 |
|
Silverstone –18th – 20th October 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship The final round of the championship would be the last race on the WD40 Kawasaki ZX10r and in what turned out to be wet conditions for most of the weekend. Free practise and the first qualifying session were held in the dry which would determine the grid position for the race as the remaining sessions were wet. Jon struggled with pace in the dry which put him 34th on the grid for the race. The remaining qualifying session and warm up were used to find a set up for the race which was forecast to be wet. Further changes were made for the race to improve pace which proved worthwhile as Jon managed to make up several places before the flag in very wet conditions.
Jon says: “This would be the last ride of the season and on the Team WD40 Kawasaki ZX10r. With no back to back races with the Ducati 848 I could concentrate on getting the best out of the bike at a circuit I look forward to racing at. The forecast was for a wet weekend but both free practice and first qualifying were held in the dry. I struggled to feel comfortable on the ZX10R and was well off my best race and qualifying pace set at previous meetings and ended the first qualifying session in 34th place. Unfortunately as forecast the remainder of the weekend was wet. Therefore I was unable to improve my time for the race. In the second wet qualifying session I again struggled to find a good pace however with a few changes to the set up things improved for the warm up session later that day.
A few more changes were made for the race. I made a good start in the race making up several places on the first lap. I continued to make progress to finish 24th with lap times much improved over wet qualifying. Having made a good start at the first meeting of the year to qualify on the front row in probably one of the most competitive series I am disappointed to not have finished higher in the championship. As the season progressed it became clear that riding two totally different types of motorcycle was affecting my performance particularly on the ZX10r. A big thanks to all the crew at Team WD40 who have been behind me 100%, and all my personal sponsors for providing the resources that enable me to race. A special thanks to The Key Collection for providing leathers for both championships which kept me protected, presentable and colour coordinated! I am now looking forward to next season and sorting out a competitive ride in at least one championship and possibly two but not at the same meeting. Watch this space!”
Photos courtesy of Nigel Shearing Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Silverstone – 4th – 6th October 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship Free practise went well in the wet conditions with Jon posting the 13th quickest time. In dry qualifying Jon ended 18th on the grid 1.6s off pole. The bike was working well and Jon was confident he would go quicker in the race. The race did not go quite as planned as having made a good start off the line Jon had to take avoiding action as a rider in front nearly high sided going onto the hanger straight. This dropped him to 28th with a lot of work to do. Jon says “I was pleased with my performance in the Superstock qualifying which was good enough for 18th and felt more comfortable on the bike with further room for improvement. I was looking forward to the Superstock race and made a decent start. Unfortunately I got caught up in an incident on the first lap going onto the back straight which allowed several riders to pass me. I got into a decent rhythm and was setting consistent times and was moving up the order as the race progressed. I could make passes relatively easily but I was too far off of the pack battling for the points and ended 18th at the flag. I had the pace to run in the top 15, which gives me confidence heading to Brands Hatch next week.”
Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge Following the last race at Assen everything was looking good going to Silverstone with only 12 points separating Jon from the championship title with 50 to play for. Quickest in the dry free practise the first race would be difficult with Jon having to start from 13th on the grid having made a wrong tyre choice in the damp but drying qualifying session. The races proved to be a disaster despite at one point in the first race Jon managing to take the lead which put him equal on points with his championship rival Marty Nutt. Jon says “I was really looking forward to Silverstone, as it is my home race and I still had more than a fighting chance to win the Ducati 848 TriOptions championship. Free practise and in both classes on Friday went well and it was shaping up to be a good weekend. A wrong tyre choice saw me qualify in 13th for the first Ducati race. I knew I had the pace in the dry so I would need to get a good start in the race. I made a good start and ended the first lap in 5th place right on the back of the leading pack. I soon fought my way to the front and was leading by half race distance with the confidence that I could pull a gap. Almost as soon as I took the lead I began to experience gear selection problems which caused me to slip down the order and end a disappointing 6th at the end of the race. This put me 22 points behind Mart Nutt in the championship which would make it almost impossible to take the championship.”
