Here are some photos from the third round of the 2024 Wirral 100 championships, taken by official photographer Neil Lambert...

Our first meeting of "official summer" greeted us with rain on arrival to the circuit, but fortunately a superb weekend of sunshine lay ahead! With Dave Snr taking a vacation this week, it was more like a family holiday than a race meeting - which had both Pros and Cons...

​On Saturday morning we had the Twins qualifying session first. We casually got into the swing of things and set a best lap time of 1:16.1 which qualified us 5th position in class (9th on the combined grid). Shortly afterwards we headed out into the Supersport 600 qualifying session and set a more appropriate lap time of 1:14.717 which qualified us 2nd in class (10th on the combined grid).

Our first race was Twins Race 1. From the start we settled into a race battle consisting of 4 riders for the entire race. We set a lap time of 1:14.597 (which was slower than we wanted - a 1:14.0 was our aim) and finished 5th in class, 7th overall on track.

With the sun beating down on the track, we experienced track temperatures in excess of 40C! This made the circuit surface quite slippery (or more probably the tyre/track combination less than ideal) and on the opening lap we had rear-end slides at Church (Turn 3) and on the final corner. This woke us up and made us be a little more cautious getting on the gas - but on lap 5 the race was red-flagged after a faller at the Corkscrew section.

After a short wait on the start line the race was restarted. This race was stopped on lap 2 following an unfortunate crash for (Aintree Steel Frame 600 championship leader) Wayne Pudge on his Butler Racing machine. Wayne suffered a dislocated hip and injured his thumb during the crash - we would like to wish Wayne all the best with his recovery!

The club decided to call an early lunch and then restarted the race over 5 laps. By this point we just wanted to get through the race unscathed. We managed to set a best lap time of 1:15.321 and finished 4th in class, 10th overall.

A couple of hours later we headed out for Twins Race 2. We had a good start and successfully dodged the stricken pole-position machine on the run to the first corner. From there we held our position all the way until the end of the race, finishing 5th in class (7th overall) and setting a best lap time of 1:14.616.

Unfortunately there is no onboard video for Supersport 600 Race 2. Due to all of the excitement with the earlier races the battery had run out! That's a shame, as in this race we finished 1st in the Pre-2011 class and in 5th position overall - with a best lap time of 1:13.917, which is much closer to where we want to be! After a good start in the race we went faster and faster through the race, eventually setting our fastest lap on the final lap. In comparison, some of our competitors got slower towards the end of the race which meant we were able to pick off some extra positions during the final few laps.

It was a good way to end the day and it meant that for the first time ever, we have won races with 3 different clubs in the same season! It was also 15 years since we had last won a Wirral 100 race.

​Onto Sunday and we decided to skip the morning warm-up session. During this weekend we, for whatever reason, were suffering from an overcautious approach to the races. We decided that doing some "not at 100% commitment" laps wouldn't help things so saved ourselves for the races instead. 

Into Twins Race 3 and we got a bit swamped during the opening lap. But we got our head down and set a best lap of 1:14.519 (which was the fastest Twin lap we would put in all weekend) during our way back through the field. At the chequered flag we finished 6th in class (10th overall in the combined field).

During Supersport 600 Race 3 we managed to do quire a rare thing nowadays - we set a new Personal Best lap time of 1:13.338. As was becoming a tradition this weekend, we let a load of people pass us during the opening laps and then chased them down before the flag. In this race that worked quite well, as we finished 2nd in class (7th overall).

In Twins Race 4 we rode as hard as we felt comfortable with, which was good enough to take another 5th place class finish (7th overall) with a best lap of 1:15.259.

​Our final race of the weekend was Supersport 600 Race 4. For an unknown reason, we were just more comfortable on the Kawasaki ZX6R than the Aprilia this weekend. In this race we were able to get into the 1:13s again (with a 1:13.760) and took another 2nd position in class (7th overall) which bagged us a few more championship points.

Speaking of championship points... After this event, the Wirral 100 tables look as follows - with the 15/12/10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 point structure giving points to the Top 12 riders.

Pre-2011 Supersport Championship Standings (Top 5)
Tom Harrison       86
David Carson     81
Matthew Perry      59
Caleb Williams      57
Rhys Forrest         42

Twins Championship Standings (Top 5)
Louis Dawson       95
Scott McCrory       93
David Carson     65
Andy Herd            44
Robert Williams     43

The conclusion of this meeting marks the mid-point of our 2024 season. The season has gone particularly well for us so far. At present, this is how we stand within the various championships.

Aintree 750cc Twins                    -->     Championship Leaders
Aintree 700cc Supertwins            -->     Championship Leaders
Darley Moor Darley Cup              -->     Championship Leaders
Darley Moor 700cc Twins             -->     Championship Leaders
Darley Moor Open 600cc             -->     2nd in championship
Wirral 100 Pre-2011 Supersport    -->     2nd in championship
Wirral 100 Twins                         -->     3rd in championship
Aintree Supersport 600                -->     4th in championship

We have a couple of weeks off now, before our next meeting at Aintree on Saturday 13th July.

