HOW TO GO RACING

I remember my very first racing meeting and how disappointed I was with the results, although I’d been riding bikes from a very early age; competitive tarmac riding was unknown territory and looking back I was so unprepared. I didn’t even book a track day. My only practice was on a private road in the Lake District, completely illegal, but it gave me a taste for thrashing a 36bhp 125cc Aprilia on what I thought was the racing line. I simply joined a club, applied for my race licence, which didn’t require any examination other than a medical and eye test, paid the fee, and then before I knew it I was on the grid for my first race. I probably didn’t know all the flags at that stage, hadn’t done a race start, and really didn’t have a clue how to string a good lap together. Here’s what I would do now:

Joining a club

Research where you’re most likely going to race and join the closest club, and give support to your local club racing organisation. That’s where you will spend a good few years learning the ropes, and without the clubs it would be difficult for anyone