season began with high hopes with Jon having won the ACU Star Formula 125 championship the year before. Testing in Spain on the Honda rs125 went well despite a crash. The first race at the NGRRC club meeting at Silverstone in March would be a good indicator of how competitive he would be with a range of well known GP 125 runners at the meeting. He finished 4th overall in both races heading all the juniors in a race won by Luke Jones the eventual winner of the British 125 championship. The next event at the BSB meeting at the Brands GP circuit would see Jon qualify 29th and finish 25th overall, as much as could be expected on a relatively standard bike.  The first round of the Dunlop ACU Motostar championship followed at which Jon was entered for the GP125 Academy Cup class. He set a blistering pace in qualifying to go pole in class and second overall. The race turned into a disaster as he fell heavily at paddock hill bend causing the race to be stopped. Luckily there were no broken bones but unable to walk properly he not only missed the rerun of the race but also missed the next round at Croft. This with a DNF at the Silverstone round ended any real chance of championship success.  ACU Academy In June Jon attended the ACU’s fitness, diet and media training days which as last year proved invaluable. His level of fitness had increased to a level which saw him top the fitness test against all comers from the various bike racing disciplines. 600 Supersport class and Endurance racing A chance test in May on the Duck X Racings (named after a hamlet in Bedfordshire) Yamaha R6 gave Jon a taste for the bigger class so much so that both GP 125’s were sold to make way for a Supersport 600 Yamaha R6. This would give Jon the chance as he had only just turned 16 to get some mileage under his belt for next season.  Having grown considerably in height since the end of last season now at over 5ft 10inches tall he looked more at home on the 600. Jon reported the bike felt comfortable to ride and could not fault the braking or handling. His first race meeting was at the competitive MRO meeting at Snetterton in July. The Supersport class was chosen in preference to the Clubman’s class as it was considered the riders would be more experienced although the pace would be faster. Jon did not disappoint posting the 7th fastest time in qualifying for the superpole race. His first ever start for the superpole race nearly ended in disaster when the front wheel reached for the sky as the lights turned to green. He dropped back to 14th but managed to battle his way back to 7th by the end of the race. The two races on Sunday would again see mediocre starts which resulted in Jon battling his way to 5th place in both races. Jon’s next event was the 6 hour Endurance race at Pembrey with the Ducks X Racing team. Jon qualified the team in 5th place overall. From the Le-Man start Jon made rapid progress in the very wet conditions progressing to second place towards the end of the first hour. Unfortunately the race would end as one of the team members crashed. Although the bike was returned bravely to the pits the bike was irreparable. Jon missed the next two scheduled meetings at Snetterton in August as a result of a crash in practise where he broke a bone in his left hand. Fully recovered from his injury Jon competed at the MRO meeting at Snetterton and Brands Hatch for the Championship of Brands. Against a strong grid at Snetterton Jon qualified 9th and had a best race finish of ninth with a best lap time of 1m 12.1s which was a further improvement over his previous best despite difficulties with the rear tyre. Brands would see the Supersport class mixed in with the Powerbikes with 64 riders entered for the Champion of Brands event. Only 38 would go through to the A final. Jon qualified a respectable 28th after the first qualifying run with a lap of 51.3s lap although the bike was not steering at it’s best. A new set of tyres were used for the second session and his lap times immediately improved to 50.7s to give him 27th overall. The races would be fast and furious with the 1000cc Powerbikes quicker up the straights and the more nibble 600’s faster through the turns. Both Jon’s races would see Jon battle with the larger bikes to finish 24th and 23rd with an improved lap time of 50.2s. Jon’s second endurance event at Silverstone would see the team finish a creditable 4th place overall and 2nd in class. Jon despite a small crash in free practise qualified the team in 5th place. The race combined the National 6 hour event and 2 hour Tag race which gave a starting grid of 45. Despite a slow get away  following confusion at the start which affected a few teams Jon managed to get the team up to sixth place overall in the first hour. With consistent riding by Jon’s team mates they maintained position after 3 hours. Following a rapid pit stop to change a rear wheel with a new tyre the team gained an advantage to move up to fourth place which was never to be threatened. At only 16 Jon is probably one of the youngest competitors ever to take part in an endurance event of this type. The final meeting of the year would prove to be a welcome return for Jon to the BikeSport News autumn Championship where just a year ago he won the Formula 125 class. The meeting included the Celtic match races which resulted in the 600 Supersport class having a strong field which included top riders from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. Jon qualified 9th and finished 11th, 6th and 5th in the races to end 5th overall in the championship. This final meeting of the year saw Jon improve his starts and close the gap on the front runners with regard to lap times. The field included several well known riders from the Yamaha R6 Cup which provided a useful yardstick which confirms that Jon will be competitive in the Junior Superstock class next year. A number of programmes are currently being discussed with Jon’s backers which will see him compete in the Junior Superstock class and National Endurance championship in 2008. Our partners PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING Our partners for the 2007 season include: Prexport www.prexport.com Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/ Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600 Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/ KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/ Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/ JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/ CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065 Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/ Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377 Ducks X Racing Endurance Racing team -  Martin Landmann  For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net    Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – NOVEMBER 2007 On the Dyno A week before Pembrey the bike was taken to the Dyno to get a comparison with the Duck X Racing’s endurance machine which was tuned to Superstock specification, and to check any difference the MHP end can made which was necessary to keep below the maximum ACU noise limit of 105db. The first run with the MHP can gave a reading of 112 bhp which compared with 109 bhp for the endurance machine. This is not the difference we would have expected for a bike which has had porting modifications and is running a lightweight generator. Both bikes ran race kit ECU’s and wiring harnesses. After this run the end can and collector was changed for the full race Micron which measured at over 105db when noise tested. The pleasant surprise was the power actually reduced slightly with this system. Pembrey – BikeSport News Autumn Cup 3rd /4th November 2007 The final meeting of the year would prove to be a welcome return for Jon to the BikeSport News autumn Championship where just a year ago he won the Formula 125 class. The meeting included the Celtic match races which resulted in the 600 Supersport class having a strong field which included top riders from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. Jon qualified 9th and finished 11th, 6th and 5th in the races to end 5th overall in the championship. This final meeting of the year saw Jon improve his starts and close the gap on the front runners with regard to lap times. The field included several well known riders from the Yamaha R6 Cup which provided a useful yardstick which confirms that Jon will be competitive in the Junior Superstock class next year.   Optional race programmes for 2008- Superstock 600 class The following programmes are currently being considered for 2008 and will be subject to date clashes: 1.     BSB – 11 rounds (Televised on SKY Sports) + National Endurance championship. 2.     MRO – 10 rounds + National Endurance championship. 3.     Triumph Triple Challenge – 9 rounds (Televised on Motors TV) + National Endurance championship. A note from Jon I  would like to say a big thank you to the following for their support throughout the year : KBC Helmets, Prexport and Bohn Body Armor for providing much needed protection on the odd occasion I crashed. Martin Landmann (team owner of the Carrino Flooring backed Ducks X Racing team) for  the opportunity to test  the Yamaha R6 and ride for the team at the 6 hour races at Pembrey and Silverstone. RS Workshop Equipment and Silkolene for their product support. Huntingdon Business Centre, Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd, Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd and Ian Walker for their financial support. Splash Motorcycles for the paintwork. JK Tuning for the Dyno work and advice for the RS125 in particular.  Our partners PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING Our partners for the 2007 season include: Prexport www.prexport.com Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/ Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600 Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/ KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/ Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/ JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/ CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065 Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/ Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377 Ducks X Racing Endurance Racing team -  Martin Landmann  For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net   Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER 2007  Silverstone – Hottrax National 6 Hour Endurance race 6TH October 2007 Both the National and Junior events were combined to form an impressive grid of 45. The Junior race would end after 2 hours leaving the National’s to continue on for the remaining four hours. Of the 45 entrants most were 1000cc Superbikes or Superstock machines, the remainder were 600cc Supersport or Superstock bikes. Despite a small crash in free practice Jon qualified the team 5th overall and 3rd in the 600 Supersport class on their Carrino Flooring backed Yamaha R6. The team consisted uniquely of the youngest and oldest riders in the race, Jon at 16 being the youngest and Mick Thompson the oldest at 59. Mick is a veteran International sidecar racer who competed at the Isle of Man TT for the last time this year. The third rider and team owner Martin Landmann at 45 completed the rider line up.  Endurance racing is a team event with the mechanics playing a key role. Refuelling is required every hour and tyres need changing. Teams would change a rear at two or three hour intervals. Some teams elected to change a front but most did not. Time can be lost or gained in the pits. Endurance motorcycle races still begin with a Le-Man start with riders lined up on the opposite side of the track to the bikes. At the drop of the flag the riders run to the machines to make the start. Jon made an indifferent start which dropped the team down the order but with consistently quick lap times the team were up to 6th overall at the first rider change. Martin Landmann took over for the next hour, followed by Mick Thompson. Again lapping consistently the team were jockeying for sixth place with Viking Racing and Feisty Racing. The end of the third hour would prove decisive as all teams changed wheels. With a very quick rear wheel change Ducks X Racing gained an advantage over several other teams which along with quicker lap times by each rider in their second session enabled the team to move up to 4th place overall and 2nd in class, completing 293 laps in 6 hours.  Jon’s next and the last race of the year will be at the BikeSport News Autumn championship at Pembrey on 4th and 5th November, where he will compete in the 600 Supersport class. He hopes to repeat the success of a year ago in the 600 class, when he won the Formula 125 championship. Several optional race programmes for 2008 will be presented next month focusing on the 600 Superstock class.   Our partners PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING Our partners for the 2007 season include: Prexport www.prexport.com Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/ Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600 Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/ KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/ Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/ JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/ CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065 Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/ Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377 Ducks X Racing Endurance Racing team -  Martin Landmann  For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – September 2007

