鈥淭he 2026 Classic TT was always going to be a challenge. Preparing a pair of very different bikes for the famous 37戮-mile Mountain Course, learning the circuit as a newcomer, and then racing against some of the best historic machinery and riders made for an experience I will never forget.

鈥淭he little Honda CB350 K4 had already been a joy to ride throughout the year, but before heading to the Isle of Man it received a serious makeover for the Classic TT. We fitted a new engine, a larger-capacity fuel tank to allow three laps, a megaphone exhaust and new fairings and paint, along with countless smaller details and hours of preparation. The aim was simple: make the little Honda as capable and reliable as possible for the demands of the Mountain Course.

鈥淥ne of the biggest moments of the week came with my newcomer lap, led by Carolynn Sells who controlled the lap superbly and settled any nerves.

鈥淐ompleting that lap was a fantastic experience and a major milestone. There is something very special about finally getting out onto the Mountain Course after all the preparation and anticipation. Huge thanks to everyone who helped make it happen, particularly Ben Long, Grahame Collinge and Andrew Read, as well as everyone who supported me throughout the Classic TT.

鈥淭he next challenge was to take the OC Graphics ZXR400 out on course, although the weather was already beginning to dictate the programme. At the TT, you quickly learn that plans can change in an instant.”

鈥淢y first experience of being out on the course by myself proved to be particularly eventful.

鈥淔irst up was the ZXR400 in the Ultra Lightweight class. With more time and the right parts available, I would have rebuilt the engine properly, but we took a chance and hoped it would manage a couple of laps. The Mountain Course tests everything, and unfortunately this proved to be a mistake.

鈥淭he bike felt weak almost from the start. I noticed the engine temperature beginning to rise from Sulby, and then, coming out of the Gooseneck, the engine lost a little more power. It wasn’t enough to stop me immediately, and I hoped I could get over the mountain and make it to the next session.

鈥淭hat wasn’t to be.

鈥淓ven though the engine had been tested on the dyno and at Jurby, it finally gave up at Joey’s, around a mile beyond the Gooseneck. I pulled the bike into a safe place and began the long journey back towards the paddock on foot.

鈥淐rossing open moorland with gorse bushes, dry stone walls and barbed-wire fences certainly wasn’t how I had imagined the day going. I eventually made it back to the Gooseneck, where a fellow called Russell kindly gave me a lift back to the paddock, just in time for the Historic Classic.

鈥淔ortunately, the little CB350 K4 was ready to go, and it was a completely different experience. The bike has been a joy to ride all year and had received a huge amount of attention in preparation for this event. We managed to complete a lap, although I had planned to go for two before the session was eventually stopped by a chequered flag.

鈥淭he evening session was cancelled, giving the team a chance to regroup.

鈥淕rahame Collinge and Ben Long retrieved the ZXR400, while Andrew Read and I concentrated on preparing the 350.

鈥淭he lads then put in a huge amount of work, staying up late to carry out an engine swap in the 400 and get it ready for another attempt. That effort summed up the team perfectly. They were constantly being challenged, but they never stopped working to find a solution.

鈥淚 couldn’t have wished for a better group of people around me.

鈥淚 also want to give a special mention to the Mike Hailwood Foundation, who do so much work supporting newcomers at both the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT. Their help and encouragement are hugely appreciated.”

鈥淭he following days brought more progress on the CB350 K4.

鈥淭he meeting was being heavily affected by the weather, so every opportunity to get laps in became important. We managed to complete more laps and reached another significant milestone: the chance to put together two consecutive laps and four laps in total.

鈥淒uring one lap, I was black-flagged at the end of Sulby Straight because officials believed there was a loose exhaust pipe. Nothing was found to be wrong, and I was allowed to continue.

鈥淥n the second lap I could push a little harder and begin to understand what the course was like at speed. Learning was the biggest focus of the year, and with a few damp patches around the course I was very conscious of the low-adhesion flags and making sure I respected the conditions.

鈥淚t was another step forward, and one that the whole team could be proud of.

鈥淭he K4 was running well and sounded fantastic.

Meanwhile, the ZXR400 continued to give us headaches. We had tried to get it ready, but after another late night we found a small water leak and the engine still sounded rough. We made the decision to park it for the day rather than take another unnecessary risk.

鈥淲ith the evening practice cancelled, Ben Long once again set about trying to make the ZXR ready for the rest of the Classic TT.

Another engine swap later 鈥� and another long night for the team 鈥� we hoped we might finally have a bike ready to go.

鈥淔riday practice went really well.

