Donington park complete programme

THUNDERSPORT GB

CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

ROUND 2 25th & 26th MARCH 2017

THE HOME OF SPORTSMAN RACING

Premier Motorcycle Protection

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS - SATURDAY

Premier Motorcycle Protection

9.00am

15 minutes Qualifying

Supertwins/Stocktwins & Aprilia RRV450GP

9.18am

15 minutes Qualifying

Golden Era Supersport & Steelsport

9.36am

15 minutes Qualifying

Pre-National 600 Sport & Freshman

9.54am

15 minutes Qualifying

Golden Era Superbike & Thundersport GP1 Classic/Freshman

10.12am

15 minutes Qualifying

Thundersport 500 Elite & Seniors

10.30am

15 minutes Qualifying

Thundersport Superteens & Thundersport 500 Freshman

10.48am

15 minutes Qualifying

Thundersport GP1 Sportsman Elite

11.06am

15 minutes Qualifying

Thundersport 600 Sportsman Elite

11.30am

Race 1

Supertwins/Stocktwins & Aprilia RRV450GP

8 Laps (20 miles)

11.52am

Race 2

Golden Era Supersport & Steelsport

8 Laps (20 miles)

12.14pm

Race 3

Pre-National 600 Sport & Freshman

8 Laps (20 miles)

12.36pm

Race 4

Thundersport 500 Elite & Seniors

8 Laps (20 miles)

12.58pm

Race 5

Golden Era Superbike & Thundersport GP1 Classic/FM

8 Laps (20 miles)

1.20pm

Race 6

Thundersport 500 Freshman & Cup

8 Laps (20 miles)

LUNCH BREAK 2.05pm

Race 7

Thundersport GP1 Sportsman Elite

12 Laps (30 miles)

2.30pm

Race 8

Thundersport Superteens

8 Laps (20 miles)

2.52pm

Race 9

Thundersport 600 Sportsman Elite

12 Laps (30 miles)

3.17pm

Race 10

Thundersport 600 Cup

8 Laps (20 miles)

3.39pm

Race 11

Supertwins/Stocktwins & Aprilia RRV450GP

8 Laps (20 miles)

4.01pm

Race 12

Golden Era Supersport & Steelsport

8 Laps (20 miles)

4.23pm

Race 13

Pre-National 600 Sport & Freshman

8 Laps (20 miles)

4.45pm

Race 14

Thundersport 500 Elite & Seniors

8 Laps (20 miles)

5.07pm

Race 15

Golden Era Superbike & Thundersport GP1 Classic/FM

8 Laps (20 miles)

5.29pm

Race 16

Thundersport 500 Freshman & Cup

8 Laps (20 miles)

5.51pm

Race 17

Thundersport Superteens

8 Laps (20 miles)

6.13pm

Race 18

Thundersport 600 Cup

8 Laps (20 miles)

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS - SUNDAY 9.00am

8 minutes Warm Up

Supertwins/Stocktwins & Aprilia RRV450GP/Superteens

9.11am

8 minutes Warm Up

Golden Era SBK/SS & Thundersport GP1 Classic/FM

9.22am

8 minutes Warm Up

All odd number 600cc

9.33am

8 minutes Warm Up

All even number 600cc

9.44am

8 minutes Warm Up

Thundersport 500

9.55am

8 minutes Warm Up

Thundersport GP1 & authorised extras

10.10am

Race 1

Supertwins/Stocktwins & Aprilia RRV450GP

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

10.33am

Race 2

Golden Era Supersport & Steelsport

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

10.56am

Race 3

Pre-National 600 Sport & Freshman

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

11.19am

Race 4

Thundersport GP1 Sportsman Elite

12 Laps (30 miles)

11.44am

Race 5

Thundersport 500 Elite & Seniors

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

12.08pm

Race 6

Thundersport 600 Sportsman Elite

12 Laps (30 miles)

12.33pm

Race 7

Thundersport 500 Freshman & Cup

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

12.56pm

Race 8

Golden Era Superbike & Thundersport GP1 Classic/FM

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

LUNCH BREAK 1.55pm

Race 9

Thundersport Superteens

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

2.18pm

Race 10

Thundersport 600 Cup

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

2.41pm

Race 11

Supertwins/Stocktwins & Aprilia RRV450GP

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

3.04pm

Race 12

Golden Era Supersport & Steelsport

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

3.27pm

Race 13

Pre-National 600 Sport & Freshman

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

3.50pm

Race 14

Thundersport GP1 Sportsman Elite

12 Laps (30 miles)

4.15pm

Race 15

Thundersport 500 Elite & Seniors

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

4.38pm

Race 16

Thundersport 600 Sportsman Elite

12 Laps (30 miles)

5.03pm

Race 17

Thundersport 500 Freshman & Cup

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

5.26pm

Race 18

Golden Era Superbike & Thundersport GP1 Classic/FM

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

5.49pm

Race 19

Thundersport Superteens

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

6.12pm

Race 20

Thundersport 600 Cup

9 Laps (22.5 miles)

Premier Motorcycle Protection

THUNDERSPORT GB (Affiliated to the ACU as Club Thundersport Ltd) This meeting is held under a European OPEN Road Race Permit, complying with the National Sporting Code and the Standing Regulations for Road Races of the ACU, the Supplementary Regulations of the above organisation, and in accordance with the ACU / FIM Environmental Code.

DONINGTON PARK GP CIRCUIT MAP

Permanent Course Licence No. 009GP ACU Permit No. ACU 49119 Outline Flags and other signals used at this meeting: (full details are shown in the ACU Handbook a copy of which is available for inspection in the Race Administration).

OUTLINE FLAGS AND OTHER SIGNALS

RED LIGHTS - May be extinguished as the signal to start races. May be illuminated to stop races or practice NATIONAL FLAG - May be used as the signal to start races GREEN FLAG - Indicates that the track is clear YELLOW FLAG - This Flag indicates that there is danger ahead. Overtaking in this sector is forbidden YELLOW /RED STRIPED FLAG - This indicates a lack of adhesion in this sector. Oil, Water or another substance (debris) on track RED FLAG - The race or practice session is stopped. Riders must return slowly to the pits or as directed by the marshals YELLOW I BLACK CROSS - This flag is shown at the startline at the beginning of the last lap.

CHEQUERED FLAG - Indicates the end of the race or practice session

NOTICE: MOTOR SPORTS CAN BE DANGEROUS! Despite the organisers taking all reasonable precautions, unavoidable accidents can happen.

Please comply with all instructions of marshals and notices and remain in permitted areas only.

THEY ARE CONCERNED WITH YOUR SAFETY

Premier Motorcycle Protection

RACE DIRECTOR Dave Stewart

SECRETARY OF THE MEETING Dave Stewart 10 Hemington Lane Lockington Leicestershire. DE74 2RJ

RACE SECRETARY Bernadette Stewart

CLERK OF THE COURSE Phil Page DEPUTY CLERK OF THE COURSE Kyle Tansley Joanne Lumb Samantha Page

OFFICIALS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ASSISTANT RACE SECRETARY CHIEF TECHNICAL STEWARDS Stuart Bailey (Chief)

CHIEF MARSHAL John Pedersen

CHIEF INCIDENT OFFICER Mark Lumb

SOUND CONTROL

Rodger Wadey (Senior)

STARTLINE OFFICIALS Dave Richardson (Chief) Pete Harrington (Deputy)

RACE CONTROL Joanne Page

ASSEMBLY AREA

Norman & Margaret Lowes

PODIUM CREW Thundersport Syd Alison Osler

RECOVERY TEAM

Dan & Natalie Wesley Keith Goldsmith / Dave Evans

ACU STEWARD John Ward

TIMEKEEPERS TSL Timing

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICERS Bob Winter Raza Dar

AMBULANCE SERVICE Inter County Paramedic

COMMENTATORS

Robin Murphy - John Ward

CIRCUIT MANAGER

Bob Adams (01332 819524 )

Who said “600s are dead”??

At least 152 riders here this weekend would dispute that!

The middleweight class is always a frantic scrap, right up to the last corner.

This weekend, we have an amazing entry of 394 riders competing here at Donington Park. Of those no less than 152 are riding production based 600cc machines. None of them are “testing for BSB” next week because we are inside the testing ban window for that event. All of them are genuine Thundersport GB riders who choose to ride in this popular middleweight class because it is exciting, affordable and very competitive.

To put that into proper perspective, nearly 40% of the machinery racing here this weekend falls into one of our 600cc categories – of which we currently have four divisions.

So if somebody were to suggest to you that 600cc racing is dead, you could be forgiven for thinking that you had woken up in some bizarre alternative universe.

Now I’m not suggesting that the HQ of British Motorcycle racing at

Rugby is actually on another planet physically, it just sometimes leaves me feeling that someone might have shut all the doors in the late 1950s due to some nuclear holocaust warning and forgotten to open them again.