Snetterton – MRO 14TH – 16TH September 2007

• Prexport www.prexport.com

• Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html

• RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/

• Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600

• Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/

• KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/

• Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/

• JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/

• CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065

• Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/

• Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377

• Ducks X Racing Endurance Racing team -  Martin Landmann 

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

Snetterton – NGRRC 17^TH – 19^TH August  2007

Jon was looking forward to his next race at Snetterton with more experience on a Yamaha after the Pembrey outing last month. Fridays track day before the North Gloucester Road Racing Club meeting had a large grid of 600’s including the main contenders for the club championship. Jon immediately got on the pace that he ran at the MRO meeting at Snetterton consistently lapping faster than the rest of the field on worn tyres. It was decided to run three sessions before changing to better rubber. Three laps into third session Jon failed to appear. The race was red flagged and a rider reported that Jon was on his feet with the bike lying on the entry into Coram Curve. Jon returned in the ambulance to the medical centre for a check up. With a bruised knee and swollen left hand he was discharged. Jon reported that as he accelerated up to Coram Curve a rider he was following suddenly slowed and moved across in front of him. He collided with the rear of the other bike and lost the front end. Fortunately the other rider stayed on.

Back at the garage the bike was rebuilt ready to go. Unfortunately Jon was unable to grip the left handlebar as the swelling on his hand got worse. The decision was made to return home with a view to returning if the swelling reduced. This was not to be and a visit to casualty at Hinchingbrooke hospital revealed after an X-ray a fractured metacarpal in his left hand. Despite wishful thinking Jon would not be able to make the 8 hour Endurance race on bank holiday Monday. The fracture is expected to heal for the next MRO meeting on 14-15^th September. A visit to Brian Simpson the renowned laser surgeon will determine what treatment will be necessary to ensure he will be fit enough.

Snetterton – National 8 hour Endurance race – 27^th August 2007

Jon went along to support the Ducks X Racing and helped where he could with the lap timing and pit stop work. Martin, Mick and Russell rode the Carrino backed Yamaha R6 to second in class and ninth overall completing 341 laps in eight hours.

Jon is looking forward to racing at the last 6 hour endurance race of the year at Silverstone on 6^th

Our partners

PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING

Our partners for the 2007 season include:

• Prexport www.prexport.com

• Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html

• RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/

• Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600

• Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/

• KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/

• Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/

• JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/

• CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065

• Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/

• Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

 Snetterton – MRO 6TH – 8TH July 2007

After the long layoff to complete his GCSE’s Jon was looking forward to his first race meeting on the Yamaha R6. He was entered in the elite MRO 600 Supersport class at Snetterton. Friday testing would allow Jon to familiarise himself with the bike at this very fast circuit. He gradually reduced his times in the five dry sessions ending the day with a best lap of 1m 14s using old tyres. With a new set of tyres for Saturday qualifying he improved his time to 1m 13s which put him 7th on the grid for the 8 lap super pole race.

Despite practising his starts at the end of each practise session he nearly cart wheeled the bike at the start of the super pole race as it reached for the sky, which dropped him back to 14th at the end of the first lap. Once he got going he made rapid progress through the field to claim 7th position which is where he would start the two races on Sunday.

Sunday dawned sunny and warm. Jon was confident of improving on his race pace as he became more familiar with the bike. More cautious at the start of each race Jon again fell back to end the first lap in 14th place. However with the race distance increased to 10 laps he had more chance of improving his result. With improved lap times he reeled in those in front to claim 5th place on both occasions with a best lap of 1m 12.6s.

Jon’s pace and results were more than could have been expected for his first outing.  He finds the Yamaha R6 faultless in every respect which has undoubtedly given him the confidence to push hard so quickly.

Pembrey – National 6 hour Endurance race – 20th–22nd July 2007

Jon joined the Ducks X Racing team of Martin Landmann and Mick Thompson at the National Hottrax 6 hour endurance race at Pembrey.

Uniquely the team probably had the youngest and oldest riders, with Jon at 16 and Mick at 59, a sidecar racer of note who competed at this years Isle of Man TT races, with Martin somewhere in between. 

The conditions would be a complete contrast to Snetterton. Free practise was held in very wet conditions giving all the riders the chance for the first time to try wet tyres on the R6. All riders agreed that the wets offered phenomenal grip with Jon managing to lap frighteningly fast in 1m 7s. Saturday qualifying would be on a damp to drying track so intermediate tyres were chosen. In a field that included 1000cc Superbikes Jon qualified the team in 5th place overall and 2nd in class.

The heavy rain on Friday caused severe flooding along the M50 which meant despite several diversions that the rest of the team members would not get to the circuit. This left the timekeeping, refuelling and wheel changing to Jon’s dad with the riders mucking in to help.

