Held Racer Report: Wigley Racing, Oulton Park

Oulton Park Race Report

As the end of the season approaches, we revisited Oulton Park for round 10 of the British Superbike championship. The weekend commenced with some unfortunate luck as we hit the track for a very wet FP1, on the opening lap the steering damper bracket snapped causing Kurt to almost lose control of the Sorrymate.com Yamaha on a straight exceeding 100mph. He got the bike safely back round to the pit lane where the team worked franticly to create a quick fix, however, this only lead to one other completed lap meaning we began the event on the back foot having completed 2 out of a possible 15 laps.

FP2 began on a more positive pathway, by this point the circuit had dried up and Kurt wasted no time in putting down some strong lap times. He worked his way up into the top 10 and continued up to P7 by continuously beating his previous lap. Once again, the session abruptly came to a stop for the team as the bike lost all power and cut out exiting turn 1. Kurt was forced to retire from the session. Further investigations following the session lead to the discovery of a blown fuse which was a relief that it was something so simple but at the same time frustrating that it halved the session.

Saturday mornings qualifying session was the first full session of the weekend meaning we had a lot of work to get the bike set up closer to perfection in time for the race. With Oulton Park being on the opposite end of the scale to Silverstone in terms of the bumps, cambers and twisty sectors there was minimal information we could carry over for the new Mupo suspension. The session was tough to make vast improvements on lap times whilst sacrificing time on track to make adjustments to the setup, but this didn’t stop the team from securing a P10 finish in class putting us on row 4 in P11 for the race.

Race 1 on Saturday afternoon proved to be somewhat dramatical. Kurt had a strong start to the race as he broke away with the top 10 on the opening few laps, feeling positive he was ready to fight for a best finish but soon became aware that the brakes were fading and quickly. We have never experienced this issue previously and Kurt was coming ever closer to running off track or colliding with another rider entering corners. Fortunately, the race was red flagged because it began to rain allowing the team to change the pads and bleed the brake fluid through the system along with swap the wheels to wets in the desperate attempt to make the restart. Other than a few burns from the disks and pads it was a success and Kurt made his way onto the grid where he once again got a strong start and managed get to the front of the group he was in to take a P7 finish. In his bid to break away from the group when at the front, he put down the 6th fastest lap time of the race putting us on the second row of the grid for race 2. 

Moments before the second race it began to rain heavily which was a shame for us as we were hoping for a damp circuit as this is where we get our best results. The wet race soon began, unfortunately for Kurt a few close moments when finding the limit set him back on the opening couple of laps resulting in him being pushed back to P13. He spent the first half of the race trying to get into a rhythm and reduce the mistakes in a bid to not repeat last weekend’s Silverstone race. When Kurt finally settled down, he began closing the gap to the bike in front and at one stage was lapping a couple of seconds faster than those directly ahead as he made his way up to P11. With 4 laps remaining and the track drying out, he had a big push catch those in sight and obtained another 4 positions before the final lap completing the final race of the weekend with another 7th place finish. 


Held UK are proud to support Kurt and Matt Wigley with Race Gloves! www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Sean Neary, Oulton Park National Superstock 1000

SEAN NEARY OULTON PARK SUPERSTOCK

With no Ducati race at Sean Neary’s home circuit of Oulton Park the Lymm based rider decided to have a ride in the Pirelli National Superstock championship round at the Cheshire circuit to see how he would fare against the regular riders in the series.

Sean Neary, Oulton Park Superstock. Pic: Dave Yeomans

He said: “I am really excited to be doing a one off round in the Superstock 1000 this weekend at Oulton Park. Huge thanks to Evolution Waste and 2 Works for making it happen. Also thanks to Jenko and JB for getting the bike ready. After years on the Ducati it's going to be tough but I can't wait! The BMW pulls like a train so there will be plenty of accidental wheelies!”

It was a baptism of fire for Neary in the highly competitive championship but he held his own and completed his qualifying in 27th place for a start to the first of two 14 lap races  from a ninth row grid position.