“The team worked overnight to fix the gearbox problem. Unfortunately without a warm up session there would be no chance to try the bike before the second race. I would have to win the race to stand any chance of taking the title. I made another good start and held station for the first half of the lap but lost touch with the leaders when I hit a false neutral as I made a move for third place almost taking out Dennis Hobbs. I pressed on managing to pass Marty for 4th who was naturally being conservative to make sure of the championship, with one lap to go the bike began to jump out of gear which caused me to almost come to a stop. I managed to limp home to finish 8th. A disappointing way to end the season. Congratulations go to Marty Nutt for winning the championship – we had some great battles. I can look back at all those highs winning races which made it so worthwhile.” Leading my great rival Marty Nutt
“Big thanks to Michael Green and the whole Boast Plumbing/Art of Racing team for making it all happen. Thanks also, as always, to Team WD40, Ohlins/Harris Performance and all of my personal sponsors.”
Photos courtesy of Nigel Shearing & Nick Railton
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
After a win at the last round of the Ducati 848 TriOptions Challenge the whole team were looking forward to racing at the next two rounds at Assen. This would be Jon’s first visit to the circuit. With only one free practice and one qualifying session Jon would have to learn the track quickly particularly as many of the front runners had raced and won there before. All through practice and qualifying Jon consistently improved his lap times until a small error 10 minutes into the qualifying session saw him lose the front end preventing further progress. His time in the shortened session put him 4th on the grid for race 1. With the bike repaired Jon posted the fastest time in warm up before race 1 with no issues with the bike and Jon’s confidence. Race 1 was disappointing as Jon got embroiled in a battle with Dennis Hobbs for several laps losing touch with the leaders to end the race in 5th place. With increased pace in the race a few set up issues arose particularly in the braking zones. These were addressed for race 2 along with adjustments to the gear lever. At the start of race 2 Jon was immediately able to stay with the leading pack and a five way battle for the lead ensued. Jon managed to fight his way to the front but he could not make a break. At the end of the penultimate lap he was passed by Mike Edwards having missed a gear into the chicane and then by Leon Morris along the pit straight. Determined not to be beaten Jon made a pass at turn 2 and then turn 3 to retake the lead to hang on for the win. This was a vital result if he was to maintain a fighting chance to win the championship at the last 2 rounds at Silverstone. Jon says: “I was really looking forward to my first visit to Assen and riding the Ducati again after my win at Donington last time out. When we arrived on Thursday I walked the track to familiarise myself with the layout. The most obvious characteristic of the circuit is the positive camber in the corners.”
“Fortunately the weather stayed dry throughout the weekend which gave me the best opportunity to learn the circuit. In free practice I felt comfortable after only a few laps and ended the session 2nd quickest which was surprising as all the front runners had raced at Assen before. I knew where I had to improve in qualifying and was making good progress during the first part of the session. On my first flying lap after leaving the pits I started to push hard. Unfortunately I lost the front into De Bult with no obvious explanation for the crash. The team did a great job to repair the bike ready for warm-up. I got back up to speed quickly and felt good for race 1. Having replaced the gear lever after the crash I was struggling to select the right gear changing up and down the gearbox. Also with the increased pace the set-up wasn’t quite right which affected braking in particular. This made things difficult throughout the first race and I lost the tow early on, which prevented me from challenging for the podium. With changes to the set up made I was determined to improve on my race 1 result. At the start of the second race I was able to comfortably stay with the leading pack and managed to work my way through the pack to lead at half distance and tried to pull a gap. On the penultimate lap I changed down one too many gears in the final sector which allowed Mike Edwards and Leon Morris to pass me. I really wanted the win and immediately made my move at turn 2 and 3 to take the lead again. I then made a small break to prevent the determined Mike Edwards from making a move at the final corner to take my seventh win of the year and close the gap in the Championship.