Jon was chosen to start the race which had a le-Mans start! Tyre choice was proving difficult as the track began to dry after a shower an hour and a half before the race. As the skies blackened the heavens opened with an hour to go the choice was made to run full wets. At just before midday Jon lined up on the grid ready for his first ever Le-Mans start. The Welsh flag dropped and all the competitors ran for there bikes. Jon emerged 6th into first corner but would be up to 4th place after the first lap. He set a stunning pace to reel in and pass the leading SS600 team in very wet conditions. As the track dried the two leading superbikes began to struggle. The leading bike came in early to change a front tyre putting Jon into 2nd place. Martin took charge for the second stint. By now the track was drying rapidly and the wet tyres were not working at there best. Intermediate tyres were made ready for the next stop. Mick took over for the third stint when the rear tyre was changed for an intermediate as Martin reported the front grip remained predicable. There were also concerns that a large puddle was present at the exit to the hairpin despite the rest of the track being almost dry. Mick pressed on lapping consistently in the difficult conditions. With the sun now shining and no chance of more rain the front tyre would need changing for Jon’s next session. With a slick front tyre Jon would need to be cautious exiting the hairpin with the puddle not drying out. By now the team were circulating in sixth place, and Jon set about chasing those in front lapping consistently in the 1m 5s bracket and occasionally dropping into the 1m 4s. Unsure exactly how many laps the Yamaha would run in the dry the riders were told to signal when the fuel light came on. With 37 laps gone Jon signalled to the pits. Martin took over after the fuel stop. With the team hoping to go the distance without further tyre changes the expectations were a top six finish. Unfortunately this would not be as Martin crashed at the very fast right hand corner leading onto the straight. Despite Martin very rapidly getting the bike back to the pits the bike could not be repaired.

Jon enjoyed the experience and proved his capabilities in such varying and difficult conditions. He is looking forward to the next long distance race which will be an 8 hour event at Snetterton on 29th August

Our partners

PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING

Our partners for the 2007 season include:

• Prexport www.prexport.com

• Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html

• RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/

• Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600

• Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/

• KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/

• Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/

• JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/

• CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065

• Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/

• Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

 ACU Academy – Diet and Fitness seminar – 2^nd June 2007

Jon joined several other Academy members who represented a range of disciplines including motocross, enduro, trials and road racing for diet and fitness training at Bath University.

Sam Howells of Bluskills explained the benefits of having the correct diet and fitness regime to improve performance.

The final part of the day was taken up with establishing fitness levels of all those that attended using the recognised bleep test. This requires each athlete to run 20 metres between two cones. The athlete must cover the distance on the sound of the bleep. Each stage lasts a minute and the time between each bleep decreases. What begins as a fast walk ends as sprint. Athletes are excluded when they fail to reach the cone at the bleep.  Jon improved on last years performance to head the results of all the motorcycle disciplines.

ACU Academy – Media Training – 16^th June 2007

Jon along with other academy members spent a day at the ACU headquarters in Derby where they were joined by Barry Nutley former BBC television commentator for British Superbike meetings.

Barry gave expert advice and the Academy members took part in role play using case studies to conduct interviews with video recording.

The day was well received by those that attended and gave the lads plenty to think about next time they are interviewed by Fred Clarke!

Jon moves to Supersport  600 Class

Having successfully tested a Yamaha R6 last month Jon will be moving to the Supersport 600 class for the remainder of the season. Jon is itching to get back on a bike again after the layoff to complete his GCSE’s.

 His first race will be the MRO meeting at Snetterton on 6th, 7th and 8th July riding an ex. Sam Bishop Yamaha R6. Jon has also been invited to ride with the Ducks X Racing team at the National 6 hour race at Pembrey on 22nd July.

Our partners

PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING

Our partners for the 2007 season include:

Prexport www.prexport.com

Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html

RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/

Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600

Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/

KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/

Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/

JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/

CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065

Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/

Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – May 2007

Oulton Park – BSB – 5/6/7th May 2007

With 52 entered for the GP 125 class eight riders would be disappointed with only 44 allowed to start the race. The tuned bike was chosen for this round after a thorough check over. With slightly more power Jon managed to finish 31^st in both free practice sessions and was 32^nd through the speed trap which was closer to the front runners compared to the standard bike used at Silverstone although still over 6mph down.

He continued to improve his lap times in both qualifying sessions to finish 35^th. While top speed had increased to 110mph the quickest had increased to 118mph.

Jon managed one practise start which highlighted a problem with the clutch. On inspection the inner drum was worn causing the clutch plates not to engage properly as the lever was released.  At the start of the race the bike bogged down dropping Jon back to 41^st place after the first lap. With plenty to do he got his head down consistently lapping quicker than he had done in practise to finish 28^th at the flag.

Silverstone – ACU Dunlop Motostar 125cc championship – Round three – 13th May 2007

Back on the standard bike for Silverstone Jon was looking forward to some wet racing predicted by the weather forecast.

Jon ended qualifying 7^th overall and 4^th in class. With high hopes of improving his position in the race.

The rain had been falling steadily during practise. For the race the heavens opened and the rain became torrential. Additional  tape was used to cover the radiator to maintain engine temperature above 45 degrees.

Jon made a good start in the race making up a place off the line. Steadily he dropped back until he pulled in along with several other riders, not wanting to risk a cold seizure, after the third lap as the engine temperature dropped to 32 degrees.

With plenty of revision need for his GCSE’s this would be Jon’s last race meeting until July.

Testing a Yamaha R6 – Just for fun!!!!!!!!!

An opportunity arose which gave Jon the chance to test a Yamaha R6. A local Endurance racing team “Ducks X Racing” run by Martin Landmann offered Jon a run out at a track day on 26^th August 2007 at Cadwell Park followed by a day at Pembrey on 29^th May 2007 which was organised by the ACU Academy. Jon was under strict instructions not to drop the bike as he could not afford to miss exams as a result of injury.

Martin and his co rider Russell Horton recently came third at the KRC’s 2 hour endurance race at Mallory on their R6.

