KMR Kawasaki and Vauxhall add young gun Cowton to 2013 line-up

KMR Kawasaki powered by Vauxhall (Northern Ireland dealers) have today announced that James Cowton is the latest rider to be signed by the fledgling outfit for 2013 with the youngster joining Jamie Hamilton and Connor Behan who were announced last month, in the new-look squad.

Cowton joins the team on the back of an impressive 2012 season that saw him not only claim a dominant victory in the Lightweight Newcomers Manx Grand Prix but also claim a stunning 4th in the main Junior race where he posted a hugely impressive lap of 115mph. With strong results at the Southern 100 and Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough as well, it’s easy to see why the 21-year old is seen as one of the brightest young talents on the pure road racing scene.

The Yorkshire rider will campaign a 650cc ER6 Kawasaki Supertwin for the team and will make his International debut at the North West 200 whilst also returning to the Manx Grand Prix. He will also be competing at the Southern 100 and Oliver’s Mount once more whilst selected Irish National road races have also been pencilled in.

Speaking about the latest addition to the squad team principal Ryan Farquhar commented, “I’m delighted to welcome young James to the team and he’ll ensure we’ll have further presence at both the International and National road races during the course of 2013. His signing further highlights our team ethic of bringing on young riders and at just 21 years of age, he fits the bill perfectly. He’s already shown tremendous potential and the Supertwin will be the ideal machine for him to make his debut at the North West 200 and is sure to take him to strong results at all other meetings. I’m confident he’ll be a tremendous acquisition to the team and, alongside Jamie and Connor, we have three good, young riders who have everything in place to enjoy a successful 2013.”

Cowton added; “To be joining the new KMR Kawasaki team is like a dream come true for me and a huge honour. I’ve really taken to the roads so far and that’s where I see my future so to have someone like Ryan guiding me is brilliant. His achievements over the years are staggering and I couldn’t wish for a better person to help and advise me whilst his bikes are always superb. Last year was a really good season for me and, with Ryan's knowledge and expertise, I'm aiming to continue with my progression and make the most of this wonderful opportunity. When it comes to the Supertwin class he’s the master and I can’t wait to get out on the ER6!”

Cowton's first outing for the team will be at the Ian Watson Spring Trophy meeting at Oliver's Mount on Sunday April 21st.



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Cooper leaves Brands Thundersport with nothing

There were several positives but, ultimately, Manx Sport Aid recipient Cal Cooper came away  from the first and second rounds of the ThundersportGB Elite 600 championship at Brands Hatch empty handed.

Last year’s triple 450 Thundersport champion, who has his sights on the BSB 600 Superstock series this year, was just .3 of a second off pole in qualifying  and set the second best time in Sunday’s warm-up.

However a wrong tyre choice for the beautifully prepared JDF Racing Kawasaki proved too much of a handicap in tricky conditions in Saturday’s 16-lapper and Cooper, 16, making his debut on the machine, came home 10th after forcing his way through the field.

Freezing wet conditions during Friday’s test day saw Cooper go down at Clearways in the morning session and his team spent the rest of the day trying to source a replacement part, which eventually arrived by courier.

With the track gradually drying through the day on Saturday, Cooper made a very late decision to run on dry tyres, but with the track surface and the air temperature at zero Celsius, the Pirellis never even got warm and grip was decidedly lacking.

On Sunday, amid snow flurries and with the track in a similar state to the day before, Cooper, now enjoying added support from Dean Teversham Roofing in Dorset, went out on wets in the first race but came to grief when battling for the lead.

With several riders well out of shape going into Graham Hill Bend, Cooper was forced to brake abruptly and he went down without serious injury, although the Kawasaki looked as if it has been in a motocross race.

Team manager John Davies said: ‘Cal showed he’s got pace and it was disappointing the way things turned out. But that’s racing.’


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SMT Racing to back Reeves’ 2013 TT and British Championship bid

SMT Racing are to expand their involvement to the Sidecar class in 2013 as they have announced they will be backing quadruple World Sidecar Champion Tim Reeves at the Isle of Man TT Races and in the Eastern Airways British F1 Championship.