Assen is an awesome place to race a motorcycle and the Dutch Fans and Marshalls are so enthusiastic. I'm now looking forward to Silverstone where I really enjoy riding with everything to play for in the championship. Big thanks to the entire Boast Plumbing/AOR team, Carrino Access Flooring and all of my personal sponsors!” Live race footage can be viewed here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir0Oot2rGqg
Photos courtesy of Bonnie Lane
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
After a run of difficult races since the Brands GP round of the championships Jon managed to regain some pace at the Silverstone 200 event at the MotoGP. With a lap of 2m 10.2 s Jon qualified 5th behind 4 superbikes. Jon returned to Donington Park where he again was racing both the Ducati and Kawasaki ZX10r. All Friday’s sessions were held in extremely wet conditions and Jon had good pace on both bikes. Saturday dawned dry but the track was still damp for the Ducati qualifying. Jon elected to start the session on wets with a dry rear tyre ready if required. After a few laps it was clear dry tyres would be required so the rear was fitted with 10 minutes of the session remaining. Jon managed to qualify 6th for the race. With a crowded dry qualifying session for the Superstock race Jon struggled to find space to get a clear run of laps. He eventually finished 25th with a lap time a second off his previous best. He was confident with a few set up changes and a clear run he would be able to improve his time. In the race Jon made a poor start losing places in the first lap. In addition as he was working his way back up the field he was struck from behind dropping him further back and too far to catch the pack fighting for the last championship points to finish 24th. In the first Ducati race Jon made a reasonable start to cross the line in 6th place after the first lap. He struggled with pace as the bike developed a misfire resulting in a 4th place finish although he did manage to set the second fastest time which put him second on the grid for the next race. In the second race Jon got away at the front. He was lucky to avoid Dennis Hobbs who fell at the Craner Curves and was overtaken by Mike Edwards and Marty Nutt his main championship rival. Undeterred Jon got his head down to pass Edwards and early leader Leon Morris.
With a clear run to Nutt Jon broke his own lap record several times to close in to take the lead on the 9th lap and hold it to the flag. This was a vital win and confidence boost going to the next round of the championship at Assen.
Jon says: "Cadwell was a tough weekend all round with difficult conditions on Friday. This meant we lost a lot of useful set-up time and time for me on the bike to build my confidence. This meant I struggled to find a decent pace in qualifying and find a good rhythm. I had a small issue in the race which meant I had to pull into the pits. A disappointing weekend where I hoped to move things forward after Oulton. I was looking forward to the Silverstone 200 race meeting for various reasons but mostly because it would be a good opportunity to build my confidence at a circuit I know well and really enjoy riding at. The bike felt good with the Dunlop tyres and PFM brakes, which I managed to get a feel for in practice and exploit the extra potential in qualifying to be fifth quickest just behind four of the Superbikes. Unfortunately the races didn’t go quite as I expected but it was useful track time that has helped me to progress. Donington was the final of three consecutive race weekends and a busy few weeks which included races for both the Ducati and ZX10R. Friday was a wash out but I enjoyed riding in the wet conditions and posted some decent lap times on both bikes. Qualifying on the Ducati didn’t go quite to plan but I was feeling good for the race. The Superstock field was as competitive as ever. I was disappointed with my grid position although I knew there was more to come and we worked on some changes for warm-up. The first Ducati race was affected by a small misfire that I suffered for the entire race. I did my best to pass Leon Morris on the final lap for third but he defended well and I had to settle for fourth. The changes to the Superstock bike had made a small improvement so we carried them through to the race. With back to back races it was again going to be a tough afternoon. I suffered from a poor first lap and being run off the track towards the end of the Superstock race but I was pleased with my pace at certain stages of the race and I was feeling much more comfortable on the bike. “ “I was determined to make up for the first race and my recent run on finishes off of the podium in race 2 on the Ducati. I knew that once I had moved into second behind Marty Nutt that I had to dig in and catch him. He was setting a good pace at the front but I knew I could catch him. I set a couple of new lap records and managed to pull a pass around the outside at the Melbourne Hairpin, which I wasn’t expecting! I really pushed on the final lap to maintain the lead to take my sixth win of the season. I was really happy with the win and has really boosted my confidence heading into the final part of the season. I can’t wait for Assen in a couple of weeks. Big thanks to Team WD40, Team AOR/Boast Plumbing, Mick James, Ohlins/Harris Performance and all of my personal sponsors.”
