News

Jump to: 2011 News | 2010 News | 2009 News

2011 News Items

25th October 2011: Sorry for the delay guys and girls!

It’s been a couple of weeks since the Endurance Race at Jurby. Debuting in the lightweight 400/650 class, I teamed up with 2011 400cc Champion and Forgotten Era Champion Rob Sells on his Yamaha FZR400RR (1989). With a wet practice we were steady away. As the Endurance start positions are taken from you race number, qualification times were not an issue and we were starting in a very healthy 10th place. We flipped a coin as to who would make the ‘Le Mans’ style start and Robs wrong choice on the coin toss meant he took the start.

Running across the track and mounting his bike, Rob got away well, although half way down the straight he was clipped by another rider causing him to miss a gear dropping us to 15th overall. Within 10 laps though, Rob was destroying the field and had us up to 5th place overall and 1st in class. We decided to pit every 40 minutes to refuel and swap rider. On my first stint, adapting to the 400 style, I held our position following closely behind the Martin Bullock mounted Callum Collister who was in 4th position overall. The session went well and I handed back over to Rob. He then did something very unexpected, he took 4th place overall overtaking Johnny Heginbotham (Callums team mate) into the pit straight turn and then proceeded to pull away! It was going well then all of a sudden Rob lost power, and position. He came pushing into the pits. On inspection, he had ran out of fuel! Martin and Chris then overfilled him as a safety precaution, bump started, and with me at the helm we were away again. The session went well and we had increased our lead to 5 laps. Once again Rob took over and increased this to a 7 lap lead in the Lightweight Class and 5th overall. Rob pitted and I mounted for the final stint. On my 3rd lap in, disaster struck! The bike locked up into turn one, I grabbed the clutch and she started running again, although it was obvious there was a huge lack of power. I pitted immediately. We were out of oil, we topped it up and rejoined the track for one final lap. Unfortunately, with 20 minutes of the 4 hr race left, the engine had gone. I pitted as I did not want to drop oil on track or cause danger to any other riders. We were so close. Fortunately, so close to the finish, I was allowed to push the bike across the line on the last lap to still finish the race, and due to our enormous lead we had built up, finish the lightweight class in 3rd position! A great achievement all things considered. The race was great fun and I have to thank Chris, Burnsy and Rob’s dad Dave for pit crewing for us, and of course Rob himself for asking me to ride with him, it was a great privilege and so close to a win!

Now the season is finished I have a few months to reflect on the rollercoaster that was 2011. A season that started with crashes, turned into near podiums, a win at the Southern 100, and podium at the Manx Grand Prix. I have to thank everyone for all their help. EAM Aviation, Definition Dance Company, Eamon McGee and all of Team Morning Motorsport to name a few. It’s been fantastic! As for 2012? A question mark it is. Without any sponsors and lack of funds, I am unable to make any comment as of yet. We will have to see how the winter progresses. Watch this space!

3rd October 2011: DK racing made a return to the short circuits on Saturday for the final round of the ARA Championships. With one set of 12 lap races each day on different circuits, it was a new format for everyone. In Saturdays meeting I was struggling on the brakes as I qualified on the 3rd row in the Center Championship race and the second row for the 600 race. Although the brakes are better on the Yamaha compared to the Honda I had raced all season, adjusting to the shorter braking distances was quite a challenge. After a reasonable start I held 8th position for the entire Center race, struggling with rear traction as the rear tyre chewed up. The 600 race was a similar affair, after a great battle on track with my old adversary Andy Fenton, I made a last lap pass up the inside of him at Snuffys corner to finish in 5th at the chequered flag. A great move at one of the fastest corners on the track.

With an overnight stay at Jurby, the team made a few adjustments to try to improve the set up and the rear tyre wear problems of Saturday. Unfortunately they didnt make much of a difference, coming home 8th again in the Center race. I made a brilliant start in the 600 race and was up to 3rd in front of Championship leader Mark Madsden-Mygdal but on the 3rd lap outbraked myself off the main straight running off the track and returning in 7th position to finish the race.

The results didn't reach my high expectations after returning to my TMM Yamaha but was still a great meeting. I finished 10th in the Isle of Man Center championship and 7th place in the 600 Championship. Down on last years results but I think shows what we put into the roads we lost on the track. Congratulations to Roger Maher for winning the Center title and Mark Madsden-Mygdal for winning the 600 Championship. I have to say a huge thanks to Laxey PLF, CBG Contractors, Peter Astell Burt and the Definition Dance Company for helping supply tyres and fuel. Without them we would not have made the start line due to financial difficulties after losing our title sponsor.

Finally, we are pleased to announce we will be riding our final race of the year, the ARA 4hr Endurance. I will be riding in the lightweight class, making my debut ride on a Yamaha FZR400RR. I'm really looking forward to riding a different machine and have to thank my team mate for the event Rob Sells for making it possible. Rob won this years 400cc Championship on the bike so we hope to be very competitive!

See you at the endurance on the 9th of October!

Photos courtesy of Martyn Wilson, Martyn's Foto's, & Christopher Smith.

6th September 2011: After all the preparation, and a cancelled first practice, the 2011 Manx Grand Prix got under way on the Monday evening of practice week under great conditions. Setting off in the second group of controlled riders with pre race favourite Wayne Hamilton, we followed the Marshal round at a steady pace. Although this felt slow in many places, through the likes of Kirk Michael I was surprised at how fast certain corners came up on me. After the controlled lap we where released from the holding area for our first timed practice laps. Steady away with a lot to learn I posted a first lap of 100.061 mph and a second of 103.111 mph to comfortably lead the newcomers leader board on the first night.

Due to an early crash on Tuesday evenings practice, the evening was disappointingly cancelled meaning we missed a second night of practice. On Wednesday, the weather was still good and the newcomers were finally allowed to share the track with the Junior and Senior classes. Riding with these more experienced competitors meant I was able to learn more about the Islands 37 ¾ mile circuit, taking my practice speed up to 107.710 mph putting me second fastest on the newcomer leader board behind experienced Irish road racer Hamilton. With the weather forecast bad for Thursdays practice, the team prepared the bike with a wet set up. True to form, the heavens opened and the rain came. With so much qualification time lost already, the clerk of the course decided to carry on and run the evenings practice. Steady away and building up slowly I managed to clock a wet speed of 98 mph to lead the newcomers session once again.

With one more practice session left before the first race, everyone was hoping for a dry session, the morning rain lifted to leave near perfect conditions for the final Friday evening practice. With help from local rider Johnny Heginbotham in the morning, I was confident of a good practice session to ready myself for the Saturday evenings race. I went out targeting the fast sections of the track like Ballagarey and Sulby. Clocking 164mph through Sulby speed trap and a final lap time of 111.254 mph we were ready to race, leading the newcomers time sheets and placing 20th out of 91 entrants in the Junior class.

