Brands Hatch qualifying
17 Sep 2011
A huge downpour an hour before qualifying really shook things up and, seemingly, played into my hands. On the 750 Streetfighter I qualified 7th on the GP1 grid, which is fantastic. The conditions minimised the power disadvantage so I felt my way around, kept building the pace and stayed smooth. My best lap of 55.6s […]
Donington qualifying report
09 Apr 2011
Sixth in the Superstock class is ok, 18th overall relfects the level and number of GP1 entrants. My qualifying session was troubled by a faulty tyre warmer that meant I went out with a cold rear tyre. Then, after only a handful of reasonable laps, the gear linkage broke and I had to pull in. […]
Brands Hatch practice and qualifying
28 Aug 2010
It feels great to be back at Brands, the place I consider my home circuit. After last year’s bad luck I really want to do well this weekend. Usual apologies for the lateness of this blog and the absence of a proper preview. It was another week of ridiculous hours at work and everything else […]
Cadwell Park
30 May 2010
This weekend will be remembered as one where little went to plan. We’ve just had thunder, lightning, hail and now rain. I had to miss the test and first qualifying because I was working until 2am finishing a magazine deadline on Friday, the end of a 90hr week, then in this morning’s second qualifying I […]
Qualifying
02 May 2010
When good plans backfire… Few things are more important than racing, but my wife is one of them so there was no way I was going to miss her birthday on Friday to travel to Snetterton. Arriving later on Saturday after a long drive meant missing practice and first qualifying. That was ok, since qualifying […]
Practice day
16 Oct 2009
It was so good to be back on the Tuono today. It felt brilliant, and by the second session when the track was fully dry I was right in the groove. Someone timed Andy Denyer at a best of 1m17.9s, which makes my best of 1m16.9s really encouraging. We’ll both go faster in qualifying tomorrow […]
Qualifying
09 May 2009
The weather did its best to trip me up for the single 20-minute qualifying session, but teamwork prevailed. I’m on the front row of the mixed grid, in third, and first of the Streetfighters by a healthy margin. Several showers through the morning forced a late decision for wet tyres, but by the time they […]
First qualifying report
13 Mar 2009
We’re off! It’s cold but dry at Mallory, so I got stuck straight in from the first session. After four months off the track I built up the pace and soon felt comfortable, and the Aprilia Tuono Factory is singing.
Front row start
Second qualifying was damp so the grid for Saturday’s races is set from the first session. That means I’m on the front row as fastest Streetfighter and second overall behind the top Sound of Thunder bike. I’ll be aiming to win the races overall though, definitely! Can’t wait.
