Scottish Championship & Regal Supersport Knockhill 27th August

Saturday - Practice Weather - Pouring rain. This was only the second time Les has been out on wet tyres this season so he took full advantage and was very pleased as the bike felt good and his lap times were competitive.

Sunday - Race day Weather - Sunny

Race 1 - Scottish Championship Les started on the second row of the grid, he was 6th into the first corner, but Les soon got working and passed one rider on the second lap and another on the third, then he set to the task of closing down on the Scottish Champion. Les chased him for a few laps and then on the seventh Les saw his opportunity at the hairpin and passed him, once Les was past he started pulling away, however the leaders had been able to build up too much of a lead to claw back, so Les concentrated on the job in hand and finished a comfortable 3rd.

Race 2 - Regal Supersports 600 Series Leg 1 Weather - Track dry but possibilities of rain (nothing new there for Knockhill) Again Les started from the second row, he got a good start but a crash between two other riders saw the race stopped while the debris was cleared and the two riders were taken to hospital. Race 2 - Re-start Again a good start but another riders bike blew it's engine on the first lap depositing oil across the track causing the race to be stopped for safety reasons. Race 2 - second Re-start All riders were sitting on the grid on dry tyres, it started to rain just as they started, then a rider highsided on the first lap, following this the heavens opened and the race was stopped and postponed while the weather was monitored. Race 2 - third Re-start It was still raining so Les went out on wet tyres, Les was fifth for the first few laps then passed the next rider to take fourth, a dramatic crash by the third placed rider (the bike was catapulted 12 feet into the air!!!!) allowed Les to take another 3rd placing.

Race 3 - Regal supersports series Leg 2 Weather - Track dry with some damp tarmac round the track Les went out on dry tyres, he got a good start and was fifth into the first corner, Les chased the Scottish Champion for a while before passing him on the seventh lap, Les then set about chasing the two leaders. Coming into the hairpin on the last lap the second placed man outbraked himself and left the track, Les was close enough to take advantage and when the rider rejoined they were side by side form the hairpin to the line, a determined Les would not give in and took 2nd place by about 6 inches!!!

Les' comment on the weekend... He enjoyed the weekend, despite the unpredictable weather, the bike performed well and the racing was entertaining for the spectators, all in all a successful weekends racing.

Team comment..... Les is getting quicker as his experience builds, he has proved in the British that he can take on the best and acquit himself well against them. He has maintained the pace he found in the British and used it in the Scottish and Regal races to gain some very good results. We believe there is more to come, so keep watching and enjoy the experience of being part of the Les shand Racing Team.

British Superbikes at Knockhill 10th - 13th August

Les has been steadily improving his performance all season despite mishaps such as an engine and gearbox blowing up. His hard work was rewarded with an entry into the British Supersport Championship during the Superbikes round at Knockhill. This is a very prestigious day in the knockhill racing calendar as it is the day in the year that draws the largest crowds. This day was no exception with an estimated twenty thousand people from all walks of life filing through the gates for what was to be a most exciting racing event. The weekend had started on Wednesday for Les when he left for Knockhill about 6pm, he arrived there, set up his garage unloaded the bikes and then got some sleep ready for practice on Thursday.

Thursday - Practice day 1 On waking it was obvious Les was up against some serious opposition, teams with up to six bikes and the engineering/promotional backup to match (engineering workshops taking up best part of an artciulated lorry, full hospitality tents etc) were set up in the paddock area. Some of the sponsors of the teams he was up against are, Castrol, Sanyo, Norwest Holst, Red Bull, BikeNet/Redeye. Les had a good days practice with the bike running well apart from minor adjustments, he had decided to use new tyres for practice following advice from Ian Duffus, to be successful you have to practice on the same quality of tyres you will race with i.e. new tyres. Les felt that being on track with the best of the British motorcycle racers was bringing him on quickly.