Lining up on Glencrutchury Road for the start of Saturdays race was the most intense moment of my life, with my closest friends in their fireproof overalls and my wife Kimberley around me, the two minute board was shown. The grid cleared, we all lined up, I closed my visor and it was time to race. I was 7th away, I accelerated away faster than I had ever been down Bray Hill. I passed the first rider ahead of me through Union Mills and the second through Crosby. I passed another at Greeba meaning I had made at least 30 seconds on these competitors. I came into Ballacraine to see my first board showing me in P2 +18.0, I instantly knew Hamilton had taken the lead starting first on the road. Concentrating hard, I tried to remember everything I had been told, passing all the riders in front of me by Ramsey with the exception of the race leader. I came into the Gooseneck to see my next board saying P3. My steady run into Ramsey had cost me time; my friend and fellow competitor Jonathan Woodward had slipped his triumph into 2nd place. Unfortunately Woodward then crashed at the Nook, towards the end of the lap, taking me back to 2nd place. Nearly everybody pitted on lap 1 with the exception of Karl Foster who took over 2nd place. The team made an excellent stop and we were away again. William Davison slipped into 2nd place by the time we got to Ramsey demoting me down to 4th, at this point I started to panic a little, and push hard. I came into the Verandha on the mountain faster than I had ever been, which was too fast! I started to run wide, and wider, I couldn’t turn the bike, I was panicking by this point. I stuck my leg out to try get the wind to turn me but hit the kerb on the exit. I stayed on track ... just! A moment I would never want to re-live! I calmed myself down and got my head back into the race. With Karl Foster pitting on lap 2 I was back in 3rd at the start of the final lap. I hooked up all my lines and at last I got all the fast sections correct, I was then passed on the road by Davison into Glen Helen. I knew at this point he had 20 seconds on me. I re-passed him into Ramsey and tried to break away. He stayed on my tail over the mountain and passed me again into Signpost Corner. I then got my final pit board telling me I was 22 seconds down on 2nd place and 67 seconds clear of 3rd. I crossed the line to take a podium. I was greeted by all the team, and last years winner Tim Venables, which was very moving as he had won the race on the same bike 12 months earlier. A great moment of my motorcycling career and my life!

After some celebratory drinks with the team on Sunday, it was time for my final race on Monday, the Junior Manx Grand Prix. It was wet, very wet, with riders doubtful of completing the race I chose to ride. My target was to finish, and if possible claim my second Silver MGP Replica of the week. In the dry, I was confident of a top fifteen placing. In the wet, I did not know. After being moved to number 36 from 60, we had a clearer road in front of us at the start. It was wet all the way to Cronk-y-Voddy, It then dried all the way to Ramsey where I struggled for stability on the wet tyres, then exiting Ramsey it was wet again. I smoothed out my second lap, passing the fatal accident of Wayne Hamilton at the 13th milestone. We pitted and struggled to remove my rain Jacket, costing us around 5 seconds, I was boarded as 25th place at Glen Helen, and the same again at Ramsey. On the final lap, the track was around 60% dry, I plugged away staying as safe as possible to cross the line in a great 27th place and also claiming a Silver Replica as I had set out to do, a great result for myself and the team!

The Manx Grand Prix was the most amazing experience of my life, I learned so much about myself and the people around me. Most of all the value of the love and friendship of those around me, it's moments like at the Veranda in the newcomers race where so much flashes through your eyes and mind, but the sheer thrill and excitement means you carry on regardless. Without the people around me these two weeks would have never been possible. Russell Moore, Martin Burns and Christopher Ward especially. I have to thank Martin and Warren for buying my wet tyres, Manx Independent Carriers for contributing towards my entries and Station Garage for supplying the bike. There are many more thanks including all the Marshals which I just can’t fit in, but the biggest thank you of all is to my wife, Kimberley Kennington, you're amazing!

Unfortunately, after the success of the MGP, Station Garage have decided to pull out of production 600 racing, with spiralling costs and the current economic climate, they have decided to sell their Honda CBR600R I have raced all season, I would like to thank them for their help and support this season, especially at the Manx Grand Prix and the Southern 100. This means with one final two day meeting left of the season, we shall be back out on the TMM Yamaha, although at present we have no funding for tyres. If there are any sponsors out there who can help us in any way to finish the season it will be much appreciated! We want to finish the season on a high and fight for a much deserved podium in the final round of the ARA Championship, watch our Facebook feed for all the latest news!

Speak Soon!

Photos courtesy of WP Fotos, Martyn Wilson and others.

2nd August 2011: With the MGP fast approaching, Sundays penultimate round of the ARA Championship was all about scoring some safe and solid points and carrying momentum into the following weeks. Unfortunately the day did not start well. Due to an electrical problem with the battery, it did not have enough power to start the bike for Centre Championship qualifying. With the help of some scrutineer’s I just managed to get the bike ‘bump’ started and made it onto track for some qualifying laps leaving us in 8th position. With the 600 qualifying session next, the bike once again would not start due to the battery failure, but this time we were unable to ‘bump’ start it as the slipper clutch was warm and would not give enough bite to engage the engine, and after four laps of the paddock, and a lot of help from passers by, we had to give up on our attempts at making it onto track. As we had already qualified the bike we were given permission to start from the back of the grid for the days 600 races which was not ideal.

In the gap between qualifying and racing I managed to get enough power into the battery to start the days races. The first Centre race started well until lap three, I was fighting for 5th position with Callum O’Shea, when he lost the front in the final chicane and crashed heavily, this sucked me onto the grass at 100mph. I managed to stay on the bike and settled for a solid 7th place on the restart. Starting from the back of the grid was a daunting prospect for the first 600 race where I was keen to gain as many positions as I could, as safely as possible. I made six positions off the line, and another four throughout the first two laps, but with the pace at the front so hot, I could not bridge the gap to the top 5 leaving me in 6th place.

The second Centre race was as action packed as the first, after being pushed out at turn one, it once again left me with a gap to the front pack, whilst making progress battling with Andrew Dudgeon on his Kawasaki, Roger Maher crashed out of the lead meaning waved yellow flags and this reduced the possibility of overtaking when an opportunity arose. With two laps to go Dudgeon pulled a gap and I settled for another 7th position and some vital Championship points. This left the final 600 race. The race was delayed as a sidecar in the previous race had blown up and left a large oil spill in the bus stop chicane for the second meeting in a row. I made a similar start to the first 600 race and on lap three had caught David Jeff through the Nans turn, David ran a tight line through the corner, and as he crossed the white line on the inside of the track he suddenly lost the rear, through no fault of his own, as he hit some unsighted oil on the track from the previous sidecar engine blow up. This high sided him at least 12ft in the air bringing out the red flags. With lack of time and ambulances, the race was declared a result at 3 laps leaving me in yet another 7th position.

The meeting wasn’t an ideal prep for MGP but we scored some good points on a day where a lot of riders had big crashes and problems. I wish all the best to David Jeff as he was involved in the incident through no fault of his own after yet another sidecar oil spill on the Airfield Circuit. He is stable in hospital, but his injuries include a shattered pelvis, dislocated hip, nerve damage, plus much more; hopefully he will make a full recovery. Finally thanks go out to all our usual sponsors and all the guys who helped push me around the paddock in the morning. With three weeks until the MGP, I shall be training as much as possible, keep an eye on the Facebook feed for all the latest.

Next stop ... Bray Hill!

19th July 2011: The much anticipated International Southern 100 road races took place here on the Isle of Man’s Billown circuit over the past week. With one of the biggest ever entries, including TT stars Guy Martin, Cam Donald, the Dunlop Brothers and many more, the paddock was buzzing with anticipation for Monday nights practice.