They had a pair of bikes at Cadwell Park both prepared to the same level of engine and chassis tune. The R6 would be completely different to the bikes Jon had ridden previously with substantially more power and weight. The Yamaha had been tested on the dyno at over 119 BHP and weighed 155kgs, compared to the Honda RS125’s 38 BHP and 72kgs.

Jon used the first session at Cadwell to familiarise himself with feel of the bike including getting used to the gear change which was road pattern (down for first) rather than race (up for first). After the session Jon was impressed by the speed difference in a straight line compared to the Honda. In the second session the lap times dropped dramatically. Jon finished the session beaming from ear to ear, stating the bike was handling well particularly on the fast corners. Jon completed five sessions in all and looked forward to the next test at Pembrey.

The ACU Academy training day at Pembrey with coaches Clive Horton and Nigel Bosworth was structured to concentrate on various individual elements rather than shear lap times. The morning’s sessions dealt with exit and mid corner speed followed by braking. The afternoon would focus on suspension settings.  Adjustments from full off to full on were made to rebound and compression damping one step at a time so the rider could feel the difference. This is vital if the rider is to be able to set up a bikes suspension to get the best from the chassis which is probably more important than outright straight line speed. Lap times did improve however, as Jon was getting more used to the bike and an optimum setting was found although by now the tyres were well worn.

Jon continued to be impressed by the speed and handling of the Yamaha R6 so much so the team is considering obtaining a machine to compete in a few races towards the end of the session in readiness for next session.

Jon would like to thank Martin and Russell for the loan of the bike which ran and handled faultlessly.

Watch this space for more news.

Our partners

PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING

Our partners for the 2007 season include:

Prexport www.prexport.com

Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html

RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/

Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600

Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/

KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/

Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/

JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/

CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065

Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/

Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – April 2007

Brands Hatch – BSB – 8th/9th April 2007

With 47 entered for the GP 125 class both qualifying and racing would be tough. With a grid limited to 44 three riders would be disappointed. Jon would confine the first untimed practice sessions on Friday to familiarising himself with the GP circuit and bike set up. Jon managed 30^th with a lap of 1m 46.1s in the first session and a disappointing 36^th with a lap time of 1m 43.8s in the second. With jetting and gearing changes overnight Saturday dawned bright and sunny. Jon was looking forward to improving on his lap times and grid position in the qualifying sessions. His best lap of 1m 40.6s in the first gave him 26^th on the grid. In the second he improved the lap time to 1m40.1s putting him 29^th on the grid for the race. The trap speeds told a story as through both sectors he was clocked 35^th quickest over 6mph down on the leaders.

With hopes of improving his lap times in the race Jon posted 20^th fastest time in warm up on Monday morning having run in a new piston at the beginning of the session. In the race Jon made a reasonable start only loosing a couple of places off the line. He battled for several laps to stay with a group of riders but lost touch at half distance and had a lonely race to the flag to finish 25^th overall and 11^th in the Academy Cup class, and a best lap of 1m 39.6s.

All in all the weekend was a worthwhile experience with progress made in every session. Riding at this level should also help Jon’s development as a rider. Work will need to be done to increase the performance of the bike for this level of competition.

Steve Sawford (twice ex. British 250 champion) one of the ACU coaches allocated to the BSB meetings was of great help with regard to helping Jon with his riding and machine set up.

Brands Hatch – ACU Dunlop Motostar 125cc championship – Round one – 14th April 2007

Entered in the Colin Appleyard Academy Cup class for riders up to 18 years of age riding essentially standard racing GP 125cc machines Jon was looking forward the racing at the Brands Hatch short circuit.

With a complete contrast to the previous weekends BSB meeting, practice, qualifying and the championship race would be complete by mid afternoon.

Jon completed an uneventful free practise requiring only a minor jetting change as the bike was looking and sounding stronger than the tuned bike used the previous weekend. Qualifying would not be easy with a full grid, which consisted of 32 GP 125cc machines and 12 Formula 125, and 70cc racing machines. Despite at times heavy traffic Jon posted a respectable 52.55s lap time to put him second overall on the grid against a number of tuned GP 125 machines, only 0.06s behind the pole time.

Jon was feeling confident for the race as he becomes more familiar with the pure racing bike compared to last years Aprilia. Making an indifferent start Jon crossed the line in 6^th place looking extremely quick gaining a place on the second lap and in touch with the leaders with a lap of 52.1s. Unfortunately as he exited Paddock Hill bend for the third time he had a massive high side which through him to the ground. He ended up in the gravel having slid several yards on the tarmac with the bike staying up right across the gravel until it hit the tyres. The marshals and medics were quickly on the scene. As a result the race was stopped and Jon was taken to the medical centre where he received excellent treatment for a bruised backside, grazed arm and sprained ankle.

The data logger did not give any clues as to why he fell off with speed and throttle opening very similar to the previous lap. The logger stopped recording at 80mph the point where he crashed.

Well beaten up and unable to walk properly for several days Jon was disappointed to miss Croft the following weekend.

Jon would like to thank the marshals and medics at Brands Hatch for their help. Also the KBC helmet, Prexport leathers, boots and gloves, and Bohn Body Armor did an excellent job in keeping the injuries to a minimum.