As the lights went out Neary was 28th on the first lap but once he settled into his race he began to make up ground, moving through to 26th on lap two. He was elevated to 24th when two riders tangled on lap nine and finally passed Joe Morphett who he had been in close company with, on lap 11. Too far away to the rider ahead he was unable to make further progress but brought the BMW home safely in 23rd place.


Sean said: “It has been great fun so far on the BM in my first Superstock 1000 race. A terrible start saw me dead last but I worked my way back to 23rd and set a new personal best lap time around Oulton Park. There is still so much to learn and feel I like a novice again but I am enjoying the experience!”

Starting the second race once again from the ninth row Neary got a good start and gained places on the first lap. But it was all over for him on lap 2 when he crashed at Shell Oils, his race over.

Sean said: “Today was a disaster! Terrible start again and then crashed on lap two trying to get back through. The weather made it a really tough weekend as I needed as many laps as possible. Still a great experience though and thanks so much to Evolution Waste, Craig Currie, 2 Works, Charlie and Lisa Kerford.

“It was good while it lasted but now I have to turn my attention back to the Ducati championship where the final round takes place at the Cathedral of Speed, Assen in the Netherlands on October 1. Although the championship is already won there are still two races for me to try to win.”

To see more about Held in the UK please click here

Held Racer Dan Hegarty- Cadwell Park

This just in from Held wearing racer Dan Hegarty:

Had a great weekend at Cadwell, first time out on the Top Gun Racing 600. The team have put a lot of work into building engines and mapping the bikes with Motec now fitted too.

The good news is that we ran a decent pace for a short circuit straight out of the box meaning that the engine is strong. We also have an identical one as a spare.

Chassis wise the bike is in the ball park but needs fine tuning. We improved it a lot over the weekend but as the bike improved the weather battled against us so was hard to see a clear improvement in lap times.

We came away with a win, 2nd, 4th and a 6th running in with some decent British Championship young lads too (Every one of them is a flipping loon, 3 out of the 4 of them crashed over the weekend!)

We have a few changes that we are going to do to the chassis and clutch plus riding position before the next time we go there so we hope to improve again.

In other news, Wurz has today collected the Superbike from Honda and also been to Maxton to have the new suspension fitted.

He is coming down to my place tomorrow so we can start work on the her and drool over her for a while.

Next test will be 4/5th April at Castle Combe alongside the Factory team of John and Guy. We will have the 600 and Superbike for this test but not the Stocker. Latest on the Stocker is that we could now have it early April. It has gone well past a joke of how hard it is to get hold of one but we have the other bikes to keep us occupied in the meantime….

I’ll hopefully have a new sponsor to announce to you all very soon both as a sponsor to me personally and also to the team for the Superstock bike as main sponsor.

Dan Hegarty

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: 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

Cowhide, Kangaroo, Stingray- Explained!

Cowhide, Kangaroo, Stingray- Explained! "Made from cowhide! Made from Pittards leather! Made from Kangaroo Leather! Made from Stingray skin!"

Ever wondered what the difference is, and why? we take a look at the different products used in Held gear..


Leather

The traditional ‘go-to’ material for motorcyclists. While often not as practical or adaptable as textiles, leather still leads the way in abrasion resistance and, with the right care, is extremely durable. Leather garments should be fitted as tight as possible in order to firmly hold protectors in place. With wear, leather garments ‘break in’ and mould to the body. Held Rider Equipment uses the finest cowhide as standard, as well as kangaroo, goat, hairsheep and stingray leather in certain applications.

Held Street II Jacket- premium cowhide

TFL COOL™ leather

Revolutionary treatment for black leather which helps it reflect solar radiation in the same way that white leather would, keeping the surface up to 20°C cooler and the wearer up to 12°C cooler, without the impracticality of wearing light colours. 

TFL Cool leather on the left, not on the right!

