NEWS Archive 2008

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – September 2009

Silverstone – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Round 14 25th – 27th September 2009

I tested at Silverstone two weeks before the BSB event and took the chance to try out a Honda CBR1000RR kindly loaned to me by Jon Paine. I did three sessions on the Honda before riding the KTM. I found the Honda very easy to ride and lapped quicker than I had done last year on the R6 on my second outing. The main difference between the Honda and KTM was the shear speed. The Honda with 175bhp felt like a missile in comparison even at 12000rpm which was my limit for the test. The brakes were not as good as the KTM and would need work to improve. All in all, the Honda would be a good choice if I am able to compete in the Superstock 1000cc championship next year. I ran the KTM for the last three sessions and the handling felt perfect which allowed me to improve my lap times in each outing to post a best lap time in the low 1m 34s bracket. 

Following the test I was feeling confident heading into the final round. I wanted to get out early in the first free practice session to get a clear run to work on improving my times from the test. I was consistently in the low 1m34’s and managed to post a best time of 1:34.0 which put me 4th. I was fairly pleased but felt I could make improvements. Qualifying was held on the morning of the final championship race on Saturday. I wanted to get onto the front row to give myself the best possible chance in the race. The conditions were good but the wind was fairly strong so the times were expected to improve. I headed out at the beginning of the session behind Pauli Pekkanen but I was finding it difficult to stay with him. I just didn’t feel completely comfortable on the bike especially in the high speed corners. I was suffering from chatter both front and rear which was difficult to ride around. I was finding it very difficult to run the times of the front runners and could only manage a 1m33.5s lap which put me 6th overall and 1st in the cup. I was a little disappointed after my recent form but I had more to come as I was not feeling 100% with the bike. We made a few changes but with no more track time before the race I didn’t have the chance to confirm whether or not the settings would have the desired affect.

The race was run over 12 laps so it would be important to get a good get away. I got an average start and ended the first lap in 8th but was on the tail of the first group. I was pushing hard to make up time and places but the times were very close and nobody could make much progress. I still wasn’t feeling totally comfortable and couldn’t push the bike any harder without taking unnecessary risks. I managed to hold off Kelvin Reilly but couldn’t make any progress on the riders in front. I did cross the line in 7th following James Edmeades’s unfortunate trip across the grass. I was disappointed knowing the bike had more to offer with a better set-up. I did win the cup class and closed to within 3 points of winning the championship.

This would not be the end of racing for 2009. We still had a non championship race which was held on the Sunday. Further changes were made for warm-up which gave me more confidence in the affected sections of the track. I was 2nd fastest which set me up for a better race.

Photo courtesy of Garry McCord
The grid position for this race was decided by a ballot and I drew seventh for the unusual Le Man start. Having competed in a number of endurance races I was well placed to make a good start. The experience paid off and I leaped into 3rd at the first corner. I moved quickly into 2nd having unintentionally sat up Richie Thornton going into Becketts and latched onto the back of James Edmeades who had been setting the pace all weekend. I felt much more comfortable and held onto 2nd for the first few laps. Kelvin Reilly made his move followed a few laps later by his teammate Pauli Pekkanen. I found that I could run the pace and remained in the battle for the lead with the four of us pulling a big lead on the next group of riders. The changes we had made allowed me to get more from the bike and I felt in a strong position. With a few laps to go we had closed right up and I was focused on passing Kelvin for 3rd. Unfortunately a back-marker got in between us at the beginning of the last lap. This gave him that slight advantage and meant I would cross the line in 4th 3 seconds behind the winner. This was my best result of the season and I was pleased that I could run the pace of the front runners and was in with a chance of a podium right to the end. I had also at one point set the fastest lap time of 1m33.1s which was the 3rd fastest time of the race just one tenth slower than the fastest time set. It would have been nice to end the season on the podium but it was still my best result and performance so a good way to end the last race of the year.

Congratulations to Dave Wood the overall championship winner and Sam Bishop for taking the under 25 Cup after a hard fought battle all season.

Hottrax National 6 Hour Endurance Race – Pembrey – 2nd August 2009

The endurance team did a great job again following their success at Cadwell Park and Anglesey. Grant Wagstaff set a blistering pace from the off and handed over to Mike Eglington after the first hour in second place overall and first 600. Martin Landmann maintained position in the third hour despite having to cope with a rear tyre that had already done 150 laps. After two faultless fuel stops and a third which included a rear tyre change the pattern would be repeated to the end. After 6 hours the team completed 313 laps just 3 laps behind the winning 1000cc ProSuperbike of Sweatshop Racing.

Grant Wagstaff at the Manx Grand Prix  22nd August – 4th September 2009

Grant continued his impressive practice run with a 4th place in the Newcomers race missing a podium by 2 seconds in tricky damp conditions.

In the Junior race Grant finished 30th and 2nd newcomer home with a fastest lap of over 113mph just missing a 20 minute lap by 11 seconds in almost perfect weather conditions.

The Senior race was delayed due to bad weather and eventually started at 1.30pm. A few riders pulled in after the first lap as a result of a rain shower. Grant pressed on to complete the first lap in 25th position. Becoming more confident in the tricky conditions Grant continued to improve his lap times to finish 11th at the flag. A stunning performance in such difficult conditions.

Hottrax National 6 Hour Endurance Race – Silverstone – 19th Sept 2009

The Silverstone race was split into two three hour legs with the first combined with the three hour Masters class. Grant made a meteoric start to lead the first three laps and managed a sub 1m 6s lap faster than Paul Young’s pole lap two years ago set on a Supersport Triumph 675. He eventually got overhauled by the 1000cc bikes but led the 600 class comfortably after the first hour to handover to Mike Eglington. Mike held station until he had to take avoiding action to miss a fallen rider and ended up in the gravel trap. He came straight into the pits to have the gravel removed which had filled up the belly pan. This lost the team 2 laps and Mike pressed on to pull back some of the deficit before he handed over to Martin after the second hour. Despite running on a rear tyre that had already seen better days Martin set a good pace to overtake the leading 600 before handing over to Grant. The team decided to refuel and change a rear tyre before the end of the first leg to avoid an early stop in the second. The rules required that the rider finishing the first leg would have to start the second so Grant completed the remaining laps before the break.

Grant again made a good start in the second leg which combined with the Junior class to cross the line third overall and first 600. With one of the leading 1000cc runners suffering mechanical problems the team were elevated into second place overall and began to stretch their advantage over the pursuing pack. Grant handed over to Mike with a two lap lead over third placed Moores Racing. All was going to plan until Mike was taken out by another rider as they negotiated the complex. Martin managed to rescue the bike while the medics attended to Mike who fortunately only suffered minor abrasions. The team decided to retire as the bike needed too much work making it impossible to recover the lost time. 

A disappointing end to a highly successful season. The decision to revert to Superstock specification engines with upgraded suspension proved to be a perfect combination as the bike ran faultlessly all year with improved lap times coming from the WP suspension set up by MCT.     

I would like to say a big thanks to everyone who has contributed to making the season so enjoyable and successful. In no particular order they are:

Rod and Jason - Fowlers of Bristol

Paul - Bohn Body Armor and Huntingdon Business Centre

Robin and Simon – RS Workshop Equipment

Richard - KTM

Martin – Ducks X Racing supported by Carrino Flooring ltd

Steve – Rushlex Group

Barry – Splash motorcycles

Steve – Raptor Superpaint

Pat – Dunlop Tyres

Paul – SES

Darren – MCT Suspension

Grant Wagstaff

Ian Walker

Russell, Jez, Kelsey and Graham from the endurance team

Jon Paine for lending me his Fireblade

Uncle Nick, Roy, Wull and Jon Jessop - photographs 

Roll on 2010!

Next Month Events

TBA

Jon

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – August 2009

Hottrax National 6 Hour Endurance Race – Pembrey – 2nd August 2009

The endurance team did a great job again following their success at Cadwell Park and Anglesey. Grant Wagstaff set a blistering pace from the off and handed over to Mike Eglington after the first hour in second place overall and first 600. Martin Landmann maintained position in the third hour despite having to cope with a rear tyre that had already done 150 laps. After two faultless fuel stops and a third which included a rear tyre change the pattern would be repeated to the end. After 6 hours the team completed 313 laps just 3 laps behind the winning 1000cc ProSuperbike of Sweatshop Racing.