This feeling was never stronger than on the 26th July last year at the ACU Road Race Committee meeting, where we were having what I can only think of as an outlandish conversation in which the point was being put over that we were doing it all wrong. It was stated by some of the most influential people in the sport that if we wanted success on the world stage, we should forget about 600cc racing altogether as that was a dead end street and the death knell for any aspiring racer......

I found myself, not unusually, as the lone voice of dissent.

If you listened to what was being said with no knowledge of reality, you

could be forgiven for thinking that British Motorcycle racing is in the worst place it has been for years.

Now I’m very used to being looked at like the stoned rough sleeper who spends his days drinking Kestrel Super Strength lager and shouting at the traffic, but I had to state that I thought the opposite was in fact true.

British motorcycle racing is in a very good position right now.

We have recently had the best run of results in more than 35 years with a Grand Prix world champion (Danny Kent), Moto-GP premier class wins (2 of them for Cal Crutchlow), we absolutely dominate World Superbike racing and we have some great future world beaters such as John McPhee, Kyle Ride, Rory Skinner and Charlie Nesbitt in the pipeline.

I think that in order to get us to that state of affairs, we must have been doing something right in the 10 - 15 years leading up to this point – Right?

Doesn’t look like a dead end to me!

Cal Crutchlow was World Supersport Champion (2009), Sam Lowes was World Supersport Champion (2013), Eugene Laverty was World Supersport runner-up (behind Cal in 2009) and British riders are currently dominating the World Superbike Championship (1 - Jonathan Rea, 2 – Chaz Davies, 3 – Tom Sykes) after having graduated through the Supersport classes on their way to the top. In case it has escaped anyones notice, Supersport is a 600cc class.

Even in the ultra-competitive Grand Prix paddock, only Spain & Italy are better represented than Great Britain and both of those countries have the benefit of local & national government funding for events.

All motorsport in the UK has to be privately financed, yet I think we are doing an excellent job of making motorsport available to pretty much anyone with the true desire to compete. Sure, it would be better if it was cheaper, but how would forgetting about 600cc racing make it any cheaper? Bear in mind that a fully kitted Moto-3 bike costs around 50,000 Euros if you are even fortunate enough to be able to get one of the factories to agree to sell you one.

We actually have several parallel options at the moment, as Scott Redding, Bradley Smith, Danny Kent

and John McPhee have all come up via the small bike Moto-3, Moto-2 route at the same time as the others went via the Superstock, Supersport, Superbike route.

Oh yeah, Moto-2, what kind of bikes are they? Yes, they are 600cc bikes too.

Turning our backs on what has been a very successful multi-pronged set of career paths just seems to be

completely bonkers to me.

Sadly there are those in positions of influence who are prepared to listen to the false truths espoused by the FIM on this and many other subjects.

Where are the independent thinkers who are prepared to go their own way without seeking to stop others from exploring other options?

Independent thought and action has proven to be pretty effective at the Olympics with Team GB getting the best result for over 100 years last summer. Perhaps we need to think more along those lines and stop being influenced by outside forces in motorcycle racing, including global promoters who have their own private agendas.

Just sit back and enjoy the variety of racing this weekend and ask yourself if you really believe it would be - or even could be - improved by not having such a great variety of 600cc classes.

Personally, I love the great action in the middleweight classes and if that’s wrong, I don’t want to be right, do you?

Don’t give in to the modern day Luddites.

Is this racing close enough for you?

Leading the way

AVON TYRES SUPERTWINS

9

- STOCKTWINS & APRILIA RRV450GP

SUPERTWINS THE ORIGINAL GP2 FOR THE MASSES! WHAT’S SUPER ABOUT SUPERTWINS?

Thundersport GB started out with what is now our Supertwin class back in 2009 (it was called GP2 back then) and it has since appeared in Irish Road Races, the North-West 200 and more recently the TT Races. These light and manouverable 650cc twin cylinder 4-strokes can be built for around half the cost of a 600cc Superstock machine and open up a route for the home tuner to get re-involved in the modern racing scene. The British Superbike package is missing out on this middleweight category at the moment and I can’t understand why. It would fill in that elusive rung on every budding young racers ladder to success.

STOCKTWINS ARE SUPERTWINS ON A BUDGET

Whereas the Supertwin category has no tuning restrictions, we also compliment that with our more cost concious Stocktwins Championship. Cost control was always designed to be a core principal of Stocktwins and the rules are designed to allow most things that are NOT performance enhancing.

APRILIA RRV450GP

These are designed to be as close as you can get handling wise to the old 250GP bikes, but with the elegantly engineered Aprilia / Rotax 4-stroke V-twin unit that powers the world beating SXV Supermotard machines.

No 2 6 8 9 16 17 18 19 21 22 24 26 30 31 33 34 37 39 42 43 45 52 55 57 60 65 66 69 71 74 75 76 77 86 89 90 91 96 97 101 126 133

Rider Stephen Taylor Kasey Wyatt Rick Saville Alex Taylor Luke Verwey Jonny Towers Matt Powell Neil Schofield Nicole Lynch Joseph Thomas Max Lofthouse Daniel Taylor Dan Bateman Ben Ashcroft John Hacker Ian McGann Jonathan Dwyer Thomas Burnett Jonathan Perry Alex Platt Andrew Castle Ash Bryant Ben Rainbow Elliot Williams Greg Madero Daniel Capper Rhys Irwin Sebastian Spiers Robert Kirk Alan Russell George Pidcock Mark Kirkby Kade Verwey Thomas Jennings Carl Sant Rishon Hickey Emma Field Jason Markham Laurence Edgeley Chris Asquith Alex Wood Ben Tolliday

Hometown Oakham Anerley Grimsby Southwater Silverstone Coton in Elms Swansea Barnsley Clondalkin ROI Pencoed Burnley Kirton Lindsey Donington Warrington Leicester Hounslow Plymouth Ramsey IOM Winsford Lincoln Lincoln Nantwich Plymouth Mold Towcester Middlewich Letterkenny Port Erin IOM Lincoln Wells Alfreton Hexham Silverstone Hinckley Winsford Burntisland Barton u Humber Salisbury Bolney Bradford York Scarborough

Team STR Team Edge RST SOS Racing Scott Racing M/cycles Team XG Group Team Edge RST UWTSD Orthrus Racing Schofield Racing Medlar Racing UWTSD Orthrus Racing Love Racing Direct Commercials DB Racing Ashcroft Racing JH Racing British Army Race Team Dwyer Power Racing Tru Racing Jonathan Perry Racing B&B Motorcycles RAF MSA Bryant Racing RAF MSA Williams Racing Madero Racing Team BGC Oasis Bar Letterkenny Spiers Racing RK Racing Knight Road Racing GSP Racing MK Racing Team XG Group TJ Racing Eight-Nine Motorsports Rishon Racing EF Racing British Army Race Team Team Edge RST Asquith Racing CWP Racing Team Tolly Racing

Machine Suzuki Aprilia Kawasaki Aprilia Aprilia Kawasaki Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki Aprilia Suzuki Suzuki Aprilia Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki Kawasaki Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki Kawasaki Kawasaki Suzuki Aprilia Suzuki Suzuki Ducati Honda Kawasaki Aprilia Aprilia Suzuki WK Suzuki Suzuki Aprilia Suzuki Aprilia Suzuki

cc 650 450 650 450 450 650 650 650 650 650 450 650 650 450 650 650 650 650 650 650 650 650 650 650 650 650 450 650 650 800 400 650 450 450 650 650 650 650 450 650 450 650

CL S RRV S RRV RRV T S S T S RRV T S RRV T S S T T S S T S T T S RRV T S T T T RRV RRV S T S S RRV S RRV T

Avon Tyres Supertwins Points

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Jonny Towers Jonathan Perry Greg Madero Dan Taylor Alex Platt Alex Taylor Ben Tolliday Joseph Thomas Kade Verwey Alex Wood

90 77 72 48 43 39 38 34 24 21

Avon Tyres Stocktwins Points 1 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Joseph Thomas Alex Platt Neil Schofield Jason Markham Paul Williams Ian McGann Stephen Taylor Alan Ellis Ryan Redman Andrew Castle

90 90 52 42 42 41 40 33 32 21

Alex Taylor Kade Verwey Alex Wood Kasey Wyatt Rhys Irwin Luke Verwey Ben Ashcroft Thomas Jennings Laurence Edgeley

100 72 65 59 44 40 34 23 17

Aprilia RRV450GP Points

CLASS LAP RECORDS Supertwins - 1.39.286 Jonny Towers Stocktwins - 1.41.804 Ryan Brain Aprilia RRV450 - 1.40.682 Ben Luxton

For all your motorcycle needs! | 01621 785202 | www.sparklightracing.co.uk Based in Burnham on Crouch, but serving the whole of the UK, we offer not only Servicing, Valeting, Repairs, Dyno in Burnham onand Crouch, Valeting, Repairs well as Based onBased Crouch, but serving thewe of the we offer not only Service and a in fullBurnham range of top quality Leathers, Helmets Boots - whole Weoffer also Servicing, offer a fullUK, Race Preparation andas Support Servicing, Repairs, Dyno Service and a full range ofmuch, top quality Leathers, our selling Leathers, Spares and much more!

