In the second of two Triumph Triple Challenge races at Snetterton on Saturday there was a gap of only three hours between the end of one and the start of the next. After a number of crashes and retirements in the first race it was questionable whether all of them would make it back on track in the time. Adrenaline was still running high and they luckily all riders started the race.
Aleix Aulestia had ridden a fantastic race from 11th to second in race one but was gifted the win from Chrissy Rouse, who was almost ten seconds ahead, when he ran out of fuel on the last lap. Race two became a showdown between the Spaniard and the Geordie who had both demonstrated they were the strongest riders on track.
Early on in the race, local boy from Great Yarmouth, Charlie King was dominant and took the lead. It was a another slow start for Rouse as both King and Dan Helyer got a better drive off the line than him.
Rouse demonstrated that he was the strongest rider on track by swiftly taking the position back from Helyer and chased down King to take the lead again on lap three.
It was on lap four that Aulestia began to shine, he overtook King and started to chase down the race leader. By lap five he was so close behind Rouse and pushing hard.
Rouse spoke to us after the race and said: “I was having to push hard to get away from him, when I looked behind on the last lap he was so close still. I was gutted to stop in the first race obviously but it was so much easier than that one!”
It was on lap nine that Aulestia managed to catch out Rouse and take the lead. It seemed possible he would take the win in both races of the day but he went wide and Rouse retook the lead.
The Spaniard was pushing hard and made another attempt but was unsuccessful. It was just after this that it would prove evident that he was pushing a bit too hard and had a massive tank slapper. He was thrown forward over into the screen, smashing it and cutting his neck in the process. It looked like he would lose it and his race would be over on the start-finish straight but managed to save it, losing only one place to Helyer and still finishing on the podium!
Aulestia commented after: “I really didn’t think I was going to be able to keep going, when that happened I thought it was all over!”
The final result was Rouse, Aulestia and Helyer. Heyler commented:
“I really enjoyed that race after not being able to finish the first, tomorrow I’m going for the win though.”
In the Cup class King took the win followed by Jesse Jones and Scott Pitchers. King was disappointed but pleased to be on the podium again:
“That race was about points consolidation really after coming off in race one but there are a lot of people coming to see me tomorrow so hopefully it goes well.”
Chrissy Rouse put in another staggering performance at Oulton Park securing both wins over the Triumph Triple Challenge (TTC) race weekend.
It was another nail biting race for the TTC on Monday (6th May 2013). New boy Charlie King started from pole position, the tables were turned from Sunday’s race and Chrissy Rouse was chasing him down. At the first corner he managed to overtake Freddy Pett but it wasn’t until they reached Shell on lap two that he was able to pass King.
The front runners and championship top four began pulling away from the rest of the pack and were running tightly together, all wanting the lead.
After a performance he was unhappy with in Sunday’s race, Pett was determined to take the win and consolidate his position in the standings. However, the rider from Norfolk came off at Shell after only four laps and Cup class rider Charlie King has now also passed him in the championship.
There was a split of only half a second between Rouse and King for most of the race, it was only on lap 11 that the race leader began pulling away to eventually cross the line a solid 2.7 seconds ahead of his rival.
Rouse commented: “Two out of two is brilliant, it’s been the perfect weekend for me and the Stratstone Triumph Racing team. Both races went better
than I could’ve hoped, and I’m so happy with the results. I’ve now got a 26 point lead in the championship which is just great.”
King was also thrilled with the way the weekend turned out: “Phenomenal ride, started on pole with the lap record from the first race and to finish another race with a second place is just brilliant; couldn’t have expected anymore.”
Atkinson, who finished third, commented: “The ribs are almost 100% now. We made a lot of changes on the bike this weekend and found a setup which is comfortable now, so we’re not far off.”
Whilst the top three continued to pull further away from the rest of the pack, behind there was another battle. It was the first time we got to see spanish rider Aleix Aulestia really demonstrate what he could do, the previous Spanish Pirelli Superstock 600 champion started from seventh but picked away at the other riders eventually finishing fourth.
