Held Racer Report: Sean Neary and Zoek Racing, Oulton Park

The two Zoek Racing riders were competing in round three of the Ducati TriOptions Cup at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the bank holiday weekend with Sean Neary from Lymm recording a win and a third place to lead the championship by a healthy nine points and Newark rider Craig Currie securing an 18th place in race two after retiring from the first race with a technical issue.

Neary was competing at his home track and a large contingent of supporters was there to see him race. They were not disappointed as after qualifying in fourth place Neary started the first race from the second row right behind the pole sitter.

He got away to a good start moving straight into second place behind Lewis Rollo and followed him around the Cheshire circuit for a few laps before making his challenge for the lead on lap six of 10. The pair circulated in close company with Rollo challenging at every corner but Neary wasn’t prepared to back off and retained the lead. On the penultimate lap Rollo made a mistake and slid off unhurt out of the race leaving Neary to romp home for his first win of the current campaign with just over a second to spare from Rob Guiver.

He said: “I followed Rollo to see where his weak spots were for me to make a move on him. when I did get past him I kept my cool, checked my pit board and maintained the lead, I lost my knee slider with three laps to go so felt unable to get around the left handers so well. But I had a bit in reserve as well just in case I needed it and am absolutely made up to get the win and have to say a massive thank you to the Zoek Racing team for sticking by me and for all the help from Maxton suspension this weekend.”

In race two Neary didn’t get such a good start and settled into third place for the three laps before being overtaken by Lewis Rollo. But he never gave up and regained third place on lap seven which he held to the chequered flag for his second podium finish of the weekend.

He said: “Third today just caps a solid weekend at Oulton. I am leaving round three with the championship lead so can’t ask for more than that. It will be a long old battle this year but I’m well up for it. Huge thanks to Zoek Racing Team, Matthew Sanders of Zoek, and Paul Nolan of Charlestown for his countless work behind the scenes. Evolution Waste, Craig Currie, JHP Ducati Coventry, Steve Jackson @Toiletspares, Chris Dutton of Claim Eazy, Motul, Joe Carlin, Guy Mainwaring of Held, Shark Helmets, Maxton, Lee Jackson, Applied Nutrition, Warrior Club, Tom Tucker Caines and the whole team for all their hard graft they deserve it, legends the lot of them - and of course Nicola Gore for always supporting me.”

Newark rider Craig Currie was not so successful this weekend but after completing his qualifying in 12th place was looking forward to a good race. As the lights went out he set off from a fourth row grid position but found himself down in 22nd place on the first lap. He made it back up to 19th on lap five but then encountered a technical issue and was forced to retire with three laps remaining.

With the bike back up and running for race two Currie took his place on the starting grid but much further back on row seven. He didn’t get the best of starts but soon recovered and began to make progress, moving into the top 20 on lap four. He continued to move forward and was right behind Paul Slade on the final lap. But although the pair crossed the finish line side by side Slade took flag for 17th place by a whisker from Currie who was just 57 thousandths of a second adrift in 18th place.

The series takes a six week break now to allow for the two major road races, the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT festival and the riders will reconvene at Snetterton in Norfolk over the weekend of June 15-17 for round four.

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Held Racer Report: Zoek Racing and Sean Neary, Brands Hatch

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.

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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News: No Spring Cup this year at Oliver's Mount

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."

Held Racer Report- British Supersport's Dan Stamper

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.

We're proud to be associated with Dan Stamper! www.held-uk.co.uk

NEWS: DUCATI READY TO CELEBRATE THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MONSTER

Ducati: Ready to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Monster

• A programme of events and initiatives to celebrate the anniversary of the iconic Ducati Naked bike
• A special celebratory parade on 24 March in France at the “Sunday Ride Classic 2018”
• 25 years on from the start of production, Ducati displays a 1993 Monster 900 at the Bologna museum

Borgo Panigale, (Bologna, Italy), 5 March 2018 – Twenty-five years have passed since the first Monster left the factory in Borgo Panigale, Bologna. Since its presentation to the public and the press at the “Intermot” international exhibition in Cologne in 1992, and its launch onto the market in 1993, this iconic Ducati model has brought a radical change to the world of motorcycles, creating a brand new sector – the naked sport bikes – and generating one of the most devoted communities of enthusiasts.

It's an important anniversary for Ducati, a moment full of activities and initiatives to celebrate this significant landmark. Among the events is a Monster rally organised in France at the “Sunday Ride Classic 2018”, an international event dedicated to collectors' bikes to be held at the “Paul Ricard” Circuit in Le Castellet during the afternoon of 24 March. Ducati and the European DOCs (Ducati Owners Clubs) involved in the event have called Monsteristi together to stage a racetrack parade to celebrate the anniversary in spectacular fashion. The invitation to take part in this peaceful invasion of the circuit is open to all Monster owners who need only register for the event and turn up at the track.

March 5 is another date to remember. Exactly 25 years ago, the first Monster came off the Ducati production line in Borgo Panigale, Bologna. This year, to mark the anniversary, an original Monster 900 MY1993 is on display at the Ducati Museum. The bike, obtained via a collector and enthusiast who kept it in excellent condition, is ready to be admired by the museum's thousands of visitors in the room dedicated to this iconic and historic motorcycle.

Lots more events aimed at celebrating the 25th anniversary of Ducati's first Naked bike are planned for the 2018 World Ducati Week, the world's largest Ducati rally, held every two years, which gathers together thousands of enthusiasts. The event will be held on 20, 21 and 22 July 2018 at the Marco Simoncelli Misano World Circuit in Misano Adriatico. Yet another reason not to miss this fantastic occasion.

