Round Six. High Plains Drifting. Thruxton Hampshire.

Beautiful weather for our weekend at Thruxton. The one thing we all know about the circuit is that we don’t know anything until the chequered flag falls to end the races. Tyre management is the order of the day around the long, high-speed corners over the very abrasive tarmac of the old Hampshire aerodrome. The conditions are a great leveller which makes for close and exciting races. Because of the tyre wear issue, the usual softer compound Pirelli SC0 slick rear tyre is restricted to no more than 12 laps of running. That meant the softer tyre would be the option for qualifying and the shorter sprint race on Sunday. For the rest of the time – including the two feature races – teams have to use the harder compound and more durable SC1 rear tyre.

It’s a big plus that the circuit plays to the strengths of our AJN Steelstock KawasakiZX-10RRs chassis and K-Tech suspension set up which help maintain forward momentum where others struggle for drive grip through the long corners. Max is a local lad from nearby Swindon and scored his first BSB podium here last year - a real high point for him. Christian enjoys Thruxton too and has the depth of experience to master the race long tyre management tactics. Coming off the back of a strong weekend at Brands Hatch our confidence was high going into free practice.

Free Practice and qualifying

Max and Christian were quickly up to speed – P4 and P6 respectively – on near identical times and only 0.3 slower than Kent’s fastest time. Christian got in 23 laps working on race set up but Max only managed 10 tours as an electrical fault cut short his second run. Things got more competitive in FP2 as the teams could use one of the three soft compound tyres allowed to help their riders set a top 12 time to see them straight through to the second phase of qualifying. The powerful Ducatis and BMWs would struggle with tyre wear in the races but they were good for a single fast lap to set a time. In the event, Max and Christian were pushed back to P9 and 10, again on very similar times, and safely through to Q2. 16 riders within one second of the best time clearly illustrated how close things were.

For qualifying the issue with the tyres meant that realistically there would only be two or at best three laps of good grip before it dropped off. Max set his best time on the third of his eight laps – 1.14.6 right on the lap record – and Christian on his second lap, just 0.055 slower. P6 and P9. Ryde on pole position.

Race one

20-lap feature race. Average start from Max and he and Christian, who got off the line well, were battling together through the Campbell/Cobb/Segrave complex that forms turns 3/4/5. Max posted the highest speed trap time of the race down into daunting Church corner on the far side of the circuit – 153.5mph! – and in the process,made up the places he’d lost at the start, competed lap one P5 with Christian nearby in the pack P8. Despite the tyre wear concerns the leaders were setting a strong pace with Max right in there pushing hard while Christian was being more measured – but both were moving forward, Max P2, Christian P4 at the end of lap three. Max made a mistake on lap five and dropped back to P8 but he was soon back with the leaders.

The race settled down with fewer moves in the leading group of 10 riders. Just after half distance the pace picked up and the race started to get serious. Christian hit the front on lap 12 and Max joined him a lap later – we were now running one and two! Then it was Max’s turn, leading laps 14 and 15 before Ryde hit the front on lap 15. Christian’s race unravelled on the same lap when Kent went for the inside at Noble and as Christian turned for the apex they almost collided – which could have ended both of their races – causing him to run wide and lose seven places and all momentum. With only four laps to go, Christian had no time to use his superior pace to get back to the front. He finished a very frustrated P8.

The final five laps turned into a wild three-way battle between Ryde, Kent and Max who had clearly thrown caution to the wind. On lap 19 – remember the tyres thing – all three set their fastest lap times with Max quickest and setting the fastest time of the race – 1.15.8. The TV commentators were getting very excited as Max made his big moves through Church, where his Kawasaki and his nerve had a clear advantage, as they marvelled at his performance racing much more experienced competition. Despite a good run through Church on the penultimate lap, Max could only hold position behind Ryde. Front and rear tyres sliding, as Max went through the chicane to start the final lap. Looking as if he might pull off an unlikely win, Max overplayed his hand on his favourite move through Church to the final lap. Lining up to to go wide around Ryde, Max approached the corner 30kph faster than on previous laps – all too much and the inevitable slide took him wide letting Kent through. And that’s how they finished, Ryde, Kent, Max. Our first podium of the season😎