In the Cup class it was King who took the top stand on the podium. Scott Pitchers came fifth but second in the Cup class after battling with Tom Oliver and Aulestia throughout the race. Oliver crossed the line just 0.2 seconds after Pitchers securing him third in the Cup class.
Pitchers told us: “I struggled in the first race with arm pump and had to go to the medics centre, and they sorted me out which was good. I started from eighth on the grid so I thought I’d have my work cut out. I just dug deep and got through. It was a good race, I enjoyed it.”
Oliver also commented: “It was really good, a bit of a tough race. I got away but lost the toe to the leaders, but I had a battle with Scott which was good.”
Triumph Triple Challenge now have a long break ahead before meeting again at Snetterton on the 5th – 7th July 2013. For more information about the race series and what our riders are up to over the break follow @TriumphTC on twitter or like Triumph Triple Challenge on Facebook.
Phil Atkinson announced his partnership with Tsingtao WK Bikes and Pure Triumph for the 2013 season of Triumph Triple Challenge yesterday at Brands Hatch.
Last year Atkinson came third overall in the championship, narrowly missing out on second place by only six points. He was a contender throughout 2012, pushing championship winner Rob Guiver constantly.
Now entering his fourth season on the grid he is hoping this will be his year: “Last year things didn’t go as planned, things were difficult with sponsors and the stress showed on track. We have a great setup here, a strong team means a happy rider and that should bring out the best in me.
“I think Freddy Pett and Chrissy Rouse are my biggest competition for this year but we will see what happens when we get out on track.”
Atkinson’s new teammate Pauli Pekkanen will be riding in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship and the team are also becoming the first to enter a Chinese bike in the Isle of Man TT.
Team Manager and owner of Hampshire Motorcycles, Dave Tyson, said it’s great to be finally working with Atkinson: “We’ve been trying to do something with Phil for ages but it just hasn’t happened. Finally this opportunity with Tsingtao came up and the deal was done in a day!
“In our eyes this is a long term thing and we’re hoping Phil and Pauli will be able to progress with us.”
Atkinson will be on his Triumph 675R for the first round of the Triumph Triple Challenge at Brands Hatch on the 5th – 7th April.
For more information about the WK Bikes at the IOM TT click here
The Triumph Triple Challenge (TTC) has confirmed that the 2013 season will be contested on the all-new 2013 specification Triumph Daytona 675R.
Following the launch of the UKmanufacturer’s latest three-cylinder supersport machine at the EICMA Milan Motorcycle show (12th– 15th November, 2012) the involvement of the all–new machine will add even more excitement to the British Superbike support series.
Re-designed from the ground up, the new Daytona 675R features a brand new engine and frame, enhancements to its suspension, transmission and exhaust system, as well as a fresh new look. The result is a bike which is 1.5kg lighter, offers more power, an extended rev range and increased agility. The 2013 R model also benefits from new lightweight wheels, a slip-assist clutch and high-spec Öhlins suspension.
Tony Scott, director at T3 Racing and organiser of the TTC, said: “The introduction of the new Daytona 675R next year is a really exciting step for the championship. After six years using the standard model the move up to the lighter, more powerful 2013 Daytona 675R is one that all of our riders will relish.
“The new bike offers greater performance and handling which will I am sure attract even more riders into the championship and help us to continue to deliver exhilarating racing. The TTC remains the most competitive one make series in theUKand I know the new bike will help to cement this.”
Stuart Higgs, BSB series director, said: “It’s great to see a manufacturer continuing to develop product for the supersport class and we’re delighted the Triple Challenge has chosen to race the top spec version of the new model next season.”
Guy Masters, general manager of TriumphUK, said: “The existing Daytona 675 has taken titles around the world and the 2013 model is set to raise the bar once more. First impressions of the new bike from the media are extremely positive and I am sure that the 2013 Daytona 675R will be an instant hit with the TTC riders.
