Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, Rd 12 Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship

Mission Accomplished

Leon went into the last round of the Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship with Black Horse at the iconic Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit with the aim of finishing in the top ten of this highly competitive series. A task made even more daunting by the decision switch to the ‘NMT No Limits’ Kawasaki team after an approach by the team to ride their machine.

Acclimatising to the Kawasaki after a season on his BMW, he was relatively pleased with his seventeenth place in the free practice session but was hoping to make more progress in qualifying one after changes to the machine. Leon posted a time good enough for twenty third on the provisional grid with qualifying two to come. With adjustments made for qualifying two overnight Leon was confident of improving on his time. Although he achieved this by going a second faster he was still left in twenty third on the starting grid due to the quality and speed in this championship.

Leon needed to dig deep if he was going to claim a top ten finish in the final standings from his starting position. Making a great start he finished lap one in fourteenth place and was deep inside the midfield scrap with all the riders battling hard. By half distance he was up to eleventh place and looking to break into the top ten. Disappointingly for Leon though the tyres started to lose their edge and he dropped a number of places before the end of the twelve laps. Despite this he gained two precious points for finishing fourteenth and these ensured he finished in the top ten in the championship.

Speaking after his race he said “massive thanks to my family, sponsors, supporters and friends who have all helped me achieve my best ever season in national racing, it’s been unbelievable, bring on 2017”

Held are pleased to support and supply Leon Jeacock. To learn more about Held in the UK please visit 

www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: ZOEK RACING BRANDS HATCH SEASON FINALE

ZOEK RACING BRANDS HATCH SEASON FINALE

Team Zoek Racing were at Brands Hatch for the final round of the Ducati TriOptions Cup where Sean Neary secured second place in the championship by recording the win in each of the two races while Craig Currie took 13th and ninth to finish in 14th place.

After qualifying in third place Neary from Lymm in Cheshire began the first race from a front row grid position. The race was moved from Saturday to Sunday because of several delays in other classes and then reduced in distance to eight laps. As the lights went out Sean maintained third place on the first lap but moved up into the lead after passing Phil Atkinson at Westfields one lap later. Although he headed the field the action was close and positions exchanged through the middle laps but Sean kept his head and powered the bike through to secure the win just under a second in front of Leon Morris.

Zoek Racing's Sean Neary

Starting the final race of the season from pole position Sean knew that nothing less than a win would suffice if he was to move up into second place in the championship and he was determined not to be denied. He led the race from lights to flag with him and Leon Morris edging clear of the pursuing pack. He had a big moment on lap five when he ran wide at Paddock Hill and very nearly crashed but he was quick to recover and remained in control at the front.

After the race Sean said: "l still cannot believe that we did the double to win both races and make it three in a row. I couldn't be happier for the whole Zoek Racing team and all the people that help me. I have to say a massive thank you to them all. We will be back next year to try to get the number one plate!"

When the points were added up Neary had scored 289 to the new champion Leon Morris who scored 294. Just five points separated him from lifting the trophy.

Meanwhile Craig Currie from Newark began the first race from the fourth row. He didn't get the best of starts and crossed the line at the end of the first lap in 16th place. But he stuck with it and passed Ross Humphries on lap three to chase after Dave Ferns a few yards ahead. He reeled him in and finally made his move stick to pass Ferns and settle into 13th position which he held to the chequered flag.

Zoek Racing's Craig Currie

Starting the final race from the third row Currie got away to a fine start and was up to seventh on the opening lap. One lap later he was up to sixth after passing Taryn Skinner and on lap three he overtook Sam Middlemas to secure fifth place. But his progress was short-lived as he was relegated to seventh and then eighth and with one lap remaining he was pushed back to ninth when Mark Cheetham made a pass. The action was fast and furious within the bunch of riders with Currie crossing the finish line just a tenth of a second behind Cheetham in ninth place.

Currie completes his season in 14th place on 47 points but the scores are very close and he was not far away from a top 10 end to the season.

Pics show Currie #42 and Neary #10 in race action at Brands Hatch
Credit: Dave Yeomans

Zoek can also help you be a winner too- check out their superb recruitment website here

To learn more about Held in the UK please click here

Held Racer Report - A win for Zoek racing's Sean Neary at Assen

ZOEK RACING ASSEN

After seven second and three third places Zoek Racing rider Sean Neary has taken his first victory of the season at Assen in the Netherlands in the penultimate round of the Ducati TriOptions cup on Sunday. Sean has always been known as the nearly man but not anymore as he led the race for the majority of the 10 laps and crossed the finish line with a 0.3 second advantage over Jonny Railton.

Unfortunately his Zoek Racing Teammate Craig Currie suffered a mechanical problem in the first of the two races at Assen and then crashed unhurt out of race two on the first lap.