After the recent handling problems we had at the Post TT races, the team tried a new set up, with the biggest change being the shorter wheelbase. Leaving the holding area next to TAS Relentless Suzuki’s Guy Martin, I could instantly feel the difference in the bike. It was a lot sharper on turn in but unfortunately a lot more unstable, with the bike shaking its head uncontrollably on the bumpy back section of the track. We made some more set up changes to rectify these issues and the bike instantly felt improved, but the session was marred by yellow flags from multiple incidents meaning we didn’t get a clear lap in.

Into Tuesday I knew I could improve our times substantially but on our second lap, the Red flag was shown after a big crash at Iron Gate by local rider Si Fulton. Luckily Si did not suffer any major injuries but with concussion, this ruled him out of the weeks racing. With cold tyres on the restart of practice, and only one flying lap, we were able to marginally improve our lap time and we knew the bike was good for the weeks races.

Wednesday was our first race day, starting mid pack in the first of the weeks 600 races, I made a good start and was up three positions at Ballakeighan corner. Getting into a rhythm on lap one, I made another position at the start of lap two and closed the gap to Darryl McGeown. Tucked in behind Darryl, we both came over the rise into Billown dip to find we were heading into the devastation of a three bike incident at over 100mph. We both took avoiding action to try and pick our way through the carnage, with bikes and riders spinning through the air and road. Luckily I just missed Dan Sayle by a hairs width and just managed to save a slide of my own whilst taking the avoiding action. The red flags where instantly shown and we were stopped at cross four ways which once again was the end of the day’s action. The other two riders involved were William Dunlop who was uninjured and Dave Talyor who suffered a broken Pelvis and back injuries. Unfortunately a Marshall was also involved who suffered a broken leg.

This took us into Championship day for the final full day of racing. Starting on pole position for the 600B race, we lined up on the grid with a clear view down the start and finish straight. I made a great start leading a three rider break away with Irish road racer William Cowden and England’s Mark Goodings. Coming into Ballabeg, Goodings made contact with me to take the lead. I came back past him at cross four ways with Cowden following me through into second. Cowden then passed me into turn one on lap three for me to re pass him into Iron Gate. I was then sat up by Cowden into cross four ways running me wide and down to 3rd position. At this point I knew I had to make progress. Catching them into lap five we were three a breast across the start finish line taking me to second place. I then re took the lead at Four Ways for the final two laps. With team member Gaz giving me plus zero on my pit board across the line I was focussed for the final two laps to try and gap them whilst covering my lines as not to give them an opportunity to overtake me. I hooked up the last lap perfectly to take the chequered flag for my debut Southern 100 win and also the fastest lap of the race to join the prestigious ‘ton up club’ and lapping the circuit at 110.946mph.

Brimming with confidence, we had to wait till the last delayed race of the day to compete in our final race of the week. With oil flags from Billown Dip to the exit of Church Bends, extreme caution had to be taken after the warm up lap. Starting third, I took the lead off the start line and led around turn one. The 1000cc bike of Kevin Strowger then sailed past me down the long straight to Iron Gate and then William Cowden did the same thing on the following lap, he also on his 1000cc bike demonstrating the superior power advantage over our 600cc machine. I was then put under pressure from Tye Jones also wanting to take advantage of his engine capacity but I was able to keep him behind and able to carry more speed through the cement dust at Billown Dip. I then set on trying to Catch Cowden. I closed the gap from five seconds to one second on the last lap and thought I may be able to make a move on the final turn. I closed onto his back wheel but we both braked late, I managed to get alongside him to the finish line but his power advantage took him 0.541 seconds ahead of me to take second place. This was still a brilliant result to take 3rd place among bigger more powerful bikes and 25 second clear of the next 600.

To Summarise, we had a fantastic meeting with some brilliant results. It was an incident packed week that the Southern 100 club dealt with in a brilliant way as they always do, showing why everyone loves racing with them. All the guys at Team Morning Motorsport did a brilliant job all week working on and preparing the bike and the pits. A huge thanks to Station Garage and there sponsors Manx Independent Couriers, and CBG contractors. Thanks also to my personal sponsors EAM Aviation, Definition Dance Company and Eamon McGee. Finally, a huge thank you to all the marshals for their fantastic work this week, and all the team wishes everyone who was injured a speedy recovery. We now have two weeks until round five at Jurby and only five weeks until our Manx Grand Prix debut.

See you there!

Photos courtesy of Martyn's Foto's, John Jurton Photography, Simon Hampson & Northline Photography

1st July 2011: The team returned back to Jurby on Sunday for the 4th round of the Isle of Man Centre Championships. After losing time through a broken brake reservoir bracket in qualifying, and an oil spill at the bus stop chicane, we were positioned 8th in the Centre race and 5th in the 600 race on the second row of the grid.

After holding position in the Centre race, I lost a position to Andrew Dudgeon after running wide on the last lap at Castle corner. The 600 race was a bit of status quo, coming home in 6th. After set up discussions with mechanic Chris, we made medium and low speed compression damping adjustments to help improve traction. After avoiding collisions at turn one between MBM’s Johnny Heginbotham, Joe Faragher and Mark Madsden Migdal, the set up changes improved rear traction and we were able to take 7th and 5th in the final 2 races.

All in all, reasonable performance but we are still struggling to keep with the front four riders, we have a few ideas for some improvements, but for now we need to turn our attention to the Southern 100 Road Races. These are to be held from the 11th to the 14th of July. We will be looking for some solid results and try to break into the illustrious ‘Ton Up Club’ and complete our first 100mph lap. The meeting will also give us vital set up information for the MGP in August.

On a final note, I also received confirmation of my Manx Grand Prix entries this week, and will be starting with our Centre Championship number 7 in the Newcomer’s race and number 60 in the Junior race. These are both reasonable numbers for our debut entry. As usual I would like to thank Station Garage and their sponsors, and also my personal sponsors EAM Aviation and Definition Dance Company for all there help this season so far!

See you at the Southern 100!

Photos courtesy of Kirk Michael Photos, Martyn's Foto's & Road Race Photography

20th June 2011: After a fantastic TT week, the team where back in action on Saturday, for the Post TT races at the Billown Circuit down the south of the Island. With only 2 x 15 minute practice sessions and an 8 lap race to follow, it didn't give the team much time to dial in the Station Garage Honda having never ridden it on the real roads before. After using the first session to get back up to speed on the technical and frantic course that is used for the Southern 100 road races, the team made a lot of set up changes to try and get the bike to ride the bumps better on corner entry, especially around the Ballawhetstone area of the track. This improved the bike, but only marginally, with even more changes it was time to race.

The race start went well, whilst making up 4 positions from the line I was then boxed in at the tight Ballakeighan corner which dropped me down to 20th place. After 2 laps and into a rhythm, I caught the gap in front of me and passed Darryl McGeown into Cross Four Ways. I kept this momentum and soon passed the previous 400cc race winner from earlier in the day, Dave Taylor on his Triumph 675. We then proceeded to battle this position for a further 3 laps, passing each other many times. Dave was very strong on corner entry, and I was very strong on corner exit, meaning I was able to undo all of his passes straight away. With 2 laps to go I started to encounter some power delivery problems and had steam rising up from the radiator, which also affected my helmet visor. I brought the bike home in a solid 18th place which was a good safe result for the bikes first road outing.