Pittards leather

The hairsheep is a cross between a sheep and a goat only found in the mountains of some African countries. Its hide is soft and comfortable, like goatskin, but it has a more dense – and therefore hard wearing – structure which is ideal for glove making. Pittards are the leading producer of high-grade hairsheep leather. Moisture will cause normal leather to go hard, crack and shrink. We soaked two gloves in chemical sweat for 24 hours. The Pittards WR100 hairsheep hide glove was still very soft when compared to the cowhide glove of the same thickness. Plus it is also up to 30% more resistant to tearing and abrasion.

Held gloves with Pittard leather back

Kangaroo hide

Of the 48 species of kangaroo, many are protected. However the unchecked reproduction of largest breed has resulted in massive over-population and culls are therefore carried out under the supervision of the Australian government. Fortunately for motorcyclists, the hides make excellent rider equipment. 

Held Slade leather suit- with mix of Kangaroo and cowhide, with Titanium inserts!

Kangaroo hide is far more abrasion resistant than cowhide of the same thickness. This is because, unlike cows, kangaroos only sweat through their tail and therefore there are no pores in the hide. Kangaroo garments can therefore be lighter and provide more ‘feel’. Special tanning and drying methods mean kangaroo hide is resistant to moisture and so is less likely to loose its shape or degrade over time. 

Stingray skin

The most abrasion resistant material that is pliant enough to be used in the manufacture of gloves. Selected styles of Held gloves feature Stingray protection on the ball of thumb, knuckles and wrist, backed with shock absorbing gel pads in order to allow fallen riders to slide more easily with less chance of fractured limbs cause by rolling.When exposed to a 10 Newton load on an H22 friction wheel at Pirmasens testing Institute in accordance with DIN 53754, Kangaroo leather wore though after 4,000 revolutions, while stingray skin withstood a 20,000 revolutions.

Held Titan gloves- Stingray leather covered Carbon shell side & finger protection

For more information on Held in the UK, or to find your nearest dealer please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Race News: TRAYLER CELEBRATES SEASON BEST RESULT AT SNETTERTON

TRAYLER CELEBRATES SEASON BEST RESULT AT SNETTERTON 

Jesse Trayler had his strongest result in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship season so far at his home round of Snetterton yesterday (Sunday), scoring a hard-fought sixth place for the MSS Colchester Kawasaki team.

Jesse Trayler: Stunning Sixth at Snetterton

Trayler has been building momentum all season with his new team and in free practice the team worked hard to be ready to battle for the front two rows in qualifying on Saturday. A determined performance from Trayler and the team rewarded them a second row start and just 0.1 seconds adrift of the front row.

In the race Trayler was battling for the podium in the early stages with the leading pack, proving he has the pace to be fighting within the top five. A consistent end to the race gave the team and Trayler their best result of the season so far with fifth place that now moves them to sixth in the overall standings ahead of Knockhill in two weeks’ time.

Trayler said: “The weekend at Snetterton was just what myself and the team needed. We were instantly on the pace straight from qualifying one and I missed out on my maiden front row start by just 0.1, so that was a massive step forward for me as I've never been a good qualifier.

“The race got off very well with another good start and I was up to second on the first lap. It was good to hang with the two front boys for a bit before losing out down the two long straights by various BMWs!

“I've had a brilliant weekend and restored a lot of belief and confidence in my ability that I can run up the front. I think as a rider I turned a little corner last weekend and I cannot thank Nick (Morgan) and the boys at MSS Colchester Kawasaki enough for giving me the right tools for the job - the bike was faultless all weekend. I'm looking forward to Knockhill now and getting stuck in with it again!”

If you want to see more about Held in the UK, including our online catalogue and a list of UK stockists please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

NEWS: Burns Back On The Podium.

Latest BSB National Superstock 1000 news from Held wearing racer Joe Burns:
 

The team arrived in Donington Park highly motivated from the last result at Silverstone and with the determination to maintain the progress made with the performance of Joe and the bike. 