Race two

No dramas during the 10-minute morning warm up session. Weather set fair for another lovely warm day. Max’s fastest lap in race one meant he would start the12-lap Sprint race from pole position. Christian would line up just behind in P5. With a shorter race distance and the softer tyre allowed it would be a different race as the riders who struggled on the harder tyre would have a better chance to get into the mix.

In the event, things didn’t quite work out as planned. After settling into the race in the leading group, waiting for our slight tyre wear advantage to kick in, the race was red flagged to attend to two fallen backmarkers and clean up the circuit. The restart would be over just eight laps with everyone entitled to fit a brand new soft compound tyre. Grid positions based on the running order on the lap completed before the red flag was shown. Christian P2, Max P4.

Christian got a great start and slotted in behind Ray and Ryde, P3. Max made an average start and was passed by Ray and Haslam, P6. Christian spent the short race locked in a dice with Ryde, Ray and Kent. A bit further back, Haslam held up Max for more most of the race using the straight-line speed of his Ducati to full advantage and which allowed Andrew Irwin to sneak past Max on lap 5 - back to P7. Managing to repass both before going on to the final lap, Max closed to within 0.3 of Christian in P4 and crossed the line just one second behind winner Kent, P5. Not quite what we’d hoped for but still a decent showing.

Race three

Stuck in traffic during the shortened sprint race prevented Christian and Max from setting lap times representative of their pace. Christian P5 and Max P7 on the final grid of the weekend. They’d need to get their heads down over the first few laps, but the race distance and harder rear tyres would play in our favour.

Christian got a flyer and settled in behind Ray, P2, which is where he stayed for the next 18 laps. Max made an average start and got a bit tangled up again with Haslam and Andrew Irwin. Their battle came to a head early on when Max made a move on Irwin into the complex which ran them both very wide, in fact Max was lucky to stay on. The stewards investigated but took no further action as they ruled it a racing incident. The upshot was that Max was now P10 dicing with Skinner and Redding. Running wide on lap 14 – down to P11 – pretty much finished Max’s race as by then his tyre was gone as a result of trying to make up ground. Irwin recovered to repass Max who finally finished P9, sandwiched between former champions Redding and Bridewell. Very disappointed but he’d had a fantastic weekend.

While all that was going on, Christian was running the ultimate professional’s race. Good start and sit in saving the rear tyre for the attacks that would come in the final two or three laps. Sure enough, Kent made his move on lap 18 and passed both Christian and Ray to take the lead a lap later. Behind, champion Ryde had been pushed back in an earlier skirmish was the main threat to a podium finish for Christian. After his recent strong showings and his four fourth places, everyone was willing him to hold on to P3. Ryde passed Nesbitt on lap 19 and closed to within 0.15 of Christian going onto the final lap. With all four leaders on the limit, they held station until the run up Woodham Hill to the chicane where the final attacks would happen – 200 yards from the line. Ray passed Kent going in but ran wide. Christian covered the line to keep Ryde behind. Kent cut back under Ray and then it was the run to the line. Christian stayed tight to cover the inside and took the flag P3, 0.017 ahead of Ryde and with the four of them covered by 0.5, with Nesbitt next along within a second of the winner. Christian did a brilliant job of making the majority of a Thruxton race seem boring!

Podium for each of the boys and a very happy crew in the garage. Decent weekend all round and we’re starting to reflect our true potential in the riders’ and teams’ championship standings.

Next time

Roll on Cadwell for ‘The Party in the Park’ on August Bank Holiday weekend. It will be all action at the season’s most challenging circuit.

Hope to see you there.

Regards. Nigel. Team Principal.