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Hallett Scores Podium Finish for TCG Motorsport at Lydden
Added: (Tue Apr 18 2006)
MRO Dyna-Pro MiniTwin Championship
BMCRC Forze Extreme Championship
Lydden 8th & 9th April
A spectacular all-or-nothing overtaking manoeuvre on the last corner of Sunday’s second Dyna-Pro MiniTwin race earned TCG Motorsport’s Dave Hallett his first trophy of the 2006 season. This after a disastrous start to the weekend when Hallett, who is still using the team’s spare bike, was involved in a mass pile up at the Devils Elbow on Saturday. Fortunately, the machine wasn’t badly damaged and Dave made it on to the grid for the second race. Starting in sixth place, he didn’t get the best of starts, but clawed his way back to fourth place by the chequered flag.
Despite a less than optimistic forecast, the weather remained dry on Sunday and in race one Hallett again carved his way through the field after another slow getaway, eventually finishing in fourth place. In Sunday’s final race he was up to fourth by lap two and found himself in third place on the final lap, losing position to Paul Turner (97) on the hairpin. Dave used every inch of tarmac on the downhill stretch before the final bend and managed to carry extra corner speed into the final bend. He bravely held the inside line to pass Turner and snatch a well deserved third place.
“There was no way I was going to leave here without a trophy of some sort!” exclaimed a delighted Dave. “When Paul nipped up the inside on the hairpin I knew I had to find a bit extra at Paddock to get him back. I was gutted after the crash yesterday so this is a bit of compensation. Third place is still second loser though, so I’m going to be going all out for wins at Mallory!”
TCG Motorsport Technical Director Chris Martin was also satisfied with Dave's performance. “We’re still using the spare bike which is around 62 bhp, well down on power compared to some of the others, but Dave’s lap times are within a couple of tenths of the race winners!” he declared. “We’ve got a bit of work to do on his starting technique, but it’s been a big step forward from Snetterton and I’m looking forward to some more trophies at the next round!” In fact Dave’s fastest lap of 44.398s recorded in race two on Sunday was less than a tenth of a second away from the fastest MiniTwin lap of the weekend, 44.314s, achieved by race winner Keith Clarke.
Stewart Willetts was also in action this weekend, making his debut on a newly acquired Kawasaki ZX-10 in the BMCRC Forze Extreme class. Riding just to get a feel for his new bike, Willetts nevertheless scored two top ten finishes on Saturday. Brake fade forced him to retire from Sunday’s first race, but he came back strongly in the second race, finishing seventh despite starting from the back row of the grid.
“I was playing safe while I get used to the bike, but still achieved my goal of top ten finishes in this class, so I’m well happy!” said Willetts. “The bike is a big improvement over the GSXR, so I’m looking forward to some good results at the next Clubman 1000 round.”
“Stew hasn’t stopped grinning all weekend”, joked Team Principal Gavin Wheeler. “In fact his smile was so wide he had trouble fitting into his crash helmet!”
Willetts and Hallett will both be racing at the next BMCRC/MRO meeting at Mallory Park on April 30th and May1st.
About TCG Motorsport
TCG Motorsport was established in 2005 to identify and maximise the potential of young and talented motorcycle racers, with the ultimate goal of competing at National or International level. In 2005, TCG helped Tom Gazzard to achieve 3rd place in the BMCRC Rookie 600 Championship, and Stewart Willetts to 7th place in the BMCRC Clubman 1000 series.
This year, TCG Motorsport, in association with BanditMania and PJT Photography will be supporting David Hallett in the MRO Dyna-Pro MiniTwin series, and Stewart Willetts in the BMCRC Forze Extreme and Clubman 1000 championships.
If you're attending a BMCRC/MRO race meeting in 2006 please visit the TCG Motorsport awning for a cup of tea and a chat; they're a friendly bunch (except after a crash!). You'll be especially welcome if you've got any sponsorship money to spend!
You can follow TCG Motorsport's progress at www.tcgmotorsport.co.uk or contact the team at info@tcgmotorsport.co.uk
Report by Jon Tanner