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

Leon and Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing returned to Oulton Park for the second time in the Pirelli National SuperStock 1000 Championship season. A real riders track that Leon enjoys and was looking to continue his recent run of good form and consolidate his top ten position in the Championship. Both free practices held on the Friday were in wet and rainy conditions. 

Leon excelled in both sessions and you could tell he was enjoying the conditions as he posted a fourth and a sixth in the respective sessions. The team and Leon were confident for the all-important qualifying session on Saturday morning. An outstanding performance by Leon saw him take tenth position on the grid for race one. Another good opportunity to score some solid points again. 

Leon in action at Oulton Park. Photo: Neil Pidduck

Making a great start in race one Leon made three places up on the opening lap and was riding well within himself and a good pace. Just off the leading group he held seventh position until late in the race when he slipped to eighth place and took eight points. 

Confident of another good result in race two bad luck struck Leon and the team. Starting eighth in race two he made another great start and was up to fifth place on lap one and looking forward to moving further up the field. Lap three Leon felt a problem with the rear of the Suzuki and was losing grip badly and as he came in the first corner on lap five Leon crashed out finishing the weekend with a DNF, a result that his efforts certainly didn't deserve. 

The final round at Brands Hatch in a months time certainly cannot come quick enough for the team to finish the season on a high. There is of course the small matter of Leon racing in the Dutch Superbike Championship very soon in Assen! 

Held are pleased to support and supply Leon Jeacock and Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing. 
To learn more about Held in the UK please visit 

www.held-uk.co.uk

Held Racer Report: Leon Jeacock, Oulton Park BSB

The picturesque Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire hosted the third round of the Pirelli National Superstock1000 Championship. Leon and the Geo E Davies & Smirk Racing team were hoping to replicate the form shown in the recent official test held at the track here Leon put strong times in and the team were able to gain more data for further use.

For the first time this season the weather was consistent throughout the free practices and sole qualifying session. Dry, sunny and hot weather meant the team could fine tune the Suzuki to Leon’s requirements instead of having to make major changes as in the previous rounds. 

Free practice one and two were held on Saturday and Leon immediately carried on his good form finishing tenth in both sessions, he was confident for the Sunday qualifier. The pace in that session was scorching and even though he went half a second faster than free practice, he still only claimed tenth place on the starting grid.

Monday saw the all important race and Leon made a good start but dropped down to thirteenth in the first corner scramble. Moving back up two places in the next couple of laps to eleventh, he then settled into the race for the next few laps. Lap eight saw him move up to tenth and he started to close the gap to the two riders chasing them down, he slipped into ninth position on lap thirteen holding this position to the chequered flag.

A great weekend for Leon and the team and a well earned result for everyone concerned with the team, looking and riding more confidently with every meeting.

The team now moves onto Snetterton for the next round in mid June.

Pic: Jonny Lee

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: 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