Brands Hatch – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 11 & 12 7th – 9th August 2009

I was confident heading into the 11th and 12th rounds of the KTM RC8 Super Cup at Brands Hatch that the lap times I achieved at the MRO/BMCRC meeting would put me at the sharp end. As I had hoped I set the 4th fastest time in free practice with more to come. It also showed that the crash at Paddock two weeks earlier had no effect on my confidence and the bike was performing as well as ever. I looked forward to qualifying which would be held in warm conditions similar to free practice. Having done plenty of laps at the MRO/BMCRC meeting the set-up was almost perfect and no adjustments were made during Free Practice. This meant that I could just go out and concentrate on getting a strong front row start for the two races. I wanted to get some clear track which meant I wouldn’t get interrupted on my faster laps and it would force me to do the lap times without a tow, which would put me in a better position for the races. I was consistently getting quicker and got down to a 1:33.5 which was just 2 tenths off my best from the previous meeting. Although I would have liked to have bettered the time I was satisfied with my performance as I had done the time without a tow. This put me 3rd on the grid just 5 tenths of a second off pole, which meant I would have a clear run into Paddock Hill.

Photo courtesy of Wul

I was much happier with my starts and having practiced them in the two sessions I felt confident that I could make a good get away. The first race was held on the Saturday evening straight after the first of three Superbike races. Unfortunately the tyre felt terrible on the warm-up lap similar to Knockhill when we had a grip issue. I was out of the seat but tried to put it behind me and readied myself for the start. I managed to get a good get away and held third into Paddock Hill bend. I went a little too defensive up to Druids and Christian Iddon passed me. I held fourth for a few laps but the pace was slow and I felt near the limit with less grip than in qualifying. As the others slowly got up to speed I started to drop back, as I couldn’t get within a second of my qualifying pace which was frustrating but I knew I needed to finish with some strong points in the cup. I dropped back to ninth and was making a few mistakes to try and make up for the lack of rear end grip. I just about held onto the battle for fifth crossing the line in ninth overall behind Francis Williamson and second in the cup to Sam Bishop. This was very disappointing knowing my pace from qualifying would have put me in a strong podium position.

Putting race one behind me I hoped for a better race on Sunday. With the grip issue sorted I posted the third fastest time in morning warm-up which helped me to re-focus before the race. I was determined to make up for the disappointment of race one and the grip felt much better even on the warm-up lap. I got my best start of the year passing Dave Wood and Pauli Pekkanen and led into Paddock Hill bend. I felt as though I had the pace to lead and battle for the podium positions. I got a really good drive up the hill and had a bit of a lead into Druids so decided not to defend. I turned in and was committed to the corner. I was just reaching the kerb on the inside before I heard a screeching of tyres from behind and hoped the rider was on  the outside but it turned out he wasn’t. I felt a big thump and before I knew it I was picking myself out of the gravel trap alongside Christian Iddon who had out braked himself into the hairpin and couldn’t slow enough before colliding with me. I was frustrated to say the least particularly as I had made such a good start and was confident I could run a pace to at least get me on the podium. The most important issue that came from the weekend was my increased pace. At the end of the day this is more important for future progress than anything else. I had my best qualifying of the year in third and had the pace to run with the front runners and I have sorted my starts out (finally!). Unfortunately this drops me back to ninth overall in the championship and second in the Under 25 Cup.

Photo courtesy of Jon Jessop

I am now looking forward to the Cadwell Park round of the championship where I will want to maintain the pace that achieved at brands Hatch.

Cadwell Park – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 13  29th – 31st August 2009

Free Practice held on Sunday afternoon was dry but overcast. I waited for the pack to clear out of the collecting area to give myself a good chance of getting in a good number of clear laps. I got into a good rhythm and matched the times I had set on the test day last week. This was good enough for 3rd overall and fastest Under 25 Cup rider by some margin. Qualifying was on Monday morning at 9 o’clock and following  rain fall Sunday evening the track was still damp but drying slowly in the breeze. We chose a full dry set up in the hope the track would come to us. Some riders chose a full wet set up, some chose a wet front and dry rear.  This made things difficult to say the least but I persevered and managed to gain confidence with every lap. I kept increasing the pace as the track dried and my pit board showed I was holding my own in the top six as time went on. I really pushed on the final laps to try and move up the order. I crossed at the flag after what felt like a fairly fast lap and returned to the pits. On returning, to my surprise I was told that I had claimed my first pole position of the season. I knew I would have the pace in what was looking to be a dry race.

I lined up in pole position and wanted to make a good get away. Unfortunately the clutch had slipped on the dyno after qualifying which meant that new clutch springs were fitted. This meant that the clutch had a different feel off the line and subsequently I lost a few places into the first couple of corners. I didn’t panic as I was confident that I could settle down and pick off the riders in front. I headed into Park corner at the end of the straight and turned in as normal only to have an out of control rider on the grass lay his bike down which careered into my rear wheel which knocked me off for the second race in a row. I tried to pick the bike up and carry on but unfortunately the footrest had broken off which meant that I could not continue. Another no score meant that I would fall further behind in the overall championship but I had lost no points in the Under 25 Cup to the leader who caused the accident. This was an unfortunate end to what had been a great weekend. I was pleased with the progress I had made again but was clearly disappointed with the result. Big thanks again to the protection provided by the Bohn Body Armor, Weise leathers and gloves, Spyke boots and HJC helmet which meant I didn’t get a scratch. I am now looking forward to Silverstone at the end of September where I hope for better luck and more progress! Third time lucky…?

Grant Wagstaff at the Manx Grand Prix  22nd August – 4th September 2009

Grant (Wag) had a great start to his first Manx Grand Prix qualifying 5th overall for the newcomer’s race with a lap of 108.496mph. The organisers quite rightly moved him up from his original starting position of 25th to 6th.  He has high hopes of finishing on the podium.

Here’s Martin Landmann’s report from the Isle of Man on 31st August 2009

“Here we are sitting in the awning of lorry - we're up in the top corner of paddock A but don't try and come up here without wellies! All racing off for Monday so running Monday on Tuesday instead - everything 2 hours later though. We're just hoping rain will ease off so we can go down town for a fry up without us getting soaked.
Wags dream for tomorrow is a podium in newcomers race - however scrutineers have told us heads have to come off first three to check stroke and bore which is an engine out job on R6. There some talk of a minor bit of sabotage from pit crew or our board man out on circuit may have to give him a few duff signals. That board man strangely enough is Andy Kershaw who is also doing Guy Martin in classics - just offered to help out and has made up a name board himself!
Oh well - just got to sit here and pray to the weather gods”

New Partner

I am delighted to welcome Raptor Superpaint as a new partner. They specialise in custom paintwork.  More an artist than a painter Steve at Raptor has created some masterful work which can be seen on his website www.raptorsuperpaint.co.uk

So if you need a helmet, bike, scooter or even a guitar with that special touch give Steve a call.

Next Month Events

Silverstone – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 14 – 25th – 27th September

Jon

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – July 2009

Knockhill – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 9 & 10 – 3rd – 5th July 2009

We were greeted with very warm and sunny conditions on Thursday evening having made the six and a half hour trip across the border. We were due out late on Friday and rain was expected according to the weather forecast. It started to rain an hour or so before free practice and did it rain with a lot of standing water starting to build up. We made the required changes to the set-up and I set-off with the intention of building up to a good pace having not ridden around Knockhill since last year. After a few laps to get the tyres up to temperature I started to reduce my lap times every lap and I was feeling more and more comfortable as the session progressed surprised to see P1 on the lap board. Having completed 14 laps I pulled into the pits with a lot of traffic in front. I had set my fastest lap of 58.3s on lap 12. This was good enough to put me fastest and I had a good 1.5 second lead. We decided that there would be nothing to be gained by going back out so I rode back to the awning to dry out. At the end of the session I had just been knocked back to second by less than a tenth of a second by Dave Wood. I was pleased with this and the times we were setting would have been respectable in the Superstock 1000 class although the Dunlop Wets we use are super soft!