Live race footage can be viewed here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I64DMLOjlTo
Photos courtesy of Nigel Shearing
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Oulton Park – 9th – 11th August 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship Free practice went reasonably well with Jon qualifying 21st overall. In Q1 Jon lost ground even though he improved his lap time over free practice. A technical problem in Q2 prevented him from improving which meant he ended 32nd overall and would have to finish in the top ten of the Last Chance Qualifier to make the main grid. Making a good start in the LCQ he latched on to Peter Ward who got the hole shot. Consistently lapping faster than he had done all weekend Jon could not quite get on terms with Peter to make a pass and finished 2nd at the flag. In the main race Jon made a good start only to lose places as he exited Cascades avoiding another rider who had a big moment! From then on he struggled to maintain his LCQ pace to make up ground and eventually finished the race in 25th place.
Ducati TriOptions 848
Challenge The weekend began well on the Ducati as he ended free practice 1st overall. Qualifying was looking good until the red flag came out when he was on what looked like a pole lap. The first race would follow the LCQ on the ZX10R along with a poor start Jon found it difficult to make up ground quickly for the first few laps. He eventually caught the pack and almost passed Marty Nutt his main championship rival as they exited the last chicane but to no avail finishing the race in 5th place. In the second race Jon made another poor start and struggled for pace but managed to limit the damage by finishing one place behind Marty Nutt who now leads Jon by 9 points in the championship. The next round of the championship is at Donington Park where Jon is expecting to produce the form that delivered 2 wins the last time the Ducati’s raced at this circuit. Jon says: "I was looking forward to Oulton Park, as it would be my first opportunity to ride the Ducati there and to work on progressing from where I and the team left off at the last visit to the circuit in May on the ZX10R. Oulton isn’t one of my favourite circuits but it is a challenging and technical circuit where I have consistently improved over the past couple of seasons. The weekend started positively setting the fastest time in Free Practice on the Ducati and setting a respectable time on the ZX10R in first qualifying. There was still work to be done to move things forward and I was looking forward to second qualifying. Unfortunately due to a technical issue in the second qualifying session I ended up just outside the top 30 which meant I would have to take part in the Last Chance Qualifier race. I was also frustrated to only qualify 4th for the first Ducati race as I was on a lap good enough for pole when the session was stopped with 7 minutes remaining. The session was cancelled so the position stood. I was pleased with my performance in the LCQ race as I had improved on my PB lap time at the circuit. This left me feeling more confident for the main race on Sunday. The first Ducati race was a struggle after the poor start and I battled back to 5th but I found it hard to make further progress once I got with the leading group. It was close at one point between me and Marty Nutt on the final lap but I couldn’t find a way past.
“The second race was much the same as the first after a slow start. I worked my way back through but I needed more pace to be able to make the progress I needed to get with the leaders. I good start in the Superstock race was all for nothing as I had to run wide exiting Cascades to avoid a rider who had a big moment losing 8n places.. I tried to produce the lap times I had earlier in the weekend but I struggled to push hard without making a mistake so I kept it safe and crossed the line to end a disappointing weekend. I am now looking forward to Cadwell Park following a successful test there a few days ago. Also, I am pleased to announce that I will be competing in the Silverstone 200 supporting the MotoGP at Silverstone, which takes place on 30 August – 1st September. Big thanks to Team WD40, Team AOR/Boast Plumbing, Mick James, Ohlins/Harris Performance and all of my personal sponsors.” Photos courtesy of Nigel Shearing
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Brands Hatch GP – 19th – 21st July 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship
With expectations high after a successful test at Brands Hatch a couple of weeks ago and 13th in free practice on the Indy circuit on Friday Jon would end the weekend disappointed following a crash in the first Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge race. Riding through the pain barrier Jon managed to qualify 23rd with a sub 1m 30s lap only a few tenths off a top ten place and battled in the race to finish 20th.
Ducati
TriOptions 848 Challenge
Again expectations were high for the first race on Friday on the Indy circuit when he set a stunning sub 48s lap to qualify on pole.