鈥淚 managed two laps on the CB350 K4 and another lap on the ZXR400. The 400 was still a little asthmatic and down on speed, but after everything that had happened, simply getting it back around the course was a great achievement.

鈥淭hat should have been the end of the day, with the plan to relax for the evening and begin preparing for Monday’s racing.

鈥淏ut, as anyone who knows the TT will tell you, you can’t plan too far ahead.

鈥淛ust as the lads sat down with a well-earned pint, we found out that the entire schedule had been brought forward by two days because of incoming weather.

鈥淎 good call by the organisers, in my opinion, but it meant everyone had to get straight back into race mode.听

鈥淩ace day began with two qualifying laps on the ZXR400.

鈥淭he first lap was disappointing. The bike felt slow and asthmatic, so Ben immediately went to work, removing the carbs so I could change the jets.

鈥淭he second lap was much better, with a noticeable improvement in performance. At least we were moving in the right direction.

鈥淭hen came the Historic Junior Classic TT race on the CB350 K4 鈥� our first Classic TT race.

鈥淭he first lap and a half were fantastic. The little Honda was singing, and everything was going exactly as we’d hoped.

鈥淭hen, through Kirk Michael, it suddenly dropped onto one cylinder.

鈥淚 kept going and hoped it might come back, but it didn’t. Eventually I pulled in at Rencullen.

鈥淭wo racers passed me before I spotted the problem: the plug cap had come off.

鈥淟uckily, it was a simple fix.

鈥淚 pushed the cap back into place, bump-started the bike and got going again. I even managed to repass one of the riders before the finish.

鈥淭o get our first TT start and finish was a fantastic feeling.

鈥淎fter all the preparation, setbacks and late nights, simply seeing that chequered flag was something special.

鈥淭he next day was the Ultra Lightweight race on the ZXR400.

鈥淚t didn’t go to plan in the end, but while it lasted, I absolutely loved it.

鈥淥n the first lap I managed to catch ten seconds on the rider ahead on the road. We swapped places several times before reaching the first-lap pit stop, giving me another completely new experience.

鈥淭he lads did a fantastic job in the pit stop, and I managed to make up another twenty seconds to the next rider.

鈥淯nfortunately, on the run towards Ballacrain, the throttle cable snapped.

鈥淭hat brought the race to an end.

鈥淚t was frustrating, especially after all the work that had gone into getting the 400 back on the grid, but that’s racing 鈥� and particularly racing around the TT Mountain Course.

鈥淭here was, however, something to celebrate. We received a finishers medal for the previous day’s Historic Classic Junior race.”

鈥淥ne race remained: the three-lap Historic Senior 500cc race on the CB350 K4.

鈥淭he final race brought almost perfect conditions.

鈥淎fter everything that had happened during the week, the CB350 K4 was ready to take on three laps of the Mountain Course.

鈥淭he race was brilliant.

鈥淭he little 350 was running well and I was thoroughly enjoying every mile. We were running in 10th place and, with another few miles, there was a real possibility of bringing the bike home with a very good result. But the Mountain Course had the final word. At Hailwood Heights, the bike expired.

鈥淕utted is an understatement.

鈥淎fter all the work from the team, all the late nights, the engine changes, the preparation, the weather interruptions and the effort that had gone into getting both bikes onto the grid, to be so close to the finish and then have the bike fail was incredibly disappointing.

鈥淏ut that’s racing at the TT.

鈥淎nd despite the disappointment, I wouldn’t change the experience for the world.

鈥淟ooking back over the Classic TT, the results only tell part of the story.

鈥淭here were the laps, the races, the mechanical failures and the chequered flags. But there was also the learning, the atmosphere, the people and the sheer effort required behind the scenes to make everything happen.

鈥淔rom preparing the CB350 K4 before the event, to recovering the broken ZXR400, changing engines late into the night, rebuilding and preparing bikes between sessions, adjusting carburation and constantly adapting to the weather and schedule 鈥� the team never stopped.

鈥淏en Long, Grahame Collinge and Andrew Read deserve enormous credit for everything they did. Their commitment and determination were incredible, and I could not have wished for a better team around me.

鈥淎 huge thank you to 91传媒 for helping keep us safe and performing at our best at the Classic TT. Their braking performance, reliability and confidence under hard riding conditions make a real difference when every corner counts. We鈥檙e proud to have 91传媒 supporting us on the bike 鈥� thank you for being part of the team!

鈥淭hank you as well to everyone who helped, supported and encouraged us throughout the Classic TT, including the Mike Hailwood Foundation and all those who helped newcomers experience this incredible event.

