Round Six. Back to Oulton Park, Cheshire.

After another impressive weekend for Joe and Max at Brands Hatch we were confident of carrying the momentum on to Oulton Park.  Joe’s home circuit is a favourite for riders and fans alike. The demanding 2.69 mile parkland layout provides excellent spectating opportunities and places a premium on chassis set up and rider approach. Tight chicanes, fast bends and sharp crests demand a smooth, flowing style to achieve a fast lap time. A full-on attacking approach really doesn’t work at Oulton. Once again, it looked like the weather wouldn’t be a factor over the three days.

Free practice testing

Both bikes set up differently from how they left Brands Hatch. Softer engine mapping to smooth out power delivery and fine chassis setting changes to help manage the bumps and changes of direction through the chicanes.

Joe’s brief was to get laps in and do more work on understanding how his AJN Steelstock bimota KB998 Rimini works. He reeled off 28 laps in the one hour FP1 session. Mostly running on used tyres but with a new set in towards the end to prepare him for the shorter FP2 run later in the day. Max did 18 laps, mostly on his race three tyre from Brands before he too had his final six laps on a new set. A lap in 1.33.5 was only 0.7 from the lap record and placed Max P3 on the timing screen. It was going to be a very fast weekend.

Max used the afternoon session to test a modified chassis component. It didn’t offer him any improvements, but it did mean we were able to provide feedback to our partners in the world team. Joe upped his pace and over 15 laps got down to a 33.9, just outside the top 10.

No dramas and nicely set up for the competitive sessions starting with the 20 minutes of pre-qualifying.

Pre-qualifying

The target is always to set a top 12 time to secure a place in the second part of qualifying. There are times when getting to Q2 with a top three run in Q1 can be an advantage, for instance if it’s raining, but usually the best outcome is to go straight through to the final stage of qualifying.

Joe’s steady preparations certainly paid off as he ended the session P6, just behind Scott Redding, with a lap in 1.33.4. Max went 0.3 faster and sat at the top of the times until Ray pipped him by just 0.016, relegating Max to P2. Both lads very comfortably through to Q2 and ending the day with smiles on their faces.

Qualifying. Max Pole Joe P5.

10 minutes warm up on Saturday morning went off without a hitch. But the qualifying session itself would prove to be a nail biter!

Joe went out first for a short run on worn tyres, just to get his eye in. Back in for a pair of brand new tyres, on his first flying lap he broke into the 1.32s with a special lap in 1.32.9 only a tenth of a second outside the lap record. P3 for a while, Joe ended the session P5 for an impressive middle of the second row grid slot for the first feature race. Well done Joe!

Max let everyone go before rolling out on new tyres for his run. On his first flying lap he smashed the lap record with a 1.32.7!! Beat that everyone. Seven minutes later Stacey did just that, bettering Max’s time by 0.043… With just enough time to get back out for one last flying lap, Max left the garage. As his fast lap developed, he was setting ‘green’ sectors on the screens – personal bests – but not ‘purple’ fastest times. It was looking very close. Out of Lodge, the final corner, Max nailed the throttle on his bimota and crossed the line at almost 150mph – we waited two seconds for his time to pop up. He’d done it, pole position, 1.32.6, 0.082 better than Stacey with Ray a further 0.164 back in third. Some lap under maximum pressure. What’s more, fastest ever motorcycle lap around Oulton Park. Well done Max!

On to the 18 lap feature race with a spring in our step.

Feature race one. Max DNF Joe P7

Perfect launch by Max who swooped in to turn one, Old Hall, in the lead. Behind him, Joe

made an even more impressive start as he swerved around Redding and ran up the inside to emerge out of Old Hall P2, closely following Max. A bimota one, two….

We knew the race would feel much longer than usual with both Max and Joe at the front. There was plenty of time for things to happen. And so, they did. Exiting the fast downhill Cascades corner, Joe had a big rear end slide as he opened the throttle, flicking him up in the seat and enabling Ray, close behind, to nip past dropping him to P3. Having lost his rhythm, Joe soon got pushed back buy Stacey, Haslam and Vickers, P6. A couple of laps later Ryde, recovering from a low grid position and Redding pushed through leaving Joe P8 but a long way ahead of the second group. After that he settled into his race, reeling off fast times just off the back of the leaders.