Free practice took place in dry and bright conditions and despite a traction control problem Joe ended the session 4th quickest with a gap to the top position of 1.274 seconds, the team used the time between free practice and Q1 to locate and fix the issues with the traction control. Qualifying 1 was completed with Joe in 5th position, but more importantly closer to provisional pole, the gap being just 0.865 seconds.
Qualifying 2 was run in cloudy but dry conditions and once again Joe was 5th quickest, the combined results of Q1 and Q2 left Joe in 5th with a gap to pole 1.226 seconds, but more importantly grid positions 2 to 5 were covered by just 0.392 seconds! A close race was in prospect.

Podium for Joe at Donington- photo courtesy of Jon Jessop Photography

In the race Joe achieved a great start and jumped straight into 4th place which he held through the first corner, at which point the race leader made a mistake and fell off, elevating Joe to 3rd. As the race developed it was clear that the leading trio of O’Halloran, Jenkinson and Burns were pulling away from the rest, however Lee Jackson made a big effort to catch the pack and on Lap 9 he managed to slip past Joe, however this swop of positions lasted only one lap, Joe retook 3rd place and showed his race craft by defending and maintaining the place for the last laps of the race. 

After the race Joe said’ “This is a great result for me, the team and all my sponsors, particularly JG Speedfit, Refresh Recovery and EACS, the season did not start as well for me as I had hoped but we have put in a lot of work, and today is the result of that effort. It was a good race for me and I enjoyed myself hugely, there was no way I was going to let Lee Jackson past me again, once in 3rd it was my place! I leave here really excited about the last races of the season.” 

With this result Joe now lies 7th in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship.
The next race takes place at Silverstone 5th October.

To see more about Held motorcycle clothing and accessories in the UK please visit www.held-uk.co.uk, online catalogue too!

Tough Day for Held wearing Joe Burns at Cadwell

Following the Oulton Park round at which the team broke Park Ferme regulations, we were required to appear before the stewards to explain our reasons, the end result was a loss of 50 championship points and a suspended 6 month racing ban.

Joe Burns getting some air at Cadwell

 Not the best start to our weekend at Cadwell Park, however Joe put all the event behind him and was 3rd quickest in his free practice group, Saturday qualifying was neither wet nor dry, and as the forecast for Sunday was dry we elected not to run in qualifying 1. 

As forecast Qualifying 2 was run in bright dry conditions and if Pirelli had not supplied tyres that proved to be too hard Joe would have been in his usual top 5 position. Sadly this was not to be, he experienced handling problems that dropped him to 15th on the grid. 

The tyre problem affected several riders with the worst problem being a delamination of the tread on a rear tyre. 

Race day was sunny and dry, Joe rocketed off the grid gaining two places before the first corner, by the end of lap 2 he was up to 11th place, a position he held for most of the race. Cadwell Park is a difficult circuit on which to pass, and Joe found that where he was carrying a lot of speed into corners he was being blocked by riders in front of him who were on the racing line but slower. 

Sadly the red flag came out on lap 9 of the scheduled 15 laps, just as Joe had taken 10th place. 

Post-race we stripped our engine as requested by the scrutineers and as expected no irregularities were found, our bike has been fully compliant to the regulations for the whole of this season. 

Simon Andrews was subsequently disqualified for making an unfair manoeuvre that resulted in another rider crashing, this moves Joe into 10th place in the results, making him 9th overall in the championship standings.

For more information on Held, the motorcycle gear chosen by Joe Burns, please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Testing race for Held wearing racer Joe Burns at Brands Hatch

 

Held wearing Joe Burns, currently 3rd in National Superstock 1000

Once again the English Summer delivered a hot race day, qualifying 1 and 2 took place on Saturday and Joe finished the day 2nd fastest behind Adam Jenkinson, a very satisfactory result. 

Joe did not get the best of starts and fell back into 4th place, however by lap 2 he had recovered to 2nd place and began to reel in the leader James East, on lap 5 Joe was in a great position to take first place, but East missed a gear causing Joe to touch his bike. The resulting damaged brake lever caused Joe to lose time, he could not brake as he would normally. 

This incident allowed Hudson Kennagh to take the lead and then Tommy Aquino passed Joe to take second place, with an ill handling bike Joe lost time to fourth place man Tristan Palmer with the net result that on Lap 14 Joe lost 3rd place, a great disappointment for him. 