Silverstone  - BSB - 29th/30th April 2007

Following the strong performance by the standard bike at Brands Hatch it was decided to use this bike for Silverstone. The benchmark for lap times would be last years final of the ACU Star championship held at the same venue.

Free practice on Friday enabled Jon to get up to speed following his high speed accident two weeks earlier.

Times improved over the two sessions although the speed trap figures were well down on the front runners which was not unexpected as the bike was standard although they compared favourably when measured against the benchmark for standard bikes. A better understanding of the data logging was assisting with jet settings and gearing which made sure we were getting the best from the bike as far as these areas are concerned. 

Judging from free practice qualifying was going to be tough with 48 entered for 44 places on the grid. Despite improving his times over free practice Jon qualified 37^th.

Jon did several practice starts during the sessions to ensure hopefully a better start in the race compared to Brands. This was to pay off as Jon completed the first lap of the race in 28^th position losing two places before the flag to finish 10^th in the Academy Cup class and 30^th overall. He was unable to improve on his qualifying time as the bike appeared difficult to hold a tight line in the medium to slow corners causing him to loose touch with the group ahead.

At next weekends BSB meeting at Oulton Park following advice from Steve Sawford and Robin Milton adjustments will be made to the geometry to improve steering response.

Our partners

PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING

Our partners for the 2007 season include:

Prexport www.prexport.com

Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html

RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/

Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600

Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/

KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/

Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/

JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/

CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065

Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/

Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – March 2007

The Dyno and testing at Pembrey and Snetterton

After Spain both bikes were taken up to John King’s Dyno at Branston near Lincoln. The new standard bike was carefully run in before full power runs were taken to establish the power output. The initial run gave an r output of 34 BHP with adjustments to jetting taking it up to 37 BHP on pump fuel. The tuned ex Phil Allen Racing machine produced 37 BHP initially, with jetting adjustments again producing an increase in power to 39 BHP. Base settings were established for jetting taking into account temperature, humidity and air pressure. 

The team headed off to Pembrey for testing on 4th and 5th March to try the new bike. The first session on Saturday was wet which did not present any problems. From the second session cut slicks were used as the track dried out. As speeds increased a mysterious misfire occurred in top gear. The symptom appeared to point towards fuel starvation so the fuel and breather pipe were checked for blockages, but none were found. The misfire continued for the remaining sessions. Jon was struggling for drive out of the hairpin so it was decided to lower 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th gear ratios for Sunday testing. Sunday dawned wet and windy and the test was abandoned. The team went away with the misfire problem to resolve before the Silverstone race meeting.

In an effort to resolve the misfire it was decided to attend one of the BSB test days at Snetterton on 24th March. A chance discussion with Steve Sawford in the caravan on Friday night found the potential problem. The petrol tank breather needed to be connected directly into the new still air box. If this is not done, a vacuum is created which causes fuel starvation. The first dry session at Snetterton confirmed the prognosis. The bike never missed a beat. For the next two sessions the tuned bike was used to ensure there were no problems for the next days race meeting at Silverstone. These sessions were wet and cold as the weather turned nasty. Not put off Jon continued to get used to the bike in the variable conditions.

Race day – Silverstone 25th March 2007

After all the testing Jon was looking forward to his first race on a GP 125 at the NG Road Racing Clubs meeting at one of his favourite circuits, Silverstone. Arriving at Silverstone on Saturday evening the race bike was checked over with everything found to be in order. The short National circuit was used for this meeting. The paddock awoke to a dull and wet Sunday morning. The first practise was wet with most of the field taking it easy not wanting to crash before the first race.

With a full grid of 44 bikes consisting of fifteen 400cc streetstock, eight formula 125 and twenty-one GP 125 machines Jon drew 4th on the grid for the qualifying race. Making a reasonable start although dropping back a few places off the line Jon ended the first lap in 4th place, a position he held to the end. This result gave Jon 4th place on the grid for the final. After a good start Jon settled into third place, which he held for four laps before being overtaken. He held fourth place to the flag. As the first junior finisher Jon was very pleased with progress and is looking forward to the first BSB meeting at Brands Hatch over Easter where the opposition will provide a much greater challenge.

New partner

TEAM JONRAILTON.COM is pleased to announce that Prexport will be providing Jon with leathers, boots and gloves for 2007. By coincidence he used Prexport leathers last year, which proved invaluable on the odd occasion he slipped off.

Our partners

PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING

Our partners for the 2007 season include:

Prexport www.prexport.com

Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd of St Neots www.picltd.co.uk/index.html

RS Workshop Equipment Ltd of Peterborough www.rsworkshopequipment.co.uk/

Huntingdon Business Centre, telephone 01480 458600

Bohn Body Armor of California www.bohnarmor.com/

KBC Helmets of California www.kbc-helmet.com/

Silkolene www.silkolene.co.uk/

JK Tuning of Lincoln www.jktuning.co.uk/

CLEANAGAIN LTD. Telephone 01279 776065

Splash Motorcycles of St Ives www.splashmotorcycles.com/

Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd. telephone 01480 473377

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – FEBRUARY 2007

Jon joins the winners at ACU awards evening

Many of the best known names in British motorcycle racing were amongst the 500 guests at the Auto Cycle Union (ACU) awards evening held at Northampton’s Park Inn hotel, where over 100 British champions gathered to receive their awards. Jon, as winner of the 2006 ACU Formula 125 Championship, was presented with a Honda RS125 by Jim Parker, the ACU’s Chairman, and Steve Parrish, the former GP star, Suzuki team mate of Barry Sheen, and now MotoGp commentator. This is the bike that Jon will race in the 2007 ACU Dunlop Tyres 125GP MotoStar Cup.