Photo courtesy of Jon Jessop

With a qualifying session and Race 1 on Saturday we would be kept a little busier. The track had dried which meant it would be a totally different ball game. I wanted to get in as many laps as possible to ensure that we could make as many of the necessary adjustments as possible. Unfortunately there were a number of stoppages due to riders falling at the hairpin including the overall Championship leader Kelvin Reilly. This made it difficult to get into a rhythm but I felt comfortable on the bike on a circuit I really enjoy riding at. I was getting quicker with every lap and posted a time of 53.371 on lap 14 which was 0.5s off pole. This at the time was good enough for 4th and a front row start. Unfortunately I was just knocked back to 5th at the death by Dave Heal.

Photo courtesy of Jon Jessop

I then turned my attentions to race 1 where I hoped to get away with the front runners with the times from qualifying being fairly close. The race was almost over before it began as on the warm-up lap I nearly low sided coming out of the hairpin. I thought it was as a result of the tyre still not being up to temperature. I got a good jump off of the line and was 5th into turn 1 and held this position to the hairpin where I made a big mistake not defending trying to get a run on the riders in front. I lost a few places and was desperate to make them back up but knew I had to avoid making a mistake. My main championship rival in the Under 25 Cup Sam Bishop had to retire from the race on lap 1 with a broken gear linkage bolt. Therefore it was vital that I didn’t do anything daft and try to maximise the points I would gain. I was pushing to catch the group of riders in front but kept having slides which gave me no confidence when applying the power. A rider crashed at ‘The Scotsman’, turn 3 just in front of me which moved me up to 8th. I made a pass soon after on Kelvin Reilly moving up to 7th. I really wanted to catch the riders in front in a battle for 5th. I managed to chip away and caught the riders in front making the battle for 5th a three rider affair. With only a couple of laps left I was trying to find an opening, which was made very difficult with them battling hard in front. It all came down to the last corner with both riders moving to the inside leaving no room for somebody to slip by. I tried to get as clean entry into the corner as I could to try and get a really good drive out onto the pit straight. I applied the power good and early but the rear tyre broke loose and I nearly ended up high siding. Fortunately I held on and crossed the line in 7th place and 1st in the Under 25 Cup which moved me to the top of the standings 13 points clear. The frustrating thing about the race was that I felt as though I could run times at least half a second a lap faster but the rear tyre just didn’t seem to have the grip. We would fit a new tyre for the second race and hope it made the difference.

The second race on Sunday would again be held in dry conditions, which I was looking forward to, as I knew I had more pace to come if I had the grip. The tyre felt better straight away on the warm-up lap which gave me the confidence to push from the moment the lights went out. I got a good start but was held up a little in the first few corners and made a slight mistake which put me back to 7th. Before the lap was up I moved into 6th and set about making ground on the riders in front. I pulled away from the chasing pack and managed to bridge the gap to the group in front battling for 3rd. I was able to set a much faster pace which was half a second to a second faster than in race one. Once I had caught the group I wanted to make up positions as soon as possible so that the riders in front couldn’t get away. I made a pass on Dave Heal into the first corner moving into 5th and was immediately attacking my main rival Sam Bishop who had made one of his usual fast starts. I moved passed him into the hairpin moving into 1st place in the cup and 4th overall. I then set my sights on Pauli Pekkanen in 3rd. Unfortunately Dave Wood and Christian Iddon had pulled a gap and were running a fast pace. I was closing in on Pauli but it was at a frustratingly slow rate with the gap closing by hundredths and tenths every lap. With 2 laps remaining a late charge by Dave Heal pushed me back the 5th. We both closed on Pauli which meant we were all battling for the final podium position. Dave then passed Pauli with a lap to go but I just wasn’t close enough. I had a large gap behind which meant I would cross the line in a strong 5th position. I really wanted to be on the podium and thought I could make it but I didn’t quite have the pace at the end. I can take a lot from this weekend and would say that race 2 was probably my best of the season so far. I also pulled another 5 points on Sam in the Under 25 Cup which means I am 18 points in front heading into the next race at Brands Hatch in August. I hope to carry this form into the next round but I would really like to be on the podium!

Cadwell Park – Hottrax 3 Hour Endurance race - 4th July 2009

Another good day for Martin and Grant again joined by Mike Eglington for the three hour race at Cadwell Park. With a large grid of 27 teams consisting of 6 classes, seventeen 1000cc bikes and ten 600cc bikes, the race was held in dry conditions. In the first session Grant set the pace finishing well up the order after his one and only session. Mike and Martin continued the good work to the end of another trouble free race to finish 8th overall and 2nd 600 and take maximum points in the Supersport class.

The Endurance Team after a successful weekend at Anglesey – Martin Landmann, Grant Wagstaff and Mike Eglington. Credit also goes to the pit crew including Russell, Jez, Kelsey and anyone else who gave a hand in the faultless pitstops.  

Brands Hatch GP – BMCRC-MRO Round 7 – 25th -26th July 2009

The MRO/BMCRC round at Brands Hatch couldn’t come fast enough. I hadn’t ridden the bike since Knockhill which was three weeks earlier. I was really looking forward to riding the KTM around the Grand Prix circuit which I had not ridden at since last year. We were booked in for the Friday test day which unfortunately was on the Indy circuit but we would use the day as a general test session to compare the settings we had on our previous visit to the circuit. With the weather being changeable we decide a couple of dry sessions would be satisfactory preparation for the weekends racing.

With this being an MRO/BMCRC meeting we were due to ride in the Powerbike class but with a large proportion of the KTM riders opting to take part in the event we would have our own class but  would have to share the track with the Triumph Triple Challenge riders with a split start in the races. I headed out for qualifying on Saturday morning which was the first of two timed sessions. I wanted to use this session to familiarise myself with the Grand Prix section of the circuit and settle into a rhythm. I had managed to avoid the traffic which meant I could consistently improve my times lap on lap. At the end of the session to my surprise I had qualified on provisional pole in front of Pauli Pekkanen, Sam Bishop and Kelvin Reilly completing the front row.

The second of the timed sessions would be held in similar conditions with the temperature being fairly warm and the track was dry. We were expecting the times to be quicker with everyone getting more familiar with the circuit. I got delayed in the collecting area which meant I was behind most of the grid. As a result I only managed a couple of clear laps. This meant I would only knock around half a second off of my time. Pauli and Sam knocked more time off posting slightly faster times than me. I was happy to be on the front row and hoped to show more pace in the races. I was also pleased with the times I had set as I had gone a second and a half faster than I had done previously on the GP circuit at Brands.

I am now getting much better starts and I managed to slot in behind the usual fast starter Sam into Paddock  bend. Unfortunately on the way up to Druids Pauli passed me under a yellow flag which was shown as a result of one of the Triumphs crashing. I pressed on and we both closed right in on Sam with Pauli making his move early on. I shortly after did the same with Pauli not far in front. There were not many laps left as the race was only six laps long but we had still caught a tail ender in the Triumph race heading towards Surtees. Pauli moved passed cautiously and I wanted to follow him straight through but the back marker was hovering in the middle of the track and looked as though he could turn in at any point. By this time Sam had slipped up the inside pushing me back to third. I pushed hard to pass him back but it was the final lap and I couldn’t quite get close enough. It was close at the finish with the top four riders covered by less than a second. My lap times were similar to qualifying.

We put a new set of tyres on for the races on Sunday which we hoped would help to improve my lap times. The first race would be held in dry conditions and I got a good start again following Sam into Paddock. I was way too cautious on the first lap and I was passed by Pauli, Kelvin and Dave Heal. I didn’t waste much time in passing them back as I had much more pace. I had moved into third place behind Pauli and Sam within a few laps. I was lapping almost a second a lap faster than I had all weekend and closed right in on Sam and Pauli. I passed Sam braking for Clearways and ran a bit wide on the exit. Sam accelerated right up behind me on the straight and I tried to brake as late as possible into Paddock bend. Sam dived underneath me and pushed me wide onto the dirty part of the track and I was still trailing the brake. This inevitably ended badly as I lost the front. Fortunately I slid gracefully into the gravel but the bike was a bit of a mess with only cosmetic damage. The Weise gloves and leathers, and Bohn Body Amor did there job as I was completely unmarked. The gloves and leathers also survived well with the leathers only needing a minor repair. Remarkable after such a high speed crash. This was the end of our weekend but on the whole it was a good one. I had managed to set some good quick times which were over two seconds faster than I had done before the weekend and the bike set-up was almost perfect. I’ll dust myself down and we’ll be ready for the Super Cup races in a couple weeks. I am feeling confident and hope to achieve my best result of the season to date.