In the first race Jon made a good start to end the first lap just behind Leon Morris. Wasting no time Jon passed Leon into Paddock Hill bend and gradually pulled away until on lap 11 with a 3s lead he lost the front end going through Graham Hill bend leaving Marty Nutt his nearest championship rival to take the win.
Jon had set the fastest lap in the first
Marty now leads Jon by a single point. Jon’s fight back begins at the next round at Oulton Park.
Jon says: "I was really looking forward to the weekend at the Brands Hatch GP circuit. A recent test at this circuit on the ZX-10R proved my pace and I felt confident of scoring strong results in both classes. Qualifying the Ducati on the Indy circuit went to plan and I was really pleased to improve on my own lap record and go under the 48 second barrier! I knew what I had to do in the race and that was get a clean start and get out in front. I did just that and felt comfortable until the crash. I was really disappointed to have thrown away my championship lead but was determined to make up for it in race 2. Unfortunately I had gone down heavily on my leg which sustained a large amount of bruising. However initially it felt OK on the bike so I didn’t think it would be an issue. In race two on the GP circuit I knew I could be fast but having just completed warm-up on the ZX10R it took me a few laps to get on the pace. Once I was up to speed I started making up places and made up a lot of ground on the leaders. Unfortunately I needed just one more lap to make a move into second past Marty Nutt and maintain the Championship lead. I was pleased to have finished third and to minimise the damage in terms of the Championship. I am confident that I can regain the point’s advantage at Oulton Park. In the Superstock qualifying I had felt good but didn’t have the same confidence that I had at the test. This just knocked the edge off of my speed and with the times being extremely close throughout the top 30 riders my qualifying position reflected this. I was disappointed with my lap time and qualifying 23rd on the grid but given the circumstances I had done what I could. I felt better in morning Warm-Up and more relaxed on the bike.” “I got an average start in the race but I was determined to improve on my qualifying time and prove the speed I had shown at the test. Unfortunately I didn’t have the strength in my leg to last the entire race without making mistakes in some of the fast sections out the back of the circuit. This meant I couldn’t run the pace and had to settle for 20th at the finish. A frustrating weekend but I was at least able to continue after the crash on Friday scoring decent points in the second Ducati race. Thanks to Team WD40, Team AOR/Boast Plumbing, Mick James, Ohlins/Harris Performance, the BSB Marshalls, Medics and Physio’s, and all of my personal sponsors.”
Photos courtesy of Nigel Shearing
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Snetterton 300 – 5th – 7th July 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship With the arrival of much promised upgrades to the Ohlins suspension Jon improved his times each time he rode the bike. Qualifying 23rd for the race he managed to move up the field as the race progressed maintaining a good pace to the flag to finish 15th. A test at the Brands Hatch GP circuit confirmed the improvement with the settings which should result in improved lap times at the next round of the championship at the circuit
Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge
Jon continued his dominance of the class with a win and a second place and another lap record. Despite making a poor start in race one Jon never gave up, eventually passing four riders to chase after Marty Nutt breaking the lap record several times on the way to finish ing within a second at the flag. The second race was immediately after the Superstock race which meant Jon had no time to rest. With a much better start he led after the first lap being chased hard by Marty Nutt and Robbie Brown. At half distance Marty Nutt made his move to lead the race. Jon hung on for the remaining laps attempting several times to make a pass which he eventually did at Agostini’s on the last lap to take the win.
Jon says: "Overall I am pleased with the performances this weekend. On the Superstock bike we have made real progress with the settings during the weekend and I managed to improve on my personal best lap time set last season. The race went well and I have to be pleased with moving through from 23rd to 15th and into the points. This has always been a difficult circuit for me and I am working hard to improve my speed especially on the newer sections.
Having said that my performance on the Ducati wasn’t an issue and despite a poor start and recovering to second, which was my first defeat of the season, I set a new lap record on the final lap of the first race on Saturday. This gave me confidence for the second race on Sunday and a quick change of leathers between the Superstock and Ducati races, which were back to back, didn’t hold me back. During the race I started to feel the effects of the extremely high temperatures but I was determined to recover the points I lost to Marty Nutt in the Championship in race 1. I dug deep and in the end I managed to make my move on the final lap and hold Marty off for the win to make it 5 wins out of 6 races so far this season.”