鈥淎nd thank you to everyone who provided photographs and captured the moments throughout the week.

鈥淭he 2026 Classic TT gave me my newcomer lap, my first laps alone on the Mountain Course, my first TT race start, my first TT finish, a finishers medal, some fantastic racing 鈥� and plenty of lessons along the way.

鈥淭he bikes may not have made it to the end of every race, but we kept pushing, kept learning and kept getting back out there.

鈥淭hat is what the TT is all about.

鈥淲hat an experience. I wouldn’t change it for the world.鈥�

Pics: Mark Huckerby/RC Photos/Tracey Harrison

鈥淲hat a weekend!听 It鈥檚 been a tough year so far, with plenty of ups and downs both in and out of racing. After being disqualified at Oulton Park following a race win, I was determined to keep pushing and come back stronger.听

鈥淎fter watching Barry Burrell鈥檚 lap time in Heat 2, I honestly didn鈥檛 think I had it in me to match it. But somehow, everything came together when it mattered!鈥�

• Pole position in qualifying
• Pole position in the heat race
• Pole position in the main race

鈥淎nd to top it all off, I set the new lap record in the main race!听

鈥淚鈥檓 so happy with the weekend. It was one of my best races yet, and I honestly couldn鈥檛 have asked for much more.

鈥淚鈥檓 now joint 3rd in the championship, just 36 points off 1st, with over 100 points still available. There鈥檚 still everything to play for!听

鈥淎 massive thank you to everyone who supports me and the team. Bring on Assen!鈥�

鈥淒onington is always one of our favourite circuits. Before we got there, the weather report was saying rain, rain, rain. And our wet tyres were several years old, so I managed to purchase a second-hand set which were much newer.

鈥淲e were meant to have a test on Friday but the weather was so bad we skipped all but one session.

鈥淪aturday was qualifying and we didn’t know what to expect, given our lack of wet racing. 36 cars went out in a wet session; the car performed very well and gave me great confidence, to finish 6th overall and 1st in the F3B class. We were well chuffed as we never expected to be good in those conditions.”

鈥淩ace 1 was again wet and I had a great race with a fellow F3B, but was pipped to the win by 1 second. But we were still happy with P2.

鈥淩ace 2 and conditions were worse. The spray from cars meant you couldn’t see much especially when battling.听There were multiple safety cars due to cars going off. We stayed on the black stuff to again finish in P2.

鈥淩ace 3. And because Monoposto ran four races but you only race three, my previous fastest lap was set in the wet but nearly the entire grid for my race set there time in the dry meaning I started p26! But it was dry and we knew we had to get through the cars as fast as possible. We ended up P9 overall and 4th in F3B, but again, fastest lap in the dry.”

鈥淭o say the weekend went well us an understatement for us. We didn’t have any major issues apart from getting everything dry when we returned home.

鈥淲e are now 3rd in the championship only six points adrift from the leader. With one race weekend left at Brands Hatch in three weeks which we are undecided to do as yet.鈥�

鈥淏rook Built Racing competed at the British Historic Racing Club meeting at Darley Moor on 18鈥�19 July aboard the A Read Associates Ltd. Honda CB350 K4.

鈥淭his was a late change to our racing programme. Our original plan had been to compete at Scarborough on the SuperTwin, but following the incident at the Southern 100, the bike required more extensive repairs than initially anticipated. Rather than compromise the preparation, we elected to switch our entry to Darley Moor and focus on the Honda CB350.

鈥淒arley Moor is a circuit I have very limited experience of, having only raced there once previously in 1993. With minimal recent track time, the weekend became one of steadily building confidence and improving pace.

鈥淎 special thank-you goes to Grahame Collinge for his invaluable support throughout the meeting, and to Andy Read for both his assistance in the paddock and the opportunity to race the Honda.

鈥淎s is often the case with classic machinery, reliability became part of the story. In Race 1, while running in a strong third place, a spark plug worked loose, causing the engine to run lean and ultimately melting the plug. Although disappointing, it was encouraging to know we were already running at the front of the field while still learning the circuit.

鈥淲ith replacement spark plugs sourced by Andy, Grahame and I completed a trackside thread repair to get the bike back into action. It was far from an ideal paddock repair, but it enabled us to continue the meeting and gather valuable championship points.”

鈥淭he remainder of the weekend showed consistent progress:

鈥淩ace 2: 3rd in class, 5th overall, while improving lap times by approximately two seconds.

鈥淩ace 3: Another 3rd in class, closing significantly on the race leaders and finding a further two-second improvement.