Friday - Practice day 2 The transponder (a device used to transmit information to a trackside receiver) was fitted to the bike for accurate lap timings. Another good days practice with some more adjustments made and the bike still running well, Les also scrubbed in some tyres ready for racing. After receiving timing sheets for the day, he realised he had gone faster than the had ever gone round Knockhill and was sitting eighteenth fastest for the day, despite his bike being the slowest top speed at the speed trap two thirds of the way along the straight. Les' bike 121mph - fastest bike 136mph.

Saturday - Qualifying This was crunch time, Les had to qualify to be given a grid position. He did it by putting in a 54.601 the fastest he has ever gone round Knockhill, some of his fellow Scottish racers commented that he would either have to slow down or they would have to speed up at the next Knockhill meeting! Although Les had the oldest and least powerful bike he qualified in an admirable 21st place out of 28, which was some achievement. He actually qualified in front of a D&E Racing Ducati, Hawk Racing Kawasaki, ETI Supersport Yamaha, Unilock Honda and Boss Yamaha, these teams all have some serious backing. The evening was spent reflecting on the days events, preparing the bike for race day and getting some well earned rest.

Sunday - Race day (Judgement day) Warm up in the morning proved to almost be a non event, Les had done two laps when the heavens opened and everyone came in to the paddock.

The Race It had been raining on and off since the morning and it was looking like it was going to be a wet race which was not good. About an hour and a half before the race, the rain stopped and the sun started trying to come through, the track started drying and a dry racing line appeared. A look round the track by les confirmed the dry line was appearing but the clouds were still looming above, so we had three sets of tyres ready for every eventuality, Michelin wets, Dunlop intermediates and Michelin dry's. 5 minutes before race start a decision was needed from the man himself (Les) he chose dry Michelins, so the team frantically worked to get the wheels changed. 5 minutes after Les went up to the pits, we all ran up with him and sat his bike onto the stands on the grid with the tyre warmers on, while further up the grid they were surrounded by Brolly Dolly's Les had to be content with his less than handsome pit crew, then it was action stations, tyre warmers off, bike off the stands and away he went for the warm up laps, then they formed up for the start of the race. It seemed an eternity before the lights changed and then the roar of 28 race tuned machines sounded around the track as they thundered into the first turn, Les got a good start but into the first corner he was forced onto some damp track and his back wheel lost grip almost causing him to crash, he was relegated to 27th position by the end of the first lap, but the race had a long way to go. Les fought all the way and it was obvious he was faster through the bends than those directly in front him, but they had more power for the straights and he could not get close enough for a decent outbreaking manoeuvre. However, somehow, Les still managed to get past them and worked his way through the field with some breathtaking manoeuvres like passing on the outside round the hairpin! Les rode his bike faster and faster until he had fought his way back to 17th with a best lap time of 54.764, the team were over the moon with the result and we rushed to the 'parc ferme' area for the bikes to be checked for post race legality. Les was sitting on his bike as we arrived, he asked us to take the bike off him because he was completely drained, it was obvious he had given everything he looked and felt shattered, we put the bike on stands, gave Les some fluids and congratulated him on an awesome race, what did Les say? "I could have done better, but I was being held up on the bends and the rider in front had too much power for me to pass him on the straights" as I've said before he's a perfectionist and he will not be happy until he is standing on the winners podium! After all this excitement we watched the Superbike racing, packed the transport and headed back up the road. I dare say Les has returned back to earth and is working on his bike ready for the next race meeting at this very moment.

Some facts to ponder on if anyone tells you he only finished in 17th place.... He was riding a 97 model Honda with a mildly modified engine and standard brakes. He has only been racing for two and a half years. He spends every spare bit of money on his racing.

The other teams were riding....... Highly tuned 2000 model machines with race quality brakes. On average they have been racing many more years. They have major league sponsors to provide money for racing...............I think that puts it in perspective.

Although Les missed a Superclub round at Castle Combe to be at the British, advice from many experienced people in the racing fraternity had advised him to do the British to gain valuable experience from the top riders, which would give great benefit in the longer term. I am sure his outstanding performance given the equipment will have raised many eyebrows and raised his profile.