“A test at Brands Hatch GP on the Kawasaki ZX10r following the Snetterton meeting confirmed the improvements made to the suspension settings which hopefully will deliver results at a circuit I really enjoy. Big thanks to Team WD40, Team AOR/Boast Plumbing, Mick James, Ohlins/Harris Performance and all of my personal sponsors.”
Photos courtesy of Nigel Shearing and ©2013GREGG.HOWARTH@GMAIL.COM
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Knockhill – 14th – 16th June 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship Jon continued with the settings used successfully at Donington Park. The pace in free practise left room for improvement so minor set up changes to the gearing and suspension were made for the first qualifying session. Along with new tyres Jon’s pace improved dramatically by nearly a second posting the third quickest time in his group. The pace of the second group was faster which put him 10th overall on time. The second qualifying sessions were wet so the grid was determined by taking alternate positions from each session which meant Jon would start 6th on the grid. Jon could not maintain his qualifying pace in the race and dropped places but still finished in the points. The race highlighted areas where improvements can be made particularly at tracks with slow speed stop start corners an area that will be worked on at the next meeting at Snetterton.
Jon says: “The weekend started well and the changes we made in Free Practice helped to dial the bike into the tight and undulating circuit.
I felt good on the bike in qualifying and set the
3rd quickest time in my group and 10th overall and improved on
my previous In the race I got a decent start but dropped a couple of places on the first lap. As the race progressed I struggled to maintain my qualifying pace and lost touch with the leaders and started to drop back. I tried to stay with my team mate Tommy after he had passed me into the hairpin but couldn’t match his pace although I managed to work out where I need to adapt myself and the bike in order to improve. I eventually finished 11th scoring some valuable points. All in all a big improvement over the previous 3 rounds having not scored any points as a result of set up difficulties and a crash at Donington. Thanks to Team WD40 and all of my sponsors for all your efforts and continued support!”
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Donington Park – 24th – 26th May 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship Having reverted to the Brands Hatch settings on the Team WD40 backed Kawasaki ZX10r for this round following a successful test at Donington a couple of weeks ago Jon felt more confident he would be running at the front of over 40 entered.
Free practice was wet and Jon set the fastest time which was a good start. The first qualifying session began damp and everyone was using wet tyres and again Jon was very quick in these conditions posting the 2nd quickest time with 10 minutes to go. A few riders gambled and changed to a dry tyre which paid off for some. Aware that the next qualifier on Saturday was going to be dry Jon decided not to change tyres and dropped to 8th overall. The second qualifier was fast and furious with fractions of a second covering the top 20. Jon struggled to find track space but managed to almost equal his best at this circuit to qualify 11th. For the race Jon had an additional challenge as the Superstock race was immediately after the Ducati race and he barely had time to catch breath. In the race he made a good start to cross the line in 12th position closing on those in front. Trying to make a pass at the Foggy Esses he out braked himself and overshot loosing several places in the process. As he returned to the track he immediately began to recover the places he had lost. Unfortunately trying a bit too hard he high sided as he exited the Melbourne loop ending his race.
All in all a good weekend and Jon is looking forward to the next round of the championship which is at Knockhill in three weeks’ time on the Superstock bike. Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge Jon again excelled on the Boast Plumbing Art of Racing Ducati qualifying on pole for both races. In race one Jon lost a couple of places off the start to Northern Ireland’s Marty Nutt and Dennis Hobbs. Jon pursued the pair for a couple of laps then took charge first overtaking Nutt and then Hobbs and proceeded to smash the lap record several times before easing off to win the race with 4 seconds to spare at the flag. In the second race Jon got the hole shot and proceeded to pull clear with Nutt and Hobbs battling for second never able to match Jon’s pace. Jon now leads the championship by 28 points from Marty Nutt.