August

The team have agreed that I should concentrate on the KTM RC8 Supercup series so I will not be competing in the remaining endurance races. The team have effectively won their class in the Hottrax Endurance championship therefore any remaining rounds entered will be just for fun.

The team are preparing two Yamaha R6’s for Grant Wagstaff to race for the first time, at the Manx Grand

Prix where he has entered the Newcomers, Junior and Senior events. The Manx Grand Prix takes place from 22nd August to 4th September. Good luck to Grant who will achieve one of his life long ambitions to compete on the famous TT course.

Grant heading for the Isle of Man literally!

Next Month Events       

Brands Hatch GP – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 11 & 12 – 7th – 9th August 2009

Castle Combe – The Castle Combe Pro-Bike National Meeting– 22nd August 2009

Cadwell Park – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Round 13 – 29th – 31st August 2009

Jon

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – June 2009

Snetterton – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 7 & 8 – 19th – 21st June 2009

With my exams now over I can now fully concentrate on the remainder of the season and look forward to testing before the meetings after Snetterton.

 I couldn’t wait to get out on track having not ridden the Fowlers of Bristol KTM RC8 since the last round at Thruxton three weeks ago. I headed out for free practice on Friday afternoon and felt good straight away. Unfortunately Ed Smith had a nasty high-side out of the notorious left hander at the Russells chicane. This stopped the session for a few minutes which gave me the opportunity to discuss the settings. I was happy with how the bike felt initially so we left it. We had gone with settings from Donington Park which we expected to suit Snetterton. We all headed back out and I managed to go consistently quicker posting a time of 1:12.1 which was good enough for 4th.

Qualifying on Saturday morning would start under threatening skies but the track was dry so it was going to be important to get in a quick lap early on just in case the rain started to fall. I got out on track as soon as possible and headed the leader board for the early laps. On my fifth lap I came round Coram to find that somebody had been caught out on the exit of Russell’s. This inevitably ruined my lap but it wasn’t the only one. Every lap for the next four laps I found that somebody else had come a cropper at the same corner. It was only after the fifth rider had gone down that the red flags came out. The marshals were seen laying cement dust at the exit of Russell’s on oil that was probably from one of the crashed bikes. With everything cleared up we were released back onto the track. Unfortunately as I accelerated out of Sears corner onto the back straight I noticed that the clutch was slipping which prevented any further improvement in my lap times. Towards the end of the session rain began to fall which made further practise a waste of time for the other riders. My time of 1:12.4 although slower than free practise was sufficient to put me 6th on the grid.

Photo courtesy of Barry Clay

With new clutch springs and friction clutch plates the bike was ready for the first race on Saturday. Once again rain threatened as the afternoon wore on and just prior to the final superbike qualifying session rain began to fall. This brought an end to their qualifying which meant we would have to hurry to get the wets in for the start of the race. All the riders went for wets but on the sighting lap the track seemed dry apart from the first two corners, which were very greasy. I got good drive off the line and managed to hold my position into the first corner. With everyone feeling their way around the first lap my championship rival in the under 25 cup Sam Bishop shot off into the lead and built up a healthy lead. I was in the chasing group and felt comfortable and began to pick them off one by one. I moved through into second before having a number of moments! I couldn’t break from the group and dropped back three places by the flag to finish 5th my best overall position to date. Sam did a great job to build up such a lead which he nearly gave away as he ran onto the grass coming out of the bomb hole to win by less than a second.

Warm-up for race 2 was early on Sunday morning and the conditions were looking better. I headed out hoping to get comfortable again in the dry conditions. Once again I set the fourth fastest time and was feeling confident for the race. The race would be held in dry conditions which I looked forward to as the times had been close all weekend. I again got off the line reasonably well but I just wasn’t assertive enough on the opening lap. I dropped back to ninth but was determined to get up the front. I was pushing hard and started to make progress. I got into fifth pretty quickly but made a mistake and let Dave Heal slip back past

Photo courtesy of Barry Clay

but I immediately tried to make up the position once again. I succeeded a few corners later and set my sights on Kelvin Reilly and Sam Bishop who were a few seconds ahead. By this time I was setting consistently quicker times than I had done all weekend and by some margin. I was closing in on the two riders in front but just failed to get third place at the line by 1.5s to remain in 5th place. As consolation I was pleased with my pace setting the fastest lap of 1m 11s for the under 25 Cup class which was only a few tenths slower than the overall lap record.

I remain second in the Under 25 Cup standings and I am in eighth overall with very little in it. I now look forward to Knockhill, which is a circuit I like and have gone well at in the past.

Jon

Month Events:-

Knockhill – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 9 &10 – 3rd – 5th July

Brands Hatch GP – MRO Powerbikes Round 6 – 25th – 26th July

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – May 2009

Oulton Park – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Round 3

 2nd – 4th May 2009

Free practice was scheduled late on Saturday which gave us plenty of time to get everything prepared. Having last ridden on the Yamaha R6 at Snetterton the KTM took a few laps to get used too. As I started to push towards the end of the session the bike became increasingly unstable out of some corners. I got a few nasty tank slappers which didn’t help my confidence. I ended the session in 9th with more to come in timed qualifying.  

We made a few changes overnight to help the stability and I was hoping to improve my lap time by some margin now I had a few laps under my belt and time to think. Qualifying would be in dry conditions which gave me a chance to get a feel for the changes we had made. I felt much more comfortable on the bike and the settings had made a difference. I kept getting faster and faster and managed to knock almost two seconds off of my fastest lap time from free practice. I remained in 9th place overall but much closer in time to those in front putting me at the head of the third row for the race. I was feeling more and more comfortable with every lap and looked forward to trying a few things in warm-up. I was still finding it difficult to find some braking points and select the optimum gears with the limited track time available.

Photo courtesy of Jon Jessop

 Monday morning dawned wet and windy, which meant wets would be needed for the warm-up. This would give me a chance to get a feel for the Dunlop wets in full wet conditions following the problems with the “feel” of the front tyre experienced at Brands Hatch. I took my time to get into it but found myself passing riders with ease as my lap times dropped. I felt very comfortable in the wet conditions with a much betting feeling from the tyres. To my surprise I was 4th fastest feeling as though I had a lot more left to come. I was looking forward to a wet race.

Unfortunately the track had just about dried out after the first Superbike race. All riders headed to the grid with dry tyres although their mechanics were not far behind with the wets as the skies looked ominously dark. We arrived at the grid and the rain started to fall very slightly. The sky was giving nothing away which made it difficult to know what was going to happen. It was 50:50 when the decision was made by race control to declare it a ‘WET’ race. Nobody knew entirely what to do but the safe bet was to choose wets. Most of the riders opted for wets, myself included, but Dave Wood on pole and my Championship rival in the under 25 cup Sam Bishop chose dry tyres. This added a bit of spice to the action but as a rider these were very difficult conditions. The choice of wets was justified on the warm-up lap when Dave Wood on pole fell at the first corner. It was raining at some points of the track and not at others. I managed to get a good start and moved into 6th by the end of lap 1. I felt as though I was in a good position to start attacking the riders in front and began closing in. Unfortunately the rear tyre really started to drop off after the 2nd lap as the rain subsided and I had to back it off to preserve the tyre. I lost a couple of places as the race wore on. Dave Heal who stayed on dry tyres past me with three laps to go as the track dried out. By now the rear tyre was really starting to move around into and out of the corners, which was fun but not fast. On the final lap it began to rain and I began to haul in Dave Heal. As we entered the last corner I really wanted to make a pass. Dave stayed to the right of the track to defend and I decide to try and cut back on the exit and get a better drive. I just managed to pull it off and moved passed before the flag. It turned out that I had set the 3rd fastest lap of the race on lap 2 before the tyre started to overheat. As far as the championship is concerned the tyre gamble paid off as I managed to finish two places ahead of Sam to lead the under 25 Cup and remain 6th overall.