“We witnessed some great racing during the 2012 season and we look forward to seeing the riders take full advantage of the increased power and handling improvements of the new model.”
Entries for next year’s TTC are now open to riders. Consisting of nine rounds, the TTC runs as part of the prestigious British Superbike (BSB) Championship series and is a natural stepping stone for rising talent from both the UK and overseas. Riders interested in competing within the 2013 TTC can choose from a number of packages, starting from £900 per round and, depending on whether they elect to use an existing TTC race-spec bike; to take advantage of a loan machine or to purchase a brand new, 2013 race-spec Daytona 675R. A number of different finance options are also available to spread the cost of the championship over the full season.
All TTC packages cover race entry fees, tyre allocation, access to the Triple Challenge village race preparation and hospitality facilities, plus the support of resident mechanical and electrical technicians and a suspension engineer at every round. Riders also benefit from a generous discount on spare parts and race accessories, with a comprehensive stock of parts carried at every round.
Tom Weeden had a brilliant weekend at the Triumph Live race meet atMalloryParkto celebrate 110 years of Triumph. On the back of a disappointing last round in the Triumph Triple Challenge atCadwellPark, Tom bounced back brilliantly at Mallory to secure his first podium positions on a 600cc bike.
Weeden went 5th fastest in the free practice session. Tom felt confident going into qualifying. He posted the 2nd quickest time of the session and was looking forward to battling it out at the front in the races.
Tom took the holeshot in race 1, getting a great drive off the line from 2nd position. He braked very late for the Edwina’s chicane on the first lap and almost ran straight on, however somehow he managed to turn the bike with the rear tyre trying to come round on him into the entry of the corner. He remained in 1st position and tried to get his head down to gap the riders behind him. Midway through the race Phil Atkinson passed Tom on the entry to Gerrards. He was looking for a way past again when the race was red flagged due to an incident on lap 10 of 15. Tom was over the moon with second position as he pulled into the podium area. However it soon became clear that Atkinson had actually been given a 5 second penalty for short cutting Edwina’s early on in the race and Weeden had been promoted to 1st position. He was delighted with the result as not only was it Toms first win but also his first podium on a 600cc bike.
Tom got another great start in the second race and was again the first rider into turn 1. He put in some quick laps to try and break the field before being passed midway through the race by Philip Atkinson. Tom settled in behind him and decided to sit back and figure out where he could make a move on Phil. Weeden was much faster through the fast Gerrards bend and tried a move round the outside however he couldn’t pull it off. He remained confident he could make a move in the final few laps as he could see Phil was suffering with rear grip. However his chances of making a move for the lead went as he made a mistake going into the Edwina’s chicane, almost crashing and saving it on his knee. He managed to get around the corner however was too far to make a move. Tom had closed the gap to only 0.5 of a second but was still delighted to take second position and his second podium.
Weeden is back in action next weekend atDoningtonParkwith the Triumph Triple Challenge where he will be hoping to replicate his good form from this weekend to push for further podium finishes.
After an action-packed weekend at Brands Hatch, over the British Super Bike Championship weekend 20th-22nd July, the Triumph Triple Challenge (TTC) is to appear at this year’s Triumph Live festival, a three-day celebration for fans of the iconic motorcycle brand. The championship will undertake two demonstration races on Saturday 1 September, entertaining the crowds with its trademark ‘high-octane’ racing.
More than twenty TTC riders will take to the 1.2 mile Leicestershire circuit to battle it out over two 20 minute races to be crowned the Triumph Live 2012 champion. Also joining the TTC at Triumph Live will be Triumph’s factory-supported Supersport and Superstock teams, including riders such as Glen Richards, Billy McConnell, Luke Jones and Christian Iddon.
The latest episode of Triumph’s Triple Torque motorsport vodcast gives a great insight into the championship and covers the action from the fifth round of the TTC at Brands Hatch. This latest installment features interviews with a number of motorcycling celebrities who all have a great regard for the TTC and can be found on the official Triumph Motorcycles YouTube channel www.youtube.com/officialtriumph.