Qualifying had gone well for Neary who shot through to second place for a front row start to the first race with Currie starting from row four. As the race got underway Neary settled into second place and although he chased down Rob Guiver ahead he was unable to make a pass and crossed the finish line just five hundredths of a second behind him to take yet another second place. He commented: “So close! P2 in today's race 0.05 off the top spot. Well done to Rob he rode a faultless race. Mega thanks to the Zoek Racing Team for all they do and the sponsors that make it possible for us to race. I'm grateful to every single one of you."

Meanwhile Craig Currie was circulating in eighth place for the majority of the laps but encountered a problem with the Zoek Racing Ducati and was forced to pull out on the very last lap.

Starting the second race from the front row in third position Neary took the lead on the first lap. The safety car was deployed for a couple of crashes, one of which included his team mate Craig Currie who was able to walk away uninjured. When the car left the track at the end of lap three Neary continued to hold the lead but was being hunted down by Jonny Railton who fought his way past on lap seven of 10. But Neary was eager to record his first win and fought back to secure the lead on the penultimate lap which he held to the chequered flag to take the victory with an advantage of 0.3s over Railton.

Delighted with his first win Neary said: "it was definitely worth the wait for my first victory. It's my team boss Paul's birthday today and he told me I had to bring it home so that's what I did! A massive thank you to the Zoek Racing team, all my sponsors for sticking by me and everyone who has supported me throughout the season; it's coming good now so hopefully we can keep it up."

Held wearer Craig Currie, giving his Held leathers a good workout

Neary remains at third in the rider standings on 239 points with one round - two races - to go. Although it is mathematically possible to win the championship the two leading riders have to not finish either race and Neary to win both so unlikely but not out of the question.

The final round is back on home Tarmac at Brands Hatch over the weekend of October 14-16 when both Zoek Racing riders will be hoping for good results to end their season on a high note.

The Bonnie Lane Pics show Sean on the podium, Sean taking the chequered flag for his first win and the unfortunate Craig Currie crashing.

Zoek can also help you be a winner too- check out their superb recruitment website here

To learn more about Held in the UK please click here

Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 1000, Donington Park

Consistency pays off with another points finish

The penultimate round of the Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship with Black Horse took place at Donington Park. This is almost home turf for Leon and one of his favourite circuits, with its fast flowing bends and tight hairpins giving close racing and plenty of overtaking opportunities.

Leon decided to sit out the free practice session on Friday morning as a rain shower had left the circuit wet. With more rain threatening the decision was made to wait until the afternoons qualifying session to enter the fray. Qualifying one was held in dry conditions and he took a provisional fifteenth on the grid. Despite having a good base set up the Geo E Davies Racing team made a few tweaks overnight for the second qualifying session to be held on Saturday. 

The changes made to the machine certainly worked for Leon as he knocked nearly half a second from qualifying one and moved up to twelfth on the grid. He was confident of another points finish in the race to be held on Sunday.

Making an uncharacteristically poor start Leon slipped down to fourteenth position on lap one. His fightback started almost immediately and by lap seven of the ten lap race he had made it back into the top ten. With three laps left Leon managed to claw back another position and finished in ninth spot. 

Another solid points finish for him and the team leaving him in tenth place in the Championship amidst a tight battle, with four other riders sitting closely around his tally of forty-eight points.

Leon said “I am pleased with the result after the slow start and it was pleasing to ride in front of so many people who help me and the team to be here at what is our home round really. We now move onto Brands Hatch for the final round of 2016 and hopefully a good result to go into the winter with. Many thanks to all my sponsors once again”

For more information on Held Motorcycle Gear 

in the UK please click here

To see the superb products sold by Team Owners 

Geo E Davies please click here

Tom Weeden's race report: Manx Senior GP win!!

Maidstone rider Tom Weeden sailed into the Isle of Man's Douglas Harbour a few weeks ago, determined to win a Manx GP. He kept all his fans waiting until the last race of the meeting, the most prestigious Full Factory Winnerswear Senior race, when he battled hard to take the win on the TT Mountain Course, beating local Manxman Andrew Dudgeon in a thrilling four lap race. Tom's pit board at the end of the third lap told him he was 9 seconds adrift and at that point he felt his chances of winning slipping away. 

In his own words "I had nothing to lose, so I decided I was going for a 120mph lap, having come so close in practice, and gave it everything". He threw caution to the wind, relaxed into a rhythm and, spurred on by his pit boards around the circuit, drew level and passed Dudgeon on the climb to the Bungalow. They matched each other for speed on the run-in to the Grandstand, Dudgeon crossed the line ahead and the crowd knew Tom had to cross the line within thirty nail-biting seconds to grab the win... he did it with 0.674 seconds to spare and became a Manx GP winner - mission accomplished.