Back to more revision for my A levels before heading to Donington

Donington Park – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 4 & 5 – 23rd – 25th May 2009

I was looking forward to Donington Park one of my favourite circuits.The track conditions were almost perfect for free practice, a little too hot if anything! I wanted to get out at the front so that if any of the faster riders came past I could try and learn a few things in the tow. I found it difficult to get my times down straight away and kept chipping away little by little. Eventually I set a time of 1:41.973 towards the end of the session.

A new set of tyres would be fitted for qualifying and I felt confident that I could improve my lap times. Initially I improved my times but hit a bit of a wall when I reached the low 1 minute 41’s. Late in the session I managed to improve my times and posted a time of 1:40:7. This time put me 9th just 2 hundredths of a second ahead of my Under 25 Cup main rival Sam Bishop. I was looking forward to the first race with the hope of a strong finish overall and to finish ahead of Sam. We were confident that the tyres from qualifying were in a good enough condition to use in the race.

Photo courtesy of Nick Railton

The race would be run in what were the warmest conditions of the year with the air temp souring to around 28 degrees. I managed to get away to one of my better starts but lost a place into the first corner. The bike felt as though it was moving around straight away but I wanted to keep pushing to stay with the group in front. I managed to make up a place early on but I just could not get down to the lap times I managed in qualifying. I was really struggling around the fast turns with both tyres wanting to drift wide. I just could not hang on to the group in front and had to settle for 8th place overall and 2nd in class behind Sam, which was not ideal to say the least! It would appear that with the high temperatures and fast turns the tyres were not lasting as long as we had seen before.

A new set would be fitted for the second race and we made a few changes to the setup in an attempt to solve some of the issues that were exaggerated by the worn tyres. With no morning warm-up it was a bit risky but I felt as though I didn’t have much to lose. Again I got a pretty good start and did not loose any places. It took me a bit of time to settle down into a good pace and the group in front including Sam got away a little. As I began to push harder I was able to close on Sam. He made a few mistakes and I was setting a much faster pace compared with race one. I managed to get into the 1 minute 39’s bracket before I started to battle with Sam. The new tyres and set-up was making a real difference and I felt much more comfortable on the bike. Once I had caught him I immediately set about making a pass. I passed him into coppice before we passed and re-passed one another 3 times on the same lap. We made a few more passes on one another but I made a few mistakes into the Melbourne loop. This gave Sam a slight advantage and I worked hard to real him in again but as I got back onto his real wheel the red flags came out which would mean the race had come to a premature end. I was frustrated that the race had not gone the distance as I felt it was only a matter of time before I made a pass stick. I finished again in 8th overall and 2nd in class . All in all it wasn’t a bad weekend although I expected more. I felt we made some good changes for the second race which will help me to adapt the settings further to suit my riding style heading into Thruxton. I feel we are heading in the right direction but I now trail Sam by 7 points and I am 7th in the overall standings. There isn’t long to wait to hopefully regain the Cup championship lead, as we head to Thruxton in a few days time.

Anglesey – National Endurance Championship Round 3 – 23rd – 24th May 2009

In my absence the team did a great job at Anglesey by winning the Supersport class and finishing 3rd overall. The team now leads the Supersport championship from Project Nine Three. My place was taken by Mike Eglington an experienced endurance campaigner with Moores Racing who won the class in 2007.

By all accounts Grant Wagstaff was consistently one of the fastest riders on track able to race for position with the ProSuperbike and Senior 1000 runners. Martin particularly commented on the Dunlop tyres which again performed magnificently. They managed to use only two rear tyres and one front on this very grippy track.   The bike ran faultlessly and the pit stops went without drama. Pit stops were aided by a quick filler dump tank borrowed from Moores Racing which proved to be less complicated than the twin hoses and overhead tank.                                    

Thruxton – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Round 6 – 29th – 31st May 2009

I was feeling confident heading into the 6th round of the Super Cup championship having only been off the bike for 3 days. We decided that the set-up should be left as it was at Donington until I had tried it in free practice. We had made headway at Donington with the set-up although Thruxton is a little unique being bumpy and very fast with average lap speeds of over 100 mph.  I headed out for free practice in what were again very warm and sunny conditions. I felt good from the word go and I was running in the top 6 for the majority of the session. Towards the end I started to pick up on some set-up issues which we would need to look at. I ended the session in 9th with a time of 1:24.069. We made a few changes for qualifying to help with rear grip around the fast sweeping corners. I knew where I could make up time and hoped to make some significant improvements in qualifying.

I again got straight on it and managed to get a tow from some of the faster riders. I posted a time of 1:22.372 on lap 5. I came in for a breather and headed back out to try and improve my time. Unfortunately without a tow I couldn’t find any more time which meant I would start from 9th. I would have liked to have made the front two rows but I was happy with the lap time, which was almost 2 seconds faster than I managed in free practice and only 0.5s off of 3rd. With the times being so close I was looking forward to getting stuck into a good race with some of the more experienced riders.

The weather for the race was looking good and very warm, which would affect the tyre life. My starts have been improving and after some practice starts in practice I wanted to get off the line well. I got a good jump off the line but I was a little too eager and the front lifted and I pulled a big wheelie. This didn’t help my drive into turn 1 and I lost a couple of places. I was determined to make places up straight away and I passed a few riders into the complex after the fast left hander. I managed to tag onto the front group for the first few laps. The group started to split and I wanted to stay with the riders in front. I moved into 8th behind Dave Heal and I could see James Edmeades getting away. Unfortunately I didn’t make the move soon enough on Dave and Ed Smith passed me. He then made a move on Dave into the complex which slowed them up and I saw an opening. I went for it and managed to pass Dave who seemed to be struggling with rear tyre grip. We immediately pulled a gap and I was trying to hang onto Ed’s rear wheel. We both started to struggle with rear tyre grip particularly around the fast sweeping right before Church. I could see a continuous black line being left by Ed’s rear tyre which must have been in 4th and 5th gear. Riding around Thruxton must be like riding a Bucking Bronco but at around 150mph. I would have to follow Ed across the finish line in 8th as I couldn’t quite run his pace but I had managed to post a quicker time of 1:21.924. I had also won the Under 25 Cup race finishing 3 places and 20 seconds in front of the next Cup runner San Bishop. I was happy with the result as I was running much closer to the leading pack and race winner. My times were also closer to those set by the front runners which is promising heading into Snetterton which is a circuit I have gone well at in the past. I remain 7th in the overall standings and 2nd in the Under 25 Cup just 2 points adrift. I hope to improve on this with a good points haul at Snetterton which will hopefully see me in the top five overall in both races.    

I am now concentrating on my revision in preparation for my exams which start on the 4th June. Fortunately my last exam is on the 16th June a couple days before Snetterton.    

 Jon

Month Events:-

Snetterton – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Rounds 7 & 8 – 19th – 21st June 2009

Photo courtesy of www.russdaz.fotki.com

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – April 2009

Snetterton – Testing – 6th April 2009

With the updated suspension we decided that it should be tested before heading to Brands, to ensure that we had made the correct changes. Fortunately the weather decided to help us out and apart from it being particularly windy (to be fair we were at Snetterton) the conditions were favourable. With this being a track day I wasn’t expecting to get much out of the track time, in terms of lap times, but we hoped to get improved feedback from the handling. The biggest problem we were trying to overcome from Brands was the running wide out of corners when applying the throttle and the difficulty in initial turn-in. There are plenty of opportunities to test these at Snetterton as a lot of the corners rely on a bike that can hold a good line, Coram is a good example. I went out for a few sessions with what was to be expected, a lot of traffic, but I was glad to report that the bike seemed to be holding a much better line and was easier to turn-in. Again as the day progressed the noise became an issue and with the new drive-by limit for track days being 95db it was going to be impossible to ride past at full chat. For the majority of the day I was having to short-shift past the pits which meant I wouldn’t be black flagged. In the second to last session I began to open it up and, as  expected, I was black flagged. Following this we decide to call it a day but I felt as though we were in a good position before heading to Brands in a few days time.       