Jon also received the David Bailey Trophy, which is presented to the most promising Production 125cc rider in the ACU’s East Midland Centre. David Bailey, for many years the totally unflappable Start/Finish line controller at most ACU organised International events, was heavily involved in club racing with the Newmarket and New Era motor cycle clubs. The trophy was donated by David’s family after his sudden death.


Photograph by kind permission of the ACU

New livery for 2007

Our new livery of black and fluorescent yellow certainly makes the bikes stand out from the crowd, and thanks to Barry Brudenell of Splash Motorcycles it looks fantastic. Side numbers are on the fairing, complying with the regulations that come into force in 2008.

Both bikes will sport the new colours. The ex Phil Allen Racing Honda is finished and was used during the first test session at the Cartagena circuit in southern Spain. The new bike will be ready for the first UK test, which will take place in Wales in March.

Testing

On February 9, the team’s van, driven by Rob and Dave, and containing Jon’s ex Phil Allen Racing Honda, and three other bikes started the journey to the Cartagena circuit in southern Spain. Rob’s son Michael – also a GP125 racer – and 250GP racers John Eastwood and Adam Hart had also chosen to test at the Spanish circuit. Jon and his father followed three days later, flying to Murcia and arriving at 5.00 pm on Monday 12th February.

All four riders met at the circuit on Tuesday morning to prepare the machines for the first session, which was scheduled for 10.00am. The weather was a warm 20 degrees and sunny, perfect conditions for testing.

During this first day Jon completed six sessions, covering over 50 laps, and was quickly establishing the 125’s handling, grip and power characteristics. The Honda RS125 is a thoroughbred racing machine uses slick tyres’ has more power, a close ratio gearbox, better brakes, and is lighter than the production based Aprilia he rode last year. Jon and his father spent the evening reviewing the knowledge gained during the days testing and planning their tactics for the following day.

The weather was perfect again for the second days testing, and Jon’s lap times continued to improve as he became more familiar with the bike’s characteristics. In the second session, as his confidence grew, he was quicker than anyone had thought possible at this stage in the test. But his tyres were not up to it and his session came to an end as the front tyre washed out at a fast right‑hander. Fortunately, he was unhurt, which is a testament to the quality and strength of the Bohn Body Armor and Prexport leathers.

Once back at the pits the bike was repaired and Jon soon got his lap times to within a couple of seconds of his best before the crash. He completed a further two sessions before calling it a day when a small radiator leak prevented any further serious testing.

Everyone was delighted with Jon’s achievements in Spain. The conditions were perfect and the challenging Cartagena circuit enabled him to adapt to the nimble and more powerful race bred Honda. The next test will be at Pembrey in Wales on the 3rd and 4th of March. It’s unlikely to be as warm as it was in Spain, but let’s hope it’s not too cold.

Racing in the UK begins on 25th March with a warm-up race at Silverstone, followed by round one of the British 125GP Championship on April 7/8/9. In the meantime both bikes will be taken to John King’s Dyno to check their power and torque curve.

For further information about TEAM JONRAILTON.COM please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or email david.railton@talktalk.net

Team JONRAILTON.COM  NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2007

Last season was a memorable one for Jon. In his first full year of bike racing he exceeded all his expectations by winning the ACU Formula 125 Star Championship, Bike Sport News Formula 125 Autumn Championship at Pembrey, and coming fourth in the Aprilia RS 125 Superteens Championship. He also benefited from being a member of the ACU Academy, which is committed to helping young British riders to progress by providing coaching and training, including sports psychology, diet and fitness. One of only four riders selected by the academy to join MotoGP teams at Donington he spent the weekend with the Rizla Suzuki team. Jon aims to make his 2007 season even more memorable.

2007 season

This season Jon will compete in the prestigious Auto Cycle Union (ACU) Dunlop Tyres 125GP MotoStar Cup, which was launched by former World Superbike Champion James Toseland at the opening ceremony of the Motor Cycle and Scooter Show at the NEC on 26th October 2006. Jon will also compete in the 125GP class at selected British Super Bike rounds.

Following last years visit to Bisham Abbey with the ACU Academy Jon has continued a fitness programme over the winter and can regularly be seen running around Grafham Water. He currently completes a full circuit of 9 miles in 1 hour 10 minutes and is aiming to improve on James Toseland’s target of 10 miles in 1 hour.

Testing starts in February this year with three days in the warmer climate at the Cartagena circuit in southern Spain where Jon will get to know his new Honda. The low temperatures in Britain in February make it impossible to get any heat into the tyres and so learning much about the bike’s performance and handling is difficult.

