AARON CLARKE - SEASON FINALE

The final round of the National Superstock 600 championship did not go quite to plan for Kirton rider Aaron Clarke but he bravely fought his way from the back of the grid to finish the crash strewn affair in 23rd place.

The weather played its part in free practice and qualifying as the track was wet under the trees and damp around the rest of the track making tyre choice an issue. The free practice session was made more difficult for Clarke as his visor misted up and he struggled to see where he was going.

Things were much improved for qualifying and Aaron commented: "I was really pleased with how it went although I was not much of a fan of the damp patches. But I managed to stay upright and put in a good time in the first dry session of the weekend so cannot wait for the race tomorrow."

Starting from an eighth row grid position Aaron got away to a good start and was running in 20th place on the first lap. But then ran on the grass along the back straight which lost him time and places back to 25th. The safety car was deployed for a couple of laps because of a multiple crash and once the car left the track Aaron maintained his 25th position and was poised to begin his move forward when the bike just ahead of him blew the engine which caused Aaron and a few other riders to crash on the slippery surface . Aaron was unhurt but had to jump out of way pretty quickly as a bike hurtled towards him. He timed his jump to perfection and the bike shot under him.

The race was immediately red flagged and a lengthy delay followed to allow the marshals to clear the track and a new race was declared to run over six laps of the Kent circuit. Although the team did a splendid job in getting the bike up and running Aaron was forced to start from pit lane. There was no way he could achieve a decent result from there in such a short race but he gave it his best shot and came from dead last to 23rd at the chequered flag.

He said: "Well it's safe to say that the last race of the year was eventful!! I made a good start and got into about 20th on the first lap, then ran on the grass along the back straight which dropped me back. The safety car then came out and I held my position until someone's bike blew up in front of me and a group of riders causing us all to crash; I even had to dodge a sliding bike. But the boys managed to get me back out for the restart and although I was starting from pit lane I managed to get up to 23rd from dead last, setting a new personal best time along the way. Thanks to everyone who supports me week in week out, all the team and also my awesome sponsors who get me out on track! It was not the way I wanted to end the season but at least we managed to get to the finish line in one piece after a very eventful few laps!"



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Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing finish season in winning style

The 2015 season started well for Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing when Jamie Hamilton won Superbike and Supertwins races at Kirkistown on Easter Monday and the Dungannon based team finished the year in good spirits when BSB bound Glenn Irwin won both Supertwins races at the Sunflower meeting at Bishopscourt.

Riding the Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing Kawasaki 650, Carrickfergus ace Irwin won both Supertwins races from Aprilia equipped pair James Folkard and Caolan Irwin who race under the Scott Racing banner. Irwin dominated both the wet first race and the dry second race, on both occassions his margin of victory was over ten seconds. His Supertwins race times would have earned him top ten Supersport results!

Irwin said: "It was nice to take pole position and then win both races. I wanted to break my own class lap record which would have been the icing on the cake but I came up a fraction of a second short. But winning both races was the main thing. The Cookstown Burrows Engineering Kawasaki was going really well and I also have to say that the Metzeler tyres were perfect in both wet and dry conditions."

Team owner John Burrows commented: "The team gave Glenn a great bike and he did a superb job with it, all boxes were ticked in style. Glenn's a fine rider and I'd like to wish him well in BSB next year on the Paul Bird Ducati. "Another bonus today was having Jamie Hamilton back in the paddock for the first time since his TT accident, his enthusiasm is still as infectious as ever. "This year has had ups and downs for us, it was good to finish on a high. The whole team is now looking forward to next year. I hope to reveal our plans in the near future. All I can tell everyone at the minute is that we have obtained from TAS Racing one of the latest spec GSXR 1000 Superbikes which was surplus to their requirements. Whoever rides it next year will have an incredible machine under his backside. More exciting times lie ahead for Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing."



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Brands Hatch Report

The curtain came down on Team ILR's season at the weekend, and with no fewer than four riders on show it was a very busy time for the team.

The team fielded two riders in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race at Brands Hatch, with young Dutch rider Nadieh Schoots coming on board to link up with Fraser Rogers and Motostar (Moto 3) runners Vasco van der Valk and Joe Thomas.