The icing on the cake was that Tom's last lap averaged a staggering 121.1mph. He joins the "Tommy Club", an elite group of only 10 riders who have circulated at over 120mph, a club established in memory of Tommy "Spook" Clucas, the first Manx GP rider to do so, with an average speed of 120.28mph in 2004. Sadly Tommy Clucas lost his life at Ballaugh Bridge later in that same race.

Tom's next outing will be at the Gold Cup in Scarborough later this month, but now the hard work really starts for the privateer team, Tom and his mechanic Dad, Steve, as they attempt to raise sufficient funds to compete at the TT in 2017, Tom now being eligible for the most famous road race in the world. 

Held UK are proud to supply leathers and gloves for Tom! To learn more about Held in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Sean Neary, Cadwell Park DOUBLE PODIUM!

ZOEK RACING CADWELL PARK

The two Zoek Racing riders both brought points back to the team in their two races in the Ducati TriOptions Cup championship at Cadwell Park over the Bank Holiday weekend. Sean Neary claimed a brace of second places while Craig Currie was 10th and 13th.

After a good qualifying practice Neary started the first 10 lap race from a front row grid position. He settled into second position behind Leon Morris on the opening lap and was tucked in his slipstream as they came over the mountain on lap two. But his progress was thwarted when the course car came out to slow the riders as the marshals cleared a crash.

The car left the track at the end of lap five and Neary was quick to take the advantage and slip past Morris at Park Corner. He was able to hold his position until lap seven when Morris once again took the lead which he held to the chequered flag. Neary was not far behind and crossed the finish line less than a second away from Morris to take second place and 20 championship points which maintain his third place in the overall rider standings.

He said: "I tried really hard in that race but to be fair Leon was inch perfect and I couldn't find a way past him. In the last couple of laps he had the edge on me but we brought the bike home in one piece and bagged another 20 points. I will keep trying and I am sure we will get there! Huge thanks to the Zoek Racing Team. I'm trying for that win! Thanks to all my sponsors and team I couldn't do it without you."

In race two Sean once again started the 10 lap affair from the front row and slotted into third place behind Rob Guiver and Leon Morris. On lap four he managed to get past Morris and up into second place but was never near enough to the leader to make a pass. He continued to hold station throughout the rest of the race to bring the bike home in a lonely second place to secure another 20 championship points and consolidate his third place in the rider standings.

Stepping onto the podium for the second time over the weekend Neary said: "I am happy enough with second again although I obviously wanted the win after yesterday. But when Rob came by he just had that little edge on me and I had a few big slides so had to settle for second. Massive thanks to Zoek, Ducati Coventry, Charlestown and all my supporting sponsors. This was my eighth podium in 10 races so I really can't complain. Let's see if we can go one better next time out."

Meanwhile teammate Craig Currie from Newark began the race from the fifth row after qualifying in 15th position. He got a good start and moved up into 10th place on the first lap, maintaining the position throughout the race to cross the finish line in 10th to pick up six championship points to move into 13th position in the standings.

Starting from the fifth row again for race two he held 11th spot for the first half of the 10 lap affair but was overhauled by Nicky Wilson on lap five and then Alistair Fagan also passed him on lap seven. But he held his position to the chequered flag to pick up a further three championship points. Although he still remains in 13th position overall he has closed the gap and is now just two points away from 12th.

Craig who is part owner of the Chris Walker Kawasaki Showroom in Grantham said: "I am really pleased with my results this weekend. I feel I have made strong progress in the two races and picked up some valuable points. A couple of good results next time out could see me move up the championship standings."

The next round is at Oulton Park over the weekend of September 7-9.

To find out more about Held motorcycle gear please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report, Round 8, Brands Hatch, Kurt Wigley, Superstock 600

Round 8 Race Report – Brands Hatch GP

This weekend was a journey down to Kent for the eighth round of the British Superbike season at Brands Hatch. It was only Kurt competing at this event due to twin brother Matt being kept in hospital following the crash at Thruxton, the previous round. He is recovering quickly and is optimistic about a fast return.

Kurt and the team had a terrific beginning to the weekend starting with Fridays practice session, as Brands is not one of Kurt’s favorite circuits he was feeling skeptical about how the session would pan out therefore established a plan to gradually build throughout. He remained on track for the entire session, each lap feeling more comfortable and bringing down the times to a finish of P5.

The afternoon brought the first qualifying session which was structured similar to practice with the aim of building up to the final lap. Kurt managed to get into the top 10 before entering the pits for assistance from Mark, Go Racing Developments. A few changes to the Sorrymate.com Yamaha’s suspension set up saw Kurt obliterate his personal best lap time putting him in a P2 finish. This was a fantastic result especially because it was achieved on old scrub tyres, however, Saturdays qualifying times was guaranteed to improve.