Triumph Live, which is being held at Mallory Park Circuit, Leicestershire, 31 August – 2 September 2012, celebrates 110 years of the British motorcycle manufacturer’s history and is open to riders of all marques, music fans and families alike. Visitors to the festival, which is expected to attract up to 15,000 fans, will be treated to a live set from Brit rockers Reef, who will be headlining the music line up on the first night of the event, with million-record selling, Brit-award winners Kaiser Chiefs topping the bill on Saturday.
After the huge success of the inaugural Triumph Live event in 2010, the Hinckley-based manufacturer has extended the celebration from one to three days to include stunt riding shows; factory tours; road, track and off-road demo rides; plus a host of other displays and attractions. Full details of activities can be found at www.triumph-live.com.
Visitors will also be able to view the latest range of Triumph motorcycles together with a selection of some of the UK’s best customised Triumphs. Key bikes from Triumph’s history will be on display, as part of a unique exhibition exploring the 110 year anniversary. Those looking to kit themselves out with top quality riding apparel need look no further than the Triumph Clothing Megastore, where the full range of Triumph accessories and clothing will be available.
UK general manager of Triumph Motorcycles, Guy Masters, said: “The Triple Challenge was a key ingredient of the 2010 Triumph Live event so it was a natural choice to invite the series back. The series is extremely fast and competitive and has been thrilling the crowds already this year in its capacity as a support class to British Superbikes. We are very much looking forward to seeing the grid of Daytonas line up to entertain Triumph Live visitors.”
Tickets are on sale now at triumph-live.com, priced at £47 for a weekend pass or just £27 for Saturday-only access. Entry for under 16s accompanied by a paying adult is free.
Onsite camping will be available from Thursday until Sunday, including toilet/shower facilities, a secure bike park and safety deposit boxes. Camping costs £15 per person for the weekend and must be pre-booked.
Tom Weeden was out at the Aberdare Park road race last weekend riding with the Trickbits FBM Performance team. The historicAberdareParkroad races inWalesare a great insight into racing on the roads. It is a challenging 1 mile road circuit around park, surrounded by trees opposed to the large stretches of gravel traps and air bags that Weeden is used to at the British Superbike meetings riding in the Triumph Triple Challenge.
Tom was entered into the main Welsh Open and 600 Park Challenge race aboard his Triumph 675. Prior to the first session Tom was slightly nervous to go out on the fast and narrow track surrounded by trees with just a bale of straw around them for protection; however once he got out there he immediately loved the circuit and any thoughts about the risk of crashing at such a circuit immediately disappeared. He went 7th fastest in his heat in the first timed practice session of the Welsh Open and was 5th in his heat in the 600 Park Challenge. Tom got off to a slow start in the qualifying heat race of the Welsh Open, dropping down to 8th after the first lap. However once he found a rhythm he managed to pass two riders and was up into 6th on lap two. He then managed to pass another rider on lap 4 moving him up into 5th where he remained until the chequered flag. In his qualifying heat race for the 600 Park Challenge Weeden got off to a good start and slotted into 5th in the first corner. He was pretty evenly matched with the rider in front and despite several efforts to get close enough to make a move past; Tom couldn’t find a way through on the narrow circuit. He crossed the line in 5th place and was happy with the two results in the qualifying heats and felt he push harder and go faster in the main races.
Tom started from 10th in the main race of the Welsh Open and 9th in the 600 Park Challenge after the qualifying heats merged the two sets of qualified riders. Tom made a good start in the 600 Park Challenge moving up to 7th into the first corner, he quickly made his way past another rider and moved into 6th. For the remainder of the race Tom desperately tried to find a way past the rider in front to move into 5th, however simply could not find a way through and crossed the line in 6th position. Tom was extremely pleased with the result considering his start position and what with it being his first time at the challenging little circuit. Next up was the main race of the day, the Welsh Open. Weeden made another great start and was up into 7th early on in the race. He pushed harder and found his way into 6th. Tom could see the pack ahead of him battling for 3rd position and he carried on pushing in order to catch them up and make an assault for the final podium position. By the last lap Tom had closed the gap to riders ahead of him but could not find a way to overtake. He took the chequered flag in 6th position and was again extremely pleased with result in the main race and happy to see that his fastest lap time would have put him in second position if he had not been held up due to his low start position.