A post race strip down gave us the unfortunate news that we had blown the head gasket in the race, which was why we were having overheating and power delivery problems. The bike is now in the workshop with the engine out to try and resolve the problem before round 4 of the ARA Championship on the 26th of June. It's going to be a tough call but we will keep you updated with all the latest on our Facebook page.

Finally, many thanks go out to Station Garage and their sponsors Manx Independent Carriers, CBG Contractors, and DS Autos. Many thanks also go to my team and my personal sponsors EAM aviation and Definition Dance Company all of which we couldn't race without.

Photos courtesy of Chris Ward

24th May 2011: Jurby airfield hosted the replacement meeting for the cancelled Jurby Road races last weekend. With only the Centre Championship scoring points at this meeting, entry’s were slightly down on the previous two race meetings.

In dry conditions, a solid qualifying placed me 5th on the Centre Championship grid behind the four higher capacity 750cc and 1000cc bikes of my competitors, and taking my first front row start of the season placing 3rd in the 600 qualifying. Over the lunch break the weather turned for the worse with heavy rain leaving a lot of standing water around the track. Chris switched the bike to a wet set up under the cover of Kim’s umbrella whilst there was a delay waiting for conditions to improve.

Having never ridden the Station Garage Honda in wet conditions, the first Centre Championship race was about learning how the bike handled in the wet. The difference between the TMM Yamaha I have previously ridden in the wet and the Honda was huge, and it took a while to build confidence in the ‘vague’ front end of the Honda. A consistent pace took me to 9th place. The 600 race went better as I was able to break away with the top five, after a 2 lap tussle with Mark Madsden-Migdal, 5th place was where I was to finish, but an impressive 54 seconds clear from 6th just showing how tough the conditions where. A good start in the second Centre Championship race was hampered by Dave Moffit’s near high side out of turn one leaving me to take avoiding action and losing vital positions, despite this I managed to claim 8th place. With conditions so bad, and no championship points available, the team, as many others did, opted not to run the final 600 race. With little to gain, and the Post TT races in just a few weeks it wasn’t worth risking the bike and destroying another set of tyres.

Although the meeting was more about damage limitation in the Centre Championship races, it was a positive meeting getting vital experience on the Station Garage Honda, especially in the wet. Many thanks have to go out to the Officials of the meeting who had some tough decisions to make in running the meeting, and all the wonderful Marshals who endured the terrible weather for us all to go racing. We couldn’t do it without them! Final thanks go to the team and all my sponsors; Chris, Kim and Russ all did a spectacular job as the day went on, especially considering we do not have an awning so the use of a lot of umbrellas was needed throughout the day!

Hopefully we will be testing on the 29th May to get a final setting for the Post TT race at the Billown circuit in just a few weeks. Until then, the whole team would like to wish all the TT competitors a safe and successful TT!

Photos courtesy of John Turton

20th April 2011: After a successful test day on Saturday, the team were ready to debut the new Station Garage Honda on Sunday's race day. With near perfect conditions, the scene was set for an action packed days racing. A steady start to Qualifying meant I qualified 11th in the Centre Championship, and 4th in the 600cc Championship; with the top seven separated by just 0.511 seconds it was the tightest qualifying I have ever experienced at Jurby.

With two bad starts due to a lack of experience with the Honda machine, I had an uphill battle in the first two races. Two hard battles with Tile Tec's Dave Moffit and Slick Performances Rory Parker ensued and I finished a reasonable 9th and 7th. However, with the pace so even at the front, making up ground after two bad starts meant not being able to gain on the front pack although running the same lap times.

After a red flagged Centre Championship race due to a huge accident from BSB rider Dan Kneen, we finally got to grips with the Honda's clutch in the 600cc Championship race. I got an excellent start and was battling for 2nd place into turn 1 when I was hit from behind from MBM rider Callum Collister, from this point I was just a passenger. Unfortunately my bike then ran into the side of Johnny Heginbotham’s MBM Honda taking all 3 of us out the race.

Although another disappointing finish to a weekend there are a lot of positives to take from the weekend. We know the Honda is fast, really fast, and whilst only at around 85% of the bikes potential we know there is more to come. Many thanks go to all my sponsors, Station Garage for supplying one of the fastest bikes on the grid and supporting me for the last two seasons, Definition Dance Company, EAM Aviation, Eamon McGee, Andersons Paint Shop in Ballasalla and team members Chris and Kim for all their hard work over the weekend. Finally a huge thanks to all the officials and especially to the Marshalls, they had such a busy day due to so many accidents and we couldn't race without them. The whole team want to wish all the injured riders from Sundays meeting speedy recoveries and hope to see them all on track for round three of the championship.

Looking forward, our Post TT and Southern 100 entries were sent off on Monday and with MGP entries to follow this week the season is about to get busy! Speak to you all soon!

Photos courtesy of Manx Photos Online

24th March 2011: With a pre race test Saturday, racing Sunday, and two bikes, the team had a big job on their hands at the weekend. The first session on Saturday was used to shakedown the TMM Yamaha YZF-R6R and get back up to speed. I must say this came quite quickly and we were posting competitive lap times within the first 3 laps. We moved onto the new Station Garage Honda CBR600RR for the second session. The main aim being to run in the new motor at low RPM before moving onto suspension set up. After the first session we made adjustments to the steering and gear selector and went back out. Unfortunately, half way through the session I had a small low side crash at turn two. We think this was due to lack of heat in the right hand side of the tyre as Jurby is a left handed circuit. This was very frustrating, but can happen when circulating at lower speeds and not generating enough heat into the tyres. As we had no spares for the Honda, and damage to the right handlebar and brake reservoir, we had to park the Honda for the rest of the weekend and concentrate on making a solid start to the season on the Yamaha.

Sunday morning came, and in true Isle Of Man fashion was rather wet. By first Qualifying it was drying and we chose a wet front tyre and dry rear, this seemed to work but the steady start meant starting on the third row. 600 Qualifying went a bit better with a 5th position on the second row. I had a bad start in the first Centre race and got swamped in the first corner and struggled to recover coming home in 10th. With some reassuring words from team technician Chris, the first 600 race went a lot better. I had a race long battle with Slick Performances Rory Parker and finished a creditable 4th. Another great start in the second Centre race saw me battle with Tile Tec's Dave Moffit for another great 4th position. This left the final 600 Championship race. Another great start saw me pass Jonny Heginbotham's MBR Honda and climb to 3rd position. Setting good pace, I just under 3 seconds from the leader, the podium looked a strong possibility as I felt comfortable at the pace we were running. Frustratingly, on the penultimate lap, Heginbotham made a pass on me through the final fast chicane where at the pace we were running, there was only room for one rider. I was forced onto the grass at over 100mph and was lucky to miss the pit wall. I somehow managed to stay on, but could only recover to 7th position. It was disappointing not to make my debut podium in the class but we showed we have the pace to be in the mix for the championship.

With four weeks until the next race, the team are going to be working closely with Station Garage for the next test to get the Honda up to speed for the rest of the season. On another note, due to the condition of the roads from the bad weather over the winter, both Jurby Road meetings have unfortunately been cancelled. The Andreas club have no control over this but have scheduled another championship round for the 15th of May to make up for it which is great news.