Service at allValeting, Thundersport GBstore events.

Don’t struggle onHelmets, your own, come and see us to discuss your needs Helmets and Boots - We also or offer a full Race Preparation and Support Service at all just ring Garry on 07984 412131

Thundersport GB events.

We offer standard packages as well as tailored packages designed - by you - to suit you, come and see us to discuss your needs or just ring Garry on 07984 412131 Unit 7, The Mayfield Centre, Springfield Road, Burnham on Crouch. CM0 8UB

Sparklight is your one stop shop for all your SBS requirements.

WE ARE “THE EQUALISERS” IF YOU’RE IN TROUBLE FOR ANYTHING, AT ANY EVENT, COME AND SEE OUR TEAM AND WE’LL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK WITH THE MINUMUM OF FUSS & EXPENSE.

Let us put the SPARK

into your race season!

Don’t struggle on your own at race meetings. Let our experienced team of mechanics & technicians look after you from the professional and comfortable surroundings of the Sparklight Racing awning.

We cater for everything from a simple “Warmers & Stands assist” package right through to a complete “Arrive & Ride” deal.

Be part of our friendly team and feel like a GP star.

Race Meeting Packages:-

Silver Package - just £100 per race meeting.

Gold Package - just £250 per race meeting.

Platinum Package - tailored to suit you (please ask)

FULL MACHINE PREPARATION SERVICE ALSO AVAILABLE

Let us put the SPARK into your race season!

SPARKLIGHT RACING GOLDEN ERA SUPERSPORT & STEELSPORT

11

GOLDEN ERA MANIC - SUPERSPORTS OF THE 90s WHEN TRACTION CONTROL WAS ALL IN THE WRIST ACTION! As with the corresponding Superbike class, some of the most memorable race action came from a time before the electronics geeks interferred with the direct relationship between the twist grip and the throttle slides. The term “Mad Axe-Murderers” was actually coined by James Whitham when he did a couple of Wild Card rides in the World Supersport Championship and watching it from trackside you simply couldn’t argue the accuracy of that label. If Ghengis Khan rode a motorcycle it would have been an R6 or ZX6RR from this era (he might have struggled getting his helmet through Technical Control, but who’s going to argue with him?).

Golden Era Supersport is our version of this classic era of motorcycle racing, before traction control took over from pure fearless determination.

These classes are not Pre-Injection or Pre-2000, they are tailored to the bikes that actually raced in that iconic era. The technical regulations allow all and any modifications that were used in period and ban anything that wasn’t around or allowed at the time. Tyres are any make, any pattern, any type - as long as they have a road legal designation. Full wets are permitted only when a Wet Race has been declared.

GOLDEN ERA STEELSPORT Since we started running the Golden Era Supersport class, many riders asked us about creating a parrallel series for the Steel-Framed bikes of a similar period and that now forms the basis for Golden Era Steelsport.

No 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 14 16 24 25 31 32 39 43 53 55 63 65 66 74 75 87 88 95 96 114 197 315

Rider Chris Hellewell Sam Nicholson Richard Harrison Robert Goodall Shaun Evans Dave Grace Karl Foster Robert Dodd Gary Lawton Ian Lawton Brad Davey Luke MacRae Andy Scanlon Jamie Pearson Steve Chadwick Chris Froggatt David Stiff Rob Vickerman Rob Mawbey Darren Kay Adam Darnell David Langley Liam Vella Nick Turner Max Wilmot Carl Vickers Ian Kirby David White Ian Evans Jon Wright Julien Liguori Ashley Thompson

Hometown Rotherham Nottingham Cleasby Chichester Nottingham Derby Scunthorpe Chester Lincoln Blyth Abingdon Billingshurst Thatcham Alvaston Milnthorpe Chichester Pickering Willerby Derby Middlesborough Ringwood Dereham Lincoln Kettering Gosport Dunfermline Sunderland Barnstaple Chepstow Shrewsbury Southampton Market Rasen

Team Sparklight Racing Motorpoint Derby EB Racing Sandell Racing Evans Racing Peter Pan Racing Foster Bros Racing Limely GL Racing / RAF Ian Lawton Racing Motovation MacRae Racing Stubble Racing Pearson Racing SC Racing Froggatt Racing DS Racing Airtech Racing / RAF Racing Lines Tyres Tornado Kaydo Sparklight Racing RAF MSA / Ashtons Vella Racing Fermac Racing Royal Navy Motorsport Blackbird Corporate Kirby Racing Royal Navy Motorsport British Army Race Team Controls & Safety Ltd JL Racing Moto 46 VCR

Machine Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Honda Yamaha Yamaha Ducati Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Suzuki Yamaha Honda Yamaha Honda Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha Honda Honda Honda Yamaha

cc 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 748 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600

CL SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SF SS SS SF SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SS SF SS SF SS SS SS SS SF SF SF SS

Golden Era Supersport Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Adam Darnell Chris Hellewell Robert Goodall Andy Scanlon Richie Harrison Dave Grace Luke McRae Chris Froggatt Rob Mawbey Steve Chadwick

81 75 63 58 46 38 34 29 23 21

Golden Era Steelsport Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Jon Wright Dave Langley Brad Davey Ian Evans Robert Dodd Andrew Goodsell Dave Curtis

91 81 72 42 39 24 20

CLASS LAP RECORDS Supersport = 1.37.246 Steven Haddow Steelsport - 1.41.662 Mark Biswell

A&R RACING - CONTINENTAL PRE-NATIONAL 600 Sport & Freshman

13 13

INTO THE FIRE

The world of motorcycle racing can be an intimidating place for newcomers. If you want to start on a 600cc machine, you’ll quickly discover that everyone else on the grid is a budding Axe-Murderer in the making. In order to ease the transition into this fiercely competitive category, we created the “Pre-National Sport 600” class for riders who have yet to gain a National Licence. It was originally made up of a mix of pure novices and riders who are generally in their second season of racing. It tends to work slightly better than No Rider Hometown Team Machine cc CL a pure “Novice” or “Rookie” grid because 4 Charlie White Southampton Royal Marines Motorsport Triumph 675 S the new riders have some slightly more 5 Marc Harrison Burbage Harrison Racing Honda 600 F experienced riders around them that they 6 Paul McDonald Bracknell Mac Racing Triumph 675 S can learn from - rather than the fastest 7 Zsolt Bardi Burnt Oak Bardi Racing Suzuki 600 S newcomer being left to his own devices.

8 Tom Hill Chesham BDR Yamaha Yamaha 600 S This is hugely beneficial when it comes to 11 Will Harper Desborough MSG Racing Suzuki Suzuki 600 S things like lapping slower riders, or dealing 13 Rory Bamford Cardiff RB13 Yamaha 600 S with temporary course changes such as 15 Joseph Addy Gilberdyke Addy Racing Yamaha 600 F lack of adhesion flags being utilised on 18 Freddie Craine Ramsey IOM Jugger Racing Yamaha 600 S parts of the track. Of course those things 20 Daniel Gregory Rothwell KCW Racing Triumph 675 F can be learnt by trial and error, but having 21 Stephen Thomas Salisbury British Army Race Team Triumph 675 F someone who has done it before just 22 Adam Shepherd Barton u Humber Shepherd Racing Kawasaki 600 S ahead of you takes the guesswork out of 23 Andrew Evans Carnforth AE Racing Yamaha 600 S it. We also have a “Freshman” category 24 Lee McLoughlin Leeds Lee Mc Racing Suzuki 600 F within this race, which is for riders on a 26 Karl Chamley Bradford Webuyanybike Racing Triumph 675 S Novice licence with very little experience.

27 Brian Fuidge Poole Royal Marines Motorsport Suzuki 600 S The bikes themselves are pretty much 28 Michael Coxon Stockton British Army Race Team Suzuki 600 F the same specification machines as 29 David Monaghan Richmond Monaghan Racing Yamaha 600 S those on the Sportsman Elite grid, but 32 Ben Bailey Bourne Ben Bailey Racing Yamaha 600 S at this learning stage of the process any 33 Jeff Crowden Corby RLM Racing Yamaha 600 F small differences are immaterial. As with 34 Chris Lavisher Newbury LBR Racing Triumph 675 S all 600cc production based formulae, 38 Jeremy Watson Hemel Hempsted JW Racing Yamaha 600 S the Pre-National 600 Sport & Freshman 42 Martin Farrelly Hinckley FAF Racing Triumph 675 F classes races on “Road-Legal” treaded 43 Jane Nixon Sleaford Nixon Racing Triumph 675 S tyres unless a “Wet Race” is declared, 45 Chris Curtis Stoulton MSG Racing Suzuki Suzuki 600 S in which case tyre choice is free. There 46 Alistair Wright Duloe Royal Marines Motorsport Yamaha 600 S are no restrictions on the brand of tyre 47 Zac Oultram Manchester Konect Racing Yamaha 600 S used and all major manufacturers are 49 AJ McDaniel Huntingdon RS Racing Honda 600 F represented.

