Round 7 - Thruxton

Having never ridden Thruxton before, I knew it would be a challenge to quickly learn the track and get up to speed but I was excited for it. Unfortunately, I made the weekend even more difficult for myself by breaking my foot at work less than a week before. Thankfully, I managed to get the swelling under control, and by the time free practice rolled around on Friday, I was ready to ride.

Friday – FP1
This session was all about learning the track and finding my rhythm. I focused on understanding the lines, braking markers, and flow of Thruxton rather than chasing outright pace. By the end of the session, I managed to put in a respectable lap of 1:21.312, giving me a solid foundation to build on.

Friday – FP2
With the track feeling more familiar, I pushed harder and concentrated on improving corner speed and braking points. The changes paid off, and I reduced my lap time to 1:20.169, heading into Saturday with growing confidence.

Saturday – Qualifying
I started the session on a scrubbed rear tyre for the first four laps, knowing how tough Thruxton is on tyres. After that, I came in for a fresh rear and went back out to push for a faster lap. Unfortunately, a quick shifter failure cut the session short, stopping me from pushing as hard as I’d have liked. I qualified P31 with a best lap of 1:20.253.

Huge thanks to Alan Jackson, who stepped in after qualifying to check the bike. He managed to reset a fault that I thought might end my weekend, getting me back out for Race 1 that afternoon.

Race 1
Starting 31st, I got a great launch and made up positions by going around the outside into the first corner. I settled into a strong rhythm, making good overtakes to climb to P22. Unfortunately, a last-corner challenge didn’t go my way, four bikes into one chicane was never going to work. To avoid a collision, I took to the escape road, cutting the corner. As it was the final lap, I couldn’t give the place back, and a two-second penalty dropped me to P26. My best lap was a 1:20.146.

Sunday – Race 2
Starting 30th put me on the inside for Lap 1, so I couldn’t take advantage of the start like I did in Race 1. Another hot day made tyre choice important, and with budget limits I fitted a fresh rear but had to run a scrubbed front. Not ideal for 15 laps around Thruxton.

I ran a solid race and made my way to P24. On Lap 13, I faced a near-identical situation at the chicane as in Race 1, cutting the course to avoid a collision. This time I conceded a place to avoid a penalty, but despite that, I was still handed a two-second penalty, dropping me to P29. My best lap was a 1:19.248.

Despite the setbacks, I’m pleased with the progress made over the weekend, especially lowering my lap times and improving my pace on a track I’d never ridden before. A big thanks to Ray for the fitness plan I’ve begun. I’ll be sticking to it to improve my strength and endurance for Round 7 at Cadwell Park (23rd–25th August).

Thank you to everyone who came to support me trackside, and to all my 2025 sponsors for your support this season. On to Cadwell!