Reeves, who won the World Sidecar Championship for the fourth time in 2012, will line up with 7-times TT winner Dan Sayle in the chair on the Island whilst his short circuit campaign will see him reunited with brother Tristan who partnered him to their first two World Championship seasons in 2005 and 2006, after Ashley Hawes stepped down due to personal commitments away from the sport.

As well as his World Championship success, Reeves is also a three-time British Champion and three-time podium finisher at the TT and he’s sure to line up as one of the pre-season favourites for both, particularly now he has the considerable backing of Robin Croft’s team.

The Lancashire businessman, who has 2012 TT Privateer’s Champion Dan Stewart already signed to his highly professional squad, makes his first move into the world of Sidecar sponsorship but having already excelled in the British Superbike Championship, the expertise and knowledge his hard working team have to offer, along with their considerable technical back up, will mean Reeves goes into this year’s TT and British Championship better prepared and supported than ever before..

Talking about the new venture, team owner Croft commented; “After our efforts to secure the season-long budget required for British Superbikes proved too difficult, I immediately turned our attention to the roads. It’s something the whole team enjoys and having arranged a good deal with Dan Stewart, Tim and I have subsequently come to an arrangement for the Sidecar class too. Tim was part of our team at Macau last year and I was immediately impressed with his drive and attitude so, after a few phone calls talk place, backing him for the full season seemed the right thing to do.”

“His enthusiasm for the TT matches mine and expanding our TT involvement will mean we have an even greater presence both on and off the track. We have the infrastructure all in place so it also made sense to extend the deal to cover the British F1 Sidecar Championship and the Southern 100, an event where we’ll be making our team debut. We’ve got the facilities to have a real good go at both the roads and British Championship plus it’s our first time in the Sidecar class so it gives us fresh impetus and drive to succeed. I’m really looking forward to our three-wheel season and I believe we have all the ingredients in place to make it a highly successful season.”

Reeves added; “I really enjoyed working with Robin’s team at Macau and when I got the phone call asking if I’d like to be part of the squad for the entire 2013 season, I was truly honoured. It’s a privilege to be driving for Robin and having a BSB team of such stature involved is not only good for the Sidecar class but also for my long-term sponsors, particularly the Haith’s, Dave Hudspeth Carpets, H&S Contractors, DFDS and The Relocator. They’re a hugely professional outfit and having such tremendous back up and support means I’ve got all the tools to do the job in hand this season. "

"It’s a shame Ashley’s had to step down but after our highly successful past it’s great to have Tris back on board whilst everyone knows passengers don’t come any better than Dan Sayle when it comes to the TT. I’ve put my World Championship targets on hold for this season in a firm bid to go all out for success at the TT, Southern 100 and British Championship and with the new deal in place with Robin, I believe I can achieve just that. Finally, I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Gunther and Jutta Reuschling for their valued support over the last five years and wish them all the very best for the future.”



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McCormack swells KMR Kawasaki ranks to four

Just 24 hours after revealing James Cowton as their third rider for the 2013 season, KMR Kawasaki powered by Vauxhall (Northern Ireland dealers) have today announced that Brian McCormack will be joining the squad for a concerted attack on both the International and National road races.

Former Irish Superbike and reigning Adelaide Masters Champion, McCormack has made good progress since switching his main attention from the short circuits to the roads and is now a regular at both the International and National road race meetings, enjoying strong results at both. Having found himself without a ride over the winter months, the 29-year old Waterford based rider is a strong addition to the team and will ensure further presence in the 1000cc classes when he competes on the machines that team principal Ryan Farquhar rode in 2012.

McCormack is scheduled to contest all three Internationals - the Isle of Man TT, North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix – as well as selected Irish National road races on both Superbike and Superstock ZX-10R Kawasakis.

Speaking about the latest addition to the burgeoning squad, Farquhar commented, “I got talking to Brian at the recent Adelaide Awards night and when I found out he was without a ride, we started to put the wheels in motion. I’ve known him for a good few years now and had some good battles with him so I know what he’s capable of and we’ve put together a good package for the season. A rider of his calibre shouldn’t be on the sidelines and with his experience and my experience, I think we’ve got all the makings for a really strong season.”

“He’s proven himself on the roads over the past couple of seasons and is going from strength to strength so I think we can help move him up to the next level and I’m very happy to have helped him get back on the grid for 2013. It’s good for all concerned to have a rider of his profile in the team and he’ll ensure we’ve got a really strong presence in the 1000cc classes, both at the International and, especially, the National road races.”