Hel Performance Motostar Championship

Practice and qualifying proved to be something of a chaotic affair. Friday's first qualifying session was red-flagged after only two laps after Mike Brouwers blew his engine, leaving oil on the track. This meant that Saturday morning's scheduled 2nd session became the first and only qualifying session the riders would have, and it proved to be a real test of tyre choice. With the track damp but drying in places, Vasco elected to go out on slicks but pulled in after two lap knowing that the track would get drier. The team waited patiently and when Vasco went out again there there was still water on two parts of the circuit but he still managed to qualify sixth and on the second row of the grid, with his team-mate Thomas on the fifth row in 14th. Race One later that day saw van der Valk running in the Top 6 and well in touch with the leaders, however a bit of a moment at the halfway stage saw him drop off the leading pack and into the clutches of Jake Archer. The two then had a real battle to the flag with Vasco just losing out on the last lap by fractions of a second to finish 7th in the race and 6th in the Moto 3 class. Thomas meanwhile was in the thick of a six-rider scrap for 13th, eventually finishing 17th but scoring one 15th place Moto 3 point.

As Sunday's second race unfolded, Vasco soon became involved in a titanic dice with three other riders for fifth place and with Ed Rendall crashing out on the last lap it became a battle for 4th which again Vasco just lost out on despite being the second fastest rider through the final sector, but nevertheless it was another excellent Top 6 finish with 5th place. Further back, Thomas also had his hands full and as the race entered the closing stages it was a battle between himself and Richard Kerr, with Joe coming out on top to claim four Moto 3 points with 12th in the class.

Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship

Fraser Rogers arrived at Brands hoping for a good end of season performance and, after a good qualifying things were looking good for the race itself. Unfortunately Fraser crashed out in the early stages to leave him disappointed, but already focused on 2016. His new team-mate for the weekend Nadieh Schoots used the Brands Hatch race very much as a learning exercise in what was her first time in this class. With only a wet test session last week to work on, Nadieh nevertheless went about her business in a sensible, measured way, improving her lap times and feeling more comfortable on the bike as the weekend progressed. She too can look forward to 2016 with optimism.

So the conclusion of what has been a very busy year for Team ILR. Along with BSB commitments, the team also had a presence at various road races including Oliver's Mount Scarborough, the Isle of Man TT, Southern 100, Ulster Grand Prix and the Classic TT. At BSB level it was a very satisfying debut year in the Motostar British Championship with Vasco van der Valk finishing 8th in the series and being the only rider to score points in every race, a testament to Vasco's obvious talent, the reliability of the Team ILR 250cc Honda, and the dedication, technical know-how, and experience of the team.

In closing everyone associated with Team ILR would like to thank all our sponsors for making it all possible, and to everyone for their support, both at the races and on social media.

Team ILR owner/manager Ian Lougher:

"2015 was a toe in the water job to see how things would go in the Motostar (Moto 3) Championship, and I have thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the class, even if it has cost me heavily financially. Vasco finished 8th overall in the championship, and has gone from strength to strength, turning from a 15 year old lad at the start of the year who lacked a bit of confidence and set up knowledge, into a seasoned confident professional who lacked nothing.

Joe although on a slightly lower spec engine, started the year well but had way too many offs, which led to either a lack of confidence or concentration, I'm not sure, and finished in 14th overall. Conditions at Brands affected the Superstock classes more than most, so Fraser and Nadieh qualified 24th and 30th respectively, so it was always going to be difficult to gain a good result from there. Nevertheless Fraser was pushing on and looking good but when he got a false neutral on the 2nd lap a trip onto the wet grass ended in a small crash, which was massively disappointing to end in such a way, and when we had found a great setting for him. Nadieh went well and again was going really good especially when all the elements were so foreign to her, new track, bike, weather and class. She has some guts to give it a go, and we at Team ILR look forward to helping her further herself if we can put something together for 2016."

Vasco van der Valk:

"Thanks to the amazing Team ILR!! Ian, Matt, Jacko, Asa and Richard, also all the great sponsors without them this super result would not be possible. Thanks to everyone for all the messages, emails, phone calls, visits to the circuits and other encouragements...it is nice to see so many people follow my adventures."

Fraser Rogers:

"Well another season over and done.. I wont be sad to see the back of 2015, but after the last 3 races I'm excited to see what 2016 has in hand for us!! Thanks to everyone that's helped and supported me, especially all my sponsors - Gary and Louise from First Choice Flooring, Simon Whatley at SRS, James Cox and all from Swindon Karting Arena, and finally my mechanic Nick for all the hard work he puts in over the weekend. Without these people none of this would of been possible!!! Another massive thank you to the legend that is Ian Lougher and all at Team ILR for seeing something in me and giving me the opportunity to ride the last 3 races in the Superstock 1000 championship. Roll on 2016 !!"

