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Tough weekend For TCG Motorsport |
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Written by TCG Motorsport
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Thursday, 19 April 2007 |
Maxxis British Supersport CupMetzeler Racetec National Superstock Cup
Brands Hatch 7th-9th April
A sunny bank holiday weekend at Brands Hatch was the perfect backdrop for the first BSB meeting of 2007. The TCG Motorsport managed HAWK Kawasaki Juniors team made its debut, racing in the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Cup and Maxxis British Supersport Cup. However it proved to be a difficult introduction to National racing for riders Dave Hallett and Jak Wright. With little pre-season testing possible, the bikes were still unfamiliar and most of the qualifying time was spent just getting used to the bikes.
With around fifty riders competing for forty grid places in each class, qualifying for the race is an achievement in itself. Superstock rider Dave Hallett qualified comfortably, starting the race 26th on the grid and confident of going faster during the race as he did not manage to get a clear lap in qualifying. However some last-minute suspension adjustments didn’t work as expected and Dave felt that there was a lack of grip from the rear of the bike throughout the race, although his lap times were similar to those achieved in qualifying. A poor start left Hallett 32nd at the end of lap 1 and although he gained a few places in the first few laps, he dropped back again towards the end to finish 31st after suffering from “arm pump” for much of the race.
In the Supersport class Jak Wright found the going tough, still needing more time on the bike to feel confident about pushing hard for a quick lap. He managed to improve his lap time by over four seconds between the first free practice session and the end of qualifying, but it wasn’t enough and he missed the last place on the grid by 0.108 seconds.
Despite the disappointing results there was still plenty of optimism in the team, and Technical Director Chris Martin was positive about the team’s first weekend of racing at National level. “At this stage we’re not focussing too much on results” he commented. “Right now we’re mainly looking to qualify for the races. Dave and Jak need more time to build confidence before we can expect them to push the limits of the bikes. In return we need them to put in the time and effort that is required to get to that stage. Then we can look at achieving better results on track.”
Round two of the season takes place at Thruxton on the 13th-15th April.
Report By Jon Tanner
About TCG Motorsport
TCG Motorsport was established in 2005 to identify and maximise the potential of young and talented motorcycle racers, with the ultimate goal of competing at National or International level. In 2005, TCG helped Tom Gazzard to achieve 3rd place in the BMCRC Rookie 600 Championship, and Stewart Willetts to 7th place in the BMCRC Clubman 1000 series.
In 2006 the team competed in the MRO Dyna-Pro MiniTwin Championship with rider Dave Hallett, racing and developing a Kawasaki ER-6 in a class dominated by the Suzuki SV650. David finished in 10th place despite missing 2 rounds. Highlights of the season included several podium finishes, a pole position and a lap record at Mallory Park. The team also entered a meeting run by the North Gloucester Racing Club, scoring 2 race wins and a class lap record at the Darley Moor circuit.
This year TCG Motorsport will be running the Hawk Kawasaki Junior team, continuing to support Dave Hallett, racing in the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Cup on a Kawasaki ZX-10. Jak Wright has also joined the team for 2007, competing in the Maxxis British Supersport Cup on a Kawasaki ZX-6R
You can visit www.tcgmotorsport.co.uk to find out more
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