British Superbike News

Simon Bland

Simon Bland is a 22-year-old young man from Grimsby, who’s dream has now become reality after he has begun his racing career in the E.M.R.A. series.

Bland is currently riding a Suzuki GSXR600 K1 and is being sponsored by www.proppa.com this season.  He is hoping to eventually get into bigger and better clubs but for this he needs further sponsorship deals.

Here is Simon’s race report for round 3 at Mallory Park on the 17th May;

” The on/off weather was to make it a hard day having changed tyres for the fourth time I qualified in 11th for the F600 race as the worst rain of the day hit the circuit.

The first Formula 600 race was after dinner so had to change the wheels again on my sponsored GSXR600.  Starting from 11th, I got a fairly good start and got up to about 6th going into Gerrads but then got slightly duffed-up going into Edwinas and lost a couple of places but got my head down and set after 6th and 7th again.  I was just catching them after 5 laps when out come the red flag after Wayne Arden and Gary Sutton crashed ending the race.  With those two out of contention I finished a half decent 6th, not the way I wanted it to end but I’ll take the points.

For the second race, yet again, I have to change the tyres on my GSXR600 to wets.   Starting 6th I got an average start but was swallowed up going into Gerrads, losing five or six places.   I had to then try and push hard to get some places back but my rear wet would not grip at all and having nearly high-sided out of the Esses I just settled for bringing it home finishing in 11th.

My third race, the 600 novice race, and  having set my qualifying time in wet and the roadstock boys having dry qualifying, their times were better and it showed, I was back in 14th on a drying track fitted with wet tyres.   I knew I would have a better chance than on a totally wet track.  I got a good start and moved up to about 10th but  going into Edwinas there was a lot of action as Jody Lees went across the grass before the bike and rider slid back onto the track.   I hit another rider who had got out of shape while other riders went straight down the run-off road.  I was running about 8th after that but the lead group had gone having not being slowed down at Edwinas.  I got into a grove, did my best and pushed my hardest to get as far forward as I could, I picked-off three riders for 5th but the 4th and 3rd placed men were long gone.  I just kept pushing but did not have enough laps to catch them, finally finishing in 5th place.

I was fairly happy with my results, and would like to say a big thank you to all the support and to proppa.com, autodesigns, Mark Hill and Chris Gunster.

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