Joe Thomas:

"Really good racing this season, every race was a good battle. Don't know my plans for next year but we'll see. Thank-you to the whole team, the bikes were awesome and never skipped a beat. Thank-you to my mum and dad for being at every round, and dad for helping all year, and thank-you to my sponsors for the year, really appreciate everything they've done!!"

Nadieh Schoots:

"New track, new bike, very wet and chilly conditions in FP, but felt more confident by the lap and learned loads and had fun! Q2 was my first ever dry session on the Team ILR ZX-10R, I felt great and made the grid! I had lots to improve on in track knowledge and suspension but I loved it and couldn't wait for the race. I lost touch with the group after a crash in front of me and it was a lonely race after that. I was a bit too careful in the semi-dry conditions, however I was happy to finish 29th and I learned what we need for next season. A big thank-you to Ian Lougher and Team ILR for a great weekend!!"



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Joe Burns - Race Report Brands Hatch, (Round Twelve)

Joe has done a great job on the Aprilia RSV4RF since we started this new project, with the limited bike time and set-up we have had it hasn't always been easy however the aim to make it to the podium before the end of the year was still realistic but unfortunately our weekend didn't turn out as we would have liked. On Friday both sessions were in wet conditions and in the afternoon our qualifying one was cut short when we had a small technical problem. By Saturday things were a lot better, the weather was dry and although we finished qualifying in 9th Joe’s time was good, with the top 10 being covered by less that a second. In Sunday’s race unfortunately Joe didn't finish due to a brake issue but looking at the positive he had the 5th quickest lap time and good competitive speeds through the speed traps so there is great potential with the Apilia and we are looking forward to our winter testing to come out in 2016 in hot pursuit for the podiums it is capable of.

Thank you to all the IN Competition Racing team for their hard work and commitment with this new venture so late in the season and of course to all our faithful sponsors who came on board with us, we really appreciate all your support.



Joe Burns

“Brands was always going to be difficult, with no testing at the circuit on the RSV4RF we had no vital setup knowledge which the other competitors had, having raced there already this season. Rain plagued our practice and first qualifying giving us no time to get a dry setting. We worked on the areas we could and finished 9th, struggling with traffic and small technical issue. If we could have gotten a lap together it would have moved us to 4th on the grid. In the race I got a clean start and bridged a gap to get onto the back of the battle for 3rd I felt strong enough to work my way through and push for a podium but unfortunately a component issue forced me to retire early. It was such a shame not to end the year with a strong result that my team rightly deserve. Only starting the Aprilia project in the last third of the year they had their work cut out but still delivered. Massive thanks to the team, the team sponsors and my personal sponsors. Heres to a good off season and a super strong 2016 season! ”



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Joe Burns - Race Report Thruxton, (Round seven)

Only one week ago Joe Burns came on board with IN Competiton Racing to compete on our new Aprilia RSV4RF in the Pirelli Superstock 1000 class in the British Superbike Bike series. We are absolutely delighted with Joe’s performance this weekend. He came out strong from the beginning, leading FP1 most of the way only dropping to second on the last lap. Unfortunately qualifying didn't go so well meaning Joe had to start from 14th on the grid. During the race he was as far back as 15th but he battled hard and put in a great second half of the race to finish a very credible 7th position and was only 0.3 seconds off the fastest lap of the race, this is a fantastic achievement considering the small amount of time he has had on the bike. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone that has helped get us out this weekend, special mention to Edward Allingham, Ian Newton, Adrian Gorst, Dave Lewis, Ruairi Grimes and of course our sponsors that have come on board with this new project. Really looking forward to Cadwell Park to see what progress we can make!






Joe Burns

“The weekend as a huge learning curve for both myself and the team, getting to grips with how the Aprilia RSV4RF reacts to various changes and what we had to change to get the effects we were looking for. Leading FP1 for the majority of the session, only being pipped to 2nd in the dying seconds spoiled my expectations for the weekend massively so the rest of the weekend felt like a struggle, when in fact we were still running strong for being such and new project. To finish 7th in the race was great for our first run, the pace we had was strong enough to battle for podium positions had we qualified better and got away with the leading bunch. The result is a great point to start building on and I'm extremely excited for the next round at Cadwell Park. ”



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Joe Burns - Race Report Oulton Park, (Round Nine)