About Jon

Starting in Cadet Class when eight years old Jon won his first kart championship at the age of eleven. In total he won six championships, the last one being at his last karting event in December 2005.

Motorcycle racing

Season 2005. Jon combined kart and bike racing and finished 15th in the Aprilia RS125 Superteens Championship.

Season 2006. Won the ACU Formula 125 Star championship, the BikeSport News Autumn Championships and came fourth in the Aprilia RS125 Superteens Championship.

Bikes for 2007

Two Grand Prix Honda RS125s. One set up for the ACU Dunlop Tyres 125GP MotoStar Cup, where the bikes have to remain essentially standard. The other bike will be tuned for the 125GP class at British Super Bike race meetings at which the combined weight of bike and rider cannot exceed 138kg.

Bodywork prepared ready for its final coat of paint.

Our partners

PROMOTING BUSINESS AND BRANDS THROUGH THE SPECTACULAR AND EXCITING WORLD OF MOTORCYCLE RACING

We are pleased to confirm continuing support for the 2007 season from Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd, RS Workshop Equipment Ltd, Huntingdon Business Centre, Bohn Body Armor, KBC Helmets, Silkolene, JK Tuning and CLEANAGAIN LTD.

Additional support for 2007 will come from Cambridgeshire Coring & Flooring Ltd and Barry Brudenell of Splash Motorcycles, based in St. Ives Cambridgeshire. Barry will provide the paint scheme for both bikes.

For further information about team jonrailton.com or these businesses and brands please visit www.jonrailton.com or telephone David Railton on 01480 812228, mobile 07879 412711, or e‑mail david.railton@talktalk.net

13th and 14th May 2006

Aprilia RS125 Superteens Championship at Brands Hatch (4th Round)

Jonathan moved from 5th to 4th place in the Aprilia RS125 Superteens championship, following a successful haul of points at Brands Hatch at the weekend.

The racing was fast and furious with fractions of a second separating groups of riders in a field of 34.

He will miss the next round at Snetterton to compete at Castle Combe which will be the third round of the ACU STAR Formula 125 Championship. He currently lies second in this championship 3 points behind the leader

23rd April 2006

Formula 125 ACU Star Championship at Oulton Park (1st Round)

15 year old Jonathan Railton from Grafham who attends Hinchingbrooke school, continued his recent form by winning the inaugural round of the Formula 125 ACU Star Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire yesterday.

All the competitors have limited practise and one qualifying season before the main race. He qualified 2nd and led from the lights to the flag finishing ahead of Jordan Molton from Bilston and Connor Behan from Northwich who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The ACU Star Championship takes place over seven rounds with remaining races to be held at Cadwell Park, Brands Hatch, Castle Combe, Snetterton, Darley Moor and Silverstone.

Jon is now a member of the ACU Acadamy, which has been established to take recognised talent into major British Championships and on to Grand Prix.

He moves on to Mallory Park this weekend where he expects to improve on his current 5th place in the Aprilia RS125 Superteens Championship.

Jonathan would like to thank all his sponsors without whom he would not be able to race. They include :-

Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd, RS Workshop Equipment Ltd, Huntingdon Business Centre, Bohn Body Armor, Silkolene, KBC Helmets.

10th April 2006

Aprilia RS125 Superteens Championship at Lydden Hill (2nd Round)

Following his successful outing at Cadwell Park last week, 15 year old Hinchingbrooke schoolboy, Jonathan Railton continued his form at the national Aprilia RS125 Superteens Championship round at the Lydden Hill circuit in Kent at the weekend.

Despite a fall after three laps in the wet qualifying session he managed to qualify 4th on the grid.

With a 2nd in the first race and a 5th place in each of the remaining three events he jumps from 9th to 5th in the championship table after two of the nine rounds. The next round takes place at Mallory Park on 30/4/06 and 1/5/06.

Prior to this he heads to Oulton Park on 22/4/06 for the first round of the ACU Star Championship where he will compete in the Formula 125 class.

December 2005

14 year old Jonathan Railton from Grafham, completed his final meeting in kart racing (at least for the time being), in style at Kimbolton in December. He dominated the heats with a 2nd and two 1st places to qualify on pole for the Junior Rotax final. After an indifferent start he was third after the first corner. He soon moved up to second to chase the leader and moved to the front on lap three. This result secured Jonathan the overall Hunts Kart Racing Club’s Junior Championship.

Jon has raced karts at all levels since he was eight years old winning the HKRC’s Cadet, Junior Rotax Minimax and Junior Rotax championships, TVKC’s Cadet spring and Rotax Minimax winter championships, as well as successes at National level, when at 12 years old he finished 7th in the Rotax Minimax British Championship.

Jon would like to thank all his friend’s and supporters who have followed his karting career particularly Steve Pearson of Protective Industrial Coatings Ltd and Paul English of The Huntingdon Business Centre who have provided valuable sponsorship, Eddie Mellor for his free advice – a true motorsport enthusiast, his uncle Nick and his father for driving the van, preparing the kart and paying the bills.

Jon is looking forward to next season when he will concentrate on racing motorcycles in the National Aprilia RS125 Superteens and ACU Star Championship’s after a successful learning year in 2005