We had no further changes to make to the bike for qualifying 2 in regards to the suspension as Kurt was pleased with the handling. The only change to be made was midway through the session Kurt planned to pit for a new rear tyre giving him the best opportunity for the final laps. After planning to use the front tyre from Thruxton’s race, we were disappointed to discover the tear in the sidewall meaning it could no longer be used. Thankfully, a supportive competing team in the paddock, Joe Goggins, gave us one of his used tyres for the session as our budget is already greatly stretched. Q2 began in accordance with our plan with Kurt warming up and entering the pits half way through. Whilst in the pits the red flag was deployed and around 10 minutes was deducted from the session meaning a 5 lap race to secure a strong qualifying position. After losing a few positions one of our final laps planted the team back on the front row with a P3 finish.

The lead up to the race was tense for us all as we had a growing determination to once again take that podium finish if not win. As the lights went out Kurt took to the inside of turn 1 temporarily taking the lead but immediately running wide opened the door to 4 of his rivals. The end of the first lap saw Kurt in 5th place with some hard work to do as he was chased down by another two. The battle continued as he pushed his way through to 3rd and even temporarily 2nd until running wide following the overtaking maneuver. P1 and P2 began to break away over the open GP part of the circuit where we struggled with the bike being down in the speed traps leaving a 3 man fight for 3rd. As we crossed the line for lap 11, Tom Ward put an overtake on Kurt into paddock hill bend to take the number 3 spot for a split second before Kurt pulled the bend exit tight and took advantage of the wide line Tom had taken to regain the position. Moments later the race was red flagged cutting the final 2 laps and putting us on the podium again in 3rd place for round 8 of the season. The whole team are thrilled with the close race and that once again we were able to spray the champagne.

For more information on Held Rider Equipment in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: BSB Round 8, Brands Hatch: Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 1000

Round eight of the Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship with Black Horse took place at Brands Hatch on the legendary Grand Prix circuit, a track that Leon enjoys. With this in mind hopes were high that he would bounce back and finish in the points again following a disappointing round at Thruxton.

Free practice went well for Leon and he put in a lap time good enough for tenth place. Having made a few minor adjustments during the session it was obvious that the Geo E Davies Racing squad had a good base set up for the two all- important qualifying sessions. In sixteenth place on the provisional grid following the first session, Leon knew he could go faster in qualifying two and the team made a few more tweaks to the BMW. He put in a stunning effort and carved nearly a second off his first session time taking tenth place on the grid for the race. He was only 0.4 of a second of pole, a great effort by rider and team.

Fifteen laps lay ahead of Leon and he made a great start off the line, making a couple of places in the first corner shakeup. However, he nearly lost it all coming out of Graham Hill bend. getting power on a tad early he was almost out of his seat and lost the places he had made off the start. Settling into a rhythm Leon put in consistent fast laps and enjoyed a race long duel with a couple of riders but they were unable to tag onto the leading group of eight riders. At the chequered flag he crossed the line in tenth position, another good points haul for Leon.

Speaking after he said “as a team we had a great weekend, we had a good base setup and hardly made any changes over the weekend just a few minor tweaks. So pleased with only being off pole by 0.4 of a second in such a competitive class. I had a good start in the race got a bit excited out of Graham Hill bend nearly coming out the seat but got my head down and happy to finish in the points again. Want to say much appreciation to my sponsors, family and friend without whom this wouldn't be possible”

For more information on Held Motorcycle Gear 

in the UK please click here

To see the superb products sold by Team Owners 

Geo E Davies please click here

Held Racer Report: BSB Round 7, Thruxton, Leon Jeacock

The ultra-fast speed bowl circuit of Thruxton in Hampshire held the latest round of the Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship with Black Horse for Leon and the Geo E Davies Racing team. A circuit Leon enjoys due to its high speed nature he had high hopes to carry on his great points scoring form of the last few rounds.

Free practice did not go to plan for Leon and the team as the settings they thought would offer the best performance did not meet expectations, despite this he posted a time good enough for eleventh fastest. The team set about making changes to the BMW overnight and he was confident of going faster in the two qualifying sessions to be held on the Saturday.

Qualifying one was held on Saturday morning with second qualifying to be held later in the day. The overnight modifications worked well and Leon knocked a half second off his free practice time to finish in the top twelve. The hot weather and the abrasive tarmac of the Thruxton circuit meant going faster in the heat of the afternoon would be quite an achievement, despite the conditions Leon was able to slightly improve on his time which boded well for the race.