Following the race Joe said; Brands looked to be one of my stronger circuits and I was pleased to qualify 2nd, the result is not what I expected, however I am glad that I finished in fourth and only dropped one place in the championship standings, it is very close with just 12 points between me and 1st place. 

Held wearer Joe Burns- not far off the lead!

The result drops Joe into third place in the championship, the gap is now 11 points to 2nd and 12 to 1st, at this stage of the season it is looking good. A satisfying result, the next race takes place at Oulton Park August 9/10/11.

To find out more information on the Held gear Joe Burns wears please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Burns Takes 2nd at Knockhill

Held Wearer Joe Burns took his third podium of the season in the 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship, a great result that sees him consolidate his 2nd position in the Championship table and closing the gap to just 14 points behind Adam Jenkinson. 

Held wearer Joe Burns, left, on the podium at Knockhill. Image: Double Red

The Knockhill weather lived up to form and over the three days of the race weekend it varied from dry and bright to wet, free practice was cloudy but dry and Joe was second in his group by 3/10ths of a second, qualifying 1 was also dry but overcast and Joe took advantage of the conditions to put in a time that gave him 3rd place in his group and 5th overall. 

Qualifying 2 took place in damp conditions and Joe decided that the times were not going to be faster in comparison to qualifying 1, so he cruised to an easy 7th fastest on the day, his decision was correct and he was rewarded with 5th place on the grid for the feature race, middle of row 2. 

Race day was bright and sunny and Joe made an excellent start moving up to 4th place at the second corner, Tristan Palmer also got away well and took a lead which he proceeded to extend, whilst Joe, Adam Jenkinson and Hudson Kennaugh fought over second, third and fourth places. 

On lap 2 Joe moved up to 3rd and then took 2nd place on lap 8, he then proceeded to hunt down Tristan Palmer who was 1.8 seconds ahead, Joe was taking a tenth of a second a lap out of the lead, closing to within half a second by lap 17. The race looked to be shaping up for a thrilling finish, and a potential win for Joe, but sadly it was red flagged on lap 18. 

After the race Joe said: It was disappointing that the red flag came out, I felt really good and was closing down Tristan, I think he was struggling with tyre wear, but my JG Speedfit Kawasaki was just mega and I think I could have taken my first win of the season! 

Held wearer Joe Burns: 2nd in the championships

The result takes Joe to within 14 points of the Championship lead and also extends the gap to 17 points between 2nd and 3rd position. A good result, the next race takes place at Snetterton on July 5/6/7. 

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

Burns Races to 1st place 4 times at Knockhill

The opening bike race meeting of 2013 for Knockhill Motor Sports Club provided the spectators with some thrilling entertainment, with Joe Burns winning 4 of the 5 KMSC Superbike/Clubman Championship races.

Joe Burns - Superstock 1000 podium next?

Joe topped the qualifying time sheet in conditions that were dry and sunny but with strong gusts of wind, undeterred  he beat the other 28 riders to pole position by 1.317 seconds! 

Sunday dawned with a typical mixture of rain, sun and wind, however in the changeable conditions race one took place in the dry and Joe was able to race away from pole position and pull a lead of 3.85 seconds to come home in first place and with the added bonus of fastest lap of 50.892, set on lap 7.

Joe’s second race of the day took place in damp/windy conditions, which slowed the lap times a little, however the result was another win, and this time by an excellent 10.492 seconds, and fastest lap of 51.104 on lap 6. 

The third race of the day was in equally difficult damp and windy conditions,  however this did not stop Joe from taking a lights to flag victory, romping to the line by 10.392 seconds, and with another fastest lap of 51.497 to add to the collection from the day.

Race 4 for Joe, and after venturing out on track he found the conditions to be very mixed, dry in parts, with a very narrow dry line to the hairpin and then streaming wet further round, so the decision was made not to risk the bike, so he sat the race out. 
Race 5 of the day for Joe and with grid positions decided from your previous race result he found himself at the back of the grid, he quickly worked his way through the back markers and hit the front by lap 5, but this time the result was much closer with just 0.225 separating Joe in first place from Bruce Birnie the reigning Scottish Superbike Champion in second place. 