52 Samuel Mousley Swansea UWTSD Orthrus Racing Yamaha 600 S Pre-National 600 Sport Points 57 Steven Dickinson Rothwell KCW Racing Triumph 675 S 1 Zac Oultram 85 58 Liam Warren Spalding South Lincs Leisure Triumph 675 S 2 Alun Brooks 68 59 Ben Wales Knottingly BW Racing Yamaha 600 S 60 Frankie Stennett Douglas IOM FJRS Racing Triumph 675 S 3 Will Harper 65 61 Russell Powell Shrewsbury Powell Racing Honda 600 S 4 Paul McDonald 63 63 Thomas Holmes Walsall TH Racing Yamaha 600 S 5 Neil Goodson 38 64 Pete Riches Gosport PR Racing Triumph 675 F 6 Liam Duffett 33 66 Tom Johnson Newport Satellite Finance Yamaha 600 S 72 Kristian Spiers Port Erin IOM Spiers Racing Suzuki 600 F 7 Jason Siggs 27 75 Sean Kenyon Sheffield Kenyon Racing Suzuki 600 S 8 Michael Coxon 23 78 Karl Seaton Bury KSR Kawasaki 600 F 9 Liam Warren 21 79 Nick Barnes Peterborough Park Electric Yamaha 600 S 10 Tom Hill 21 80 Stephen Kimmings Orsett SK Racing Yamaha 600 S 83 Jonathan Pilling Abergavenny RAF MSA Yamaha 600 F Pre-National 600 FreshmanPoints 85 Neil Goodson High Wycombe BDR Yamaha Yamaha 600 S 1 Michael Coxon 90 86 Luke Turner Bedford LT Racing Kawasaki 600 S 89 Liam Dale Bradford Barrett Steel Racing Yamaha 600 S 2 Stephen Thomas 58 91 Ian Norris Holmer Green Nozza Racing Suzuki 600 F 3 AJ McDaniel 52 97 Sam Graham Guildford SG Racing Yamaha 600 S 4 Jonathan Pilling 41 100 Steven Bentley Norwich SB Racing Triumph 675 F 5 Pete Riches 41 107 Matthew Ascroft Port Erin IOM Spiers Racing Suzuki 600 F 113 Nige Pitt Bury Pittys Custom Vinyls Triumph 675 S 6 Ian Norris 35 119 Alun Brooks Welshpool Brooks Boyz Racing Honda 600 S 7 Karl Seaton 35 122 Paul Wilson Dormansland PW Racing Yamaha 600 S 8 Scott Burgess 30 133 Max Bailey Blackpool MB Racing Honda 600 F 9 Martin Farrelly 30 157 Robert Gawthorpe Dublin ROI SRG Racing Yamaha 600 S 300 Kingsan Ho Nantwich UK Racehomes Honda 600 S 10 James Edwards 29 386 Jayme Ross Beck Row JR Racing Suzuki 600 S 543 Stefan Ellis Worcester SE Racing Yamaha 600 S CLASS LAP RECORDS 611 James Dickinson Preston Team JDR Triumph 675 S

Sport 1.36.913 - Jonny Towers F/Man 1.39.075 - Alex Laureys

New - R.C.S. 352 321 285 - 16070237 - MICHELIN - R.C.S. 855 200 507 - Photo credits: Michelin, Gregory Favre, GettyImages - 11/2016

MICHELIN TYRES THUNDERSPORT GP1 ELITE & MONEX GP1 SPORTSMAN

15

CAREFUL WITH THAT AXE EUGENE!

These bad boys are the most sophisticated and powerful bits of kit in the paddock. When you start racing, everyone secretly wants one, but the first time you ride one in anger reminds you very forcefully that they can bite! It is a reminder of how fast technology has advanced in just a few years when you consider that all of the bikes on this grid have more advanced electronics than even the most sophisticated Grand Prix machines had before the 4-stroke Moto-GP era started. It’s even more amazing to consider that if a decent standard club rider were on one of these machines in any Grand Prix before around 1991, he would probably have won! That is a little factoid that both astounds and offends people like me that grew up with Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson as their racing heroes (because NOBODY could have smoked the tyres like they did - could they?)................

This race has 2 categories within one race - all riders contest the main Thundersport GP1 Elite category and No Rider Hometown Team Machine cc CL that can be won outright by a Sportsman 3 Chris Dickinson Preston Team JDR Yamaha 1000 S rider if he is good enough. There is also 4 Sam Osborne Billingshurst MSG Racing Suzuki Suzuki 1000 S a “Freshman” category (page 25) for riders who are yet to obtain their Full 6 William Dunlop Ballymoney NI IC / Caffrey Yamaha 600 E Clubman Licence.

10 Ben Scranage Bolton Scranage Racing Kawasaki 1000 E All categories of GP1 rider may use any 17 Gary Woodward Burton on Trent Team Able BMW 1000 S tyre, slick or treaded and even 16.5 inch rims if desired. There is an open tyre 19 Ryan Kneen Bradden IOM RK Racing BMW 1000 E policy in most classes at Thundersport 21 Chris Barnes Preston AP Broome Racing BMW 1000 E GB and Michelin, Dunlop, Avon, 22 Alan Bonner Stamullen ROI NW Racing BMW 1000 E Continental and the other brands all put a lot of effort into getting their men onto 25 Eoghan Delaney Dublin ROI Delaney Racing Kawasaki 1000 E the podium. If one brand dominates the 26 Richard White Watford Get Low Racing Yamaha 1000 S podium, the rest of the riders very swiftly 28 Gary Hutchinson Ripon Red's True Barbeque Kawasaki 1000 S switch to that brand.

This is a VERY big marketing exercise, 33 Michael Neeves Peterborough Prime Factors Racing BMW 1000 E because over 1,200 tyres will be used 34 Jonathan Harvey Craigavon NI Karcher Kawasaki Kawasaki 1000 S at pretty much every Thundersport GB 38 Andrew Pollard Belper RPM Racing BMW 1000 S meeting.

That’s well over £1,000,000 worth of 40 Jack Gover Southampton TH Racing Kawasaki 1000 S tyres each season without even counting 45 Steve Bryson Knottingly Royal Marines Motorsport Honda 1000 S tyres used for out of season testing!

47 49 55 60 61 62 67 68 71 73 75 76 77 80 91 92 94 96 99 111 115 122 143 157 333 888

Anthony Moore Paul McClung Jonathan Panter Ash Stone Ben Handley Nick Edgeley Michael Brown Mark Purslow Phil Crowe David Brook Jamie Tibble Dan Shailer Anthony Van Looy Lee Wilson John Robb Mark Sykes Lee Williams Callum O'Shea Ben Crowe Sonny Martin Sam McFarlane Terry Merritt Seb Bulpin Charlie Morris Roman Grendal Joe Lawrence

Cottingham Haddington Newbold Verdon Matlock Elvington Bolney Stourport Llanlon Lincoln Bradford Southampton Mortlake Corsham Barnsley Stockport Grimsby Bootle Port Soderick IOM Carnforth Wirral Wellingborough Swindon Sandhurst Potters Bar Kettering Bolton

Specsavers Hull McClung Racing J Panter Racing Stone Racing B-OK Racing Team Edge RST Racing Team Edge RST Racing ECTA Racing Phil Crowe Racing Team Arkoni Racing Team Tibble McShailer Racing AVL Motorsport Lunness & Fleetwood EMTT Mark Sykes Racing Team Willo/ Hi-Tech Monarch Honda Team 99 Racing Guildford Audio MSG Racing Suzuki Rideworx TDM Racing SB Racing MSG Racing Suzuki RG Sport Racing JDL Racing

Kawasaki BMW BMW Kawasaki Kawasaki BMW Kawasaki BMW BMW BMW Kawasaki Kawasaki Yamaha BMW Suzuki Kawasaki Kawasaki Honda BMW Kawasaki Suzuki Honda Kawasaki Suzuki Honda Kawasaki

1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 600 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000

S E S S E E E E E E S S S E E E E E S S S S E E S S

Thundersport GP1 Elite Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lee Williams Barry Teasdale Colin Parker Dave Brook Jamie Tibble Peter Baker Andrew Dudgeon Charlie Morris Kyle O’Donovan Nico Mawhinney

66 41 40 39 33 23 23 17 17 14

Thundersport GP1 Sportsman Points 1 Jamie Tibble 75 2 Kyle O’Donovan 52 3 Ben Crowe 46 4 Sam Osborne 42 5 Richard White 37 6 Ash Stone 22 7 Sonny Martin 20 8 Gary Woodward 19 9 Terry Merritt 19 10 Sam McFarlane 17

CLASS LAP RECORD 1.32.047 - John Ingram

THUNDERSP

PORT IS GO !!