鈥淩ace 4: Our pace earned a front-row start in P3. A close four-bike battle for the lead developed between two 350s and two 500s, producing some excellent racing. We finished 2nd in class and 3rd overall, crossing the line just 1.5 seconds behind the winner.

鈥淭o improve by around four seconds over the course of the weekend, despite limited circuit experience and overcoming mechanical issues, was an encouraging result and demonstrates both the potential of the Honda and the continued progress of the team.

鈥淥ur focus now turns to preparations for the Classic TT, where I will be making my debut while competing on both the A Read Associates Ltd. Honda CB350 and the OC Graphics Kawasaki ZX400.

鈥淔inally, thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters. Your backing allows us to continue competing, developing the bikes, and representing your businesses at race meetings throughout the season. Your support is genuinely appreciated, and we look forward to updating you again after the Classic TT.鈥�

Photo credit: John Hale.

鈥淲hat a week of racing at the Southern 100 on the Isle of Man!

鈥淭he weather was kind to us for most of the event, but as anyone involved in road racing knows, there’s always something that tests you along the way.

鈥淭his year I competed in two middleweight classes, the SuperTwin and the Supersport, giving me plenty of track time and valuable opportunities to build confidence and improve my pace around the Billown Course.

鈥淢onday evening’s practice went exactly to plan. I completed two sessions on the Supersport and one on the SuperTwin, improving my lap times every time I went out and getting both bikes working well.”

鈥淭uesday evening proved to be much more challenging. The plan was to complete two SuperTwin sessions before finishing with the Supersport, but after just two strong laps on the SuperTwin I was unfortunately taken out by another rider at Balabeg.

鈥淎 huge thank you to all the marshals, medics and spectators who looked after me. From making sure I was fit to continue, arranging transport back to the paddock, and even providing cold drinks and phones so I could let the team know I was okay, the support was incredible. Moments like this really highlight what makes the road racing community so special.

鈥淭he incident created a race against the clock. The SuperTwin required significant repairs, there wasn’t enough time to prepare for the final practice session, and I had to sit that one out. Thankfully, Monday’s pace had been enough to secure qualification, putting me 22nd on the SuperTwin grid and 21st for the Supersport B Race.

鈥淎fter a late night in the paddock, the team worked tirelessly to rebuild the SuperTwin and have it race-ready for Wednesday evening.

鈥淪tarting from around two-thirds down the grid made clean getaways difficult in the mass starts, but both races were encouraging. I finished 20th in the SuperTwin race and 17th in the Supersport race, while finding around four seconds per lap compared with my qualifying pace on both machines.

鈥淭hursday brought the main race day, beginning with the Supersport B Race before the SuperTwin feature later in the afternoon.”

鈥淚n the Supersport race I maintained my position throughout much of the race, improved my lap times again, and crossed the finish line in 20th after another strong performance.

鈥淟ater, on the SuperTwin, I made what felt like my best start of the week, gaining several places in the opening laps while continuing to reduce my lap times. It felt like my strongest ride of the meeting, so I was a little surprised to finish 21st, but the overall progress made throughout the week was hugely encouraging. Every outing brought faster lap times, giving us a solid platform to build on for next year’s event.

鈥淎 massive thank you goes to everyone who helped make the week possible. Grahame Collinge, who worked tirelessly to keep both bikes fuelled, prepared, through scrutineering and on the grid every session. Andy Fenton, for your endless support and invaluable local knowledge throughout the week. And my teammate Ben Long, for all your help and encouragement both on and off the track.

鈥淚’d also like to say a huge thank you to 91传媒 for providing the confidence and outstanding stopping power needed to push hard around the Billown Course, and to Aztec Oils for supplying products that kept both bikes running reliably throughout a demanding week of racing. Having dependable equipment makes a huge difference at events like this, and I’m incredibly grateful for their continued support.

鈥淩oad racing is never straightforward, but after overcoming Tuesday’s setback, rebuilding the bike and continuing to improve every time I headed out, I’ll take plenty of positives away from this year’s Southern 100.鈥�

Photo Credit: Tracey鈥檚 Pictures

鈥淲hat a weekend at Snetterton! This was only my second time ever racing at the circuit, so to come away feeling this positive is a massive confidence boost. We managed to get the bike set up almost perfectly throughout the weekend, and I felt more comfortable every session. A huge thank you to 91传媒 for all of their support 鈥� it really does make a difference.”

