Brands disappointment for Low Simon Low’s hopes of putting on a good show in front of his sponsors, family and friends were dashed at Brands Hatch on Sunday when he was forced to retire from round 8 of the British 125cc Championship. The Twickenham rider was looking to carry over his form from the previous round at Snetterton when he finished 10th but the weekend was nothing but problematical and he left the Kent venue, his local round, a disappointed young man. Determined to hit the ground running and continue the momentum gained at Snetterton, the weekend didn’t get off to the greatest of starts in Friday’s free practice sessions when Simon struggled to post a decent time as he struggled to get a good feeling from the tyres he was running. A lack of grip meant he was unable to go any quicker than 32nd and his cause wasn’t helped when Saturday’s opening qualifying session was hit by weather which saw warm temperatures one minute but rain and cooler conditions the next. Most of the session was spent coming in and out of the pits but he did at least post a time that placed him 27th. The final qualifying session was completely dry so all of the grid positions were determined here but Simon found that the Honda was again struggling for speed and his best lap of 1m40.867s was some one and a half seconds slower than what he’d done 12 months ago and was only good enough for 33rd on the grid. Knowing he was riding as hard as he possibly could, race day was again a struggle. Morning warm-up saw the bike start to misfire at the top of the rev range and, fearful of the bike cutting out, Simon was trying to keep out of the way of the other riders when he slid off at Dingle Dell towards the end of the session. The race itself saw Simon climb up to 28th but he was again struggling for grip and was unable to make any further impression whilst a lack of drive meant that although he could close in on riders going in to the corners, he was left behind on the exit. To end a truly disappointing weekend, the Honda got slower and slower and, convinced it was going to nip up and seize, Simon pulled off the course and retired on the ninth lap. Speaking later, a very disappointed Simon said; “After the high of Snetterton, I’ve been well and truly brought back down to earth this weekend. It’s a real disappointment to have come here and have the weekend that I’ve had, even more because all my sponsors, family and friends were here. Brands is one of my favourite circuits and I love racing on the GP track so I was really looking forward to building on the Snetterton result but it didn’t matter what I did, nothing would go right. I was absolutely trying my hardest from start to finish but couldn’t get anywhere near the times I did in 2009 and every time I went out something would go wrong. The bike was a lot slower than what it was at Snetterton and I couldn’t get any grip whilst on Sunday I was convinced it was going to seize at any time. I was at a loss to explain what had happened and was beginning to doubt myself as I knew I couldn’t have tried any harder but we’ve since found out there was a problem with the piston ring and it’s been affecting the performance of the bike all weekend. It’s obviously too late for this weekend but at least we now know that it was a mechanical problem rather than anything to do with my riding. It’s just so frustrating to go from the top ten to the back of the grid in the space of a couple of weeks but all we can do is wipe the slate clean and move on to the next round to get back to where I feel we should be running.” Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire hosts round 9 of the series on August 28-30. More, from a press release issued by Team Velocity Racing: TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha Fourth at VIR; TVR 136 Third in Mediumweight Superbike ALTON, VA “” Less than one week after completing round five of the WERA National Endurance Series, TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha was back on track for round six at Virginia International Raceway. Friday’s four-hour race resulted in a finish of fourth, both overall and in Heavyweight Superbike. TVR 136, the team’s Mediumweight Superbike entry, earned third in class. As usual, the trio of Chuck Ivey, James Vanderhaar and Scott Brown piloted the TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha YZF-R1. Practice was a key aspect of the weekend as the riders sought to get the R1 set up properly. Handling and rear suspension had been an issue at Summit Point just a week before, and practice was a valuable chance to get the bike dialed in for VIR’s rolling hills. “We put our heads together and got a really good setup during practice,” says Brown. “I think we’re coming together really well as a team. We’re continually working on things and it just keeps getting better and better.” Vanderhaar started the race