Finally, many thanks have to go to our sponsors Station Garage, EAM aviation, and Definition Dance Company. Thanks to the team as well, Chris and Kim were fantastic as always, and also everyone who came up to support us.

Speak soon everyone.

Photos courtesy of Manx Photos Online

14th March 2011: DK Racing is pleased to announce that we have finalised a last minute deal with current sponsors Station Garage to ride for their team, and also use their Honda machinery for the 2011 road race season. The deal is a great boost for DK Racing and will help us strive to the results we would like to receive. A huge thanks have to go out to the Owen family who are the owners of STation Garage. Goo, Roger and Mo have all helped create thus fantastic partnership.

With less that a week to go, the new Honda CBR600RR is still in the workshop being built, we will debut the bike at Saturdays pre race test, and if the shakedown and setup goes well we will be able to compete with it on Sunday. We will also be taking the Yamaha R6R with us incase we have any problems. This is going to make for an exciting start to the season with a lot of work for us all to do! Hopefully we will be able to do a bike launch soon and get some pictures to you all.

Speak soon everyone.

8th March 2011: DK Racing held its 2011 bike launch last Saturday at the Billown circuit on the Isle of Man. Billown is the host of the International Southern 100 road race, and Post TT meetings, which DK Racing will be entering in the forthcoming season. We will be using last years race winning machinery for selected events in 2011, with a slightly different engine specification thanks to Slick Performance and Motivation Engineering. The next big change is the team colors! The launch helped us show off our new Pink/Black/White combination which matches all the TMM team wear for the season. Once again we have the help of Station Garage, EAM Aviation and Definition Dance Company. The Team itself goes unchanged with Kim, Chris, Gaz and Russell all helping the team achieve its ambitious goals. Due to delays preparing the bike, we were unable to complete any pre season testing so the team will head into the first race weekend of the year with a lot of work ahead. Finally the team hopes to have a further announcement at the end of next week so make sure you keep an eye on this website and the DK Racing Facebook Page for all the latest news and information! Not long now!

Photos courtesy of Russell Moore & Rob Temple

17th February 2011: Following David's marriage to Kimberley last weekend he is currently enjoying a break away from training and will no doubt be hitting it hard on his return from his honeymoon. Despite things being on hold at the moment, there has been frantic work going on in the background at DK Racing and the 2011 machine is almost ready for its launch. A few parts are still waiting to be fitted to the bike and the paint job for the coming season is just about there. Keep an eye out for more announcements and follow the Facebook Page for more regular snippets from the DK Racing teams preparations building up to the coming race season.

4th Janurary 2011: Happy New Year everyone! We all hope you had a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. Chris has given the website a new fresh look for the 2011 Season, with lots of new features which means you can now ‘Like’ us and also follow our live status updates direct from Facebook - both of these are a work in progress at the moment while we iron out teething problems. The provisional 2011 race calendar has also been updated so you can plan your 2011 road race season from now! We have set a provisional date of the 6th of February for this years bike launch, ready for the road race season to start on the 20th of March. That’s all for now and we wish everyone involved in the motorcycle community a safe and successful year ahead!

2010 News Items

2nd December 2010: Well December is upon us and we are thoroughly into the winter season. With the Island scattered in snow and with sub-zero temperatures I have spent a lot of time in the gym and playing squash. To stay bike fit I have spent some time training on a motocross bike and will also be entering my first off-road event on Boxing Day which will be a two man, three hour Enduro. This will take place at West Kimmeragh in Bride here on the Isle of Man. I will be racing this event with Team Morning Motorsport member Paul Jennings.

Away from training, the DK Racing team are still hunting for sponsorship for the 2011 season. Currently we have continued support from European Aviation Maintencance Ltd. who supply our workshop facilities and Definition Dance Company who provide our website support. Apart from this we are currently a blank canvas; we need as much suport as possible for the year ahead so we can contest the Islands major road meetings, the Island Centre Championship and make our Manx Grand Prix debut. Please do not hesitate to download my Rider Profile for more details and information. You can always get in touch using the contact form as well.

The team would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and let you know that our next update will be in January where hopefully we will be able to confirm more of our 2011 plans and announce a release date for next years bike.

28th October 2010: The famous Celtic Match Races took place at Jurby Airfield last week as it was the Isle of Man's turn to host the race of nations. After having the honour of being selected to represent the Isle of Man, and after a recent engine re-fresh from SLICK PERFORMANCE, the team were confident of finishing the Isle of Man Centre Championship in the best possible way and to help the Manx team regain the highly coveted Sword of State. Qualifying was started under wet conditions where I qualified 8th for the Centre Championship races and 3rd for the Celtic Match races ahead of all Scottish and Welsh riders. Race 1 was the Centre Championship, with Tim Venables still hospitalised, Callum Collister just needed 15 points from both races to take the title, but after a mistake on lap 4 battling for 3rd, he made a mistake and crashed out landing Tim Venables the Island Centre Championship. On the restart I climbed to finish in 6th position in my attempt to climb the championship table. After a great start in the Celtic Match race, a long hard battle with the Scottish teams 1000cc Superbikes, saw me finish an impressive 5th position against all the nations best riders and coming home 3rd Manxman behind BSB racer Dan Kneen and MGP winner Si Fulton. Day 2 started with the Centre Championships 2nd race. After Tyre troubles, I could only achieve an 8th place to finish my first ever assault on the Islands Centre Championship in a fantastic 7th place. With the centre championship concluded, The Manx Team where all fired up to try and win the Celtic championship. With some of the best racing of the season, and so much at stake, I finished a great 7th position, once again 3rd Manxman home to help the Manx team win the event and take the prestigious Sword of State.

2010 has been a great season where I feel I have matured as a rider and also, started a promising career on the real roads. I have finished 5th and 7th in the Islands most competitive championships, and have set my clear target of top 3 in both next season. All of this would not have been possible without the help and support of ALL my sponsors, a special thanks go out to Station Garage, EAM Aviation, Gary Holmes, Definition Dance Company, tonijames.co.uk, CW photos, Ronnie Russell, Eimon McGee and Russ Moore photography, all of which I hope to continue working with into 2011. Finally a special thanks goes out to the TMM Team, Christopher Ward, Gareth Temple, Kimberley Harvey and Russell Moore, without whom, I would not be able to compete at such a high level.

Finally, looking forward to 2011, the team are in desperate need of a title sponsor. With such a huge season ahead, short circuit racing, real road racing, and the Manx Grand Prix, the team currently do not have the budget in place to contest these events. Any help small or large is so greatly appreciated so please do not hesitate to get in touch!

Speak Soon

Photos courtesy of John Turton & Manx Photos Online

8th October 2010: After the confusion at the last race meeting, it was decided the 4 Hour Endurance Race would go ahead as per schedule and the last round of the ARA Championships would be cancelled with the exception of the two Centre Championship races; these will be held alongside the Celtic Match Races in two weeks time. Unfortunately, Team Morning Motorsport were unable to enter an endurance team in the event, but I was invited to ride with Triumph Trophy Cup racer Jonathan Woodward in a three man team - DTM racing. After mechanical problems with the CBR600 initially entered into the event, a late decision at 2am on the day of the race was made to switch to Jonathans Triumph 675 that he has been contesting in the UK Championship. With a wet start to the day, practice was used to familiarise myself with the controls and characteristics of the new machine. Jonathan elected to make the Le Mans style start and within two laps we had climbed to 6th place. Rider Matt Callister rode the second stint, and I turned my first dry laps in the 3rd. Lap times where falling throughout the race as myself and Matt got to grips with the machine. With a disintegrating tyre we were forced to make an unscheduled tyre change around the 3hr mark; this gave us a tough run to the finish. Despite this, we climbed up to 5th place in the 600 category which was a great result for the entire team. Thanks go out to Station Garage for supplying our race fuel and DTM Racing and Jonathan Woodward for inviting me to ride with their professional set up.