For full information and to register to take part in the Monster parade at the “Sunday Ride Classic” see Ducati.fr. 
The programme of events at WDW2018 will be communicated shortly on the official Ducati website.

#welovemonster
#parade25ansmonster


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Held Racer Report: ZOEK RACING BEGIN 2018 CAMPAIGN

ZOEK RACING BEGIN 2018 CAMPAIGN

The two Zoek Racing riders Sean Neary and Craig Currie begin their 2018 campaign at Donington Park over the Easter weekend where they will once again compete in the Ducati TriOptions Cup.

Sean Neary

The series is a closely contested one make series comprising of eight rounds at prestigious UK circuits plus one round at Assen in the Netherlands.

Prior to that Neary from Lymm in Cheshire and Currie from Newark in Nottinghamshire will take part in some testing in Spain culminating with the official British Superbike test at Donington Park on March 20 to make final preparations for the upcoming season.

Neary completed the 2017 season in fifth place after securing a win at Thruxton plus three runner up spots and two third places to finish on 177 points.

Currie completed the majority of his races within the top 15 including two eighth places and one ninth to pick up 56 championship points on his way to an 11th place overall.

Craig Currie

Both riders will be chasing strong results for the coming season with Neary chasing the elusive championship title which has eluded him over the last few years.

Neary commented: “ I'm working harder than ever and make no mistake I want that title. Wanting and getting are obviously two different things and I'm going to have my work cut out that's for sure. With a one make series it's always going to be close at the front. We had a lot of bad luck last year but as cheesy as it sounds it's definitely made me stronger and even more determined. I'm really happy to be staying with the Zoek Racing Team alongside Craig Currie. We are all good mates within the team and we have a great laugh which is important. 

“Craig rode with a badly damaged shoulder last year however after surgery in November he is in great shape. Having a shoulder injury is one of the worst injuries you can have in motorcycle racing so he did well to complete any races last season! He was running eighth in the Championship until his shoulder deteriorated so he should be pushing towards the top five this year.

“We head out to Cartagena shortly for the Pro Test and we have some new things to try which should make us stronger come round one.”

The championship dates are:-

Round 1 - March 31/April 2 - Donington Park
Round 2 - April 13/15 - Brands Hatch Indy
Round 3 - May 5/6 - Oulton Park
Round 4 - June 15/17 - Snetterton 300
Round 5 - July 20/22 - Brands Hatch GP
Round 6 - August 17/19 - Cadwell Park
Round 7 - September 7/9 - Silverstone
Round 8 - September 28/30 – Assen

Held UK are looking forward to the season and 

are proud to be associated with Zoek Racing!

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM SCHUBERTH

MOTORCYCLE CLOTHING SPECIALIST HELD ENTRUSTS ITS NEW HELMET COLLECTION TO SCHUBERTH TECHNOLOGIES

Two well-established companies with strong traditions are intensifying their collaboration. For its 2018 helmet collection, Held Biker Fashion will be drawing on SCHUBERTH’s technology and design. No less than five new Held helmet models are based on the successful SCHUBERTH sports, adventure and touring helmets.

Held helmets made by SCHUBERTH – bikers can look forward to this double promise of quality in the coming season. 2018, five SCHUBERTH helmet models will be added to the collection of the prestigious Held brand. The helmets “made by SCHUBERTH“ will be available in 14 different versions and will be perfectly matched to other Held products in terms of colour, decoration and features. The choice of models perfectly supplements Held’s current range in the fields of sports, adventure and touring. Based on SCHUBERTH’s R2 and SR2 helmets, Held will be offering its H-R2 Ride and H-SR2 Race versions. The Held H-E1 Adventure helmet draws heavily on the successful SCHUBERTH E1. The H-C3 Trip and H-C4 Tour touring models from Held are based on the SCHUBERTH C3 Basic flip-up helmet with a proven track record as demonstrated by over 100,000 helmets sold worldwide and the ultramodern SCHUBERTH C4 flip-up helmet.

Like all of its products, SCHUBERTH will also manufacture the new Held helmets exclusively in Germany. “Held and SCHUBERTH share the passion for highest quality and top service. We are extremely delighted that these two well-established brands will be marketing this attractive new helmet collection together. Every discerning motorcyclist, who is not prepared to compromise in terms of quality, safety and design, can look forward to Held helmets made by SCHUBERTH,“ said Jan-Christian Becker, CEO of SCHUBERTH. Markus Held, Managing Director of the Allgäu-based clothing specialist, commented: “We collaborate specifically with manufacturers who strive for the same high standards of quality we do and complement the Held product range in a way that makes sense. We are very pleased that, with SCHUBERTH, we have a perfect partner. The visually and technically modified Held models fit perfectly into our 2018 collection and round off the portfolio of high-quality Held products.“

The new “Held made by SCHUBERTH“ helmet collection celebrated its world premiere at the EICMA in Milan from 7 to 12 November 2017. From the start of the 2018 season, the new helmets will then be available from specialist retailers



About SCHUBERTH: Helmet manufacturers SCHUBERTH are based in Magdeburg, Germany. They have been designing and manufacturing high-end head protection systems since the early 1950s. With its wide range of innovative products, the company is a world leader in motorcycle and motorsports helmets as well as in protective helmets for industrial, fire service, police and military use. For more information please visit www.schuberth.com


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