with a full tank of VP Racing Fuel and began turning his best lap times of the weekend. As the race developed, the TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha riders found themselves battling for third place overall. For the second week in a row, increased competition was a welcome challenge for the team. Ivey rode the second stint, continuing the charge that Vanderhaar began. “It was my first time racing at VIR in five years,” noted Ivey. “It’s a fast track and can be intimidating, but after a few laps I settled down and got into my rhythm. It was really hot out there, so I was thankful for the great ventilation on my Arai helmet.” Vanderhaar rode the final fifty minutes of the race following Brown’s stint. When he got onto the track, there was a 48-second gap between third place and the TVR/EBC Brakes Yamaha in fourth. “I knew we wouldn’t be able to catch them, but it didn’t stop me from trying,” says Vanderhaar. “I made up one or two seconds each lap, and it really kept me motivated.” At the end, Vanderhaar had cut the gap in half, but the team had to settle for fourth. Meanwhile, Shane Williams and Abraham Stacey raced the TVR 136 Yamaha YZF-R6 for the first time since round three at Miller Motorsports Park. They finished third in the Mediumweight Superbike class, and will aim for another podium at Barber Motorsports Park next month. “Abraham shows great promise as an endurance rider, and our veteran team rider Shane did a great job leading the team to a podium finish,” says Ivey. TVR’s sponsors include EBC Brakes, Michelin, Yamaha, Aiken Motorcycle, XES Leather, MotoHeaven.com, Arai, Vortex, EK Chains, VP Fuels, and Dyno Jet. Keep up with the team’s season and find pictures online at www.TeamVelocityRacing.com. More, from a press release issued by Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team: WELSH VICTORIOUS ON FINAL WEEKEND! TORONTO, Ont. (August 10) Alex Welsh and the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team enjoyed a successful conclusion to their 2010 race season with a win and a runner-up finish in the Pro Sport Bike class at the final round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park last weekend. In his first appearance aboard the Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja this season Welsh picked up a solid win in Saturday’s Pro Sport Bike race after leading all 18 laps around the tortuous 2.54km (1.6-mile) circuit near Halifax. It was the first national Pro victory of the 22-year-old rider’s career. “I got a good start and I remembered to breathe a little,” said the Uxbridge, Ont. rider. “Then I just eased my pace. This is a very physical track and I didn’t want to wear myself out. The bike was very comfortable.” Welsh again burst into the lead in Sunday’s race and led the first 10 laps before he was passed on the Roller Coaster section on the back of the circuit. “The Competition Systems Ninja was great again today but I just didn’t have it,” Welsh admitted. “But it was a good race for me and it’s good to be back on the podium.” Despite only competing in the final two rounds of the Pro Sport Bike Championship Welsh and the Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team finished ninth in the standings with 97 points. Welsh also rode the Ninja ZX-6R in the pair of Parts Canada Superbike races at AMP and enjoyed his best results of the year. Despite starting from the second row of the grid the former HJC Pro Rookie of the Year winner got a lightning start to jump into second on the opening lap of Saturday’s race. He dropped down to sixth as some of the more powerful 1000cc bikes got past his 600 Kawasaki, although a late race crash elevated him to fourth in the results, best among the 600cc riders. Welsh wasn’t able to get as good a start on Sunday and spent most of the race in a three-way battle for the final podium spot. In what turned out to be the best fight of the race and maybe the season Welsh worked his way up to third two laps from the end of the 22-lap race, only to run slightly wide exiting the final turn as he tried to defend his position. “I felt really good at the end and I felt like I could have pushed harder,” said a disappointed Welsh, who ended the season seventh in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship point standings. “I tried to take a defensive line through the last turn and on a 600 it’s hard there. The only thing I could have done I think was push earlier to get away. “The Competition Systems Ninja ZX-6R worked great all weekend, I think it’s just rider strategy that cost us today. We got a set-up Saturday morning and we didn’t touch it after that.” The Competition Systems Kawasaki Race Team would like to thank the following sponsors for making their 2010 racing effort possible: Canadian Kawasaki Motors, Parts Canada, Noco, Akrapovic, Dynojet, Motul, DID, Vortex, Zero Gravity and Pirelli.