Tom definitely enjoyed his insight into road racing and will definitely be looking to return in 2013 and beyond.
Please note that in accordance with the Triumph Triple Challenge race rules for the 2012 season riders will have their points halved after round five of the competition (Brands Hatch) to create a highly charged, competitive second half to the competition.
Elite Class Championship Points
| 1 | Rob Guiver | 102.25 |
| 2 | Philip Atkinson | 79.5 |
| 3 | James Egan | 57.25 |
| 4 | Tom Weeden | 52 |
| 5 | Tom Hayward | 40.75 |
| 6 | Piers Hutchins | 37.5 |
| 7 | Tom Ward | 37 |
| 8 | Chrissy Rouse | 33 |
| 9 | Christian Elkin | 32.5 |
| 10 | David Sellers | 31 |
| 11 | Ben Taylor | 27.5 |
| 12 | Valter Patronen | 25.75 |
| 13 | Will Leaning | 19.75 |
| 14 | Dan Fuller | 19.75 |
| 15 | Sam Cox | 16.5 |
| 16 | Richard Steadman | 14 |
| 17 | Max Symonds | 9.5 |
| 18 | Jake Robertson | 9.5 |
| 19 | Kelvin Hoare | 6.5 |
| 20 | Justin Bateman | 2.75 |
| 21 | Joe Carnell | 1.25 |
| 1 | James Egan | 89.5 |
| 2 | Piers Hutchins | 73.5 |
| 3 | Tom Ward | 63.75 |
| 4 | David Sellers | 60.75 |
| 5 | Dan Fuller | 42.25 |
| 6 | Will Leaning | 42 |
| 7 | Sam Cox | 40.75 |
| 8 | Richard Steadman | 35 |
| 9 | Jake Robertson | 32.25 |
| 10 | Max Symonds | 24.75 |
| 11 | Joe Carnell | 23.5 |
| 12 | Justin Bateman | 23 |
| 13 | Kelvin Hoare | 22.5 |
After some promising results in the Triumph Triple Challenge onboard the Jack Lilley/Homer Racing Triumph it has been decided that Philip Atkinson will enter as a wildcard in the British Supersport Cup class at Oulton Park on the 6th – 8th July supported by Jack Lilley Triumph.
After some good results onboard his standard triumph Dave Lilley (of Jack Lilley Triumph) has put an offer to Atkinson he would be mad to turn down. With the ex Paul Young bike from 2010 on display Dave has decided to take it off display and put a few more miles on the clock with Philip Atkinson in the seat.
This is a big jump for Atkinson as the Supersport class is extremely competitive. It is a big learning curve not only will it be his first time on the bike but it will also be his first time on any Supersport bike. Luckily he enjoys and generally performs well at Oulton Park.
Both him and Dave have their heads screwed on and know that it is not a class that you can just enter and win. They just want a result and more importantly to enjoy this great opportunity for both Atkinson and the publicity for Jack Lilley Triumph.
Financially this one meeting is going to be a big ask for both Atkinson and Lilley. However Lilley has managed to get many personal sponsors already as they will get their names on the side of the bike as a thank you for their support.
Atkinson will be running under number 59 and in the Jack Lilley colours blue and yellow.
Phil said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be given the opportunity to ride the triumph Supersport bike. I am under no illusion as to how difficult the Supersport class is, but I will be looking to gain experience and enjoy the weekend. I would like to thank Dave from Jack Lilley Triumph for giving me this fantastic opportunity, and I’m looking forward to building on the good relationship we already have.”