Here are some photos from Round 2 of the Darley Moor championships, taken by official Darley photographer Tony Else...

We arrived at Darley Moor Round 2 straight from Aintree Round 2 which meant a late setup in the paddock. Unfortunately, the rain that hit Aintree also landed at Darley - meaning that everywhere was soaking wet - but once setup we watched some of the day's British Superbike action via the laptop.

Once again it was an early start to the day to get the scrutineering and sign on activities out of the way. Rain had fell overnight but stopped around 5am. The ground was wet but drying quickly. Fortunately we didn't need to do a single wheel swap during this meeting!

​Out into the Open 600 qualifying session and most corners had a dry line, with just the Pope Straight having wet patches. Things went well and we quickly got into the swing of things, catching and passing riders. We then decided to find some space so that we could attempt a quick lap - we found the space but when we came to the line to start our lap the chequered flag was already out... Our lap time of 1:02.47 was good enough for a front-row grid start (3rd position) and not too far away from the pole position time of 1:02.06.

Our next qualifying session (on the Aprilia RS660 Trofeo) would provide our grid position for both the Darley Cup and 700cc Twins races. A 1:00.98 lap time put us in pole position for both classes.

Our first race was the 10-lap Darley Cup Race 1. We got a good launch (for us) and entered the Wilson chicane 3rd in class, behind Nick Clare and Mark Pattinson. By the end of lap 5 we had managed to move into 2nd position but were 6.61 seconds behind the race leader. We put in some solid laps and set the fastest lap of the race (1:00.26) but at the chequered flag we finished in 2nd position, 4.25 seconds behind race winner Mark. We were hoping that we might be able to put a challenge to Mark in race 2...

The grid numbers were low for the 700cc Twins at this meeting. Following a dispute with the organisers, the always-quick Sean Seddon decided to leave before the meeting had started. Josh Froggatt (son of Anthony Froggatt and current EMRA Supertwins championship leader) made a guest appearance to add some spice to the mix.

After another decent (but not great) start we entered the chicane in 3rd position and then moved up into 2nd position by the end of the opening lap. We followed Josh for several laps, looking for an opportunity to move passed and (with hindsight) should probably have taken advantage of an opportunity to take the lead into Park corner on lap 5. Some unfortunately-timed backmarkers created a gap that we couldn't bridge and despite setting the fastest lap of the race (1:00.10) we crossed the line to take 2nd place, 1.65 seconds behind Josh who deserved the victory.

​Heading out to Open 600 Race 1 there was a long delay in the assembly area due to recovery of a kart and driver. Then when we went out onto track it started raining! On the third lap we took the overall race lead and then a few corners later the race was red-flagged. You can see this abandoned race below.

The race was restarted after the lunch break in much better conditions. On the opening lap, coming out of the chicane in 4th position we moved into 3rd position into Park corner and then into 2nd position into Paddock corner - which put us just over a second behind race leader Mark Goodings. We managed to claw our way onto the back of Mark's bike (which was looking quite loose at the rear on corner entry) but a passing opportunity never presented itself. Despite setting another fastest lap of the race (59.40), we crossed the line in 2nd position once again, just 0.13 of a second behind the race winner.

After a short break we headed out into Darley Cup Race 2. A lacklustre start put paid to our hope of challenging Race 1 winner Mark Pattinson, as we struggled to pass a bum-waggling Nick Clare. With the introduction of riders from other classes, the race leader disappeared into the distance whilst we just scrapped amongst ourselves. Our fastest lap time of 1:02.19 showed how much pace we had in reserve, but in this race it wasn't to be. At the end of the race we finished 3rd in class, just 0.26 of a second behind Nick.

At the start of Twins Race 2, the bike electronically dropped revs at the start which resulted in a poor start for us. One day we'll sort out our starts... Entering the Wilsons chicane in 5th position, we managed to move up to 2nd on track by the end of the opening lap - but were 2.11 seconds behind race-leader Josh Froggatt. Try as we might - even by putting in a couple of 59-second laps with a fastest lap of 59.95 - we decreased the gap but could only finish in 2nd place, 1.41 seconds behind race winner Josh at the flag.

Our final race was Open 600 Race 2. We were 5th into the chicane and remained there until lap 3 when Adam Green ran wide whilst attempting an overtake at Park corner, then later in the lap we overtook Adam Mather into Paddock corner. Now in 3rd position - but 3.40 seconds behind 2nd placed Joe Holdsworth - we had some clear track to put in some clean laps. Once again we set the fastest lap of the race (58.80) and on the last lap were on the back wheel of Joe. We tried an optimistic move into Paddock corner on the final lap which was ultimately unsuccessful. Mark Goodings took the win by 2.63 seconds from Joe, with us just a further 0.08 of a second behind in 3rd place.

​With the meeting now complete we reflected on the fact that we had set the fastest lap in 5 of our 6 races, but we didn't win any! We will take away the positive that we clearly had the speed this weekend and will try to put things in place for the future to capitalize on that. As the saying goes - you can't win them all...