Premier Motorcycle Protection

The Donington 500 is the brainchild of Bob Adams, the Donington Park Director of Racing.

He has long been conscious of the seemingly ever increasing costs associated with getting into racing.

Some of those costs are real and others are just perceived, but the fact that getting into the sport has an aura of large expense is a very good reason for addressing the issue.

Back in the day there were a plethora of one day race meetings that were completely stand alone – no practice day, no pre-event qualifying – the whole thing was accomplished between 9.00am & 5.00pm on race day.

Of course there are a few such events still around, but none of them take place on the premier circuits like Donington Park, Brands Hatch or Silverstone. The Donington 500 is designed to recreate that 1990s style of race meeting, but with 21st century safety standards.

This event will be going back to the old school style of 3 races per class on the single day, so everyone will go home tired and happy having had a busy days racing. So let’s wind the clock back to 1992 (25 years ago).

Bob was also keen to firmly establish the link between cheap racing and kids racing. Although most racing caters for adults, Bob is acutely aware that the link between youth racing and the future health of our sport is inescapable. Therefore, for the first time in modern racing, the Cool Fab Racing Conti & Metrakit GP50s & GP70s will be sharing equal billing with the adult classes at an ACU sanctioned event with 3 races for these mini Grand Prix bikes.

Central to the event will be a 250 mile endurance race for CB500 machines - The Donington 250 - with teams of 2 or 3 riders. This will be “true endurance” style with just one bike shared between the riders. This re-introduces the integral teamwork element that is missing from modern Tag-style endurance. Fuel stops, pad changes and getting the bike to the finish requires a level of teamwork not present in multiple machine races where swapping the transponder from one bike to another has eliminated much of this aspect of endurance. The team spirit engendered by this is awesome to be a part of.

The GB Racing Military Races are already an established part of the Thundersport GB set up, but this event will showcase the serving military riders with a full set of 3 championship races. These lads could be racing here at Donington Park one weekend and then risking their lives the very next week in order to protect the freedoms we all take for granted.

Finally, we will be running The Thundersport 21st Century Challenge. This is an event for any rider born in the 21st Century riding a production based machine up to & including a 650cc twin. So Aprilia RS125s, Kawasaki ZX300s, KTM RC390s, Aprilia RRV450s, Honda CB500s, Suzuki SV650s, Kawasaki ER6s and any Formula 400 machine. The results will be based on a sealed handicap which will weight a riders performance assessed on the ultimate lap time possible on his/her machine.

As well as having Mini-Moto bikes on the Melbourne Loop a full days race action will be taking place simultaneously on the National circuit. For those who have never sampled the thrill of riding on twowheels, the Ron Haslam Race School will be on site to give information and take bookings for their world renowned Honda Riding Skills courses. They supply everything you need to sample track action – helmets, boots, gloves and top quality race suits – so there is no initial outlay in finding out about the exciting world of motorcycle sport.

The full programme of events will include:The Donington 500 Two-Fifty Endurance GB Racing British Military Inter Services Challenge Cool Fab Racing GP70 & GP50 The 21st Century Challenge That’s 200 racing laps plus practice – all for just £5 admission The event takes place on Sunday 13th August, so for a real taste of the nostalgic 1990s, make a special note in your diary.

Premier Motorcycle Protection

HMT RACING

19

THUNDERSPORT 500 ELITE & SENIORS

THUNDERSPORT 500

WHERE THE RIDER COUNTS! THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!

The Thundersport 500 and Thundersport 500 Seniors championships are the absolute cheapest possible way to go road racing on this planet. A whole race package can be picked up for less than the price of a top of the range helmet & gloves. That said, the racing is hard and close - bordering on the frantic at times. The talent of a racer needn’t be judged by the value of the bike he/she happens to be sitting on, some of the most gifted riders in the country ride these humble parallel twins. The predominant choice of bike here is the Honda CB500, but once you’ve watched a couple of these races you’ll never look at one of these staid commuter bikes in quite the same way again. The 500 Seniors championship caters for riders of 40 years of age or older on 1st March of any given racing season. Some of these lads are fulfilling a long term ambition to race that they simply didn’t have the resources to satisfy when they were younger. When you see the level of skill displayed by some of them, you have to think that they could have made a pretty good living at it if circumstances had been different.

No 2 17 18 21 27 28 29 34 38 40 41 43 44 49 50 54 56 57 60 66 68 76 79 84 87 92 97 100 105 111 116 117 119 121 125 129 133 137 142 162 167 191 194 222 333 380

Rider Elliott Humphrey Angus Gough Richard Connole James Lee John O'Toole Jonathan Hunt Will Leaning Adrian Teasdale Mick Marshall Rob Aimable Craig Cameron Ian Fairgrieve Keith Shepherd Steve Waring Alan Tanton Brett Haley Oscar Smith Darren Kay Liam Kirk Chris Jones Clive Mindham Stephen Hall Lee Silvain Andy Manchester Jodie Chalk Gary Cutts Lee Howarth Paul Brown Scott Gregg Paul Anyon George Williams George Davies Nick Redfearn Josh Leaning Richard Molnar Neil Attenborough John Wilson Gawin Pride John Bolsover Daniel Otter Chris Cooper Graeme Frear Jordan Ashington Peter Bardell Sam Palfreyman Martin Radford

Hometown Scunthorpe St Neots Scotton Stockton Derby Portsmouth Scunthorpe Carlisle Rawmarsh Dover Stoke on Trent Nottingham Gateshead Chester Hull Halifax Newbury Middlesborough Doncaster Huddersfield Kettering Conwy Bury St Edmunds Warlingham Glenrothes Mansfield Westbourne Appleton Wiske Oakham Neston St Neots Shirley Nottingham Scunthorpe Newport Pagnell Derby Sheffield Nottingham Chesterfield Lincoln Rawmarsh Winterton Bradford Shefford Nottingham Alfreton

Team Rat Out Racing Satchwell Racing Connole Conservatories Fibrelyte Honda Clip'n Climb Racing Royal Marines Motorsport Leaning Racing Van-Glass.co.uk Rare Fast Racing Rob Aimable Racing CC Racing IF Racing Neil Beckett Racing R-Kid Racing Al's Autos Brett Haley (Wood) Racing Berkshire Pallets Tornado Kaydo Team Kirks Racing Jones Racing Fermac Racing DCA Bathrooms & Tiling That'll Do Racing DMP Performance Satchwell Racing GC Racing Royal Marines Motorsport PB Racing Greggy Racing Dee Bank Unique School GW Racing Crazy Painter Racing Redders 33 Leaning Racing HB Motorcycles Nang Racing Macha Do Racing Gawin Pride Racing Black & White Bikes Otters Racing Motoz Racing Frears Wheels Jordz Racing RP Motorsport Phoenix Microlights Racing Lines Derby

Machine Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda

cc 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500

CL E E S E E E E S S E E S E E S S E S E E S S E S E S E S E S E E S E E S S E S E S E E E E S

Elite 500 Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Peter Bardell Lee Howarth Adrian Teasdale Alan Tanton James Pickford Josh Leaning James Lee John Bolsover James Butcher James Wilmot

100 53 51 45 41 40 39 26 25 24

Seniors 500 Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Adrian Teasdale Alan Tanton John Bolsover Roddy Taylor Bobby Campbell Ian Fairgrieve John Wilson Paul Anyon Richard Connole Andy Manchester

90 86 65 49 40 38 33 31 28 27

CLASS LAP RECORD 1.47.067 - Ben Coyle

Premier Motorcycle Protection

GB RACING SPORTSMAN & ELITE 600

ELITE CLASS

21 Pr

em

ier

M

ot

or

cy

cle

Pr

ot

ec

tio

n

LIGHT TOUCH PAPER - STAND BACK! ELITE BLEND

Modern Superstock 600 specification bikes are now so good that what was almost unthinkable 10 years ago is now true. In the right hands, a Superstock bike could set a lap time good enough for a front row start in British Supersport. Bearing in mind the ÂŁ25,000 price gap between the two bikes, that is an amazing testament to how closely the manufacturers are able No Rider Hometown Team Machine cc CL to replicate what their race departments 2 Jordan Rushby Beverley Rushers Racing Yamaha 600 E are learning from racing and putting it into 4 Kevin Baker Co Clare ROI Fintra Racing Kawasaki 600 E their production lines. With lap times so 6 Brendan Mallinder Rotherham Team Mally Yamaha 600 E close, it seems mildly pointless creating 7 Ryan Varley Leeds JAB Racing Honda 600 E two different races and therefore splitting 8 Aaron McBride Convoy ROI McBride Racing Kawasaki 600 E up the pool of talent, so we combine the 10 Sam Holme Elvington Phoenix CFS Racing Kawasaki 600 S two different machine specifications into 13 Richard Blunt Bury St Edmunds Portico Racing Kawasaki 600 E one (very exciting) race.