Starting from thirteenth on the grid Leon made a good start and held his position on the first lap. Trouble hit on lap two though as the BMW jumped out of gear and he fell down to twenty sixth place after taking avoiding action and running off the track. Leon set about clawing his way back up the field, carving his way through to sixteenth place and was looking to climb into the top fifteen for another points finish, however yet again the machine jumped out of gear, although he ran off track he was able to hold onto sixteenth place at the chequered flag.

Leon said after “I am very disappointed not to carry on my good run of form, but I am looking forward to the next round at Brands Hatch on the Grand Prix layout. I like the track and am happy about the way I fought back after my off track excursions. I would like to add my great thanks to all my sponsors, family and friends for their support”.

For more information on Held Motorcycle Gear 

in the UK please click here

To see the superb products sold by Team Owners 

Geo E Davies please click here

Held Racer Report: Zoek Racing, Thruxton

ZOEK RACING - THRUXTON

Both Zoek Racing riders brought championship points home from their fourth round races in the 2016 Ducati TriOptions Cup at Thruxton over the weekend. Sean Neary securing a second and third while Craig Currie was 17th in race one, improving to 14th in the second encounter.

Neary (30) from Lymm in Cheshire qualified in third place and began the first of two 10 lap races from a front row grid position. As the race got underway Neary completed the first two laps in second place before overhauling Robbie Brown to take the lead which he held to lap seven.

Brown briefly took the lead once more but was beaten back by Neary on lap eight. It looked as if he would take the win but on the very last lap Leon Morris made a pass and made it stick to secure the win ahead of Neary, the gap being just one tenth of a second.

Such was the pace between the top four riders that Neary set the fastest lap to establish a new lap record of 1m 20.349s - 105.55mph.

Starting race two from pole position Neary maintained his lead through the first lap but was overhauled by Phil Atkinson on lap two. Pushing hard, Neary was able to snatch the lead back and became embroiled in a four rider battle for supremacy. He held the lead until lap six when he was demoted to second and then third when Leon Morris passed him on the penultimate lap. Although the action was very close, the four riders came across some back markers at the club chicane just a few yards from the finish line and Neary was unable to find a way through to make a pass on the two riders ahead. He crossed the finish line in third place to pick up another 16 championship points to add to the 20 scored in the first affair which secure an overall position of third on 121 points in the rider standings at the half way stage of the championship.

Sean Neary commented: "Overall I am happy with my results. I did really want the win but it wasn't to be this time. But I got some solid points under my belt and we are now going to some of my stronger circuits, my favourites being Cadwell and Oulton Park so I will be looking to get my win there. I would like to thank my loyal sponsors for their continued support, Zoek, Charlestown Engineering Services, Different Money, CA Drillers, Held Rider Equipment, JHP Racing/Ducati Coventry, Battery Components, toiletspares.com, Motul, Shark Helmets, Evolution Waste Management, Filtro Filters and Science in Sport.

Meanwhile, Craig Currie from Newark in Nottinghamshire qualified for a sixth row start to the first race which he completed in 17th position just outside the points.

Starting race two from the sixth row once again he made better progress and was 14th on the first lap. He lost a place to Nicky Wilson on lap two but continued to circulate in 15th position until, with two laps remaining he moved up to 13th place. On the drag to the flag on the final lap he was just beaten by Carl Stevens and crossed the finish line in 14th place to pick up two championship points. Currie is lying 13th in the overall rider standings on 24 points with four rounds, eight races remaining.

The next round is over the Bank Holiday weekend of August 27-29 at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire.

To see more about Held Rider Equipment in the UK please click here

Held Racer Report: Kurt & Matt Wigley, National Superstock 600, Rd 6

Round 6, Snetterton 300 Race Report

The weekend of the 9th & 10 July was the 6 round of British Pirelli National 600 Superstock where we had a rollercoaster of race meeting. The sixth round kicked off to a bad start with Kurt being taken out mid-way through Fridays practice session when someone crashed into the back of him entering the hairpin of turn 2. After spending the past two weeks building Kurt a new bike the whole team was disheartened. Matt had a better session with getting to grips with the circuit and the tricky wet conditions.

Later that day was the first Qualifying session of the event and looking at the forecast it was to be the only dry session meaning this one had to count. Matt was sent out on circuit with no pit board or crew in pit late as the team were working franticly to get Kurt’s bike fixed from the mornings incident and passed through technical control. Kurt eventually made it out on circuit with 6 laps remaining of the session where he began late 20’s and every lap jumped up another handful of positions until the final lap which put him in 13th. Matt had ‘a bad day at the office’ as he struggled to settle down and piece together a lap time which put him on the backwards foot for the race in 24th.

