Forces recruitment-backed team gets deeper into the points
The RAF Reserves Racing team in association with Honda with rider Simon Andrews fulfilled the promise that had been building on the short circuits with a fighting 12th place at Oulton Park on Sunday August 11.
Carrying on the momentum from the previous race, the team also benefitted from the data they obtained when the National Superstock championship visited the 2.7-mile Cheshire race circuit earlier in the year. Thanks to this reference and a fired-up Andrews, the team came out of the blocks strong in practice, finishing inside the top ten in both sessions, and carrying that form into the first qualifying session by placing 6th.
A combination of chasing that elusive sweet set-up and a rider trying aggressively hard to better his lap time in Qualifying 2, saw the RAF Reserves-liveried Honda Fireblade able to match its previous best time, but not better it. With such a deep and closely matched field split into two to determine the grid, the combined average qualifying times mixed for all the Superstock competitors placed Simon on the fourth row in 16th.
The start of the race was frustrating for the 28-year old as he and the no.6 machine were boxed in at the crucial first couple of turns, but the Evesham rider soon got his head down and set about picking riders off one at a time with a series of well-timed and forceful moves.
When the chequered came out on lap 14, the RAF Reserves team crossed the line in 12th place to pick up their first championship points of the season, only five seconds outside the top ten and were first placed Honda.
Rider, Simon Andrews, said: We had the strongest start to a weekend than what we have had all season and the race went well; this has been the first time weve had a set-up that will allow us to stay with people and move forwards and not lose places.
So maybe 12th doesnt sound like a great result, but we are finally getting to show our potential and we just need to get a stronger qualifying position to get away with the leaders. It will come!
Team manager, Lee Hardy, said:Another round and another big step in the right direction. Personally, Im pleased with how its all gone; the team was upbeat coming into this event and straight out of the box for Free Practice and Qualifying 1 we showed our potential. We had a slight setback in Qualifying 2, but we knew the reason why. It feels great to finally get some points on the board and were hoping to better that with a top ten next time out at Cadwell Park.
The next round is at Cadwell Park, 24th-26th August.
Thanks to our sponsors:RAF Reserves, Honda UK, DB Digital, Dometic, Mother Hubbards, Iceni Motorcycles, J.Dsigns, KETT Autopaints, NGK Spark Plugs, Racebikebitz, Rock Oil, R&G, RJ Marriott Engineering, Sidi, Spraybay, Sprint,
Who are Lee Hardy Racing?As part of a high-profile recruitment campaign for the Royal Air Force with backing from Honda UK, the team was established and is managed by former racer Lee Hardy, an employee of the Forward Engineering Support Squadron at RAF Marham.