Jon says: "Overall it’s been a great weekend. It started well on Friday in terrible conditions but the wet settings gave me confidence and I set the fastest time in free practice. I did what I could in first qualifying but it came down to a gamble on tyre choice and I chose to stick with the wet tyres. The weather improved dramatically on Saturday which meant it was all down to the times in that session. I got into a good rhythm by mid-session and set a time close to my PB, which I was pleased with considering it was the first dry session of the weekend. I was happy with 11th on the grid and expected to improve in the race. The Ducati qualifying went well and I finished on pole for the first race. It took me a few laps to get a feel for the Ducati after the Superstock qualifying but once I found my rhythm I made my move for the lead and pulled a comfortable gap. In the process I managed to improve on my lap time in qualifying and set a new lap record. Sunday was going to be challenging with back to back races. I knew what I needed to do in the Ducati race and managed to take the lead earlier and pull a gap. It was a great feeling to make it four wins from four races. The Superstock race started well to end the first lap in 12th position. I felt I had the pace to move forward and run with the leaders. I made a small mistake into the Fogarty Esses trying to overtake Matteo Baiocco under braking which cost me a lot of time. I was keen to make progress as quickly as possible and I got on the throttle slightly too early out of the Melbourne Hairpin and had a big high side. A disappointing way to end the weekend but overall I was really pleased with the races on the Ducati and the pace I showed on the Kawasaki, which sets me up nicely for Knockhill in a few weeks. Thanks to Team WD40, Team AOR/Boast Plumbing and all of my personal sponsors!”
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Testing Oulton Park 26th April 2013
Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship Rain affected free practice gave no indication of what the pace would be for the remaining sessions which would be dry. Jon qualified 26th overall over a second off his best at this circuit struggling with feel and complaining of difficulties with turn in. Further setting changes were made to the front end to try and get the bike to follow a tighter line for Q2. Despite improving his lap times Jon qualified 30th for the race. Jon made a good start in the race and managed again to improve his lap time over qualifying finishing 24th at the flag. Jon says: “It has been another frustrating weekend. The damp Free Practice session on Friday morning didn’t help as no progress could be made with the dry settings. I used the first qualifying session to evaluate the changes made recently at the test. As I started to push harder I struggled to make the bike hold a line through short and long corners. This prevented me from running corner speed and getting on the throttle early. With the assistance of Lenny Alvin from Ohlins we made progress throughout the weekend and made some significant changes to the overall set-up of the bike. I did what I could in qualifying but ended up in 30th which would make for a tough race.
I got a good start and improved my position by the end of the first lap. The setting changes we had made for the race allowed me to lap consistently quicker than I had all weekend which was positive. Unfortunately I had an issue with the handle bar that turned on the fork leg making it difficult to control the bike. This prevented any further progress.” Testing - Donington Park 14th May 2013
Jon says: “I felt much more comfortable on the bike using the base settings we have always worked to. Donington is one of my favourite circuits and I felt there was more to come from the bike so I’m looking forward to getting back to the form I know I and the team are capable of this weekend. Thanks to Team WD40 and all of my personal sponsors!” Photos courtesy of, MotorsportFanMedia and Nigel Shearing
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Testing – Snetterton – 1st April 2013 This would be the last chance for Jon to test the new for 2013 Pirelli Diablo Supercorsas before the first round of the championships. The first session was very cold and Jon low sided on the second lap exiting Russell’s with minimal damage to the bike and himself. The low temperatures persisted all day giving no chance to test the tyres at anything like race pace. Jon would have to try and set up both the Ducati which he had never ridden in the dry and Kawasaki ZX10r on the new tyres at Brands Hatch. Brands Hatch - 5th – 7th April 2013 Pirelli 1000 Superstock Championship Jon qualified a respectable 4th on the Team WD40 Kawasaki ZX10r from 58 entries. An unbelievable 1 second covered the first 30 riders making this by far the most competitive championship in the series. In the race Jon made a mediocre start to cross the line 7th after the first lap but was close enough to the leaders to make progress in the long 25 lap race. The pace was fast and furious and Jon began to make his move at half distance to go 6th. Just as he made the move he began to struggle in the two major braking zones at Paddock and Druids as the brakes started to fade badly. Rather than throw caution to the wind Jon pressed on as best he could but lost a couple of places at the flag to finish 9th still only 4.5 seconds behind the winner.