Qualifying two was a wet session as predicted by the forecast therefore nobody could improve their times which wasn’t our best interest as we felt there was more to give with additional time, however the morning warm up session on Sunday was a step in the right direction. Matt lead for most of the short session as he was determined to get up to pace ready for the race later on. Kurt spent the session in the 30’s testing out some changes the team had made to the suspension in order to allow the bike to turn in easier when carrying speed, on the final lap Kurt got his head down and set a time that was 0.4 of a second faster than his qualifying session leaving him 4th and Matt 9th out of the 40 competitors.

This weekend was an early race at 11:30, just in time before the rain returned. As the lights went out both lads began to barge their way through those in front, unfortunately for Matt, he only made it to turn two before a repeat of Kurt’s Friday incident was duplicated and he hit the ground following another racer crashing into the back of him smashing his back wheel. Once it was established that Matt was okay the attention of the team was turned to Kurt. After the first lap he made it up to an impressive 8th place and continued to better his lap times picking people off throughout the sprint. The end of the race came and Kurt crossed the line in 5th place as by the time he got to the front of the group the leading 4 had already broken away. This was a solid finish putting Kurt up to 8th in the championship.

Interested in learning more about Held motorcycle gear in the UK? Visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 1000, RD6, Snetterton

Once again Leon finishes in the points in the Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship with Black Horse at the Snetterton 300 circuit. 

The Norfolk track holds multiple challenges for both rider and machine encompassing tight hairpins, fast flowing corners and two flat out straights.

Historically not one of Leon's best circuit's for results but that all changed over the weekend.

Leon with his confidence soaring after his recent string of competitive results clocked a time good enough for eighth in free practice. 

In qualifying one his good form carried on and he was ninth fastest but was still disappointed as he knew he could go quicker and more importantly where improvements could be made. However, once again the British weather put pay to his plans for qualifying two as a torrential downpour left the Snetterton track awash with water and with no one going quicker grid positions were set from the earlier dry session.

Starting eighth on the grid after another rider was demoted, he made a great start and held his position into the first two corners. Leon made a couple of places up coming out of turn two as some of the front runners came together, leaving Leon in fifth place at the end of lap one. 

He set about pursuing fourth place as a chasing pack of four riders started to hunt him down. The pack finally caught him midway through the race and despite some stoic defending Leon fell to eighth place at the chequered flag. This leaves Leon in eighth in the Championship and his confidence sky-high for the next round at the fastest circuit on the calendar next Thruxton.

For more information on Held Motorcycle Gear 

in the UK please click here

To see the superb products sold by Team Owners 

Geo E Davies please click here

Held retailer raising money for Midlands Air Ambulance

Held retailer Brindley Honda is involved in this awesome event, raising money for Midlands Air Ambulance and having fun along the way. Check it out. Please share this post, donate etc- it's for a great cause! Here's the story:

Monte Carlo Rally Or Bust 2016 (Champagne Charlie)

Our mission is shown below, We now have a car and a road map to some of Europe's spectacular locations and Roads. It started as a holiday to remember and has now snowballed into a Quest to raise donations for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. With the support of Brindley Garages LTD and our key suppliers we hope to raise awareness and donations for this fantastic and lifesaving charity. 

The Brindley car- sponsored by Held amongst others :) 

Please support our cause by donating  through the link below, Thanks very much in advance.

http://fundraising.midlandsairambulance.com/monte-rally

What's happening

Buy a car for £300 or less and hit Europe’s greatest roads and cities for 3 days to Monte Carlo.  Complete challenges, laugh lots and raise some cash for your favourite charity. Monte Carlo or Bust is the ultimate European banger rally adventure.

As featured in The Sunday Times and Sky Sports News, The 3-day crusade takes your banger to some of Europe’s most exciting locations on spectacular roads with backdrops of sun, sea, sand…and even snow!   Racing is off the cards as you concentrate on solving daily challenges, both on and off the road, competing for a variety of prizes and regrouping each evening at the Rally Rendezvous to relax, socialise and explore the local area.

Your banger should cost no more than £300 and we encourage all teams to put less effort into their engines – and more effort into dressing the car and crew.  The MCoB team will be on hand before, during and after the rally to provide you with any support you may need.  Many teams take part to celebrate special occasions or raise funds for charity. 

In 2015 over 160 cars and 500 people successfully completed the challenge and raised over £100,000 for UK charities.  In 2016, we are running two fantastic routes to Monte Carlo; Black Forest Gateau and Champagne Charlie.  Each event is limited to 80 places.

Event Details

Contact: Marcus Wortans
Phone: 07970 722654
Address: Europe, Monte Carlo, West Midlands, WV3 9BY
From: 20/07/2016 
To:         31/07/2016 

Want to learn more about Held motorcycle gear & accessories in the UK? 

Visit our website www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 1000, RD4, Donington

Another points finish for Held wearer Leon and the Geo E Davies Team! 

