ZOEK RACING BRANDS HATCH INDY
The two Zoek Racing riders, Sean Neary and Craig Currie were at Brands Hatch for round two of the Ducati TriOptions Cup at the weekend resulting in a second and fifth place for Lymm Rider Sean Neary and a 17th for Newark rider Craig Currie.
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| Sean Neary |
Neary was up in the top four throughout free practice and qualifying and began the first of two 15 lap races from a second row grid position in fourth place. As the lights went out Neary got a good start and was up to second place on the first lap. He took the lead on lap three but was pushed back to second place one lap later when Rob Guiver took over the top spot.
Although he was never more than a few tenths away from the leader, Neary could not find a path through to snatch the lead on the short and tricky Indy circuit at the Kent venue and towards the end of the race decided to opt for a safe second place and 20 championship points sooner than make a risky move and perhaps throw it all away.
He said: “P2 in today’s race, I’ll take that! I really wanted that win but wins don’t come easy in this class! Big thanks to the Zoek Racing Team and all our sponsors for always backing me no matter what. I didn’t score any points in the first three races last year so it’s a big improvement!”
By the time the second race got underway the rain had arrived making for tricky conditions. Neary held the lead for a couple of laps but dropped back to finish the race in fifth place. He said: “ I racked up some more points in that race and its now on to my home round next at Oulton Park. Big thanks to the whole team and our sponsors. We just need some luck for Craig now.”
Neary is currently third in the rider standings on 54 points.
Craig Currie was running in the top 15 during qualifying and began the first race on Saturday from the fifth row in 13th place. But despite running in a point scoring position through the majority of laps he was beaten back to 17th on the final lap by Waghorn and Hill who caught and passed him on the final lap.
Currie said: “Towards the end of the race I had a few issues with the bike so lost a bit of ground. But at least I finished the race and tomorrow is another day!”
Unfortunately the Newark rider was unable to take part in race two because of ongoing problems with the Ducati.
The next round is at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the bank Holiday weekend of May 5-7
pic credit Dave Yeomans
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OLIVER'S MOUNT SPRING CUP POSTPONED ON SAFETY GROUNDS
The Spring Cup event, scheduled for 20/21 April for Oliver's Mount in Scarborough, has been denied a licence by the ACU and the event has been postponed.
A statement reads: "Following a comprehensive risk assessment of Oliver's Mount, members of the ACU Road Race Committee met with directors of Auto 66 / PMH Promotions in January this year and agreed additional safety improvements for the circuit.
"A circuit inspection took place on 21 March and found that the organisers had not achieved all the improvements required by that deadline. The deadline was extended to Tuesday 27 March and then further extended to Friday 6 April.
"With regret, the ACU is unable to provide a course licence for Oliver's Mount which means no permit / insurance can be issued for the Spring Cup due to take place on 20/21 April. The organisers/promoters, in conjunction with the ACU and Scarborough Borough Council, will work together to try to achieve events at the venue later in the year."
Round 1 - Donington Park Weekend Report
Dan's weekend started with an extremely cold and wet practice session. Determined not to waste a session it was a good opportunity to ensure the freshly built Supersport bike was running as it should and had the power to be competitive. After only a few laps, Dan decided he would be better off saving his ice-cold hands and retired back to the garage early.
Whilst still wet, the second practice session on Friday afternoon was slightly warmer, and with qualifying fast approaching, Dan knew he had to get some laps in. In damp conditions, with a dry line forming, Dan managed to keep inside the top 7 for the majority of the session. As the lyre started to go off, it was a sensible decision to call it a day, and the final timing sheets presented an encouraging, yet humble 14th position.
With the circuit drying up on Sunday, Dan and the rest of team were keen to get out in qualifying. Unfortunately, just a few laps in, the bike suffered a minor electrical issue, causing a misfire and ultimately a lack of power.
Disappointed and frustrated, Dan once again returned to Parc femme in 20th position.
The power issue was soon rectified, but it was then the weathers' turn to wreak havoc on the weekend. After a dry day, 10 minutes before the Supersport sprint race it started lightly raining - leaving many teams unsure on tyre choices.
In the end, the team opted for a dry front and rear combination, urging Dan to take it steady for the first few laps until a dry line was ensured. Following his directions well, Dan started the race at a steady pace, and gradually improved his lap time and position, ending the 8-lap race in 14th, qualifying 12th for Sundays feature race.
Once again, the Supersport feature race on Monday involved a tough lyre decision. With heavy rain all day, the track was drying quickly by 3 p.m. Many wet patches remained on the circuit, and the team decided to stick with full wet tyres. After a mistake at turn 1, Dan found himself back in 21st position at the end of lap 1. He battled through the conditions and finished the race in 16th position. After the race, frustrated and disappointed, Dan was keen to put the weekend behind him and move towards Brands Hatch with a positive and motivated attitude.
In the Superstock 600 class, Dan's teammate Cameron Lee had a strong start to the season. After a minor breaking issue caused early retirement in free practice 1, Cam went on to finish 10th in free practice 2 and qualifying in tough conditions. With a 6pm Sunday race, Cam got off to a good start, only to be involved in a collision on Lap 4, bending his clutch lever out making it difficult to downshift. Still determined, Cam worked his way up to 9th
position, but in the final sector of the race an arm-pump issue caused by the clutch lever led to the him missing a gear, and ultimately falling back to 11th on the final corner.
Overall, it was a difficult weekend for the team, but we are heading into round 2 with a smile on our face and a positive attitude. We are sure both riders can run at the front, and predict Brands Hatch will be a different story.
