Mallory Park on Sunday the 6th of June is the Hottrax Motorsport weekend where the endurance teams can stay at home with their feet up as this meeting only caters for the hotly contested MotoGrande series and the MICHELIN Power Cup encounters. We have thoroughly enjoyed the opening two rounds of the series so far and a quick recap of the racing so far shows that in the 600s, Simon Gardner on his Len Manchester R6 opened his account in the best style with a clean sweep at Snetterton, whilst Cadwell was more challenging where he netted two fourths and a win in unpredictable weather conditions. Chasing Si are a pack of hungry riders who have proved they too can produce consistent results when it matters; the only other 600 race winner has been Nottingham’s pocket rocket Ady Allsopp who had a tumble in Lincolnshire but is still putting the pressure on the front man. William Monie is looking good on another R6 with 5 second places and a third lying second in the championship to Gardner, as is Arron Hoar who is supported and encouraged by top man Si. Andy Rouse was producing a consistent display until posting a DNF at Cadwell, other quick riders with the odd blemish include Ryan Peters who is looking sharp with a third place in the wet at Cadwell and Steph Waddelow who has scored in every round to date peddling her Triumph 675 to great effect - don’t lose sight of Chris Hunt Terry who can be proud of his performance to date on his 600 Suzuki.
For those riders on 1000 machines Jon Otter must be the man with a target on his back, after a cautious start Jonny Five was competent at Snetterton but really came into his own in Lincolnshire where 3 out of 3 would have been probable but was spoiled by a broken gear lever putting paid to the triple dropping Jon down a disappointing but point gathering second place. Scott Shand did the triple at Snetterton but was a noticeable absentee at Cadwell after a shoulder injury made its presence felt; watch out for Greg Allsop on his rapid but elderly R1 as two runner up places and a win will testify, hoisting him into second place in the table only 12 points adrift of jovial Jon. Jim Laird looks good and is fifth in the tables behind Shand and spot the ever improving Rhalf Lo Turco who is getting to grips with his cross plane R1 to great effect. Mark Whiston, who did so well in Norfolk, was unable to race at Cadwell as he was a victim of a testing crash on the Friday and another Mr Consistent is journeyman Richie Cunningham who as well as racing spends much of his time supporting younger rising stars in the sport at BSB level. A welcome newcomer at Round 2 was pint sized Welshman Ty Jones, who wrestles his Suzuki 1000 with immense confidence producing some of the best wheelies over the Mountain at Cadwell, eighth placed John Boakye is no slouch and gaining ability in every round.
The Michelin Power Cup is supported by a full programme of MotoGrande races for 600s and 1000s, expect to see fireworks from ex UK Trails Champions Sam Ludgate who has mastered his Honda 600 well in all weather conditions and comes of the back of a trio of wins at Cadwell but is only a single point ahead of Michel Wallis with Robbie Moore not far away in bronze spot. A mere six points covers the next lot in the championship which includes; Mark Evans, Adam Parsons, Birmingham's Colin Norris and John Lawrence.
Andy Petts also enjoyed his trio of wins in Round 2 replicating Pete Wilson who did the triple at Snetterton putting this talented duo on 75 points apiece, a bit further down the road is Vincent Ball who has a near comfortable cushion over Andy Parker. Justin Stephenson has been brilliantly consistent to date and enjoys fifth spot over Raymond Stagg whilst Kawasaki mounted Simon Wenwick, who netted two seconds at Cadwell last month in variable weather conditions, is only one point in front of ex endurance pilot Lee Rawlings.
Sunday the 6th of June is all about longer than usual sprint races which can be thrilling and fun to watch and the short, tight Mallory track is an ideal setting for this recipe.
After a couple of rounds of this year’s Hottrax Motorsport Endurance Championship several teams and riders have put their mark in the sand as to what to expect in 2010 and for the Spring Bank Holiday weekend the endurance circus visits the wide open spaces of Silverstone. So far no dominant teams have been identified from visits to Snetterton and Cadwell....so it is all to play for.
