Tough Top Ten for Oxford Tag Triumph

Monday, May 24, 2010

Scorching temperatures made for a packed Cadwell Park over the weekend as expectant race fans flocked to the historic Lincolnshire circuit in their thousands to see the UK’s fastest show on two wheels.
 
The Supersport class is always fiercely contested and, with the lap record being smashed, the pace was as hot as the weather throughout the weekend as rival teams jockeyed for the best position on the grid for race day.
 
Anything less than lap record pace wouldn’t be enough for a front row start and, after getting the Oxford Tag Triumph Daytona 675s dialled in to the conditions, the team moved the performance forward with both senior team riders, Paul Young and Jason O’Halloran, posting times within a whisker of Billy McConnell’s 2009 lap record.
 
Unfortunately, Youngy crashed heavily in second qualifying exiting Charlie’s and sustained complex spiral fractures to his tibia and fibula. A full update on Youngy’s condition along with a statement from the team will be released next week.
 
Jason O’Halloran fared better and, having missed out at Oulton due to a broken collarbone and fractured wrist, the 22-year-old Australian put in a determined performance that defied his injuries and lack of experience at arguably Britain’s toughest track to master, qualifying inside the top 15.
 
During the race, Jason picked his way through to finish a determined 10th, a great result considering Jason’s recent injuries and the very physical nature of the circuit.
 
Shaun Winfield again continued to prove his consistency with another solid performance throughout the weekend (see ‘Young Guns’ below for more details.)
 
 
The Oxford Tag Triumph Young Guns
Yet again, the Oxford Tag Triumph’s team commitment to supporting young riders as they rise through the ranks of British championship racing paid off.
 
Youngest team member, Gary Winfield showed another huge step forward and his learning curve while steep seems to be one that he’s climbing with some style as he becomes more comfortable with the thoroughbred GP125 machine.
 
Indeed, having never set foot at the notoriously technical Lincolnshire circuit, the 14-year-old from Swadlincote qualified well within the maxima and rode hard to a well-earned 24th overall and a hugely creditable 11th in the Cup championship aimed at the younger, less experienced riders.
 
Gary’s elder brother, Shaun continues to impress with his consistency and maturity as he racks up valuable track time in the most extreme weather conditions ranging from the slippery cold and wet of Oulton to the unprecedented high temperatures witnessed this weekend, the heat bringing with it difficulties for both machine and rider.
 
But Shaun was up to the task and his fitness training paid off, Shaun lapping towards the end of the race consistently close to his personal best, finally finishing the race 23rd overall and 7th in the Cup class moving him up to 9th in the Cup championship.
 
The team’s Superstock 600 racer, Ross Ashman is recovering well from the pelvic injuries sustained during an horrific crash at Thruxton earlier in the year and is all set for his return to action at Knockhill over the first weekend of July.
 
In the meantime, his replacement, Martin Glossop has been putting in some strong performances despite a lack of four-stroke experience, qualifying the Oxford Tag Triumph Daytona 675 in the midfield and finishing a difficult, restarted race in a solid 21st place after a hard battle with fellow former 125GP frontrunner, Tim Hastings. Martin will now race the Oxford Tag Triumph Daytona 675 for the rest of the year alongside Ross. 
The next outing for the Oxford Tag Triumph team will be at Mallory Park, Leicestershire, over the weekend of the 25th-27th of June.
 
For more information or for hi-resolution images of the Oxford Tag Triumph team in action, contact rob@robhoyles.com or log on to www.tagtriumph.co.uk