At the end of the very busy days racing Joe said that ‘Once again the bike felt really good and strong we have the setup right for Knockhill, and this has been useful preparation for Oulton Park next weekend. I am very happy with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki bike, and today was very enjoyable with 4 great results, I cannot wait for Oulton Park. 

Joe and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki Racing team left Knockhill very satisfied with the weekends work, the Knockhill Motor Sports Club website described the KMSC Superbike/Clubman Races as follows: ‘In the Superbike class, it was that man Burns who would prove the class of the field, aboard is JG Speedfit Kawasaki Racing machine, securing four wins in an impressive display’. 

For more information on the gear Joe wears, Held Bike gear, please visit www.held-uk.co.uk  

Burns races to 4th, sets fastest lap

The solid start to Held wearing racer Joe Burns Championship campaign in the 2013 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship continued at Thruxton over the weekend of 12, 13, 14 April, and once again the weather played its part in proceedings with the Friday morning warm up being wet, however undeterred Joe topped the group B timesheet by 4 10 tenths of a second. 

Held wearer Joe Burns - National Superstock 1000 frontrunner

Once again with close to 60 entries Qualifying was spilt into two groups and Group B took to the track  in the late afternoon in dry and bright conditions.  By the end of the session Joe was 3rd quickest just 0.185 off the fastest time. 

The weather came into play again on Saturday with qualifying 2 halted due to rain, which just poured down flooding the track. The consequence being that Joe started 6th on the grid based on the aggregate times of the two groups. 

Sunday dawned with a mix of cloud and sunshine, and the race took place in dry conditions with Joe using his tried and trusted race strategy, keep clear of any first corner mayhem and put in good consistent lap times, and once again it went to plan. 

Joe dropped to ninth place on the first lap, but then began to work his way forward, there were some damp patches on track that were catching the unwary riders, even Joe had a ‘moment’ when he went sideways at Cobb, however he recovered quickly and by lap 7 was in 4th place and catching the leading trio by 1 second a lap. 

By lap 10 he had closed to within 0.3 seconds of the third place man Steve Brogan and the John Guest Speedfit bike and rider looked supreme, everything was set of a thrilling finish until three riders fell off just before Allard, causing a red flag.

Consequently Joe finished the race in 4th, but once again with fastest lap to his credit, and with a huge confidence boost of knowing that he was catching the leaders and with 5 laps left would have been on the podium. This would have been a nice early birthday present for him as on the 15th he celebrates his 21st birthday. 

After the race Joe said that ‘The bike had felt really good, and I am very disappointed not to have had the opportunity to challenge for the podium, just 3 more laps and I would have been past them! But I must take the positives, I am happy with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki bike and today was a good result with more points on the board, I cannot wait for Oulton Park.'

Joe and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki Racing team left Thruxton with 21 Championship points and 4th position in the leader board. There is now a short break until round 3 which takes place at  Oulton Park on the Bank Holiday weekend of 04/05/06 May. 

Joe Burns wears Held leathers and gloves. For more information on the Held range please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Sean Neary Brands Hatch race report - Ducati 848 Challenge round 1

Race Report – Round 1 – Brands Hatch

Sean Neary - in his Held gear

It has been a long winter waiting for this weekend! After an awesome pre-season I was feeling confident in the run up. Unfortunately it was clear from the first practice session that our base set up which we had worked on in Spain and Anglesey just wasn’t working. I was running wide under acceleration which is the most crucial aspect to make a fast lap.
I finished the practice session in 6th which I was surprised about really as I knew the set up wasn’t working. After speaking with the K Tech (Suspension) support team we decided to go back to their recommended base settings and start over again. The difficulty of doing this at BSB is the lack of track time we get and it’s risky to make big changes when going into a race/qualifying. That said I knew we had to make big changes to make it work so I took the gamble and qualified 10th therefore putting me on the third row of the grid. We made improvements to the set up but we were still running horribly wide under acceleration.