Another very good performance from Joe in the Pirelli Superstock 1000 class at Oulton Park this weekend. Considering this is only our third weekend on the bike and all the other teams have already had a race at Oulton this year we did really well. Joe qualified 7th in both qualifying sessions and finished a very impressive 6th place in the race just coming on to the back of the 5th place man. He also managed a personal best lap time during the race so that was very positive. All our bike time is so important for gathering information and getting a good setup for Joe, so with every outing we are seeing improvements and learning more about the Aprilia RSV4RF. Overall a fantastic weekend for the team, plenty of great results and confidence going into the next rounds. Unfortunately there is no Superstock race at Assen so Joe will have to wait until Silverstone for his next outing. Thanks to all our sponsors for your continued support.

Joe Burns

“Oulton Park proved to be a difficult weekend for me, the other teams had a huge advantage with racing there earlier in the year gaining much needed chassis data, so from the off we were always trying to catch up, however as always my team delivered and gave me a great bike for the race which provided us with our best finish of 6th on a circuit I usually struggle at. The next two tracks we race at are strong for me and my riding style and I believe the EHA Group/IN Competition Aprilia RSV4RF will be capable of amazing results, so they can’t come soon enough! Plus with new components and additional testing on the bike I’m setting my sights high and I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to achieve them.”



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Joe Burns - Race Report Cadwell Park, (Round Eight)

Joe did an amazing job this weekend at Cadwell Park in the Pirelli Superstock 1000 class. After the first qualifying session on Friday he was provisional pole for Sunday’s race which gave Joe and the team great confidence and started the weekend on a high. During the second qualifying session on Saturday he slipped back to 4th, which is still great considering what little time he has had onboard the Aprilia RSV4RF. For Sunday’s race Joe felt really comfortable on the bike and was confident he could push for the win and this showed when he quickly progressed from his starting position of 4th to 2nd, unfortunately he then crashed out due to a minor handling issue which they thought they had resolved. Although we didn't have the finish that we would have liked it was a very positive weekend and enables us to move forward to the next round at Oulton Park with the confidence that we are going in the right direction with the new team. Thanks to all our sponsors for their help, it was lovely to have Nick from Aprilia with us this weekend, your support was very much appreciated.








Joe Burns

“It was a very frustrating end to a great weekend when I crashed out of the race! Up to that point I was so happy with every session, I felt so comfortable on the Aprilia RSV4RF we have made great progress in such a short space of time, I can’t thank my team enough for making me feel so happy and confident and putting the best machine I have ever ridden out there for me. Massive thanks to my personal sponsors, so good to be eventually moving forward, I can’t wait for the next round!”



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Joe Burns - Race Report Silverstone GP, (Round Eleven)

Joe had a very good weekend in the Pirelli Superstock 1000 class at Silverstone. With so little bike time during race weekends and obviously it being our first race at this track, free practice and Qualifying one were used to try to get the bike set-up, by qualifying two the correct changes were made, the bike felt a lot better and Joe was able to qualify in a fantastic 4th position. This was an ideal starting position right behind the pole sitter but unfortunately Joe didn't get the jump off the line he was hoping for and ended up going back to 16th but he rode extremely well to battle through the pack to finish 5th his best result to date. If he had of got a better start there is no doubt that he would have been racing in the front group and been pushing for a podium finish, he had the second quickest lap time in the race so again lots of positives to take away with us, its just a shame our next round is the last of the season. Thanks as always to all our sponsors and the the team we couldn't do this without you all!







Joe Burns

“This weekend got off to a slow start as we set about resolving chassis issues. We quickly made the decisions and adjustments necessary to qualify 4th and have what felt like a strong chassis for the race. At the start of the race the lights were held for longer than the usual and I accidentally loaded the front suspension too much for the start, causing a wheel spin and traction control to cut in as the lights went out which saw us fall from 4th to 16th into turn one. I quickly set about progressing through the field where possible and moved up to finish 5th, I had good pace but the 3 second gap to the leading battle was just too much to bridge at the late stages of the race. Big thanks to my team and sponsors. ”



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Excellent Weekend at Silverstone for Team ILR

Team ILR enjoyed what was arguably one of their most satisfying weekends of the season with the team's three riders all riding strongly and scoring points in the three races they contested.

Vasco van der Valk did no harm whatsoever to his rapidly growing reputation as a rider for the future with two top six finishes in the Hel British Motostar Championship races, and it was also good to see Joe Thomas back in the points again with two determined rides.

