National Endurance Championship – Snetterton 6 hours – 9th April 2007

A very impressive grid assembled at Snetterton for the first of five rounds, counting towards the 2007 HMRC Championship. Previous national endurance race winners from 2006, returned to join new teams, attracting a host of very quick riders with a background of short circuit and international endurance racing.

Uprite Racing used last year’s Championship winning Suzuki 1000 to secure pole and converted this into an early, but short lead over GBmoto (Mark Smith-Halvorsen/Richard Norris/Alex Cudlin) and Harvey Mushman Racing. GBmoto were back with their 2006 race winning Corporate FX R1 Yamaha, with much work done on the bike to improve its performance and reliability. Uprite Racing lost the lead on track just into the second hour to GBmoto and was then passed by HMR too, as the order at the head of the field was established. Uprite Racing spent the first three hours in 3rd place behind GBmoto and HMR, prior to retiring with engine gremlins, after John Crockford had set the fastest race lap of 1m 09.235s.

Following the departure of Uprite Racing, GBmoto and HMR ran at the front for the remainder of the race separated by only a couple of laps, elevating new to endurance racing; Team UKRM up into a robust third for the rest of the race. In the final half an hour HMR slowed due to overheating and GBmoto started their season as they did last year - with a 6 lap winning margin, in the first round of the championship. The victory marks a return to form for GBmoto and evidence that off season improvements paid dividends.

It was good to see such competitive lap times with ex British Superbike and ex World Endurance riders battling for the lead. Both young Aussie Alex Cudlin and professional racer Damian Rowley are on World Endurance duty, starting with Le Mans in a week’s time. The HMRC National Endurance Championship moves to Knockhill at the end of April for another six hour race.
Team GBmoto would like to thank their sponsors, for their help and support: Corporate FX Ltd, Martin Williams & Co., Dunlop Motorsport, YPE Power, Silkolene Oil, Bodyscience, Hideout Leathers, Lazar Signs and the GBmoto Supporters Club.

National Endurance Championship – Knockhill 6 hours – 28th April 2007

Series leaders GBmoto (Mark Smith Halvorsen, local ace Torquil Paterson and the very experienced Roger Bennett - making a welcome return to the Corporate FX Yamaha R1) managed to grab pole from local specialists – Grant Racing, who have their base in the Knockhill paddock. New to the bike, Torquil said, “I am happy that the team is starting from the front, its nerve racking even with my circuit knowledge, trying to push for times but not make a mistake. I have not ridden on Dunlop’s for some years now, but they are feeling good”. So as noon approached, so did the first ever motorcycle endurance race in Scotland. What next?

The early part of the race saw northern racing protagonists, Bruce Birnie of Grant Racing and Roger Bennett circulate in very close company, trading fastest laps in the process. Before most initial pit stops commenced on the one hour mark, GBmoto held a 1 lap lead over HMR who were in front of the Moores Racing R6, with Grant Racing in fourth, after an early first stop. The Pace Car made an unwelcome appearance on the 2 hour mark, as Mark S-H extended the teams lead to 3 laps. Team Viking’s Paul Clarke and one of the Radtec’s riders had gone down at the hairpin - Clarke’s team mate, later managed to recover the stricken 600. Meanwhile, race leaders GBmoto had handed over to Torquil Paterson to take the race on.

After 179 laps, Forbes Cowan the strongest of the Scottish entrants, dropped the Grant Racing machine and retired in the pits, un-able to repair the damage to the Suzuki Superbike. In the last third of the race, GBmoto consolidated a safe lead over HMR who had the M2 Construction R6 only a couple of laps behind. With just over an hour to go the Corporate FX R1 developed a split exhaust, by then holding a seven lap lead! The bike pitted and the front brake pads needed replacing - as a result, half the lead evaporated. The bike now sounded like a ‘Wellington Bomber’ and although they had a spares, Team Manager Barry Watts decided against a lengthy repair. A good decision it proved to be as at 18:00:33 the legendary #66 roared past the chequered flag to take GBmoto’s second win of the season.

Following the podium presentation, the team took some more unexpected awards at the trophy presentations, by picking up the organisers ‘Best Pit Crew’ AND ‘Best Turned-Out Team’ award. This was welcome recognition of not just a good result, but a job done professionally and diligently too! Team GBmoto would like to thank their sponsors, for their help and support: Corporate FX Ltd, Martin Williams & Co., Dunlop Motorsport, YPE Power, Silkolene Oil, Bodyscience, Hideout Leathers, Lazar Signs and the GBmoto Supporters Club.