For the National 1000 runners current champions Sweatshop Racing opened their account in the best possible way with a much deserved win at Snetterton only a few seconds ahead of those hard workers TM72. The Sweatshop boys missed Round 2 at Cadwell so endurance regulars Graphic UK made the most of it by posting second place to Actiforce who are not contesting the whole series, this builds well on Graphic’s fourth place at Snetterton. TM72 were third in Lincolnshire meaning a respectable points haul so far for the Throttlemonkeys from Yorkshire.
In the burgeoning 600 class the Cadwell winners and runners up are unlikely to be doing the Hottrax Motorsport Endurance series making fatblokeracewear.com’s third place an important one for the championship, they were only 10 seconds ahead of newcomers 1491 Racing who are taking this year’s racing very seriously. Regulars Ducks Cross Racing and Nottingham’s Pit Stop Racing were also able to add valuable points to that achieved at the opening round at Snetterton over Easter. Two teams in the doldrums three weeks ago at Cadwell were former class champions Profibre and the energetic Tango and Crash who had a brilliant third overall and class win at the opening round - hopefully regular riders will be well enough to take to the grid here at Silverstone.
Large grids are the order of the day in the Junior 3 hour endurance races, Cadwell saw a win on the road and class win for ‘new to racing’ JR Racing, the boys in blue sporting traffic police livery and racing under number 999 carrying the Bikesafe message to riders and spectators. With no less than 11 teams finishing on the same lap we enjoyed close and competitive racing despite less than pleasant weather conditions a couple of weeks ago. JR were only 33 seconds in front of 600 rivals BLDS Couriers and in their wake were the fantastic Ducatis of LA Stone, DNA who have been consistently near the front so far as well as Systema-Alfa Racing and MC Racing.
The largest part of the Junior grid will be made up of litre machinery and it was good to see TM17 perform so brilliantly at Cadwell posting a class win over Banzai Racing, Old & Bold and Snetterton winners Ai-It Racing on their well turned out Fireblades. Cadwell clearly indicated also that there is more to come from Sherwood Suzuki, ASBO, Derek Redmond Racing, TANC, Insignia and Ridgeback Racing - all of whom are quite capable of running at the front.
Saturday the 29th of May will be a fantastically busy time at Silverstone with just two races in the day; a 3 hour National encounter and the same time for the Junior class with practice and qualifying in the morning and testing on the Friday.
What looks like a smashing start to the Hottrax season kicks off at Snetterton over the Easter weekend in April, the first of eight race weekends at seven tracks around the UK for this year.
Following a series refurbishment the six hour races have been dropped in favour of three hour clashes for both the Junior and the National endurance races to be held on Saturday and Sunday respectively. New for 2010, the Michelin Power Cup features a capacity grid of some very fast riders who will enjoy one 15 lap encounter on the first day followed by a double header on the Sunday, a pattern also followed by the MotoGrande grids following a very successful series in 2009.
With endurance races now reforming as 180 minute duels this will guarantee closer racing where all factors; rider ability, tyre choice, machine preparation and slick pit stops will become a major contributing factor to harvesting points in the championship. Last year’s winners Sweatshop Racing return to defend their title with a well prepped Yamaha R1, expect to see a generous handful of other National teams quite capable of going for gold over the three hours. This will include the very well versed TM72 racing who have grown with confidence and ability over the past couple of seasons. Graphic UK and the brothers Dilks at Pitstop Racing as well as Rawlings Racing are back with new bikes for 2010 and despite being on 600s expect to see Project 39 mixing it at the front.
There is a huge number of teams registered for the 3 hour Junior, missing are the dominant duo from last year of TrackCRAFT – on the positive side, the top three steps on Saturday afternoon could be occupied by almost any of half the entries, it’s that open! It would be unfair to mention only some of the 31 registered teams in this category but suffice it to say that all hell will be let loose at the drop of the cloth on Saturday afternoon and the pit lane will be a hectic place to be as the teams come in for rider swaps, refuelling and other needy causes.