Brands Hatch – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup Round 1 – 10th – 13th April 2009

We arrived at Brands in good time on Thursday to set-up and settle in. We were also expecting the arrival of the SES rear sets. They arrived that evening and we fitted them in good time to make sure that the footrests and levers were in the correct positions. I have to say that SES have done a really good job; the footrest feel and look great.

The first of the unusually four day long meeting was to be used as an extension to any pre-season testing and was the final chance to tweak the set-up before the first round. We weren’t exactly run off our feet with our first and only session at 17:50. The track was drying out following an earlier shower which would allow me to get a feel for the Dunlop wets. With the ever widening dry line and the Dunlop wets being extremely soft the conditions weren’t ideal. I was gradually building up to a good pace before having a front end moment into druids. I had started the session running around the top five but I was tumbling down the time sheets with the lack of confidence in the front end. I entered the pits before returning to the track with around 8 minutes to go. Again I felt the front tyre tucking into druids, which I just could not get my head around as I didn’t feel as though I was pushing it. At the end of the session I was lying well down the order, which was not the start to the weekend I was hoping for, although I remained up beat, as I felt confident in the dry conditions. Having thought about the front end situation I concluded that the sensation of the front end tucking could have been caused by the profile of the tyre, which I am not used to, but more likely it was the fact that the soft compound meant that the tread was moving an excessive amount or ‘squirming’.  

Photo  courtesy of Jon Jessop

Putting that behind me I headed out for the final free practice session before qualifying. The track was drying out which meant I would be able to build upon the settings and lap times from the NG meeting a few weeks ago and Snetterton test day. I wanted to get a good number of laps in to get comfortable and into a rhythm. This would also allow us to get an idea of the tyre life in a race situation; although from what we have already experienced they seem to last for very long periods before going off. I managed to get down to a 50.868, one tenth off my best at the NG meeting, which put me in 8th. I was relatively happy with this but hoped for a better qualifying and to improve on my PB on the RC8.

 The track was even dryer for qualifying and I again wanted to put in a good number of laps. I managed 28  in all and amazingly put up my fastest lap on the last lap, which was a 50.098. This shows how good the tyre life of the Dunlop’s really is. I was pleased with the time which put me 6th on the grid for the race 0.796 off of pole. My nearest competitor in the under 25 cup Sam Bishop would start from 5th with a lap time of a 50.067 just 0.031 quicker. I was really looking forward to the race and I hoped that I could break the 50 second barrier.

After qualifying the majority of the bikes in the top 10 were put on the dyno. To our surprise our bike was producing the least power being 10bhp down on the most powerful at 142 BHP. Although this was disappointing I was still upbeat as it meant we must have been making the time up in the corners. I made an average start but I got boxed in at the first corner. This dropped me down to 11th at the end of the first lap. I managed to make good progress making up one position every lap moving into 6th overall and 1st in the cup on lap 6 of 20. I held this position until lap 16 before going into a false neutral into paddock, which I managed to recover relatively quickly but it allowed Sam Bishop my nearest cup competitor through. I was really determined to get the position back. I pushed really hard and just missed out by 0.064 at the line. Having finished 7th overall and 2nd in class I wasn’t too disappointed although I was annoyed not to have finished one place higher as I was in control until I made the mistake. I put in almost exactly the same lap time as in qualifying, which was a little frustrating. Although with this being a double header I had another chance to move up the order and improve on my lap times.

Unfortunately the second race turned out to be a 10 lap sprint with the first part being red flagged 9 laps in. I managed to complete the first part in 7th overall and 1st in class. This put me 7th on the grid for the restart and I made a better start completing the first lap in 8th. I moved past my rival in the cup into Paddock Hill bend holding this position to the line. Again I finished 7th overall but this time I headed the cup classification. I also managed to put in a lap time of a 49.749 breaking the 50 second barrier. All in all I was happy with the weekend and cannot wait for the 2nd round at Oulton Park where I hope to break the deadlock at the top of the cup standings and move up in the overall standings where I am currently lying in joint 6th.

Snetterton – National Endurance Championship Round 2 – 18th – 19th April 2009

 I was looking forward to Snetterton where I and the team hoped to get back on track after a disappointing Round 1 at Mallory Park. In qualifying I just wanted to get a feel for the Dunlop shod Yamaha R6 again. I was getting into a good rhythm and put in a time good enough for 3rd overall and 1st in class. The second qualifying session was on Sunday morning before the race. My teammates, Grant and Martin, went out first with Martin trying to get in a good number of laps having not been back on the bike since breaking his collarbone at Silverstone. I was due to head out after Grant but on his return to the pits it was noticed that oil was leaking from the clutch cover. It was suspected that it was weeping out of one of the bolt holes and a quick repair saw Grant back out in no time but he would pull in after a few laps just to check the leak. It turned out that oil was still coming from the same place. It was decided that it would be best that we call end to that session and sort the bike out for the race. With a closer inspection a small hairline crack was found in the case right beside the bolt hole. Fortunately we were able to rob the spare bike of its clutch cover. Unfortunately we dropped back to 7th overall with 4 teams improving their times in the second session. We weren’t too bothered by this as a lot can happen in 6 hours and we had remained 1st in class.

I was looking forward to the Le Mans start as I usually get away well. Unfortunately the bike did not fire first time which put me back several places after the first lap. I managed to pick my way through the traffic and handed over to Grant at the 50 minute mark. At the end of the first hour we were 4th overall and 2nd in class.

 Grant and Martin put in some good stints before handing back to me. We managed to gradually eat into the lead of the class leaders and Grant made his move early on in his session. He handed over to Martin at the 1 hour 30 minute mark with Martin riding well to extend the advantage by two laps over our class rivals.

 Unfortunately at the beginning of my second stint we received a two minute stop and go penalty, as the organisers thought that we had worked on the bike whilst re-fuelling, which was a mystery to us all. We just got on with it and managed to maintain the 2 lap lead, as the team second in class had a few problems with their pit stop. I just got my head down and tried to put in consistent times and try to extend the advantage further.                                                           

At around the 4 hour mark our nearest competitors took a tumble. They managed to get the bike back to the pits but it cost them around 38 minutes. This really ruled them out and meant that we would just be racing for positions overall. At the 5 hour mark we were second overall with a good advantage over the rest. All we had to do was bring the bike home, which is exactly what we did not wanting to risk doing anything silly. Grant crossed the line to take 2nd overall and 1st in class which was a great result for the whole team. This puts us joint leaders in the Supersport Championship heading into the next round to be held at Anglesey. Unfortunately I am unable to compete at the next two Endurance rounds as they clash with the BSB rounds at Donington Park and Thruxton. I have every faith in the team to get some good points on the board before my return at Pembrey.

Endurance photos courtesy of Barry Clay        

 Jon

Next Month Events

Oulton Park – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup  – 2nd – 4th May 2009

Donington park – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup – 23rd – 25th May

Thruxton – Focused Events KTM RC8 Super Cup – 29th – 31st May

Team JONRAILTON.COM NEWSLETTER – March 2009

Silverstone – Pre-season Test – 1st March 2009

Finally the time had arrived for me to swing my leg over a bike again. My last outing was last October for the final round of the National Endurance Championship at the same circuit. I could not wait to get out on the Fowlers RC8 even if the weather wasn’t ideal. The first session would be to just familiarise myself with the new bike and blow out the cobwebs after the winter break. The track surface was wet, which made things a little more difficult but I enjoy riding in the wet and it would be a good opportunity to get a feel for the Dunlop wets. After the first few sessions I started to get into the swing of things and started to relax on the bike. The track surface had dried for the sessions in the afternoon which would give the chance to really stretch the bikes legs and start working on the set-up. My initial feedback was that the bike felt stable through the fast corners and easy to turn through the tighter sections of the track. The only complaint I had was that the front end felt light and not as planted as I would have liked. All in all I was happy with how my first outing of 2009 went and was looking forward to Brands Hatch for the first round of the NG Road Racing Club Championship, where I was hoping to work hard to find the perfect set-up before the first round of the RC8 Super cup.