14 Tony Waistnage Swinton Tony Waistnage Yamaha 600 S We now run two classes in this race, but they are no longer split on machine 17 Jonny Towers Coton in Elms Team Edge RST Triumph 675 E specification, they are divided based 18 John Dieterman Preston Team Baxi Triumph 675 E on rider experience and licence grade.

19 Lloyd Shelley Burntwood Access Bookings.com Triumph 675 S This reflects the lesser experience of 20 Chris Dixon Egremont Dixie Racing Yamaha 600 E some riders who contest the Sportsman 21 James Field Barton u Humber RAF MSA Kawasaki 600 S class, rather than the Elite. This is our 22 Zak Corderoy Blewbury Zak Racing Kawasaki 600 E first season using this format, which was 24 Jonathan Perry Winsford Jonathan Perry Racing Kawasaki 600 E introduced because we felt that some 25 Matty Whelan Barnsley Blueline Bennetts MV MV Agusta 675 S riders moving up from the Pre-National 26 Ryan Cooper Leeds Coops Racing Yamaha 600 S classes would like to be able to contest a 28 Dan Parker Wirral Global Retail Interiors Yamaha 600 S championship against riders with a similar level of experience.

31 Andy Lee Shrewsbury Andy Lee Racing Suzuki 600 S The Elite class is the main championship 34 Arnie Shelton Bourne Shelton Racing Kawasaki 600 E and it is the fastest 600 racing class 37 Stuart Wickens Ipswich Big Tone Triumph 675 E anywhere outside of the BSB paddock 38 Steven Procter Wakefield Rigsby Racing Yamaha 600 E itself. If you can cut the mustard in this 46 Ross Walker Lincoln Ross Walker Racing Honda 600 E tremendously competitive class, you can 47 William White Watford Get Low Racing Triumph 675 E acquit yourself well anywhere! Whatever 48 Alex Laureys Balham APL Racing Kawasaki 600 S happens the action will be as frantic as 50 Lewis Barnes Swindon Lewis Barnes Racing Yamaha 600 E only 600cc racing can be.

55 Des Mackessey Dublin ROI Mackesssey Racing Triumph 675 E Thundersport 600 Elite Points 58 Trystan Finocchiaro Redditch Transmec Group Kawasaki 600 E 62 Nick Edgeley Bolney Team Edge RST Racing Triumph 675 E 1 Jordan Rushby 70 64 Danny Booth Preston DB Racing Yamaha 600 E 2 William White 50 65 Ashley Milburn Newhall Phoenix CFS Racing Kawasaki 600 S 3 Andrew Dudgeon 35 66 Dominic Pettit Cambridge Peter Baker Racing Yamaha 600 E 4 Michael Evans 32 67 Dan Stewart Barrow in Furness Wilcock Consulting Honda 600 E 5 Max Wadsworth 29 68 Chris Manger Leeds Manger Racing Yamaha 600 S 6 Brendan Mallinder 20 69 Caolan Irwin Letterkenny ROI Oasis Bar Letterkenny Yamaha 600 E 7 Ben Wotton 20 70 Jamie Wilson Tatsfield Jarasal Team Racing Triumph 675 S 8 Caolan Irwin 20 72 Max Wadsworth Halifax Specialised Group Kawasaki 600 E 9 Alex Laureys 16 73 Cameron Tenzing-Jenkins Callander JDF Racing Kawasaki 600 E 10 Aaron Bradley 15 74 Curtis Wright Stoney Stanton Triumph M/cycles Triumph 675 E 75 Jason Holland Chalfont St Giles JH Racing Triumph 675 S Thundersport 600 Sportsman Points 77 Gary Hignett Spalding RAF MSA Honda 600 S 1 Michael Evans 50 79 Ashley Robson Montrose XL Racing Triumph 675 E 82 Leon Wilson Eltham Jarasal Team Racing Triumph 675 S 2 Aaron Bradley 45 84 Ben Wotton Sleaford Wotton Racing Triumph 675 S 3 Ben Wotton 42 91 Lloyd Collins Uckfield Warren Drives Honda 600 S 4 Matty Whelan 37 94 Joe Miller Hull M-Tec Racing Yamaha 600 S 5 Alex Laureys 32 95 Grant Robertson Fleet GR Racing Kawasaki 600 E 6 Ashley Milburn 28 96 Conor Wheeler Hatfield Fit a Kitchen Kawasaki 600 S 7 Ryan Cooper 28 98 Bradley Robinson Battlesbridge BR Racing Kawasaki 600 E 8 Dan Parker 26 101 Kurtis Drew Cirencester KD Racing Yamaha 600 E 9 Robert Cresswell 24 107 David Murphy Balderstone 692 Racing Kawasaki 600 E 10 Mathew Dawes 20 108 Mathew Dawes Studley Edison Recruitment Kawasaki 600 S 111 Aaron Bradley Nottingham GMB Racing Kawasaki 600 S CLASS LAP RECORD 121 Eoin Collins Lisdoonvarna ROI Collins Racing Kawasaki 600 E 122 Tom Collinge Halifax Tom Collinge Racing Yamaha 600 S 1.33.786 808 Robert Varey Preston Colin Sanderson Racing Yamaha 600 S

Matt Truelove

Tel:- 01673 885888 or 07733 324640

HMT RACING

23

THUNDERSPORT 500 FRESHMAN & CUP

THUNDERSPORT 500

WHERE THE RIDER COUNTS! THE BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!

The Thundersport 500 and Thundersport 500 Seniors championships are the absolute cheapest possible way to go road racing on this planet. A whole race package can be picked up for less than the price of a top of the range helmet & gloves. That said, the racing is hard and close - bordering on the frantic at times. The talent of a racer needn’t be judged by the value of the bike he/she happens to be sitting on, some of the most gifted riders in the country ride these humble parallel twins. The predominant choice of bike here is the Honda CB500, but once you’ve watched a couple of these races you’ll never look at one of these staid commuter bikes in quite the same way again. The 500 Seniors championship caters for riders of 40 years of age or older on 1st March of any given racing season. Some of these lads are fulfilling a long term ambition to race that they simply didn’t have the resources to satisfy when they were younger. When you see the level of skill displayed by some of them, you have to think that they could have made a pretty good living at it if circumstances had been different.

This grid is for the Freshman competitors who have yet to contest 8 days of racing prior to the start of the season. They will be joined by up to 12 riders from the Elite/Seniors grid based on timed qualifying, who will contest the Thundersport 500 Cup No 8 14 20 24 31 33 36 46 51 53 58 59 63 64 69 73 74 93 112 120 141 178 187 188 292 303 344 414 444

Rider Ryan Brincat Andrew Leivers Liam Booth Lewis Booth Calum Smith Eleri Crowly Stephen Robinson Joshua Hipwell Adam Campion Simon Burgess Matthew Postlethwaite Lee Wharton Tom Parry Jim Gaughan Dave West Daniel Swift Daniel Black Stewart Hoare Preston Cooper Sean Whittaker Andrew Batner Steven Shrubsall Craig Goodall Dale Clement Ryan Meaden Brian Palfreyman James Hale Stuart Burgess Karl Finch

Hometown New Malden Oakwood Dewsbury Sale Carlisle Corsham Wilmslow Doncaster Hucknall Lincoln Carlisle Basingstoke Earls Barton Lincoln Lincoln Rotherham Lincoln Stocton on Tees Leeds Southwater Swindon St Leonards Walsall Durham Sandford Nottingham Lincoln Lincoln Lincoln

Team Ryan Brincat Racing AL Racing Booth Racing LRB Racing Smith Racing EC Racing SR Racing JH Racing Campion Racing SB Racing PCL Racing Two Lee's Racing PPP Racing Full Tilt Boogie West Racing Danny Swift Racing RD Racing Stewarts Racing Coop's Racing SW Racing Batner Racing Bexhill Gearboxes Goodall Racing TLM RD Racing The Captain JH Racing SB Racing KF Racing

Machine Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda

cc 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500

CL F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F

Freshman 500 Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lee Wharton Daniel Swift Adam Campion Steven Shrubsall Simon Burgess Angus Gough James Hale Craig Goodall Sean Whittaker Andrew Leivers

61 57 50 36 35 35 34 31 30 29

CLASS LAP RECORD 1.47.067 - Ben Coyle

www.avonmotorcycle.com

Avon Tyres is proud to sponsor the Thundersport Supertwin/Stocktwin series for 2017.

Photo supplied by Ian Boldy Superbike Photography

CHRIS HELLEWELL 2016 THUNDERSPORT GB GOLDEN ERA SUPERSPORT CHAMPION

Xtreme

RACE COMPOUNDS

JAMIE HODSON 2016 MANX GRAND PRIX SUPERTWIN RACE CHAMPION

The 3D Ultra Xtreme is recommended for trackday use and quickly reaches working temperatures. It offers a large footprint at extreme lean angles and its 3D siping is designed to improve stability and grip and limit tread flex.