A well-deserved result for their weekends work at Donington Park where they were supporting the Acerbis UK Round of the WorldSBK event. This result keeps the momentum gained over the last couple of rounds rolling.

Free practice went extremely well for Leon and he and the team used it to fine tune the BMW S1000RR for the only qualifying session this weekend. After posting a time just outside the top ten he was confident of improving on it for a grid position in the race. Qualifying was a tense affair with just half second covering fourth to tenth place by the end of the session, but Leon kept a calm head and posted tenth fastest and achieved his coveted top ten grid position.

Making a good start Leon held his position and settled into a good race pace. Fighting hard over the sixteen laps he picked his way through and finished in a fantastic eighth place. A great result for rider and team as they build confidence and impetus every time they go out on track.

Speaking after he said “The weekend started great, we had good pace in free practice and knew that with just a couple of changes we could aim for Top 10 in qualifying. We did that with a 10th place grid spot and backed that up with 8th in the race. We weren’t lapping much behind 5th place times so can take the positives from the weekend and aim better next time out. Just want to add my thanks and appreciation to my sponsors, family and friends without them this adventure wouldn't be possible.”

Interested in finding out more about Held in the UK? Check out our website at www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Kurt & Matt Wigley, Superstock 600

Round 2 – Oulton Park

This weekend was the second race of the 2016 British Superbike season at a wet and cold Oulton Park. The team had an excellent start to the weekend with Kurt running in second place for the majority of the morning practice session and Matt in 4th. It was difficult conditions as some areas of the circuit was dry and others wet. We completed the session in 4th for Kurt and during the final couple of laps Matt got pushed to 10th out of the 40 competitors.

Qualifying one took place on the Saturday evening which began wet before beginning to dry up and finally followed by hail. The fastest qualifying times were set during the initial stages of the session due to the change in weather conditions which left Kurt in an impressive 6th position on the grid and after being in the top 5 also Matt completed the session with a strong 10th position.

The second qualifying session of the weekend was the most challenging as there was a tough decision between a new wet or new rear tyre, this was a last minute decision due to the instant changes on conditions presented. During the beginning stages the lap times were around 8 seconds off the previous session due to the water on track but this soon disappeared as the qualifying progressed and by the final 5 minutes new fastest lap times were being set. Kurt planned ahead and ensured he had a bit of clear circuit in front of him for the final lap where he crossed the line jumping up to 5th position after narrowly missing out on 3rd on the grid but leaving the team with great excitement. Matt spend the session building on his times and racing with other competitors but when it came down to the final laps when the dry line began to appear he struggled to put his lap together despite having faster sectors meaning he started the race from 15th.

The bank holiday race finally came around mid-day on Monday just in time for the rain. We were all in good positive spirits for the race especially with Kurt starting in the middle of the second row which also gained the team additional television coverage whilst the delayed start took place due to the standing water on the circuit. As soon as the lights went out Matt began his mission to battle his way to the front in the heavy rain with visibility due to the spray of other bikes. It didn’t take long for Matt to enter the top 10 but by this point Kurt had already been caught out by the slippery conditions and lost the front in the chicane crashing out. Matt continued to progress after watching Kurt’s race end early and found himself in 6th position. During the final two laps, Matt almost joined Kurt on exiting a turn as the bike pitched him out of the seat which unfortunately resulted in the two places previously gained being lost. Matt crossed the finish line to take 8th position for the second round of the season.

After such a great performance this weekend we are all looking forward to Brands Hatch in a couple of weeks and are feeling determined to achieve some good results.

To read more about Held in the UK 

please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 1000

Character building weekend for Held wearer Leon

After a solid start to his campaign in the opening round at Silverstone, Leon had high hopes going into round 2 of the ‘Pirelli National Superstock1000 with Black Horse Championship’ at Oulton Park Cheshire.

However bad luck struck and he went into free practice on Saturday morning feeling decidedly under the weather after falling ill the evening before. The session was held in driving rain and the circuit was sodden. Using the conditions to gain some wet settings he brought the Geo E Davies BMW home in one piece. Qualifying one was held four hours after free practice and the fickle British weather had turned from an unsettled and wet morning to a bright and dry afternoon. Leon provisionally qualified nineteenth despite his poor health. This proved to be his starting position on the grid as qualifying two on Sunday turned out to be a total washout.

Despite everything Leon was confident of a points score in the race even starting from row seven as he said “the BMW was mega around Oulton” Going for a wet front and dry rear tyre combination, the race plan went out of the window at the first corner as he was caught up the midpack shuffle. He was pushed out wide onto the extremely wet outer edge of the track and it took some skilful manoeuvring to keep out of trouble. Ending up thirty fifth at the end of lap one Leon put his head down and set about carving through the field and gained places lap after lap. Putting in a great comeback ride he just missed out on a points finish as he crossed the finish line in sixteenth position.

