Brands Hatch
The opening round of the 2008 season was held on the full Grand Prix length circuit at Brands Hatch in Kent. There was not only the ex-Lee Jackson 2007 Yamaha R1 which was new to the team, but also the new set-up including the extensive awning complete with weather proof flooring.
The qualifying sessions saw Graham qualify in 21st position on the grid with this being a positive result given the relatively short amount of testing time prior to the meeting. The team woke on the Sunday race day to look out onto a paddock hidden in a layer of snow four inches thick. It soon became apparent that no racing would be taking place on that day.
The re-run of the race was scheduled to take place on Sunday 11th May which was also the date that the team were due to set off to Ireland for the North West 200. Still trying to come to terms with the set-up of the new bike, adjustments were made to the damping in the front forks. During the race, this turned out to be the wrong adjustment. The bike struggled with front and rear grip through and out of corners, and also with not holding a line turning in. After a few scary moments with the front and rear sliding together around 100mph corners, Graham decided to ride to finish, seeing him finish in 22nd place.
Brands Hatch Indy
This was the final race meeting of the season back on a circuit the team are very familiar with. Using the knowledge gained from the club meeting a few weeks previous, the bike had a good base setting to enter the free practice and qualifying sessions on the Friday.
The second qualifying on the Saturday saw a significant improvement in lap time. This was partly from the change from a 10 to a 9.5kg rear spring but mainly due to the fact that championship winner Steve Brogan started a flying lap just in front of Graham. Taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth, he tagged on to the rear of Steve for the lap, and although being 0.6 off of Brogan’s best lap who was 3rd on the Grid, this still left Graham starting the race in 22nd.
In the race, the first start saw Howie Mainwaring being hit by another rider resulting in the race being red flagged. In the restart, Graham did not get such a good start and was holding 20th position. As the race went on, the pack in front broke away and Graham was passed by a number of other riders including Kieran Blair and Gavin Hunt. In the closing stages, Marshall Neill left his new CBR 1000 Fireblade sitting on the tyre wall at Paddock Hill bend leaving Graham to finish 21st. Although not achieving a point scoring position, it was good to finally pick up a firm result to see the season out.
| Venue | Qual Time | Pole Time | Qual Pos | GE Best Race | Race FL | Race Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brands Hatch GP | 1.33.19 | 1.29.391 | 21 | 1.34.212 | 1.29.925 | 22 |
| Brands Hatch Indy | 48.629 | 47.65 | 22 | 49.031 | 47.834 | 21 |
BSB Races
- Brands Hatch GP
- Thruxton
- Oulton Park
- Snetterton
- Donington Park
- Silverstone
- Croft
- Cadwell Park
- Knockhill
Other Meetings
- North West 200