Equally impressive however was the performance of Fraser Rogers in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race, when he qualified 14th and finished 12th in the race itself, in what was only his second race on the big ZX-10R.

Hel Performance Motostar Championship

On the vast unfamiliar Silverstone circuit, Vasco was right on the pace from the first turn of the wheel of his Honda and was never out of the top 6 in all three practice/qualifying sessions, qualifying second quickest Honda rider in a very strong fifth on the second row of the grid. A crash in the first qualifying session hindered Joe's efforts, nevertheless he managed to secure 14th, two rows back from his team-mate.

Race One would see van der Valk renew his rivalry with his good friend Jorel Boerboom and the two enjoyed a race-long battle, with Elliot Lodge along for company. The two Dutch lads managed to break the tow of Lodge with two laps remaining, and it was Boerboom who held on by the narrowest of margins to take 5th as he and Vasco crossed the line fractions of a second apart. Joe meanwhile was right in the middle of a large group of riders battling for 10th, and despite running in 11th for most of the race, the Welsh rider dropped 5 places in the run to the line but was 14th best of the Moto 3 competitors.

Sunday's second race very quickly established a pattern. Behind the front four man group, van der Valk, Boerboom and Lodge were joined in a second group by Jake Archer. Joe was further back in a six-rider group again battling just outside the top ten. Both Team ILR riders rode with great determination in two hard fought battles with Vasco securing fifth, again just behind Boerboom, and Joe scoring another three Moto 3 points.

Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship

Since joining Team ILR for the last three races of the season, the professionalism and the way in which Fraser Rogers has taken to the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R has been particularly pleasing for team boss Ian Lougher.

Fraser settled in with his new team from the start and this was certainly reflected in his performance at Silverstone.

There are no easy races at BSB level and the National Superstock 1000 class is recognised as one of the toughest, so for Fraser to qualify 14th in only his second outing and improving his lap time by over two seconds in the process, was a seriously impressive feat.

From the middle of the fifth row, Rogers quickly knuckled down to the task in hand. A slight error at the halfway point of the 11-lap race pushed him down from 10th, however he was still lying in 11th place with Tom Tunstall pressing him, and it was only with two laps to go that Tunstall got past leaving Fraser to open his points scoring account with a fine 12th, and another half a second improvement in his lap time.

It's a two week break now before the team wrap up 2015 with the season finale at Brands Hatch.

Ian Lougher:

"It was a very busy yet enjoyable meeting at Silverstone for the team and our three riders. I would say all of them acquitted themselves very well, gaining good experience, results, and learning a lot about machine set up and race craft along the way.

I'm quite proud to say for such a small budget team what we have been able to achieve this season. Roll on the final BSB meeting at Brands Hatch in two weeks time, and then the silly season starts of course, trying to find sponsors and riders to try and make it all happen again."

Fraser Rogers:

"Once again first things first and a huge thanks to Ian Lougher and the whole of Team ILR for a fantastic weekend. I was excited for Silverstone and getting to a circuit which would suit me better. Straight from FP1 I had a good feeling with the bike and I knew we could have a good race. Making good progress again with every lap and every session I was going faster and faster. I felt good on new and old tyres which was good for the race. After a good qualifying, managing 14th on the grid, I knew I could have a strong race. I was battling for a solid top 10 position, but after hitting a false neural on Lap 6 I lost the group a little bit and it was hard to recover lost ground, eventually ending the race in a comfortable 12th, which I am still really happy with. With even more confidence now, I'm really excited to finish the season strong at Brands Hatch GP. Thanks to all my Sponsors, Gary & Louise from First Choice Flooring, Simon Whatley from SRS, James Cox from Swindon Karting Arena and my mechanic Nick who did a great job all weekend too. Also a big thanks to everyone who supported me this weekend!"

Vasco van der Valk:

"Silverstone is very long, but I grabbed fifth place in qualifying among riders who have been here for more often. It was good to have help from my Superstock 1000 teammate who has a lot of experience with a Moto 3 and knows what is expected. Race 1: I had a huge fight with my friend Jorel, eventually he was 5th and me 6th by a few thousandths. Race 2: After a good start I was 4th by the first bends, but in the end 5th on the finish line. Good feeling with the fast riders to be able to go racing. Thanks to Team ILR!!!"

Joe Thomas:

"Great weekend! Awesome racing! The team were great and the bikes as usual didn't skip a beat! Thank-you to everyone in the team and all my sponsors."



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