McCormack added, “I’m delighted to be joining Ryan and his team and it’s a tremendous opportunity for me, one I intend to firmly grasp with both hands. I know how hard Ryan works and how meticulous he is in his preparation so I’m thrilled to be getting the chance to ride the bikes he’s won so much on. This will be my third full season on the roads and with Ryan’s knowledge, expertise, advice and machinery, I’m confident of improving even further and moving up the leaderboard considerably.”



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Cal Cooper wins big at Donnington!

Cal Cooper produced a display of riding that belied his tender years and experience to notch a hat-trick of victories at an icy Donington Park over the Easter weekend.

The 16 year old Manx Sports Aid recipient also won two of the three combined Elite Superstock  600/Supersport races outright as well as claiming two fastest laps at the ThundersportGB championship meeting.

Using the meeting as part of his preparations for the opening of BSB 600 Superstock series at Brands Hatch next weekend, Cooper and the JFD Racing prepared Kawasaki were poetry in motion in conditions that bordered on freezing to a zany 6 Celsius.

Only 0.3 of a second off pole in qualifying, Cooper was just outdistanced in the opening race on Easter Sunday by a Supersport bike, but had the consolation of a class win and the fastest lap, which gave him pole for Monday¹s two outings.

Cooper pressured his two principal opponents into mistakes in race two to win by more than seven seconds and then controlled matters from the front to again win comfortably in the final outing.

Cal, who welcomed new sponsors Paul Dedman Performance of Ramsey and Dean Teversham Roofing (of Dorset) onboard said:  "The track was very difficult because it was so cold. I¹m pleased I did so well and would like to thank Dean and Paul for their support.

A big thank you, too, to Dave Hewitt my mechanic, John Davies of JDF Racing and Maxton Suspension for making the Kawasaki a joy to ride."



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Dream return to British Championship paddock for Tim Reeves and SMT Racing

The Lancashire-based SMT Racing team made a dream return to the British Superbike Championship paddock at the weekend with Tim and Tristan Reeves and Adam Jenkinson sweeping all before them in the Eastern Airways British F1 Sidecar and Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc races respectively.

Reigning World Champion Reeves came into the weekend expected to be fighting for the Sidecar race wins and, with brother Tristan back on board as passenger, that’s exactly what happened. The Kent duo were on the pace immediately on their newly-liveried LCR Suzuki outfit and duly claimed pole position although it was close with Sean Hegarty/Calum Lawson hot on their tail.

In Saturday’s 15-lap and Sunday’s 18-lap races though, the siblings weren’t to be denied and, keen to regain the British title Tim last won in 2011, they signalled their intentions for the season by clinching an emphatic double. On both occasions, they grabbed an early lead and with a consistent pace, just a couple of tenths of a second outside the lap record, they were able to come home ahead of Hegarty/Lawson by a comfortable 2.158s and 1.857s respectively.

Speaking later, a jubilant team owner Robin Croft said; “I’m a bit speechless to be honest and having been away from the short circuits for over a year, to mark our comeback with two pole positions and three race wins, it really has been the perfect start! Tim and Tristan were expected to be at the front and we were pretty confident they’d be in the hunt for the race wins but you can never take things for granted. They did a thoroughly good, professional job and with two wins, it’s the ideal start to their campaign.”



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Cooper 5th in BSB Superstock600 opener

Cal Cooper took a well deserved 5th place on his debut in the 600 Superstock class at the opening BSB round at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

The Manx Sports Aid recipient delighted close friend and mentor Neil Hodgson and sponsor Dean Teversham, both of whom were there to see him.

Neil, the 2003 World Superbike champion, said Cal, 16, rode an immaculate race after starting from 10th on the third row of the grid for the 22-lapper on the 1.2 mile Indy circuit.

Said Cal: I decided to run at my own pace and keep things nice and smooth. I tried to get on the front row in qualifying but I never got a clear run after the second session was red flagged. Eighth after Q1 on Friday when a lack of setting knowledge left him undergeared in 8th place, Cooper knocked a second of his lap time on Saturday's Q2 and had a front row place in the offing before a red flag.

