Knockhill Motorsports Club Round 1.

Friday test session was the first port of call this weekend, with lap times consistently in the 58s despite it being damp out on the circuit.

Saturday started off less well after qualifying on the second last row, but I'm not expecting to be running up at the front just yet. Had two good races though, passing some of the Ducati 1098s, to finish both solidly.

Sunday didn't start well after waking up feeling like s**t, with a dodgy stomach and the remnants of a cold, and then finding myself on the back row in a race with 32 riders for the 600cc class. Pleased with race one though after making a few tweaks to the suspension on Saturday night. A few good battles and a top 12 finish put me in good spirits. Race two was going even better, running in the top 10, but I ran too hot into the hairpin and the front tucked. The bike was fine apart from a few battle scars and it was ready to go again for the final race. Unfortunately my gut wasn't ready for the final race, and by about half distance my tyres were on their way out, and so, encouraged by my rumbling gut, I pulled in before I made any silly mistakes.

Thanks to Dawn and George from gizmogalaxy.co.uk and Mark Bowran of Mark Bowran Contracting for the support this weekend. As always, its much appreciated.

It was also the first race meeting with the onboard camera, so I'll get a few clips uploaded in the near future.

Off to East Fortune next for Round One of the NEMCRC. See you there!

Brent #12

Happy New Year everyone!

Well, nearly there now, start testing next month. Still hoping to contend in Thundersport GB in 2012 if we can get some more sponsors on board. If this doesn't happen though, we'll mainly be racing in the North East championship and Knockhill Motorsports Club. The provisional dates for this season are in the next column.

We're in the process of converting our outbuildings into living accommodation, so work on the bikes has been at a standstill for most of the winter, although the R6 is prepped except for the suspension which is due for a refresh in the next few weeks. The SV MiniTwin is also waiting for a suspension refresh, as well as needing to be resprayed. We aim to have everything sorted by the end of February ready to start testing.

In the off-season, I've been putting in the extra hours in the gym and on the mountain bike to get myself ready to wrestle the 180mph R6 round the track, as it's a bit of a step up from the MiniTwin. I'm just so eager to get back on the bike again.

Brent #12

p.s. We're updating bits and bobs on the site just to make everything work a bit better, so bear with us if you try something and it doesn't work!

As you probably all know from choosing to follow me on Facebook, we got our hands on the 2012 race machine a few weeks ago, so we popped down to Donington Park last week to give the R6 a little bit of a run out.

I was excited to be heading down there as it was a new track to get my teeth into, but with a new bike and my first attempt at using a race shift, I was also pretty nervous. For those of you who don't know, a race shift is different from a standard road shift because instead of kicking the peg up to change up and down to change down, it works in the opposite way so you kick down to go up etc. The track was very slippery in the first session after a bit of early morning drizzle but it gave me the chance to adapt to the race shift as the pace was pretty gentle. By the third session, the track had dried out nicely, and let me find out what the bike was capable of. The set-up seemed to be spot on and so the bike handled brilliantly (making the Minitwin from this season look pedestrian!) and I was soon starting to push the limits. By the time the afternoon sessions came along I was backing it into the Melbourne loop! Great fun.

So, a fantastic day of getting comfortable with the new bike - I'm already looking forward to the 2012 season. I've also got some pictures from the day, larger versions of which can be found on my facebook page.

Aswell as the East Fortune Race Weekend run down in the previous post, there's other happenings since I last spoke to you all.

First things first, I've decided not to compete in the Gold Cup at Olivers' Mount this year, as the numerous fatalities in bike racing this year have really brought home the risks involved in this sport. So for the foreseeable future I'll be focusing on short circuit racing. My heartfelt thoughts go out to the family and friends of Ben Gautrey

Secondly, and on a more positive note, we could be moving classes next year to compete in Sound of Thunder or Super Stock 600s. Which one it will be all depends on cash flow, but having recently attracted a new sponsor in the form of Nationwide Civil Engineering ltd, things are looking promising.

Don't forget that there's always room for new sponsors to get involved in this exciting sport, no matter how small or large a contribution. You can find contact details on the contact page of the website.

I'd also like to thank Dawn, George and Thomas Rayner for both their support and their generous contributions.

Tricky conditions met us at East Fortune for Round 4 of the Melville Motor Club but after making some major setup changes before the weekend, we were hoping for a good one.

Saturday went okay with a 4th row qualifying lap. I was expecting more but having not raced here much this season it was a bit of a struggle, although the new setup worked a treat. Had a solid race, finishing inside the top half and knocking a second off my lap time.

Sunday was especially tricky due to hellish winds but everyone had the same conditions so it was game on. After a pep talk on the Saturday night I was feeling pumped up about the race, and after two red flags I found myself on the front row for the restart bumping elbows for the best line out of Paits. Finished in the top third of the field this time and knocked another 3 seconds off my lap time. It was a good note to finish the weekend off on and I'm already looking forward to the next round at East Fortune.

