The three-day event – including two days on track – sees the class of 2021 gear up to go racing
The Honda British Talent Cup have had their first taste of 2021 track action at Snetterton 300, with two days of testing prefaced by a briefing and some photo shoots. The weather didn’t play perfectly into the hands of motorcycle racing, however, with Thursday suffering cold temperatures and rain affecting play all day. Wednesday did give the class of 2021 chance to get solid good dry running in ahead of the season opener though, and it was James Cook (Wilson Racing) who topped the timesheets.
Cook’s best saw him end the test 0.184 ahead of the game, with Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing) slotting into second. Crosby also reversed that order in one session, the only rider deposing Cook during the dry sessions at the test. Cormac Buchanan (Microlise Cresswell Racing) was third quickest, three tenths off the top, as he got to grips with BTC machinery. The New Zealander will race in the BTC in 2021 at rounds that don’t clash with the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, where he also debuts this year.
Fourth went the way of Ollie Walker (Moto Rapido/SP125), a couple of tenths further back, with Ryan Hitchcock (Wilson Racing) completing the top five. Sullivan Mounsey (iForce Lloyd & Jones) was sixth, ahead of podium finisher Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing), with Rossi Dobson (WM Racing) taking P8. Lucas Brown (Amphibian Scaffolding/SP125 Racing) and Evan Pendrill (EPRacing SP125) completed the top ten.
Podium finisher Bailey Stuart Campbell (151’s Racing) crashed on Wednesday and wasn’t able to continue during the test, rider ok but bike not, and he’ll be an interesting one to watch once the field reunite for Round 1, having already taken a podium in the BTC.
There are a few more riders for whom that’s true, too. Jamie Lyons (C&M Motors Ltd/Tooltec Racing) wasn’t able to attend the test, and neither were Johnny Garness (City Lifting by RS Racing) and Casey O’Gorman (Microlise Cresswell Racing) as the duo both compete in the European Talent Cup in Valencia this weekend. O’Gorman is the only 2020 race winner in the BTC who returns to fight for the Cup this year, so will he be back to claim the top of the timesheets at Round 1?
We’ll found out soon enough as Oulton Park prepares to host the season opener next month, with the British Talent Cup back on track at the classic venue from the 25th to the 27th of June. Make sure to tune in and in the meantime, stay up to date across social media and at britishtalentcup.com!
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