Race 1
An average start saw me in about 12th going into the first corner however the elbows came out and I managed to work up to 6th position before the brake lever began to fade as the race went on. I managed to finish the race in 8th position. Not what I was looking for but a solid start! We made some more changes to try and help with the suspension and bled the brake system overnight.

Race 2
I struggled again in race 2 under acceleration and almost had a huge crash on lap 12 trying to ride around the problem. We once again lost brake power and it now looks like we have a damaged master cyclinder (sorry for the technical report which probably sounds very boring!) We will be purchasing a new one to eliminate this problem moving forward.
Brands Hatch was always going to be a tough round as we don’t do any testing there but I didn’t expect it to be as tough as it was. I will now get some testing in before Donington to ensure we can get to a good base setting with our suspension and we should be flying. The pace was hot in the 848 Challenge so it’s going to be a great season.
Thanks to all my sponsors for making this happen. We come away from round 1, 10th in the championship so we can now build on this now and I will be giving the gym some treatment until the next round!!!

For more information on the Held motorcycle gear that Sean wears please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Solid Start to 2013 Season by Joe Burns

April 5th, 6th and 7th saw the opening round of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship, and who would have predicted that the race would be run in bright sunshine and a balmy 10°C? Particularly as when the team set up on Thursday it was snowing!

Held wearing racer Joe Burns- pic from Jon Jessop photography

With 60 entries two qualifying periods are used to establish a grid for the Sunday feature race and a Saturday race for the slower competitors. The John Guest Speedfit Kawasaki ran faultlessly, with Joe qualifying 6th on Friday and 6th on Saturday, aggregate times from these two qualifying periods put Joe 12th on the grid for the Sunday feature race, and clearly in the top 20% of the field. 

The race strategy was clear, keep clear of any first corner mayhem and put in good consistent lap times, and it went to plan, despite a slightly hesitant start caused by the sideways gradient of the Brands Hatch grid, Joe worked his way forward to finish a thrilling race in 8th place and with the credit for the fastest lap at 47.342 seconds. This was achieved on the 19th lap, proof that the 2013 Pirelli tyres on the John Guest Speedfit Kawasaki last well.

Joe left Brands Hatch with 8 points on the championship score sheet and now heads to the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton in Hampshire for the 14th April race day.

For more information on the gear Joe wears please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Racers in Held for 2013

Racing season is already upon us- we've already had five podiums at the Brands Thundersport and we're hoping to increase this big time!

Held Wearing Racers: looking for podiums this season...

Here are the racers wearing Held this year - please watch out for them and cheer them on! Most are suited, booted and gloved in Held :)

Oh, if we've missed anyone or any series being raced please shout and we'll add to the list :)

Mike Edwards, Ducati 848 Challenge
Kurt Wigley, National Superstock 600
Matt Wigley, National Superstock 600
Seb Bulpin, National Superstock 1000
Joe Burns, National Superstock 1000
Sean Neary, Ducati 848 Challenge
Leon Jeacock, National Superstock 600
Ben Godfrey, National Superstock 600
Mark Cheetham, various events
Scot Adam, Thundersport GB
Justin Yates, Hottrax Endurance
Jonathan Garnett, Hottrax Endurance
Adam Sheriff, Thundersport GB
Andy Dix, Hottrax Endurance
Tom Weeden, Manx GP & Others
Jack Keen, Ducati 848 Challenge
Sam Smith, various events
Mike Booth, National Superstock 1000
Scot Smart, National Supersport 600

Gentlemen, start your engines! ;)

For more information on Held in the UK, a list of stockists and to view our online catalogue please visit www.held-uk.co.uk 

Held Gear Focus: Held 'Faith' & 'Attika' Sport style textiles

Not all of us like the longer textile jackets, preferring a more sporty, short-cut jacket which is my personal preference. The Held 'Faith' Jacket and 'Attika' pants certainly do the trick- and for a total price of under £330 for the pair!