Supporting the Hottrax Endurance package for 2010 and beyond is the most welcome Michelin Power Cup – a series that has already gained notoriety in warmer parts of Europe where it is seen as a novice series. In the UK Michelin are seeing this as a national series where race craft and pure speed count as compulsory.
2009 MotoGrande 600 champion, Nottingham’s Adrian Allsopp, migrates into the Michelin line up to join many new faces as well as some riders combing endurance racing with a move into the French tyre manufacturers series. He is joined in the 600s by a raft of established quick riders and fast newcomers, as displayed at a recent wet test session at Cadwell. Several of the fancied runners broke cover in Lincolnshire whilst others chose the warmer climes of the Circuit d'Alcarras in Spain near to Barcelona, with Hottrax Motorsport for official testing. Either way it was a valuable opportunity for riders to blow away the cobwebs of winter and get bikes and race minds into gear with the start of the season a mere four weeks away. Other endurance exponents going sprint racing include young hot shoes Ryan Peters, Andy Rouse and Ian Courts.
The majority of Michelin Power Cup participants see this series as a stepping stone to larger arenas on the national stage; interest and commitment has been massive and it would be unwise to pick any of the entry list for success, suspicions will be confirmed after Easter in April.
A number of entrants to the Michelin Power Cup have a proven track record in UK based series on tracks or roads whilst others have achieved success and reputation abroad, some are relatively fresh to the world of racing but their track times indicate they might well be a proper handful on the day.
So, with racing over Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th of April as well as a test day on the Friday it will all be to play for as the competitors will want to open their championship[ points accounts with big numbers in what will be a hard and exciting year, please join us.
After three successful years of growth Dave and Karen Mabbutt have shaped a fantastic season’s racing under the banner of the Hottrax Motorsport National Motorcycle Endurance Championship, supported by the always popular MotoGrande Sprint Championship and, new for 2010, the high profile Michelin Power Cup which has proved exciting and popular in Europe.
Hottrax Motorsport are well known, of course, having a client base of over 12 000 riders, they organise over 100 events per year in the UK and abroad, having around 350 racers are members of the Hottrax Motorsport.
For the new season we have the mouth watering prospect of seven rounds at six different circuits, dates are;
• Round 1 Snetterton Circuit - Norfolk 3rd/4th April – watch the bikes reach their top speed on the back straight
• Round 2 Cadwell Park – Lincolnshire – 8th/9th May – the first visit of the season to the mini Nurburgring
• Round 3 Silverstone National Circuit - Northants 29th May – with long straights and a tricky last corner
• Round 4 Mallory Park - Leicestershire – 6th June – terrific circuit with two bus stops
• Round 5 Oulton Park – 10th July - a first time for the Hottrax Motorsport series
• Round 6 Anglesey Circuit - North Wales – 28th/29th August – one of the most demanding UK tracks
• Round 7 Pembrey Circuit - South Wales 18th/19th September – an annual pilgrimage to South Wales
• Round 8 Cadwell Park – Lincolnshire – 30th/31st October – the grand finale of a long and demanding season
Hottrax Motorsport has reviewed the class system for 2010 to strengthen the progression route available for riders to move up the racing ladder and for this season we have;
High Profile National Endurance Championship for faster teams!
Teams may choose to use 1 machine and 2/3 riders or 2 machines and 2 riders
Trophies to top 3 in each class and prize money of £1850 for Michelin runners overall Championship 1st – 3rd
(Includes all Endurance Classes)
Junior TAG Endurance Championship - suitable for new and improving teams
Teams of two riders will use 2 machines in a Relay Race
Trophies to top 3 in each class and prize money of £1850 for Michelin runners overall Championship 1st – 3rd
(Includes all Endurance Classes)
MotoGrande Open Solo Championship - weekend meetings with 3 long distance races each weekend!