We now look forward to the final race of the year, the very special Celtic Match Races where I have been chosen to represent the Isle of Man in the race of nations once again. With this being the final race of the year, the team has got some special tricks up its sleeves to bring the coveted Sword of State back into Manx hands. We hope to see everyone there supporting the Isle of Man!

Photos courtesy of Chris Ward

19th September 2010: Well what a false start that was, the weather hasn't exactly been great this weekend so it was always going to be a bit hit and miss whether it would be wet or dry. Unfortunately the organisers decided that it was just too wet, and with a less than favourable forcast for this afternoon, decided to postpone the meeting until the 3rd October when the Endurance race was meant to take place. So for now the Endurance race has been cancelled as we also have the Celtic Match Races to fit in this year as well.

We'll update the site with more information as and when we know more so check back here or the DK Racing Facebook page.

13th September 2010: With a six week gap between races, we thought it was about time for a much needed update! Returning to track next week for the final round of the ARA championship is going to be a tough one, especially after the highs and lows of the Manx Grand Prix. Firstly, all the team would like to wish Station Garage rider Tim Venables all the best after his serious accident at Greeba Castle in Wednesday’s Junior MGP race. Tim was left critically ill and is currently receiving treatment at Walton Hospital in Liverpool. After such a great start to the week where Tim oblitorated the opposition in Mondays newcomers race to take the win, and setting a Race record of a 117.9mph lap from a standing start, was truly unbelievable. This was not the way anyone would have liked to see Tim’s MGP end. Tim has been a great help to me this season especially at the International Southern 100 races and we all want to see him back as soon as possible. Two other riders lost their lives over MGP week and our thoughts also go out to them, their families and friends. On a more positive note, we would like to congratulate Simon Fulton on his Senior MGP win and wish him all the best in next year’s TT!

With such a big break between racing, the team could not help but find something to keep our competitive hunger and edge. Myself and Chris entered a 'Drag n Drift' competition to keep us sharp. This was a great way to practice my race starts and have a bit of fun on my Yamaha Thunderace road bike. I won all of my races on the 1/4 mile track and finished 4th in class at the end of the day which was very respectable against the competition. Although Chris was struggling to get away in the dry in his Peugeot 306 Rallye, once the rain had started he set some competitive times and did not lose a wet race. A fun day for all the team indeed.

Our focus now moves to next week, with the aim of taking top 3 in the 600 Championships races and top 6 in the Centre Championship races; hopefully a debut podium in these classes. Updates will follow soon.

Photos courtesy of TGF Photos & Russ Moore Photography

4th August 2010: With Local British Supersport rider Dan Kneen returning to riding after the injury he sustained at Knockhill at the start of July, the pace of the ARA Championship here on the Island at Jurby was always going to be fast. The team had made the decision to switch to Metzeler tyres due to financial assistance for this race from the Harvey family. In practice this was proving to be a hard transition, the slightly different front tyre profile was causing front end chatter which left us scratching our heads in qualifying. Despite these problems we put the bike on the second row of the grid for both the Centre Championship and the 600 Championship.

I made a great start in the first Centre Championship race to climb to 3rd only for the race to be halted due to a crash from Martin Bullock rider Johnny Heginbotham at turn one. On the restart, I climbed to 3rd again only to be past in turn two. This was followed by a three way battle for 4th place but a mistake on the penultimate race dropped me to 6th. With a great start in the first 600 race, a great battle with Station Garage rider Tim Venables on the last lap meant we took 5th. With more setup changes for the last two races, we were again confident of taking our debut podium in these classes but after a bad start, and getting boxed in at the first turn, meant we could only take 7th in the second Centre race. This left our only chance of visiting the podium would be in the final 600 race. With a great start, I challenged for first place into turn one, but I was not able to match the power of my rivals and slipped to 3rd. With a race long battle with Southern 100 competitor Andy Fenton, we battled the entire race and took 4th position by the chequered flag, just missing the podium by a mere two seconds.

Although slightly disappointed with my results, I am confident of my ability to run at the front. We achieved our best lap around the Jurby GP Circuit, despite our issues, by over a second. With a bit more help and a bit more power the team will be able to carry this momentum into next season. We now have a six week break whilst the Manx Grand Prix takes place here on the Island until the final round of the Manx championships on the 19th of September. Good luck to all competing and this also means only 12 months until the DK Racing team can compete on the legendary Mountain Circuit! As always, many thanks go out to all our sponsors, without which these results would not be possible.

Photos courtesy of Martyn's Foto's and Robert Kneale

22nd July 2010: Last week hosted the International Southern 100 road races at the Billown circuit here on the Isle of Man. After racing at the Post TT race on the same circuit, using it as a 'test session' to prepare for this event, the team was highly motivated to make its first big impact on the 'real' roads. After a solid start on Monday evening, setting a 97mph lap straight away in near perfect conditions, Tuesday's practice saw the complete opposite, with torrential rain creating tortuous conditions around the circuit. Despite this, a good set up from the team meant we lay 7th fastest ahead of factory rider Cameron Donald on his Relentless Suzuki.

Wednesday held the 600A race and the 600/1000 race. Unfortunately intermittent electrical problems forced retirement from these races. After working on the bike late into the night with new TMM Pit member Russell Moore, and with parts from fellow rider Tim Venables, we were able to resolve the electrical issues ready for the 600B race on Thursday morning.

After heavy rain overnight, it was crucial for the correct tyre choice on a wet but soon to be drying track. After discussions with Technician Chris, who had recently circulated the course to asses the conditions, we chose a wet front and an intermediate rear tyre. A good start in the race took me from 4th to 3rd just behind fellow Andreas racing rider Andy Fenton. This was to set the scene for an intense battle for 2nd place. With Fenton being on a dry set up it meant he was very fast on the first half of the lap, but not so fast from Ballabeg to Church Bends which was still damp to say the least. After passing each other lap by lap, on the entrance to Castletown Corner on the penultimate lap, Fenton touched my rear tyre on the entry to the corner which ran us both to the curb on the exit. Lucky to stay on, we both tucked in and started the last lap. Defending my lines throughout the lap, I came into Cross Four Ways with a huge rear slide. This gave Fenton a run on me into Church Bends and whilst trying to defend I braked too late, lost traction and had a massive two wheel drift into the corner. Fenton seized the moment and passed. I managed to come back on the inside of him into the final turn but with the tighter line, it meant I could not get on the throttle as quickly which meant I took 3rd place by a mere 0.270 of a second. Paul Smyth took the win, and although holding 2nd place across the line on every lap but the last, I was elated to take 3rd place from a great battle with Fenton.