The championship tables at the end of this meeting look as follows.

700cc Twins Championship (Top 5)
David Carson  54
Josh Froggatt    30
Sean Seddon     24
Aron Redmond   20
Tom Hodge         8

Darley Cup Championship (Top 5)
David Carson  52
Nick Clare          46
Mark Pattinson   30
Aron Redmond   20
Martyn Cooper   16
Anthony Thane  16

Open 600 Championship (Top 5)
Mark Goodings   57
David Carson   42
Joe Holdsworth   39
Adam Green       32
Chris Stuart        22

We don't have long to wait until riding again, as we will be racing at the Wirral 100 Anglesey meeting this coming weekend (22nd-23rd June). We'll let you know how that goes!

Here are some photos from Aintree Round 2, taken by official photographer Tony Else...

​This trip to Aintree circuit kicks off our "4 race meetings at 3 circuits in 9 days" adventure... However, we were almost thwarted before we even begun - as our trusty yellow Vivaro refused to start on Thursday afternoon. The issue was diagnosed as a faulty/failed crankshaft position sensor which when replaced on Friday afternoon meant that she sparked back into life. Phew!

We travelled with the wet wheels fit to both bikes so that upon arrival we could treat both machines to some fresh new dry tyres (only our second new set all season!). Then once setup we cooked some pizza and settled in to watch the opening match of the EUFA Euro 2024. As exciting as it was, I think that was enough football to last me for a while...

​An early start for scrutineering (7am) gave us plenty of chance to fit the new dry tyres. Little did we know that this would be the first of three times that we would need to change wheels during the day (which was 12 wheel changes!).

Like the previous round, we were scheduled to be out in three qualifying sessions and in six races - starting with the Supersport 600 qualifying. We quickly settled into the groove and managed to qualify in 6th position, which we were happy with.

We were watching the weather radar and could see that some rain was heading our way, so decided to try and put in a "banker lap" in the 750cc Twins session before the rain fell. We expected only 3-4 minutes before the rain started to fall but it turned out to be closer to 6-7 minutes when the rain drops started landing on our windscreen. We pulled in, expecting that heavy rain would soon follow, but only light sprinkles fell. But we had made the best of the early conditions and had set the pole position for our class (which was 2nd on the combined grid).

A few minutes later the proper rain fell - and then kept coming! Before long, all on-track action was halted and an early lunch was called. A river started running through our awning! Part of the track was waterlogged and needed to be pumped dry before the race meeting could continue.

After a break of roughly 3 hours, the on-track action resumed with Qualifying Session 8. We had swapped back to wet tyres and headed out in Qualifying Session 10 (700cc Twins) onto a damp circuit. Despite having the right tyres for the conditions, we struggled to get comfortable with the conditions - but at the end of the session we had qualified 2nd in class (4th on the combined grid), so many people must have felt the same.

Due to the delays it was decided that only one race per class would take place. Following a short break we had our first race, Supersport 600. The track conditions were apparently much better, so once again we performed a wheel swap and went back onto dry tyres. Out onto track and there were minimal damp spots in sight - it was amazing how quickly the circuit conditions had changed!

We got a decent start and exited the first corner in 7th position. During the race, two riders went straight on (giving us an automatic bump upwards in position) to 5th place and then on the final lap we managed to pick off another rider to finish in 4th position! We had been aiming for a Top 5 result during the season, so were very pleased to achieve our goal!

Next up was the 750cc Twins Race. We got a good start on the Aprilia and entered the first corner in 3rd place on track (1st in class). During the race we ended up chasing down the Kawasaki ZXR750 who was 2nd on track, which makes for some good onboard video footage. At the chequered flag we finished 3rd on track (just!) and won our race, as well as setting the fastest lap in class.

Our final race of the meeting was the 700cc Supertwins Race. We didn't have the best of starts but managed to recover to 5th position on track by turn 2 of the opening lap. By the end of the opening lap we had moved into the class lead and into 2nd on track.

We kept our rhythm and soon we had caught overall race leader Wayne Pudge. On lap 3 we got a great slipstream down the back straight but as soon as we pulled out it was like we had thrown out an anchor (see 2:45-3:00 in the video below). We made a move on the brakes into the final corner to take the overall race lead. Wayne kept us honest all the way to the flag where we took the race win!

With only one race per class taking place at this meeting the organisers decided to award double-points. The championship standings now look as follows.

700cc Supertwins Championship Standings (Top 5)
David Carson      100
Stephen Johnston  58
John Miller            44
Andrew Herd         40
Tim Walsh             40

750cc Twins Championship Standings (Top 5)
David Carson      95
Stephen Johnston  61
John Miller            41
Tim Walsh            40
Andrew Herd         36

Supersport 600 Championship Standings (Top 5)
Stephen Gorton     90
Christopher Jones  86
Max Ainscouch      56
David Carson      43
Duncan Burns       36

With the meeting coming to a close we packed up and set the Sat Nav to take us straight to Darley Moor Round 2 for their race meeting on the following day (Sunday). You can read the Darley Moor race report here!