Sport Wait for it: Brad’s superbike debut delayed until late June The debut of Stalbridgebased rider Brad Jones in British Superbikes has been delayed until late June. The Government’s roadmap applies capacity limits for fans at non-seated venues until June 21 at the earliest. But with organisers wanting the maximum number of spectators to enjoy the competition’s 25th anniversary, the 11 race rounds will now start at
Oulton Park on June 25-27. Brad, 22, is riding for the recently renamed iForce Lloyd & Jones BMW team, which is based in Liverpool. He will ride alongside team mate Joe Francis, who is competing in his third consecutive campaign with the team, following a successful 2020 season which saw him secure two top 10 finishes. Last season Brad finished
runner-up in the British Supersport category, with one victory and six further podiums. He competed at that level for four years on board a 600cc bike: now he will be on a 1,000cc machine producing 225bhp compared with the 140bhp he has been used to. In his first season of stepping up to the premier Superbikes class, Brad said: “I don’t have any expectations. There
is a lot of learning and adapting to do. The style of riding is different and that’s something that will take time to get the hang of.” The official test programme begins at Silverstone on April 28-29. The race season proper will now be truncated to run all 11 rounds within 17 weekends, ending up at Brands Hatch on October 1517.
Sprit pair gearing up for GP2 Cup By Steve Keenan sport@blackmorevale.net
Dorset team Spirit Moto Corsa’s 2021 line-up for the British GP2 Cup has been confirmed, with Jamie Perrin joining the outfit alongside reigning champion Mason Law. Perrin, 27, has impressed in British Supersport over the last few years, challenging at the sharp end of the field despite entering on a privately-run bike. He has previous experience in the GP2 class, picking up nine podiums across the first six events of the 2019 season. Law, 25, is continuing with the team for a second season, having picked up the 2020 title in fine fashion with a double victory in the Brands Hatch season finale. He picked up four wins and seven podiums in a hotlycontested campaign, eventually winning the championship by 22 points. Following on from last year’s success, the team’s target is for both riders to compete for the GP2 title, as well as fighting at the top of the overall classification with British Supersport. The Shaftesbury-based Spirit Motorcycle team is bolstered by a continued title 76
Castle Cary
DYNAMIC DUO: Mason Law and Jamie Perrin
sponsorship deal Gillingham-based motorcycle dealership Moto Corsa. There is also increased backing from Chedington Estate in Beaminster, whose branding features heavily on the team’s striking new-look livery. Perrin said: “I’m looking forward to being back in the GP2 class for 2021 after a
successful stint in the class in 2019. To be joining the team that’s come straight off the back of winning the championship is great. “Obviously the aim for the season is to win the GP2 championship, but I imagine everyone has the same idea. I also want to be in a position to run competitively in the overall standings.” Law said: “I’m really
pleased to rejoin the team for the 2021 British GP2 season. Last season we were very much developing and racing the bike at each and every round, so to win the championship over a much shorter distance, for me, was a great achievement. “There’s still plenty of work and improvement that can come from the package for this season. Obviously, the next couple of months are very important in terms of development, then hopefully we can kick-on and use the recently announced official tests as the platform for a strong and successful defence of the championship.” n Ahead of the new season, Spirit Motorcycles has bought Talon Engineering, a Yeovil-based company which specialises in motorcycle parts including wheels, brakes and sprockets. Spirit plans to expand the business and diversify its product range. Talon’s products have been used at highest level of Motocross and Speedway, as well as the Dakar Rally. In its 50-year history, more than 100 world champions have used Talon components. Talon exports to 35 different countries around the world.