Hi people, been a bit lax on the blog front lately as its my busiest time of the year and I'm trying to earn some pennys to keep the racing going. Does that count as a racer's excuse?!

On my last post I mentioned that we would be on MotorsTv. This has been a fun addition to the 2011 season and has no doubt helped us find new followers and increase the team's exposure.

So what's been happening since my last update? We were up at Knockhill on 26th of june for the 3rd Round of the Knockhill Motorsports Club A 2nd and 4th place finish were satisfying results and some fun, close racing was had with the 400s. You can't knock a bit of fairing to fairing action!

Last weekend we were back at knockhill for the legendary Jock Taylor meeting with the NEMCRC. Truth be told it had it's ups and downs. In practice I lost my fuel filler cap and snapped my clutch cable, having completed only done 5 laps.Had a bit of a scary moment during qualifying after my throttle stuck open coming out of Carlube Corner. The gravel trap and the air fence did it's job but the bent clip on (handle bar) put an end to the session. The Sunday went better and in Race 3 I got a really good start and was in 5th out of 28 for a few laps, and managed to come across the line in 9th out of 26 and 5th overall in the MiniTwins. Been having problems with my boots and last weekend the left boot was losing me valuable time through missing gears. Needless to say, I've bought a new pair, so hopefully they'll be less troublesome.

July has also seen me get my National Licence so I'm now looking forward to my day view race at Oliver's Mount for the Gold Cup in September.

My old man also made the decision to sell his MiniTwin, as he wants to focus his attention on my racing. I'm just glad to have my spanner man back! Although, I'm sure we'll see him back on the track at some point in the near future.

As always, on it like jam on toast.

Brent #12

Thanks to Rob Smith an Tom Robley for the photographs. Many more available on my Facebook page.

Keep an eye out for Brent Nichol Racing on MotorsTV (Sky 413, Virgin 545) this Thursday night at 6.55pm, where you can watch full highlights from the Knockhill Motor Sports Club Easter Weekend meeting.

Brent #12

Hi folks,

Double header this time round as I was racing two weekends on the trot.

First off to East Fortune, where I've raced once before and this time had my Dad to contend with as this was his first race meeting.
I started the weekend a couple of seconds off the pace but slowly brought the lap times down into the 1.12's, and managed to quality 17th out of 25.
Last race of the weekend was spectacular. My Dad managed to get the jump on me in the early laps, but with two laps to go I stuck the bike down the inside going into the first corner and gave him a cheeky wave on the straight! Tried to repass me going into Railway, but outbraked himself, meaning I could go onto a 13th place finish. Top half of the field, so a good weekend.

Thanks by the way, go to Rob Smith for the photos, and Jim McCluskey, Lee Broadbent and my mother for the support.

Easter weekend, up to Knockhill for my first televised meeting. Shocking weather greeted us on the Saturday, but by the time qualifying came round on Sunday morning, the track had dried out. A 1.02 lap put me 4th on the grid, but a lost spacer out of my cush drive stopped me from lining up on the grid for race one which meant I would be starting from the back of the grid in race two.
A good start, but two laps from the end, my bike was showing signs that it was running out of petrol. I managed to coax it round to the flag, only for the engine to cut out on the main straight. So I had to coast into the pits, where I found out that I'd got a 3rd place finish, and had to get myself to the rostrum where Keith Amor would present me with my trophy!

As usual, an up and down weekend, but absolutely chuffed with my podium finish - hopefully the first of many more to come!

For this one I'd like to thank Daniel Jenkins, Alan Jenkins and Raymond Drummond, who volunteered to be our pit crew for race 2. Much appreciated guys, hope to see you soon.

Brent #12

First shots of the bike on track in 2011, at Cadwell Park. Enjoy.

Brent #12

Here at Brent Nichol Racing we're always very grateful for your support, and this week our thanks go to Jim McCluskey for the help with our tyre funds.

Brent #12

Hello people and welcome to the 2011 race season.

The new season is nearly upon us and the bike is nearly ready to go, all its needing now are my sponsor decals. As you can see the website has also been updated to match the bike's paint job. Thanks as usual to Mark Lenthall for all the design and website work.

In December we acquired another sv 650 injection model for my Dad to have a blast on but since then he has decided on getting his ACU licence, so this season could be fun with a new teammate! We won't be competing in all the same races, but I'm looking forward to giving him a good run for his money. This season is going to be a real eye opener as I've finally got rid of my rookie bib, I haven't got a spanner man (my Dad) and I am also running my own company - Coquet Tree Services. Which brings me on to my latest news. The bike will be on show at Arb Fair North in association with Gustharts, at Kirkley Hall in Northumberland on the 13th and 14th of May.