For further information on the Avon Tyres range, visit www.avonmotorcycle.com

AVON TYRES GOLDEN ERA SUPERBIKE & ALTO DIGITAL GP1 CLASSIC

25

GOLDEN ERA NO GIMMICKS - SUPERBIKES OF THE 90s WHEN TRACTION CONTROL WAS ALL IN THE WRIST ACTION

Some of the most memorable race action came from a time before the electronics geeks interferred with the direct relationship between the twist grip and the throttle slides. Seeing Yasutomo Nagai, Scott Russell, Giancarlo Fallappa, Aaron Slight and Anthony Gobert not only backing it in on high speed sections, but also squirming out of corners whilst the chassis tied itself in knots may not have been as fast as modern Moto-GP bikes - but it looked a whole lot faster and infinitely more exciting. Golden Era Superbikes is our version of this classic era of motorcycle racing, before 1000cc across the frame 4 cylinder bikes displaced the “real” Superbikes of the 750cc era. Just looking at these homologation specials on their paddock stands invokes memories of that era and when they fire up, the chatter of the flatslides just makes me grin - I can’t help it. This year we welcome the GP1 Classic bikes to the grid. Tyres on both classes are any make, any pattern, any type - including slicks. Rims are also free and even carbon wheels can be used.

No 1 8 9 10 13 14 15 18 19 20 25 31 35 37 39 40 42 49 57 62 65 67 71 76 77 88 90 95 96 97 101 114 121 135 142 182 221 333 775

Rider Mark Biswell Luca Licheri Ross Dunning Jason Dixon Richard Blunt Brad Davey Ian Smith Adam Walters Paul Stonebanks Andy Challis Ben Webster Mateusz Dankowski Shane Pearson Vince Carlton Rick Allman Michael Gover Thomas Arkell Kevin Howdle Ryan Strafford Graham Ashbridge Andrew Meachen Scott Cooper Ritchie Thornton Jason Byard Julyan Pilloy Kevin Liddle Aaron Hay Jordan Watling Kieran Smith Donatas Balciunas Colin Mooney Jon Wright Martin Stanier John Goulding Chris Spink Andrew Barling Ryan Leadbitter Jack Yorke Robert Smith

Hometown Aylesbury London East Grinstead Grantham Bury St Edmunds Abingdon Wakefield Derby New Romney Peterborough Southampton Crewe Borrowash Market Rasen Crewe Southampton Shrewsbury Cannock Mirfield Northallerton Barnsley Sunderland Surbiton Kings Lynn Reading Stainton Cowling Mexborough Messingham Milton Keynes Stockton on Tees Shrewsbury Stoke Templecote Stafford Allenton Ash Leicester Reading

Team Bizzle Bikesport MoR - Motorcycle Outreach RD Racing Team Dixon Portico Racing Moto 14 Ducati-John.co.uk Two-Wheel Performance Tagg Racing Team CT Racing Team Hopeless MD Racing TWP Racing Moto 46 VCR Dennis Racing TH Racing Royal Marines Motorsport Alpha Hair Academy Strafford Racing GA Racing RS Racing Cooper Racing Team 71 May Construction JP Racing KLM Motorsport AH Racing JWR Corkie Racing Donis Racing KLM / Triple S Controls & Safety Ltd MS Racing Wincanton Motorsport Spink / TBM Racing Lines Derby Rideworx TDM Racing Hilltop Motorcycles RJS Racing

Machine Triumph Honda Suzuki Yamaha Kawasaki Ducati Ducati Yamaha Yamaha Suzuki Yamaha Kawasaki Yamaha Ducati Yamaha Yamaha Kawasaki Honda Honda Aprilia Honda Aprilia Kawasaki Suzuki Suzuki Yamaha Suzuki Kawasaki Kawasaki Kawasaki Yamaha Suzuki Yamaha Yamaha Suzuki Aprilia BMW Yamaha BMW

cc 955 1000 750 750 750 998 916 1000 750 750 1000 750 1000 996 750 1000 750 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 750 750 750 750 750 750 750 1000 750 750 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000

CL SBK FM GP1C SBK SBK GP1C SBK GP1C SBK SBK GP1C SBK GP1C SBK SBK GP1C SBK GP1C SBK SBK SBK SBK SBK GP1C GP1C SBK SBK SBK SBK FM SBK GP1C GP1C GP1C GP1C SBK FM GP1C FM

Thundersport GP1 C Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Ross Dunning Shane Pearson Brad Davey Jon Wright Michael Gover Ben Webster Ian Feeley Julyan Pilloy Kevin Howdle

81 75 59 52 48 40 34 25 24

Golden Era Superbike Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ritchie Thornton Ryan Strafford Andy Challis Andy Windsor Mark Biswell Kevin Liddle Colin Mooney Jason Dixon

Mateusz Dankowski

Daz Ball

100 76 61 59 44 37 32 28 25 19

CLASS LAP RECORD Golden Era Superbike 1.36.352 John Dieterman

RACE−PROVEN, PULSE−RAISING.

THE CLOSEST YOU’LL GET TO A PRO LEVEL TYRE.

Derived from the legendary D212 GP Pro, the road legal GP Racer D212 delivers the kind of handling, performance and endurance that until just a few years ago was only available to factory-backed teams.

www.dunlop.eu

DUNLOP TYRES THUNDERSPORT SUPERTEENS

27

THE CHAMPIONS FACTORY

INNOVATION IN ACTION

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

It’s been very well documented that the worlds longest running one make championship – the Aprilia Superteen Challenge – has been the launch pad for a multitude of British and World Championship racers. That was no accident, but it wasn’t exactly rocket science either. The premise for developing young talent isn’t really solely about the machinery they are using, the important thing – the only really important thing in fact – is getting the entire pool of talent in the same place, at the same time. Any of us could be conceited and say that we are teaching them, but there is no point in lying about it – these youngsters are teaching each other. They look at another rider of similar age, ability and size to themselves and just think “If he can do that, so can I!” and once they’ve made it happen once, it goes straight into their skill set. The more kids you can get together on track at the same time, the more opportunity there is for them all to learn at a faster rate.

When Casey Stoners parents brought him half way across the world to pitch him against the other youngsters in the Aprilia Superteens, it started a chain of events that culminated in Cal Crutchlow becoming the first British premier class Grand-Prix winner since Barry Sheene.

If you think that is the end of the line, you’re not looking at the true picture though. There are a whole host of riders still working their way through the system that have the potential to replicate that success and perhaps go even further. Cal was a Superteen in 2000 and went on to win the championship in 2001, so there are another 14 years worth of exactly that kind of talent already in the pipeline. OK, so Casey only took 7 years after leaving the Aprilia Superteens to get into a position where he was able to take his first Moto-GP race win, whereas it’s taken Cal 14 years, but I think that just goes to prove the point that there is no great rush as British riders tend to benefit from a little more time in the development stages. Rory Skinner, Charlie Nesbitt, Max Cook and Lewis Rollo – make a note of their names as they are all on the same upward escalator that brought Cal, Bradley Smith, Sam Lowes, Danny Kent, Danny Webb and Alex Lowes into the Moto-GP paddock.

The biggest hindrance to youth development in the UK over the past 2 years has been that the young riders have been forced to choose between three separate championships that have all been catering for the same thing. The KTM RC390 Cup has attracted a regular 15 riders, the Kawasaki Junior Cup is at about the same level and even the Aprilia Superteens has dropped down to similar levels recently from its peak of 54 riders back in 2009. Get those riders all together on track at the same time and you would have a true British Youth Motorcycle Academy once again.

It should be no shock to anyone, that just 3 weeks after the above was first written, WSB launched the World Supersport 300 Cup.

No 8 13 18 19 20 21 44 64 67 74 78 87 88 93 98 99 102

Rider Cameron Hall Jake Clark Jodie Fieldhouse Scott Ogden Jack Hart Franco Bourne Jorge Halliday Liam Bassett Jamie LeMasurier Jake Aldridge Matthew Bower Jake Hopper Harry Leigh Matty Rangeley Brian Moffitt Christopher Moffitt Charlie Farrer

Hometown Barnsley Bromsgrove Worle Doncaster Renfrew Crook Nottingham Durham Keston Chelmsford Sheffield Durham Hathern Hull Douglas IOM Douglas IOM Easington

Team FIS Racing Jake Clark Racing Go Pink Racing Malton Laser Jack Hart Racing Franco Bourne Racing Halliday Racing Liam Bassett Racing Mazza Racing Jake Aldridge Racing MD Racing JH Racing Double 8 Racing IN Competition Moffitt Racing Moffitt Racing Farrer Racing

Machine Aprilia Aprilia Aprilia Kawasaki Aprilia Aprilia Aprilia KTM Aprilia KTM Aprilia Aprilia Aprilia Aprilia Aprilia Aprilia Kawasaki

cc 125 450 450 300 125 125 125 390 450 390 450 125 450 450 125 125 300

CL ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST

Thundersport Superteen Points 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Scott Ogden Charlie Farrer Franco Bourne Matthew Bower Jake Clark Jodie Fieldhouse Liam Bassett Cameron Hall Jack Hart Harry Leigh

86 82 70 50 47 41 33 27 27 24

CLASS LAP RECORD 1.50.914 Max Cook

The Right Product, at The Right Price, Delivered In Full - On Schedule

There’s a Rich Hall joke that I am quite fond of, relating to quality of products and delivery services in Britain versus those in America:“Here in Europe, you make real quality stuff but That girl’s not waving that you have to wait forever before you can get your What Flag? flag properly is she? hands on it. In the USA, we make crap and lots of it – but we offset that by being able to deliver it pretty much before you’ve even put the phone down!”

