Winning start for father-and-son race team
The motor racing season is all fired up again and we’re helping several riders keep on track.
We’re supporting father-and-son team Nick and Haydon Smith, who got their campaign off to a flying start, as well as Matt Finch who is racing again this season to promote men’s health after beating testicular cancer.
Hi-Precision Engineering team mates Nick, 47, and 22-year-old Haydon are proving to be front-runners.
Nick is in the British Motorcycle Racing Club’s Formula 400 sub 64 Championship, which son Haydon won in his first season last year while also finishing third in the full power championship which he is again contesting this year.
Haydon was also awarded the BMCRC 500cc Championship Shield for Best Newcomer across all classes in the 2022 season.
Nick raced for eight years in the Nineties, until Haydon was born, and has now returned to the track. Both ride 2000 model year Kawasaki ZXR400s.
After the first four races at Brands Hatch last month Haydon, number 25, is leading the full power championship with two wins, a third place and an unfortunate spill.
Nick, number 151, is second in both championships, winning three sub 64 class races but pulling out of the other with an oil warning light.
“It was a little bit daunting at first but everything came back. Riding on the same track as Haydon is unbelievable with father and son at the front,” said Nick who was supported by Orwell Motorcycles when he used to race a two-stroke Kawasaki KR-1S and Suzuki RGV250.
Matt Finch, of 445 One Ball Racing, is again racing his 2004 Yamaha R6 in the No Limits Racing Metzeler Newcomer 600 class to promote It’s On The Ball testicular cancer charity and support group.
His first meeting of the season at Snetterton in mid-March saw lots of changes to the bike due to poor weather. He qualified 24th out of 38 riders and 19th in class.
Race one on Saturday saw a very wet track, lots of fallers and a red flag at the end of the first lap. A reduced restart of the race resulted in a five-lap sprint. After a tentative start, Matt gained back some places to finish 22nd (17th in class).
Sunday’s race two saw a brief spell of sunshine dry the track but all riders were still on wet tyres and suspension set-up. Starting from 27th, he made up four places
Race three on Sunday afternoon was on a completely dry track and set-up. From 25th on the grid, a much stronger start saw him get through slower traffic earlier in the race. He got up to 15th but a small mistake on the last lap saw him drop a place. It was still his best ever race finish of 16th in class.