Speaking after he said “I am happy after the weekend I had to come through with the result I did especially after being pushed out wide onto the dirty wet part of the track at the first corner, we showed great pace and the BMW was awesome. It's been a great team effort in trying conditions”

To learn more about Leon Jeacock please visit www.leonjeacock.co.uk

To learn more about Held in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

NEWS: YAMAHA PROVIDES TRACK-DAY TEST RIDES

YAMAHA PROVIDES TRACK-DAY TEST RIDES

Yamaha Supersport Pro Tour 2016

The new Supersport Pro Tour arrives in the UK this month and introduces a test ride opportunity for supersport and track-day riders. The Pro Tour carries a fleet of demonstration YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 machines that are available for riders to test ride on the race track.

The Pro Tour track rides will give an opportunity fully to explore the performance of these race-developed machines with free instruction provided by professional riders. The tour will visit Oulton Park, Silverstone and Donington Park and to take up one of the free supersport test rides you simply need to join one of the three chosen official trackdays at these iconic circuits.

The public is being asked to sign up for one of these trackdays today and then book a demo YZF-R1 or YZF-R6 for one of your sessions at:

13 May 2016    Oulton Park    MSV Trackdays    0843 453 3000  
 www.msvtrackdays.com

16 May 2016    Silverstone GP    Silverstone Trackdays    0844 372 8329    www.silverstone.co.uk

21 May 2016    Donington Park    Focused Events    0845 026 7272   www.focusedevents.com

Looking for some new motorcycle clothing or accessories? Have a look at Held! Click here for our website

Free skills and safety assessment for every biker!

Every motorcyclist in the UK is being offered the unique opportunity of a free 60 minute skills and safety riding assessment, courtesy of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), over the next four months.

IAM: Offering FREE Skills & Safety Assessment for every biker

The IAM has embarked on its biggest ever free giveaway to riders to coincide with the start of spring and the beginning of the bike racing season.

And to mark the launch of the free taster campaign, #IAMRideFree, the IAM has teamed up with Kawasaki UK and Kawasaki-backed stunt riding champion Lee Bowers along with car and bike racer Emma Selway to create the ultimate skills competition. To find out who won and to see the thrills and spills of filming, click here:#

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAWfpTs522o

The film, shot at Santa Pod Raceway, features Lee and Emma being stopped in their high-speed tracks and set a series of slow riding challenges by IAM riding experts Mark Lewis and Richard Gladman.

Lee said: "There's little doubt that I love riding at high speeds, as do many riders, but I know that the place for it is in a safe place - and not on the road. A lot of my tricks involve needing to ride at slow speed and I've taught myself how to do different stunts. It was great to spend some time with the IAM and learn how it 'should' be done. I think the incentive they've launched is great, 60 minutes of tuition - for free."

Added Emma: "It's easy to forget the importance of slower speed skills, especially for someone like me who spends a great deal of time, in work and play, on race tracks going quickly. A lot of people see driving and riding at speed to be the skill that needs to be nailed and that fast is the only way to have fun.  I think Lee and I proved that to not be the case as we had a great deal of fun learning slow speed skills and the challenges set for us became incredibly rewarding and self-satisfying."

Mark said: "Many riders across the country will be getting their bikes out of the garage, after a long and wet winter. You know your bike needs a once over before it's safe to ride all summer long - but have you considered whether your riding might too be showing signs of wear?

"What many people don't realise is that a bit of further training can increase enjoyment massively - a point demonstrated by Lee and Emma in our video. Want to get that bend right? Make better progress? Get in touch and see what advanced riding is all about."

To sign up for the IAM free rider taster sessions visit http://www.iam.org.uk/ridefree

Want to learn more about Held in the UK? Click here

NEWS: BMW TYCO RACE REPLICA LIMITED EDITION

BMW TYCO RACE REPLICA WILL COST £21,000

BMW Motorrad UK is bringing out a striking limited-edition Tyco Race Replica that will include almost £3000 worth of performance parts and will cost £21,240.  

BMW says it is the highest specification S 1000 RR ever offered by BMW Motorrad UK.

Bearing the iconic blue, red and white livery, the Tyco BMW Race Replica will be limited to 75 models.

As well as cruise control, heated grips, alarm, and a host of performance parts as standard, buyers will be able to specify factory-fitted Dynamic Damping Control, Dynamic Traction Control and Gear Shift Assist Pro as optional extras.

The Tyco BMW Race Replica, pictured here with Ian Hutchinson, is available to order immediately at BMW Motorrad Centres. 

Story seen on www.britishdealernews.co.uk

Looking for some new motorcycle gear this season? Have a look at www.held-uk.co.uk 

German Quality Gear, realistic prices