Max was still leading after seven laps with Ray and the lead group hard on his heels. Then the warning signs started. Losing the front end in Old Hall caused Max to run a bit wide and instantly Ray was alongside and past him into Cascades closely followed by Stacey, P3. The next six laps were a dog fight involving Max, Ray, Stacey, Haslam, Ryde and with Redding in close company. Lap 14 and max is 0.8 off the lead in P5, it was that close. But on lap 16 Max went missing. A very brief TV shot showed Max and his bike laid out on the grass slope below Cascades. At the top of the slope, just where you turn left to go down to the apex, without warning the front tyre let go and Max was a passenger. More of a birdman actually as he and his bike flew through the air in dramatic style.

We feared the worse, but the picture soon turned to Max staggering away supported by two marshals. Thankfully no need for an ambulance but a pillion ride to the medical centre instead. A bit groggy - hardly surprising - and a good few bumps and bruises but generally he’d got away with it. 10 hours sleep and a Sunday morning visit to the doctor, Max was declared fit to ride. We thought his bike would be a write off but the bimota chassis took the big impact very well. Despite a lot of front end damage, after an 11 o’clock night shift, the crew had Max’s bike looking like new, ready for Sunday’s races.

Meanwhile, whilst all that was going on, Joe had his head down chasing Vickers and lapping in similar times to the leader’s. Max’s crash promoted him to P7 and he crossed the line only eight seconds behind winner Ray and over 10 seconds ahead of eighth placed O’Halloran.

Highs and lows of racing for Max but good to see Joe take another step forward.

Sprint race. Max P5 Joe P6

The morning warm up on Sunday was more significant than usual. How would Max be feeling and would his rebuilt bike be okay? Just ten minutes, time for seven laps. We got the answer almost immediately as Max was purple (fastest) through the speed trap on the approach to Island Bend – 157mph before the first heavy braking point. All okay then! Max finished the short session P4. 0.5 off Ryde’s fastest time. Joe had an uneventful run to P7, three tenth behind Max.

Max was glad the sprint race was only 12 laps as the aches and pains from his big crash were starting to make their presence felt. Joes was just straining at the leash, as usual!

Max held on to his fifth place starting position into Old Hall, Joe lost a couple of places but soon settled into the the race at the back of the leading group. Past Stacey for P4 it seemed that the adrenaline was helping Max ignore the discomfort. Joe was soon past Brookes for P8 and soon Ryde, recovering from a poor start, passed both bimotas. Max was locked in battle with Vickers and Joe had just passed Stacey when the safety car was deployed to allow gravel to be swept away at Druids, the result of Brookes crashing heavily. At the restart, Max lost a place to Haslam who subsequently crashed out leaving Max to follow Vickers in for P5 with Joe on his tail for an excellent P6.

Feature race two. Max P6 Joe DNF

For the final race of the weekend, Max lined up P4 on the second row with Joe just behind in P7. One thing for sure is that Max wasn’t looking forward to 18 laps of hard racing around Oulton Park. But that’s the job, even after a heavy crash.

Two strong starts again, and as the race settled down on to lap two Max, P4, was ahead of Vickers with Joe just behind him in P6. Running really strongly in the lead group, on lap five Joe suddenly lost pace and dropped back down the order as far as P14 within a couple of laps. With something clearly not right, after another two laps we signalled him to come in and retire the bike. No point risking Joe and damage to the engine when there was nothing to be gained. Understandably, Joe was gutted as he had felt so comfortable running in the lead group. Despite that he’d had a brilliant weekend at his home track and he will only get stronger from here.

Max ‘bit the screen’ to hold on to P4 until Haslam eventually found a way past him on lap 13. They were well clear of Vickers but both started to struggle, Haslam with rear grip issues and Max with the pain and discomfort of it all. Vickers quickly closed in and passed both of them with ease. And that’s how it ended with Max a brave P6 to go with his P5 in the sprint race.

In parc ferme, Max could hardly get off his bike and was sure it had been the toughest race he had ever finished. Top effort Max and, again, well done Joe.

Championship positions

Despite the crash and two difficult races, Max has held on to his P5 in the overall rider standings, 18 points behind Haslam. Joe is at P12 but only 20 points behind Iddon in P9. A few more of his attacking rides could see him up in the top ten which would really be something in his rookie season.

After Ray’s strong weekend, in the team rankings we’ve slipped back to fourth behind the McAMS squad but we’re still flying the flag high for bimota and AJN Steelstock.

Next time

Thruxton next. Max’s home circuit and scene of his first BSB podium and general high speed antics last time there. It’s a very challenging, high speed circuit so there’s no doubt Joe will be in the mix too.

Can’t wait and hope to see you there.

Regards. Nigel Team Principal.