鈥淥ne of the races was definitely a rollercoaster! I worked my way from 9th place all the way into the lead, opening up a gap of nearly a second. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake which dropped me back to 6th, and after that I struggled to find the same rhythm and pace again but still happy with the result finishing in 5th

鈥淓ven so, I鈥檓 leaving the weekend incredibly happy with the progress we鈥檝e made. It was one of those races where it genuinely could have been anyone鈥檚 to win, and that鈥檚 a great position to be in, We鈥檒l take all the positives, keep working hard, and come back even stronger.”

鈥淣ow it鈥檚 full focus on Brands Hatch 鈥� I can鈥檛 wait to get back out there!听

鈥淎s always, a massive thank you to my team, sponsors, family and everyone who continues to support me. Your support means everything!鈥�

Barry Sheene Classic 鈥� Oliver鈥檚 Mount

鈥淭he Barry Sheene Classic at Oliver鈥檚 Mount provided another fantastic opportunity to race both the A Read Associates Ltd Honda CB350K4 and my own Brook Built Racing SuperTwin. Joining me for the weekend was Ben Long, competing aboard the Brook Built Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

鈥淲e were treated to fantastic weather throughout the entire event, which is a rarity at Oliver鈥檚 Mount and made for excellent racing conditions all weekend.

鈥淧ractice began positively, with three laps completed on each bike to get settled into the demanding road circuit. Qualifying followed, with strong results across the board. The Brook Built Racing SuperTwin was qualified in 10^th position, while the Honda CB350K4 secured second in class and was the leading 350cc machine on the grid. Ben also qualified successfully for the main 600 Supersport race on the Yamaha R6.鈥�

Road Racing New Classic Solo 鈥� Honda CB350K4

鈥淩ace 1 saw me make a good start and settle into second place early on. Maintaining a consistent pace throughout, I held the position all the way to the chequered flag.

鈥淩ace 2 was another strong outing. After another good start, I maintained solid pace throughout the race and was rewarded with the class victory.

鈥淩ace 3 proved to be another textbook race. A strong performance resulted in a second-place finish, which was enough to secure the overall New Classic Solo class victory for the weekend.鈥�

Pub & Kitchen Twins 鈥� Brook Built Racing SuperTwin

鈥淩ace 1 got underway with a good start, and after a competitive race I brought the bike home in 8^th position.

鈥淚n Race 2, the start wasn鈥檛 quite as strong, but I settled into a solid rhythm and worked my way to an 11^th-place finish.

鈥淩ace 3 was unfortunately less straightforward. I was boxed in approaching the first corner and lost several positions. The race was subsequently red-flagged, but while making my way back to the grid the bike cut out, preventing me from taking the restart and resulting in a non-start for the final race.鈥�

HM Civils Supersport 鈥� Yamaha YZF-R6

鈥淢y teammate, Ben Long, enjoyed a successful weekend aboard the Brook Built Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Competing in the highly competitive HM Civils Supersport class, Ben continued to improve throughout the event, beating his previous best lap times around Oliver鈥檚 Mount. His efforts were rewarded with consistent finishes of 18^th, 21^st, and 19^th in the three Supersport races, marking another positive step forward in his road racing development.鈥�

Thanks

鈥淏oth bikes performed faultlessly throughout the weekend, running and stopping perfectly with Aztec Oils Endurance 10W/50 engine oil and 91传媒 GPFAX brake pads.

鈥淎 massive thank you goes to all of our sponsors and supporters who continue to make our racing possible. Your backing is greatly appreciated and plays a huge part in every result achieved on track.

鈥淲e now look forward to the next event and building on a successful weekend at The Southern 100.鈥�

Pics: Adam Garrett/Mark Huckerby

“Friday started off strong with a P4 finish in Free Practice 1, followed by an even better result in Free Practice 2 where we secured Pole Position. Qualifying wrapped up the day with a P2 finish, just 0.07 seconds behind Nikki Coates, which placed us into Heat 2.”

“Saturday鈥檚 Heat Race 2 was a good race from start to finish coming out on Pole giving us confidence heading into Sunday鈥檚 main race. Drawing out the top 6 from each heat placing me 2nd on the grid for Sundays race.”

“Unfortunately, Sunday didn鈥檛 go as planned. During the warm up lap Scott Carson crashed at the bottom of Craner Curves directly in front of me, and despite my best efforts to avoid the incident, I sadly collided with him. This meant we were unfortunately unable to continue with the race.”

“A disappointing way to end the weekend after such a positive start, but we鈥檒l regroup, rebuild, and come back stronger for the next round. Thank you to everyone for the continued support 鈥� it means a lot.

“Wishing Scott Carson a speedy recovery.”

Photo credit Camipix Photography – Motorsport