Held 'Faith' textile jacket- £174.99, also available in plain black or with red trim on the inside of the arms

'Faith' Highlights:

• Breathable mesh lining
• Detachable sleeveless thermal liner
• Waterproof, windproof and breathable membrane
• 4 inner pockets, 2 external
• Internal phone pocket
• Air vent zippers
• Arm adjustment
• Soft collar
• Stretch panels at under and inner arm
• Special foam back protector (optional upgrade)
• Conecting zip
• Reflective piping & sections

Held 'Attika' pants- £154.99, also available in plain black

'Attika' highlights

• Mesh lining and detachable thermal liner
• Waterproof, windproof and breathable membrane
• 2 external pockets
• PITTARDS leather anti-slip seat patch
• KNOX knee protection
• Special foam padding at hips (optional upgrade)
• Connecting zip

All in all a great, affordable combo. To find out more about Held gear in the UK, and for a list of stockists please visit www.held-uk.co.uk

Cowhide, Kangaroo, Stingray- Explained!

"Made from cowhide! Made from Pittards leather! Made from Kangaroo Leather! Made from Stingray skin!"

Ever wondered what the difference is, and why? we take a look at the different products used in Held gear..


Leather

The traditional ‘go-to’ material for motorcyclists. While often not as practical or adaptable as textiles, leather still leads the way in abrasion resistance and, with the right care, is extremely durable. Leather garments should be fitted as tight as possible in order to firmly hold protectors in place. With wear, leather garments ‘break in’ and mould to the body. Held Rider Equipment uses the finest cowhide as standard, as well as kangaroo, goat, hairsheep and stingray leather in certain applications.

Held Street II Jacket- premium cowhide

TFL COOL™ leather

Revolutionary treatment for black leather which helps it reflect solar radiation in the same way that white leather would, keeping the surface up to 20°C cooler and the wearer up to 12°C cooler, without the impracticality of wearing light colours. 

TFL Cool leather on the left, not on the right!

Pittards leather

The hairsheep is a cross between a sheep and a goat only found in the mountains of some African countries. Its hide is soft and comfortable, like goatskin, but it has a more dense – and therefore hard wearing – structure which is ideal for glove making. Pittards are the leading producer of high-grade hairsheep leather. Moisture will cause normal leather to go hard, crack and shrink. We soaked two gloves in chemical sweat for 24 hours. The Pittards WR100 hairsheep hide glove was still very soft when compared to the cowhide glove of the same thickness. Plus it is also up to 30% more resistant to tearing and abrasion.

Held 'Calibur' glove with Pittard leather back

Kangaroo hide

Of the 48 species of kangaroo, many are protected. However the unchecked reproduction of largest breed has resulted in massive over-population and culls are therefore carried out under the supervision of the Australian government. Fortunately for motorcyclists, the hides make excellent rider equipment. 

Held Slade leather suit- with mix of Kangaroo and cowhide, with Titanium inserts!

Kangaroo hide is far more abrasion resistant than cowhide of the same thickness. This is because, unlike cows, kangaroos only sweat through their tail and therefore there are no pores in the hide. Kangaroo garments can therefore be lighter and provide more ‘feel’. Special tanning and drying methods mean kangaroo hide is resistant to moisture and so is less likely to loose its shape or degrade over time. 

Stingray skin

The most abrasion resistant material that is pliant enough to be used in the manufacture of gloves. Selected styles of Held gloves feature Stingray protection on the ball of thumb, knuckles and wrist, backed with shock absorbing gel pads in order to allow fallen riders to slide more easily with less chance of fractured limbs cause by rolling.When exposed to a 10 Newton load on an H22 friction wheel at Pirmasens testing Institute in accordance with DIN 53754, Kangaroo leather wore though after 4,000 revolutions, while stingray skin withstood a 20,000 revolutions.

Held Titan gloves- Stingray leather covered Carbon shell side & finger protection

For more information on Held in the UK, or to find your nearest dealer please visit www.held-uk.co.uk