A MELKSHAM man is to make his motor sport debut less than a year after passing his motorbike test.
Mark Birkett will be racing on his Honda CBR 600 motorbike in the pre-injection class with North Gloucester Road Racing at tracks all over the UK, having only passed his road motorbike test in April last year.
He will compete in the 13 race series between March and September this year and he also plans to enter a newcomers’ race at Brands Hatch.
Mark has been able to enter the pre-injection 600 class thanks to the help of local businesses including Melksham Scaffolding, Able Motorcycle Training, Absolute Tool Hire and Eye4Media.
Mark said, “As the first race gets closer it is getting really exciting. It has been an adventure getting the bike ready and getting advice and tuition. I have had lots of help from friends and also my cousin who will also be racing with me on an almost identical bike.
“I do get waves of nerves, but I think that is normal. If I was not worried about doing 130mph on two wheels amongst a grid full of other bikes I think there would be something wrong with me! Despite that, I am looking forward to the challenge.
“I think the first season will be a massive learning curve for me as a novice but I do have two targets. One – don’t fall off. And, two; learn as much as I can from the others on the grid who have far more knowledge than I do.
“It has been great to have so much help from local companies and I have had more support than I ever expected. It is not just about the money it is about the support and help given, that’s worth more than money.
“I have a few special thanks – to Steve Dawes from Multi Coat for powder coating all the bike bits, Freddie from Chippenham Motorcycles and Mark from MH suspension at Lower Seagry who has done the suspension set up for me – I can’t wait to get started.”
Mark’s first race will be on 14th March at Brands Hatch before monthly races all over the UK. He will be racing locally at Castle Combe in June.
For a full list of race dates and locations visit www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2015/diary.htm