This just left the final race of the day, The Centre Championship. Having been chosen to ride, although starting from the 9th row, I made a great start which took me to 18th, whilst chasing down the rider in front the race was red flagged on the 4th lap due to an incident. This meant the race had to be restarted for a 4 lap dash. On the restart, although my tyres had gone off, I climbed the field again up to 16th position. Whilst fighting for 15th place, there was a huge crash on the last lap at Stadium Corner. Station Garage's Tim Venables lost control and hit the air fencing on the exit, luckily he was ok and I took the line in a very respectable 16th position.

The Southern 100 was the simply the best race meeting i have ever ridden, and a meeting that I could not have competed in without my Team and Sponsors. Kim, Chris, Gaz and the new early bird member Russ Moore (see Team section) were amazing, and extra thanks go out to Station Garage for fueling the whole week which was fantastic.

After all the excitement, the team now look forward to round 5 of the Manx Championship at Jurby. Although entries have been accepted, we are still struggling to fund the end of the season due to our electrical problems and an engine which is down on power and in need of a refresh. If there are any potential sponsors out there, please do not hesitate to get in touch!

Finally a big get well soon to Andy Cowin who also crashed at Stadium Corner on Wednesday night and broke his arm, we all wish him well in his speedy recovery!

Photos courtesy of Russ Moore, Rob Temple, Manx Photos Online, JC Images & Stuart Watson Photography

1st July 2010: Hi Five! Well that seemed to be the number at Jurby for round 4 of the Isle of Man Championship on Sunday. I was determined to qualify on the front two rows for the Centre Championship as this has been my weak point all season. I left the holding area first and set my fastest qualifying time on my first flying lap to secure a 5th position. In 600 Qualifying it was a similar story, 5th again.

In the first 2 races of the day, I held position with 2 very quiet, yet fast rides to secure two more 5th positions just off the back of the lead group. In the second Centre Championship race, a severely overheating and spinning rear tyre meant 5th again was all I could manage, making it five 5th place positions! After making some set up changes to work around the tyre issues, I made a good start in the 600 race to climb up to 3rd just behind a flying Andy Fenton, but an intense battle with number 4, MBR rider Jonny Heginbotham, for 2 laps of the race meant I had to settle for 4th by the end of the race.

As I have upgraded to my National road race license, although leading the Clubman Championship, I was no longer eligible to compete in this category which is unfortunate, but a strategic move for my future racing career. Once again, I was so close to taking my debut 600 and Centre championship podium and the team will be working hard to achieve this for round 5. On a slightly negative note, the race bike now has to be taken to Slick Performance, as in the final race of the day, what sounds like a worrying cam chain rattle became present and needs sorting as soon as possible. A huge thanks go out to all my sponsors for all their help and the team now look forward to the Southern 100 in just 2 weeks.

Finally, funds are really tight at the minute, with so much racing at present along with recent mechanical issues. If there are any potential sponsors out there, the team would love to speak to them so we can help each other reach the top of such a competitive sport.

Photos courtesy of Road Race Photography

15th June 2010: Firstly, what a fantastic TT! Ian Hutchinson with 5 wins in a week and Michael Dunlop’s 127.836 lap on a 600cc Yamaha, absolutely stunning. That along with Klaus Klaffenbock's double sidecar win beating multiple TT winner Dave Molyneux made for one of the best TT's in recent years with the level of competition reaching new heights.

The end of TT week saw the Southern 100 Motorcycle Club hold their traditional post TT races around the Billown circuit here on the Isle of Man. Having attained my National Road Race License, it was time for me to make my real road race debut. Two laps of the circuit in the morning behind traveling marshalls gave all the newcomers, including myself, an insight as to what to expect. It was absolutely mind blowing and a huge realisation as to how good the top TT riders actually are. Qualifying session one was all about learning the track at speed with road racing hero Michael Dunlop leading the way. Having settled into a rhythm for Q2 it was time to qualify for real. Riding within my limits and still learning lap by lap as the track evolved as my speed and track knowledge increased I was able to qualify 17th out of 24 competitors and in the middle of all the newcomers.

With some suspension tweaks before the race as discussed with TMM Mechanic Gaz Temple, I felt confident for a solid race. The start was fast with all riders heading towards Ballakeighan corner. The mass start on public roads was mind boggling and must be such an amazing sight to watch. Having picked off some riders, I was running a steady 15th improving my lap times lap by lap, but unfortunately on the final lap, coming into Ballabeg, my gear shift rod snapped on downshift and forced my retirement from the race just 2 miles from the finish. Although disappointing, I achieved a 95mph lap on my road debut and learnt a huge amount about the real roads for my future endeavors.

A Huge thanks go out to the team, Chris, Gaz and Kim who did an amazing job preparing and maintaining the bike for such an event, and also all my friends and family who came to show their support on such an amazing day. As always, a great thanks to my sponsors and especially to Eamon McGee for paying my race entry and Station Garage for fuel and the motor home facilities for the weekend. The team now look forward to round 4 of the Isle of Man Centre Championship at Jurby at the end of June where we will be chasing the podium once again.

Photos courtesy of Manx Photos Online, Rob Temple, Tony Quine and CW-Photos

27th May 2010: After the postponement of round 3 of the Jurby Airfield Championship due to an oil spillage and the cancelation of the Jurby Road race it was time to get back into the swing of things on Sunday after a long month off the bike and not enough funding to go testing.

Qualifying went reasonably well, although I’m still struggling to get up to speed in Q1 for the Centre Championship, but still in the top 10 with a 9th position. An improved 5th was taken in Q2 for the 600 championship and the first pole position of the year in Q3 for the Clubman Championship. Although an improvement in qualifying, the most noticeable difference was the reduced gap in time from the front of the grid as I am now within 1.5seconds of the leading pace.

The Centre races went well with good starts and climbing to respective 7th and 8th places. The 600 races were ran at a record breaking pace. After Tim Venables stalled from pole, the front 2 rows of the grid were tight into turn one, after making contact with MBR rider Johnny Heginbotham in turn one, I placed 7th but on the penultimate lap made an overtake into turn 1 up the inside of both Johnny and Andy Cowin to take 4th which was held all the way to the finish line. The second 600 race was very similar, after making contact again in turn 1 with Andy Fenton, I was lucky to stay on but still managed another 7th position. From pole position in the Clubman’s I lead flag to flag to take victory number 3 of the year in Race 1 and although leading the entire 2nd race, on the last lap a yellow flag was waved and I lost my lead with 3 turns to go - AJ groundwork’s rider Joe Fargher ran up the inside, again making contact, although I tried driving round the outside of him, he ran me to the grass so I had to shut off which left me in a disappointing 2nd place to finish the day.

After what was my 20th race since starting in 2008, I now Qualify for my National Racing license which has now been sent for approval from the ACU. Once this has been approved I will be able to announce my debut on the road circuits as well as the short circuit.

Thanks go out again to all my sponsors, which without their help I would not be where I am today. Although their help is so appreciated, the team are still looking for more sponsors as funding for the second half of the season is still in doubt...

With so much good short circuit racing, the Isle of Man is now buzzing for more bike action and with TT round the corner, we all can’t wait! Good luck goes out to EVERYONE involved!