Martin Landmann and Grant Wagstaff were also testing the Endurance racers and were going well until during the last few minutes of the last session Martin highsided in the complex breaking his collar bone.

Kimbolton – Hunts Kart Racing Club (Winter Series R3) – 7th - 8th March 2009

A large entry meant that making up good ground in the heats was very important to ensure a place at the front of the grid for the final. We managed to make an important discovery during testing on Saturday. Speaking with a front runner in the British championship we were told that a different brake fluid was required. Having struggled from the start with the brake this could have been the breakthrough we were looking for. Having changed the brake fluid for the final couple of test sessions I was amazed by the difference. The brake instantly felt more positive and performed much better. I was now feeling confident going into the following days races. I was given two mid pack grids for the heats, 12th and 13th, which meant I would have to work hard in both to make up places. I got two great starts gaining several places on the first lap. I managed to finish both heats in 4th place which put me on pole for the final. I was really pleased and I had made up good ground in the championship. Unfortunately a mistake at the start of the final wet race put me back to 20th after the first lap. After a hard fought race I climbed my way back up to 8th at the finish. This was a little disappointing considering the performance in the heats. Although this was enough to finish second in the championship.. I have really enjoyed the karting and I believe that it should hold me in good stead for the start of the bike racing season. I would like to thank Robin Milton for the lone of the kart to compete in the HKRC winter championship.

Brands Hatch – NG Road Racing Club Round 1 – 21st-22nd March 2009

We arrived at Brands Hatch on Thursday to get prepared for the test day on Friday before the races on Saturday and Sunday. This would give me plenty of opportunity to really get a feel for the bike and find a good base setting before the first round of the RC8 Super cup. Friday practice went really well with me getting in loads of laps and putting in some reasonable lap times early on. We made some suspension changes throughout the day to improve the set-up with me posting my best time in the final session of the day on a tyre that had completed over 300km. I have to say that I am very impressed with the durability of the Dunlop’s that seem to never go-off! I was surprised with how good I felt on the bike considering I had only spent a couple of days testing, especially after the long winter break. With the improvements made to the set-up I was feeling confident of some strong results. Unfortunately just before our race the sidecars went out and as

per usual on the final lap one of the outfits blew up going into paddock hill bend and stayed on the racing line until the exit. This meant that a lot of cement dust had to be put down moving the apex a couple of meters away form the kerb. This would make overtaking and posting some fast lap times difficult.

 
The first race on Saturday was a qualifier, which meant you were given a grid position. There were 29 on the grid and I was to start from 20th, which meant there was a lot of overtaking to be done in order to secure a good grid for the main race in the afternoon. I made a reasonable start making up a few places on the first lap. I worked hard to work my way up the order finishing in 6th place at the end of the 9 lap race. This gave me a much better grid for the main race. From 6th I made a poor start dropping down to around tenth after the first lap. I managed to get into a good rhythm and make passes relatively easily. The brakes on the KTM with the addition of Performance Friction brake pads perform really well. I would say that it is the best brake system I have ever used, which made passing that little bit easier. I made my way up to 5th by the half way stage before making a mistake into druids when I went into a false neutral. I lost a couple places but was determined to make up ground. I managed to move into 5th going into the last lap. I got a really good run out of clearways and managed to just take 4th position on the line. In fact myself and the rider who finished 5th crossed the line in exactly the same time but the position was awarded to me. I was happy with how the day had gone and the lap times were moving in the right direction. On Sunday I had to start from 19th which meant my race craft would again be tested. I was starting to get a feel for the clutch off the line as it has the tendency to grab quite badly and I made a good start making up around 10 places on the first lap. I took my time working my way through the pack but managed to get through to 2nd on the penultimate lap where I stayed to the flag. Starting from second in the main race would give me a good opportunity to try and post some good lap times and battle for the lead. Unfortunately this time around I made a mediocre start which put me back several places. I managed to move through to 2nd once again by lap 6 of 10. I started to settle down into a good rhythm and pull a gap on the riders behind. A momentary lapse in concentration meant that I went into a false neutral again into druids. I dropped back to 4th. I fought back straight away taking 3rd place on the same lap and I closed right in on the 2nd placed rider. I was finding it hard to stay with the rider in front around some of the corners, as I was struggling to hold a tight line. Unfortunately I couldn’t quite make a move crossing line just behind in 3rd. I was a little frustrated knowing I should have finished 2nd. Although all in all I was feeling very pleased with how the weekend had gone and I am feeling confident ahead of the return trip to Brands at Easter. There are a few things to work on in terms of suspension but I have a good idea of the direction we need to go in and this will be sorted hopefully at a test day booked for the 6th April at Snetterton.

Mallory Park – National Endurance Championship Round 1 – 29th March 2009

I returned to Mallory looking forward to the challenge of the first endurance race of the year. Unfortunately the weekend got off to a bad start with Russell Horton standing in for Martin Landmann fell early on splitting the fuel tank. The bike went up in flames, which meant we would be left with only one bike for the rest of the weekend. Fortunately Russell was relatively un-injured just a little sore. He would not take place in the race as a result leaving me and Grant Wagstaff to share the riding.

The racing would take place in two three hour races. The first would include the Masters TAG 3 hour runners making a total grid of 28. The second half includes the Junior Tag 3 hour runners making a total grid of 35.

The Senior Tag class included Derek Redman who won a gold medal in a world championship relay race in the early nineties. 

 With only one bike left and the conditions being far from perfect we didn’t get many miles under our belts on Saturday but I felt pretty good on the bike considering I hadn’t ridden the R6 since October. We woke up Sunday morning to cool but sunny conditions and the track was dry. I headed out early in qualifying to get comfortable on the bike. I managed to put in a good time early on which was good enough for 6th overall and 1st in class. I made a good start moving into 4th overall before slipping back behind a few of the 1000cc bikes. With limited track time and testing the set-up wasn’t perfect which meant that the tyre wear was unpredictable. I managed to keep up a steady pace and finished my first stint in 7th place overall and 2nd in class with only a few laps spent behind the pace car for a red flag incidence. Grant took over and continued to keep up a good pace until he unfortunately high sided at Edwinas. He was able to get the bike back to the pits in good time reporting back that the tyre gave him very little feel and no warning. With the footrest replaced and handlebar straightened I headed out whilst Grant had a quick trip to the medical centre for a check over. As I headed out the pace car came out which gave me a good opportunity to check the bike over after the crash and make sure everything was OK. After the pace car had entered the pits I again just wanted to keep up a steady pace before handing over to Grant once again. He bravely headed out for what would be the final 45 minutes of the first half of the race. We ended the first half of the race in 13th place overall and 3rd in class. The bikes were held in parc ferme with no work allowed during the 45 minute break before the restart apart from tyre warmers.                                         

This meant that Grant would have to start the second half and, with fuel the level very low, he would complete only a handful of laps before entering the pits to include a tyre change. After a good start Grant was soon to signal the fuel light had come on. Refuelled and with a new rear tyre I set off again. My stint went well although the traffic was appalling and a lot of caution was needed when passing a large number of novices who were erratic to say the least. The two major incidents in this session would involve novices. Grant headed out for what was to be his final stint as he was starting to ‘feel it a bit’ after his crash. With around an hour and a half to go the red flags came out and the race was stopped, as a result of a big crash involving 6 riders. The race would not be re-started for another 45 minutes, which meant that Grant would be able to finish the race. Fortunately we had just enough fuel, as Grant signalled that the fuel light had come on with only a minute or so remaining. He crossed the line completing what was a challenging weekend for the whole team but we managed to finish second in class which was a good start to the championship considering we had a crash.

With so many walking wounded, Martin with his broken collar bone, and both Russell and Grant being beaten up by crashes the team did a great job to get to the finish upholding the spirit of endurance racing. 