That always makes me smile when Bernadette gets an Amazon delivery, as our phones are usually busy enough that you get the impression that she’s only just put the phone down when the doorbell rings.

I always think “That’s more old tat, but the delivery is impressive!”

What’s that got to do with bike racing?

Well we pride ourselves on the quality of our Like coiled springs, just waiting for the action to start. product, good quality track time, efficient Denise & the team at ‘Druids In’ waiting for the course car to organisation, doing exactly what we say we are close the circuit before practice. going to do AND delivering it on time without cutting laps or qualifying time. It’s kind of like having the European quality with US delivery criteria.

I’d like to be able take the credit for writing sensible schedules, but if you look at the programme this weekend you’ll see that we are planning on having 1,540 bikes under starters orders and will hopefully complete 30,412 racer miles before the weekend is over (plus another 17,400 practice miles) so it isn’t that. I could also claim it is due to me running a mega-efficient Race Control, but I know that in reality it is the “Team Thundersport” volunteers that make it all possible.

Over the past 9 seasons our team has grown and gelled into a very efficient mechanism, but the thing that makes them the best is that they all work WITH each other and FOR each other ALL OF THE TIME. If you take a look around at any of our events you will notice that our team has a plethora of familiar faces. It doesn’t matter if we here at our home circuit of Donington Park in spring or praying for mild weather south of the Thames at Brands Hatch in March – out team are there working hard to ensure that our riders get exactly what they have paid for in terms of quantity, quality and safety. They are the key element of our success.

Having the right volunteers is priceless

Dave

A typical Flag Marshal (note the orange uniform)

We try to help out with attractive orange uniforms too......

COME & JOIN THE A-TEAM!

The sense of achievement at the end of a busy weekend is on a par with that experienced by even the most ardent adrenaline-junky rider.

If you’d like to find out more about becoming part of the team, just contact our Chief Marshal - John Pedersen (thundersportchiefmarshal@gmail.com) or our Chief Technical Officer - Stuart Bailey (Stubailey71@btinternet.com) by using the link on the Marshals & Officials page of www.thundersportgb.com or leave your details in the Paddock Office and we will contact you.

You won’t regret it and it could change your life.

THUNDERSPORT GB

“THE HOME OF SPORTSMAN RACING”

2017 CHAMPIONSHIP DATES & VENUES Premier Motorcycle Protection

DAY

DATE

LOCATION

EVENT

FRIDAY

17TH FEBRUARY

DONINGTON PARK

ACU-CTC COURSE

SATURDAY 18TH FEBRUARY

DONINGTON PARK

ACU-CTC COURSE

FRIDAY

3RD MARCH

BRANDS HATCH (INDY)

TESTING

SATURDAY 4TH MARCH

BRANDS HATCH (INDY)

INVICTA CHALLENGE

SUNDAY

5TH MARCH

BRANDS HATCH (INDY)

INVICTA CHALLENGE

FRIDAY

24TH MARCH

DONINGTON PARK (GP)

TESTING

SATURDAY 25TH MARCH

DONINGTON PARK (GP)

ROBERT FEARNALL TROPHY

SUNDAY

DONINGTON PARK (GP)

ROBERT FEARNALL TROPHY

SATURDAY 29TH APRIL

SNETTERTON (200)

TESTING

SUNDAY

30TH APRIL

SNETTERTON (200)

ACE OF CLUBS

MONDAY

1ST MAY

SNETTERTON (200)

ACE OF CLUBS

SATURDAY 27TH MAY

CADWELL PARK

TESTING

SUNDAY

28TH MAY

CADWELL PARK

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

MONDAY

29TH MAY

CADWELL PARK

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

THURSDAY 22ND JUNE

MALLORY PARK

TESTING

SATURDAY 24TH JUNE

MALLORY PARK

MASTER OF MALLORY

SUNDAY

25TH JUNE

MALLORY PARK

MASTER OF MALLORY

FRIDAY

28TH JULY

ROCKINGHAM (INT)

TESTING

SATURDAY 29TH JULY

ROCKINGHAM (INT)

THUNDER AT THE ROCK

SUNDAY

ROCKINGHAM (INT)

THUNDER AT THE ROCK

26TH MARCH

30TH JULY

SATURDAY 26TH AUGUST

ANGLESEY COASTAL

TESTING

SUNDAY

27TH AUGUST

ANGLESEY COASTAL

MOTO SUPER-PRIX OF WALES

MONDAY

28TH AUGUST

ANGLESEY COASTAL

MOTO SUPER-PRIX OF WALES

FRIDAY

22ND SEPTEMBER OULTON PARK

TESTING /QUALIFYING

SATURDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER OULTON PARK

ADAM BOYLE TROPHY

FRIDAY

20TH OCTOBER

DONINGTON PARK (NAT) TESTING

SATURDAY 21ST OCTOBER

DONINGTON PARK (NAT) CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

SUNDAY

DONINGTON PARK (NAT) CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

22ND OCTOBER

All above rounds count towards the Thundersport GB Championship and Thundersport GB Cup for all classes. www.thundersportgb.com

01509 678888

Dave Stewart - 07738 355186 jamiestewart9@googlemail.com Bernadette Stewart - 07711 721638 stewartbernadette9@googlemail.com Media/Sponsorship Enquiries Richard Day (Syd) – 07836 589666 / thundersportsyd@gmail.com

THUNDERSPORT GB - Come & Join Us! and be part of the BEST RACING ORGANISATION in the world.

MCE INSURANCE

31 MARCH - 2 APRIL 2017 ROUND Book Now! Ticket Hotline

0844 873 7343

(calls cost 7p per minute plus your company’s access charge)

www.donington-park.co.uk

ADVANCE TICKET PRICES:

SAT £12 SUN £25 WEEKEND FROM £34 (Advance tickets available to purchase until 5pm Wednesday 29 March 2017)

CHILDREN 13 AND UNDER GO FREE* Official Donington Park Racing

#DONINGTON40

@DoningtonParkUK

@DoningtonPark

Prices shown refer to adult advance general admission. On the day admission costs will be higher. Full details available at www.donington-park.co.uk.

Donington Park – Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2RP

THUNDERSPORT GB 2017 CHAMPIONSHIP next stop:SNETTERTON - 30th April / 1st May

It doesn’t matter where you’re sitting down to lunch. Doing your entry online takes less than 2 minutes. www.thundersportgb.com THE HOME OF SPORTSMAN RACING IN THE PADDOCK THIS WEEKEND - DERBYSHIRE BLOOD BIKES

Derbyshire Blood Bikes is a registered charity, established in 2011, to provide a free medical courier service to our local NHS. We carry blood and blood products, samples and medication, equipment and records, indeed anything we can carry on a motorcycle. We also make collections of donated frozen human milk for transfer to the National NHS milk bank in Birmingham. This is then supplied to any neo-natal units across the UK to support premature or poorly new born infants.

Using a fleet of six motorcycles and over 30 advanced riders, in 2016 we made over 750 journeys and travelled over 45,000 for our local hospitals in Derby and Chesterfield, along with many other smaller medical facilities across the county. Around 60% of our journeys send us out of the county to facilities in Sheffield, Birmingham and Leeds and as far as Newcastle upon Tyne, London and Exeter.

Our funding comes largely from public donations, but we have been fortunate to receive substantial donations from Derbyshire Freemasons, Toyota Manufacturing, Patton Air, Taziker Industrial, Enterprise Car Rentals, Derbyshire Scouts Association and Derbyshire County Council.

We are members of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes, a network of groups now covering most of the UK.

Thundersport GB urge you to support this great charity that shows motorcycling in such a positive light.

Hyper competitive pricing on spot and forward FX conversions. Our model allows us to make thinner margins than corporate banks.

The very best advice, forecasting and analysis. Bloomberg consistently ranks our company as a Top 10 global currency forecaster.

Tel: +44 20 3650 6300 www.monexeurope.com

$160BN GROUP FX TURNOVER