A series of open class 600cc and 1000cc races over around 12 laps and 11 rounds
For the rider that demands more than a 4 lap burst, maybe as a stepping stone into endurance racing or to test machine and rider ability.
There are two classes: MotoGrande 1000 and 600
Trophies to top 3 in each class and prize money of £1850 for Michelin runners overall Championship 1st – 3rd
BRAND NEW FOR 2010, Hottrax Motorsport are hosting the
Michelin Power Cup – weekend meetings with 3 long distance races each weekend for quick riders - £20 000 Prize Fund
Rider must run with Michelin Tyres and will receive a Michelin Power Pack worth £700 and prize money of £1000 per round (£500 per class)
This is a very exciting prospect for 2010 and builds on proven success in France, Italy and Spain where it has run with such aplomb
Sponsors for the series include Alpinestars, Arai, Putoline Oil and Race Products so the welcome Power Pack and prizes for each meeting and for the series winners will be of the highest quality. Overall series prizes for each class winner will include an Alpinestars leather race suit and Supertech R boots, and a top-of-the-range Arai RX-7 GP helmet. In addition, the top three riders in each class will get the opportunity to represent the UK at one of the other European series rounds.
There is a dedicated website www.michelinpowercup.co.uk which will include race reports, a photo gallery and an area where riders will have their profiles online and will be able to follow their progress in the championship.
A review of the 2009 Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club season can be found at
http://www.moto-endurance.com/11.html
Following pre season testing at Cadwell Park (February 26th and 27th) and Circuit D’Alcarras, Spain (March 3rd – 5th) packed grids will line up at Snetterton over the Easter weekend in April. Currently team’s plans are being finalised, however we are delighted to report that Derek Redmond Racing will be fielding teams in the Endurance and possible MotoGrande classes. To date, 2009 National Endurance Champions Sweatshop Racing have registered an entry brandishing the Number One Plate, and currently the premier Supersport outfit Ducks Cross Racing are pulling together plans. Some team plans are undecided at the moment; including – class winning outfits Well Oiled Racing and Gasi Racing – no doubt the next few weeks will see plans being firmed up before racing commences.
A decent number of established endurance teams have already committed to the National class including the Rawlings Brothers, the exceeding quick and well turned out Graphic UK, TM72 who are now in their third season and a very well run outfit plus the red, white and blue riders at Roundall, Project 39, Graphic UK, the Pit Stop brothers Dilks and GOSH.
Quicker off the mark are the teams that have entered the Junior category, which looks like 50% old hands and 50% newbies. Continuing with the endurance tradition are Racing Snakes, TANC, STD, ASBO, Black Flag, DNA, Go Dive, Apex, Snug, Banzai, BLDS, Pirate, Signs Express and the 121 crew. Rocking up to endurance racing will be first timers including Terry ‘Ding Dong’ Thomas, Syntema Alfa, MAD, FS, Worx Suzuki, Barking Mad, Louth Bikes, Pirate Racing V2 which comprises Trevor Ricketts and Emma Hodges on Suzuki SV 1000s plus JR Racing running under race number 999.
Currently the newly introduced Michelin Power Cup sees a nearly full grid of riders who are totally committed to close and competitive racing, it will be a line up of riders who have experience, a proven sprint racing pedigree, in addition to well organised and equipped young chargers – there are two classes, 600 and 1000 and competition for a place at the front will be sharp. Remember, for some of the top riders in this inaugural UK Michelin Power Cup, there will be the priceless opportunity to race in Europe with the best of the other Michelin supported series. A full list of riders taking part, as well as other details can be found at www.michelinpowercup.co.uk
Whoever you are; spectator, competitor, marshall, official, team member or expert there will be something in the 2010 Hottrax Motorsport programme to stimulate and you will be assured of a warm welcome as the bikes line up at Snetterton for the first race of the season at Snetterton in Norfolk on Easter weekend