Due to the cold wet weather during March Jon was
unable to test the Ducati in the dry. In free practice on Friday
he set the fastest time. He qualified 2nd for race one, just
behind Marty Nutt from Northern Ireland.
Jon says: “What a fantastic weekend! I was
surprised by the speed of the Ducati and the lap times it was
capable of. To come away from round one with two wins and a lap
record is a great feeling and the best possible way to start the
season. Thruxton - 12th – 14th April 2013 Pirelli 1000 Superstock Championship With rain affected practice Jon managed to qualify 11th from another big entry. Following the only dry qualifying session Jon was complaining that the bike was slow to turn and the ride was very harsh. The front end was not diving as it should so the forks were given to Ohlins to rectify. Warm up on Sunday morning was damp which gave no indication of how the bike would handle in the race. From the lights Jon immediately struggled with pace as the bike was unstable on the brakes and felt very soft on the front end. Lapping a second off his 2012 pace Jon slipped back to 18th as the race was red flagged after 10 laps. Further testing is scheduled for 26th April 2013 at Oulton Park where Jon hopes to find the correct settings after the adjustments at Thruxton and to get the best from the Pirelli’s. Jon says: “I am disappointed with the result this weekend. Having had such a good result last season at Thruxton I was confident that I could repeat that but with the problems we faced during the weekend it was always going to be tough. I didn’t have the confidence to push like I have previously and just couldn’t maintain the pace of the front pack. I am now looking forward to Oulton Park where I hope to get the season back on track in terms of the championship. Big thanks to Team WD40, GR Motosport, Team AOR, Boast Plumbing and all of my sponsors. I would also like to thank The Key Collection and Weise for supplying the made to measure Team WD40 leathers, which fit and look great!”. Photos courtesy of, MotorsportFanMedia and Nigel Shearing
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
Team Announcements and Pre-season Testing Firstly a big thanks to all those supporters past and present who have contributed to the success and progress Jon has made to date.2013 marks a significant change in strategy as Jon takes the step of joining a team that has a substantial title sponsor and infra-structure capable of delivering resources which will enable Jon to progress beyond the National Superstock championship.
With several options available to him in 2013 after lengthy discussions and negotiations Jon has agreed to join Team WD40 and GR Motosport. Jon will be racing a new Kawasaki ZX10r in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 championship. In addition Jon will be racing a Ducati in the Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge for Michael Green of Boast Plumbing Supplies Ltd
Pre-session testing on both bikes began on 15th March at a cold and wet Brands Hatch. Immediately Jon showed good pace in the difficult conditions able change from the Ducati to the Kawasaki with ease. This was followed by a race win on the Saturday in similar conditions. Jon hopes to be able to test in the dry before the first round of the championship at Brands Hatch in April. Jon says,
“I’m looking forward to working with Team WD40,
team mates Tommy Aquino (STK 1000) and Joe Francis (Moto3), and
Team AOR/Boast Plumbing (848 Challenge).
The conditions for the test were far from ideal but I was pleased with how both bikes felt in the cold and wet conditions making only a few minor changes to the settings. I also used the day to familiarise myself with the Ducati. I found that I could make the switch relatively easily and didn’t find that I needed much time to adjust to each bike. This was one of the key things to come out of the test. The race on Saturday was a good opportunity for me to get a feel for the Pirelli wets which are the new control tyre for the Superstock Championships and most notably the rear tyre is an SC1, the softer of the two compounds on offer from Pirelli. Following the successful test and race meeting I am looking forward to round 1 at Brands Hatch at the beginning of April. I would like to thank all of my sponsors for their support this year and hopefully I can repay you all with great results!”
@jonrailton
Our partners for the 2013 season include:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
best
by almost half a second. I used the wet second qualifying
session to get a few laps in those conditions but obviously
there was nothing to gain in terms of lap time. 