 Jon

Next Month Events

Snetterton – Testing – 6th April 2009

Brands Hatch – Focused Events RC8 Supercup – 10th – 13th April 2009

Snetterton – National Endurance Championship Round 2 – 18th –  19th April 2009

Kimbolton – Hunts Kart Racing Club (Winter Series R2) – 7th - 8th February 2009

Unfortunately due to the poor weather at the start of the month the second round of the HKRC winter series was cancelled. It has not been re-scheduled which is disappointing as I would have liked another round to make up ground in the championship. Currently I am lying 4^th 17 points adrift of the leader. This deficit will be difficult to make up in one round but I will give it my best shot.

 I took the opportunity living just up the road, to run to the circuit and check out the track. On arrival all I could make out were the marshals posts but little else, the entire circuit was under around 6 inches of snow.

Running-in the RC8 – Snetterton – 16^th February 2009

With this being the first real opportunity to get the bike out on track an open pitlane trackday was pencilled in a while back. Although with the recent snow we didn’t expect to get out but to our amasement the forecast looked much more promising and a place was booked at the last minute. Unfortunately with this being a Motorsport Vision Circuit I am not allowed to ride as you have to be 18. I am not 18 until next month, therefore dad would have to take the bike out and get some miles on the clock. It’s probably not such a bad thing as he has run-in a few more bikes than me in his time, especially big V-twins. It was hoped that he would complete 300 miles (150 laps). Amazingly he fitted into my old leathers. This was dads first time on a bike for 11 years but he got back into it surprisingly quickly. To be fair he wanted to just keep up a steady pace and just concentrate on getting in the miles. It is recommended that the bike be run-in at a maximum of 7, 500 rpm with the peak revs at 10,500. Thankfully the weather lived up to expectations which meant that dad could just get on and hammer in the laps.  At the end of the day he had completed nearly 300 miles, which meant that only one more track day would be needed to get the bike fully run-in.

Photo courtesy of Roy Howell Photography

Running-in Complete! – Cadwell Park – 21^st February 2009

Again the good weather was unexpected and the temperature must have reached at least 12 degrees. The sun was out which meant that dad could again get a good day on the bike completing as many miles as possible. Thankfully this was another open pit lane event which gave dad the best possible chance of getting in a good number of laps. It also meant that he could again mix it with some of the track day riders, which helped to pass the time. Just after lunch it was decided that the bike had completed a sufficient number of miles and would be ready for my first outing on the 1st of March at Silverstone. With that we packed up and left for home where we would check the bike over and start preparing it for me to test at race speed for the first time at Silverstone. I can’t wait!

 
Bike just completed with painted bodywork by Barry at Splash Motorcycles and TechSpec tank grips from the States for Silverstone test. KTM RC8 Supercup sticker kit and other sponsors stickers to be added, and SES rearsets to be fitted.

    Jon

Next Month Events

Silverstone – Pre-season Test – 1st March 2009

Kimbolton– Hunts Kart Racing Club (Winter Series R3) – 7th-8th March 2009

Brands Hatch – NG Road Racing Club Round 1 – 21st-22nd March 2009

Mallory Park – National Endurance Championship Round 1 – 29th March 2009

Kimbolton – Hunts Kart Racing Club – 13^th-14^th December 2008

I returned to Kimbolton where I last drove a kart three years ago as a junior. Robin Milton of RS Workshop Equipment kindly offered to lend me his kart a Senior Rotax Max for the winter series. I entered the December meeting to get some practise before the winter series which starts in January and ends in March. Saturday dawned wet and windy so new wets were fitted and various settings were used to get the best from the kart. Heavy rain overnight had soaked the track and with low temperatures the track would stay wet all day. The kart was struggling for speed so various jet changes were made to no avail throughout the weekend for reasons that will be explained later in the report. This affected my pace and I finished 9^th, 12^th and 7^th in the heats and 10^th in the final.

Welcome to 2009!!!

I am very pleased to announce that a deal has been put together for me to ride in the 2009 Focused Events KTM RC8 SuperCup in partnership with Fowlers of Bristol under the Ducks Cross Racing Team banner. I will also again be riding for the Carrino Flooring backed Ducks Cross Racing Team in the Hottrax National Endurance Championship.
 

Preparation for the endurance series is going well. The team are concentrating on two main areas, reliability and suspension. A lot of development work has been done to improve the reliability without the loss of horsepower. This has mainly been achieved by reducing the state of tune, fitting a different exhaust and remapping. A White Power rear shock has been fitted and the front forks have been re-valved and set-up by Darren at MCTechnics. With improved reliability the team will be well placed to win their class and battle for overall honours in 2009.

I have been training harder than ever in preparation for this season to make sure that I am one of  the fittest on the grid in 2009. I will have to develop my upper body and core strength to deal with the extra power and weight of the RC8. I have tried to fit in as much training as possible around my studies and part time job as a fitness instructor in a local gym. I also make use of the gym for my own training as the conditions are much more favourable than those outside during the winter months. My training regime includes using free weights, rowing machines, static bikes and cross-trainers.

Kimbolton – Hunts Kart Racing Club (Winter Series R1) – 10th-11th January 2009

Going into the meeting I still didn’t really know what to expect as I had not yet driven the Senior Rotax in the dry. The weather forecast was predicting dry but cold weather and I was looking forward to pushing the kart in the dry conditions. I was also feeling more confident going into this meeting for a different reason. The engine was sent off for a top end rebuild and it was discovered that it had a broken piston. Saturday dawned dry but bitterly cold and the temperature didn’t rise above 0°C all day. The Senior Rotax Max has definitely got more punch out of the corners and it was good fun finding the limits. Come Sunday I was feeling confident as I had posted some good times in the last few sessions on Saturday. We arrived at the circuit on Sunday morning to find the tarmac covered in frost. Fortunately the forecast was predicting some warmer conditions and even some sunshine. The track had thawed by the time practice was due to start which meant there were no delays. This left the track fairly damp and wets would be needed for the first heat. I was 5^th on the grid for the first heat and wanted to make sure that I positioned myself on the inside going into the first corner. The 1^st and 3^rd place drivers to my surprise moved over to the left which meant I could make the move on the pair of them and I took the lead into the first corner. From then on in I led for the whole race and crossed the line to take my first win in a kart after a three year layoff. I have to give credit to my Dad and Robin for getting the set-up just right for these conditions. Come the second heat the track was dry and a new set of Vega slicks were fitted. For this heat I was 13^th on the grid. Unfortunately I got a bit boxed in at the start and couldn’t make up much ground. As the race progressed I made up a few places but didn’t have the pace to finish higher than 8^th place struggling in particular to get off the last corner which affects the speed down the straight. For the final we adjusted the front tracking to try and improve release. From third on the grid I made an average start maintaining my position for the majority of the first lap. Going into the last corner I got hit from behind and lost a lot of momentum losing three places into the first corner putting me back to 6^th. The kart felt really good through the first two thirds of the lap but I couldn’t take advantage of this as there are not many passing places in this sector. I eventually crossed the line in 7^th, which was a little frustrating after the 1^st heat performance as I knew that there was more to come from the kart. But I still really enjoyed myself and collected a good handful of points and currently lie 4^th in the winter series championship. Hopefully we can resolve the issue with the last corner and find myself battling right at the front next month.

Collecting the RC8!!! – Fowlers of Bristol – 23rd January 2009

As you can imagine I was really looking forward to collecting the KTM RC8 that I will ride this season. We set off early on the Friday 23^rd January to collect the bike from Fowlers headquarters in Bristol. I was met by Fowlers Sales Manager Rod Veck who handed the bike over to me. I also met up with Jason Beauchemin to collect my helmets which are HJC’s top of the range model HQ-1 with a Carbon Fibre shell.

The bike is now being made ready for racing by fitting Akrapovic exhaust, racing fairing and GB Racing engine cover protectors. The suspension will also be upgraded to suit racing conditions and rider weight.

Dad will run the bike in at an open pitlane track day at Snetterton on Monday 16^th February 2009 if the parts arrive in time and the weather is okay. Unfortunately I cannot ride at any of the MSV track days until I am 18 so will have to wait until the end of February to ride the bike at Donington. 

    Jon

Next Month Events

Kimbolton– Hunts Kart Racing Club (Winter Series R2) – 7th-8th January 2009 (cancelled due to the weather)

Donington Park – Pre-Season Test – 27th February (Provisional)