Photos courtesy of Russ Moore and Tony Quine

27th April 2010: On Sunday I attended the 4th round of the New Era Championship at the Silverstone National Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. Having never been to the circuit, I learnt the general layout by watching internet videos on Friday night so it was fresh in my mind! Although this helped with track knowledge, first practice on Sunday morning was, to say the least, an eye opener; the biggest difference was speed. From the exit of the stadium complex at Luffield and onto the start finish straight its super fast at full lean angle whilst trying to power onto the start finish, which is also a blind mega fast turn. The most enjoyable corner was Brookland’s, a wide entry left hander that tightens up, very similar to a turn at Jurby on the Isle of Man. This was my strongest turn where 90% of my overtaking took place. Having only 15 minutes to learn the track and qualify, I managed 9th place in the Formula 600’s. Pole was taken by BSB rider John Simpson on his Trick Bits Triumph which had many ‘trick bits’ even if I do say so myself!

Race 1 got under way and I got an excellent start, and was up to 3rd only for it to be red flagged 3 laps in due to heavy rain. With only a 10 minute window to change tyres, we only managed to change the rear tyre in time and I had to take the restart on a dry front. This made the race very hard, with the smallest of errors causing many riders to crash out. Despite this, with all the crashes in front of me, a 4th place was a great result in the F600’s.

With Race 2 being dry, another great start took me up to 3rd place again. Unfortunately, a small mistake and being sat up by another rider on the last lap, dropped me down to 4th once again, but still a great result from a curcuit I had never ridden before.

This meeting has now left me with one final signature to get before I attain my National ACU License which will then let me take on road circuits as well as short circuits. As usual, great thanks go out to all my sponsors who have helped me to date and hopefully another win could be on the cards at Jurby this weekend for round 3 of the Manx Championships.

Finally with team member, and webmaster, Chris Ward on leave for the next 2 weeks, there will be no web updates until the 12th of May so our apologies go out in advance. However, you can still get in touch through the website's Contact form or directly through david@dkracing.co.uk for all the latest news and information.

Speak soon.

Photos courtesy of PLJ Photo and Nick Andrews

13th April 2010: Well… after Round 1, I went into Round 2 with the attitude of ‘the season starts here!’. The sun was shining, and with no wind, conditions were perfect. The suspension had undergone a major overhaul from Slick Performance since the last meeting and the bike was only fully re-assembled at 22:45 on Saturday night! With no opportunity to test, it was straight into qualifying to see if the overhaul had solved the major issues from the previous round!

The bike was like a new machine and took all 3 qualifying sessions to learn the new characteristics and set up. The centre race went well, starting from 15th, I climbed through the field up to 10th by half race distance but by this time the leading group had created a gap which I was not able to close down in the final 4 laps.

The Formula 600 race was my personal favourite race of the day. Starting 10th, I battled up to 4th and 7th in the two races and this was a personal best finishing position in this class. This was a great achievement considering the teams and riders I was up against.

Finally, starting from 2nd in the Clubman Races, I took the lead off the start line and led both races from start to finish taking the first 2 victories of the season! Now we can only hope to carry this fantastic momentum into Round 3 and challenge for top 6 in all categories.

A big thanks have to go out to Station Garage, European Aviation Maintenance, Target Tools, Slick Performance and the Definition Dance Company, without there help and support these great results would not be possible. Finally big thanks to all the Marshals and Officials who made the day possible. Favourite marshal of the day also goes out to Lisa Sims for her fantastic victory Celebrations :-).

Photos courtesy of TGFPhotos.com

15th March 2010: Sunday hosted round one of the ARA Championships at Jurby on the Isle of Man. Although expectations were high, unfortunately all did not go to plan. With the drop in temperature causing serious suspension issues, the set up of the bike was not good enough to compete where expected at the front of the grid. With 2 big mistakes , running off track in the Centre Championship and 600 races a lowly 12th position was achieved in both. Although finishing 3rd in the Clubman race, transponder issues meant the result would not be counted.

With a major suspension overhaul, with help from the Mygdal Racing team, we made inroads into set up; but with a rear end collision from another rider in the second set of races, this ended the day prematurely as the bike was not able to be repaired in time for the remaining races. Although disappointing, on a positive note the bike has the power and potential to run at the sharp end of the grid, a return to the top 6 should be achievable as long as we can find more front end feel and confidence in the front of the bike at the next test session.

11th March 2010: The 2nd winter test went well at the weekend. With the main focus being on rear suspension set up, back to back runs were carried out with suspension settings supported by Seton Tuning. There is still scope for front end improvements, but as track time was limited to 2 hours, final adjustments will have to wait until the 3rd test of the year as the remaining track time was used for final race preparations.

New parts have also arrived this week in the form of Pazzo race leavers to help improve breaking and clutch control.

To summarise, pre season testing has been very positive, and thanks have to go out to all the TMM team. Now we just have to wait for the flag to drop for round one of the ARA championship this weekend!

Photos from the testing are now available in the Gallery

1st March 2010: The first winter test of 2010 took place on Sunday, albeit delayed one week due to the snowy weather the Island has seen in the past month. The weather conditions where good, with the Sun shining, and a warming 7 degrees air temperature. The ARA GP circuit was being used in preparation for round 1 of this year’s championship, and had been freshly swept for the first test.

The first half of the two hour session was used for running in the motor and adjusting riding position to feel comfortable on the new machine. Once this work had been completed, some longer runs were done in the final hour to get a good base setting with the suspension.

To summarise, the test was very positive and definately showed good potential for the forthcoming season. The second winter test is scheduled for Sunday 7th of March where some fine tuning of the set up will be undertaken and final preparations ready for round one of the ARA championship on the 14th. All the latest news will be posted here at DK Racing as and when it happens!

Photos from the testing are now available in the Gallery

15th February 2010: Yesterday (Valentines Day) saw the unveiling of David's new love of his life ... his 2010 Yamaha YZF R6R Superstocker on which David will be contending the 2010 season. Check out the pictures by clicking on the image below or visiting the Gallery. Thanks go out to Station Garage, EAM Aviation, Ronnie Russell, Target Tools Ltd and Definition Dance Company who have all contributed to the preparations for the coming season; and with their continued support should make 2010 a successful race season for DK Racing.

2nd February 2010: Unfortunately the launch of the new bike has had to be put back by two weeks; the new graphics aren't quite ready for the bike yet. However, preparations for the coming season are progressing well and everything is on course for the 1st winter test at Jurby on the 21st of February, where the bike will make its debut on track. This will be closely followed by the second test on the 7th March prior to the start of the 2010 race season.

8th January 2010: First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope everyone enjoyed the festive period. As the first update of 2010, I would first like to congratulate our tyre technician Mr Gareth Temple for winning the 2009 Isle Of Man Youth Trials Clubman Championship in December. He had a strong season, and although not winning a round, his determination and consistency meant he finished clear of championship favourite Damian Owen to take the title. As for DKracing, the training regime for the forthcoming season has started which will intensify as the season progresses. The bike is currently stripped down having a couple of minor set up changes and a re-spray ready for the bike launch at the end of January.

2009 News Items

18th December 2009: DKRacing.co.uk goes Live! The new website is now officially online and any feedback or comments would be much appreciated.

15th December 2009: The date has been set for the 2010 Bike launch which will be Saturday 30th January 2010 ready for the first winter test in February at Jurby Airfield in the Isle of Man.

21st November 2009: Picked up the 2010 bike from the UK. It is now being prepared for the coming race season.