He was never able to secure another good lap as the 40-strong field battled to beat the clock but a great start in the race saw him quickly into his stride among the top runners, all of whom had previous experience in the class.

The 8 minute warm-up two-and-a-half hours before the race brought plenty of drama when the JDF Racing Kawasaki's water pump let go and the Isle of Man youngster was black flagged, but swift work by team manager John Davies and spanner man Dave Hewitt quickly retrieved the situation.

Cal expressed his thanks to sponsors Dean Teversham Flooring (of Dorset), Paul Dedman Performance Ltd, Duke Video, Motul and IoM Sport Institute and Maxton Suspension.



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Brands Hatch Report

New signing and championship debutant Filip Backlund got both his and ILR Kawasaki's season off to a great start when he finished second by just 0.06s in Sunday's first round of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship at Brands Hatch.
It was a remarkable performance from the 22 year old Swedish rider who had only raced at the Kent circuit once before in 2008 and this was his first race over the shorter Indy circuit. His team mate Victor Cox rode determinedly to finish 12th.

With 58 riders challenging for 38 places on the grid, free practice and qualifying took the form of the two group/race shoot-out system with Filip and Victor in the second group.
Backlund, who has settled easily into the team, quickly showed that he hasn't arrived in the UK simply to make up the numbers as he finished the free practice session in third place overall, just 0.48s off the pace. Cox meanwhile was taking things steady on his Pirelli shod ZX-10R and finished 16th overall.

First qualifying was held in better conditions and Filip proved his performance earlier in the day was no fluke as he went round the 1.2 miles circuit almost 5 seconds quicker to finish the session as the highest placed Kawasaki rider in second. Victor improved by over 6 seconds to finish 14th.
With the weather slowly improving, team boss Ian Lougher knew the pace would intensify even more for the second session and decided to make a few small changes to the bikes.
This indeed proved to be the case as the second session saw both riders improve further to finish 5th and 16th respectively, Filip was only 0.39s off pole with Victor just 0.24s further back. Such is the competitive nature of this class, just over 1 second covered the top 30 riders.

Unbelievably in Sunday morning's warm-up session the water pump shaft bolts worked loose on both Victor and Filip's bikes, Victor took no part in the session as Filip managed to put in 10 laps.
Thanks to a bit of eleventh hour work on the team's part, both riders were able to take their place on the grid for the race.

As the riders crossed the line at the end of the opening lap, Backlund was in second, just behind race leader John McGuinness and in turn just ahead of the chasing pack including Cox in 13th.
On the fifth lap, one of the race favourites Simon Andrews crashed out without injury at Clark Curve as McGuinness began to open a gap on the field to almost two seconds.
On the next lap the gap increased by another second over a Kawasaki express train consisting of Adam Jenkinson in second, Peter Ward, Backlund, Jonathan Howarth, Jonathan Railton, Hudson Kennaugh and Danny Johnson with Victor a further 1.4s adrift of this group in 13th.

At half race distance the lead was down slightly to just over two seconds with Filip now firmly embroiled in a frantic five rider battle for second. Positions remained the same for the next few laps but with nine laps to go McGuinness' lead was reduced considerably and as the race reached two thirds distance the Morecambe man had been pegged back and now led by under half a second from Johnson, Ward and Backlund who had now pulled a gap on the chasers. Victor meanwhile was still battling on in 13th with Joe Burns, Rob NcNealy and Kyle Wilks for company.

With six laps to go Filip moved into second and was now on McGuinness' rear tyre with Jenkinson and Ward still a threat, and as the race neared it's conclusion at 20 laps, the battle for the podium places was between those four. A bit further back, Victor was now up to 12th and starting to close on Howarth and Jimmy Storrar.

Three laps remained as Jenkinson and Backlund moved ahead of McGuinness with Ward beginning to lose touch slightly on the first three. There was nothing in it between Jenkinson and Backlund as they crossed the line to start their last lap with just 0.09s separating them.
Despite Filip's best efforts he just couldn't find a way through and the two passed the chequered flag virtually together with Jenkinson getting the nod by the narrowest of margins at just 0.06s with McGuinness almost a second adrift in third. Victor held on to finish a clear 12th, just over half a second from a top ten finish.


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