More good news, CGR Bike Gear has agreed to back us for this season helping us out with clothing/undergarments, so thanks very much to them.

We always have room on the bike for more sponsors so if you're interested in getting involved in the exciting world of motorbike racing, feel free to get in touch at brentnicholracing@gmail.com.

I'm also changing from the number 65 to number 12 this season to tie in with my private E12ENT registration on the van I'm using to transport the bikes.

Thats it for now, and remember you can also follow Brent Nichol Racing over on my Facebook page.

Brent #12

Yes, I am still alive! Apologies for the lack of blog posts over the past month or so - been chocka block grafting!

Thanks to Mark Lenthall & his brother Neil for the video.

As usual, our 400s provided an eventful weekend at Knockhill. As some of you may know, there was the famous Jock Taylor Superprix aswell as the usual KDMC races, which meant that there was an action-packed 2 days full of some fantastic racing.

For the test day on the Friday, the bike was going to be used so that the dry bike could be kept for the races, but upon starting the wet bike, we discovered that it had blown a cylinder head gasket - It would mean one bike for the weekend, but as testing went smoothly this wasn't an issue.

Saturday - Okay qualifying session, but I took a tumble at the bottom of Duffus Dip on an oil spill, meaning that I found myself 14th on the grid. It was a quick fix though, as there was only cosmetic damage & we were soon ready for the afternoon's race which turned into a confidence builder more than anything else - a 15th place finish.

Sunday - Misty morning to start with that reduced visibility but the blazing sunshine soon took care of that. 2 trouble-free races gave me a good amount of important track time - 13th & 14th place finishes.

Overall, a productive weekend with a good amount of track time, marred slightly by a couple of confidence setbacks - but hey, thats racing!

Thanks as always go to my sponsors & my Dad.

Brent #65

The bikes are all setup for the KDMC/Jock Taylor Sidecar Superprix at Knockhill this weekend. Just purchased an on-board camera so it will be good to get some first hand shots of what its like to race a bike round Knockhill.

Just like to say a big thanks to Jim McStain for the generous donation that helped me to buy a new set of tyres and Alan Taylor who kindly donated some nuts, blots and washers - always essential in bike racing!

Brent #65

p.s. Keep your eyes on my facebook page for live updates throughout the weekend, where I will be posting results and any other goings on.

Thanks to Mark Lenthall for all the content & his brother Neil for putting the video together for us.

Another learning experience at Knockhill. Teething problems in practice on Friday meant that we would primarily be running the wet bike over the weekend. Due to too many entries being allowed in numerous classes & the technical gremlins, we only managed to qualify in the non-qualifiers races meaning that we would be racing against 1000cc & 600cc bikes, so it was all about getting track time. Every session I managed to knock about a second off my lap times, so that was a good confidence builder, as was a good finish in the wet race on the Sunday.

Sunday was a bit of a tricky day as the usual Knockhill rains fell after a couple of sunny days. Due to some nasty accidents in the other races & the indecisiveness of the organisers, we ended up without one of our races towards the end of day, so that was a bit disappointing as all track time is good track time, despite the treacherous conditions.

Overall, a good weekend for building experience but it would have been a little bit more productive if I'd been racing in my own class, but hopefully that is something the organisers will sort out for next time.

As usual, thanks to all my sponsors & my Dad

Here's some more photos from the Easter Weekend KDMC meeting at Knockhill. Thanks to Rob Smith

A fair bit of snow hit Knockhill last week, and after a couple of nervous phone calls it looked like only Friday's testing had to be cancelled, but the rest of the weekend would go ahead. So we packed everything together and headed up there.

By the Saturday morning, most of the snow had gone, but big black clouds were lurking. In the first session I chose to run the dry bike with intermediate tyres. The bike seemed to be going brilliant until the last 5 minutes when I came down the start/finish straight and the bike seemed to bog down, so I thought it best to pull in to the pits. After trying out a few things we found out that one of the cylinders had dropped a valve so that was the dry bike out of action for the rest of the weekend.

On race day the track was swimming - Good job I had the wet bike, however I hadn't had much experience of riding in the rain, so this could be interesting! On full wet tyres & after a few warm-up laps I starting putting in consistent 1.03's. Had a minor off coming out of the John R. Weir Chicane, but both the bike & I suffered very little damage give or take a couple of scratches.

I heard them announce on the tannoy after qualifying "row 3 number 65 Brent Nichol 10th" - I was chuffed with that considering I was on the lower power bike with standard ignition etc. It also meant I was the highest placed rookie!

Race 1

Had to pull out of race 1 before it had even started as while I was waiting to go out on track the top radiator hose popped off & squirted water everywhere. I seriously thought I had blown another engine but we managed to fix it in time for...

Race 2

So this time I got as far as pulling up on the grid, with my heart in my throat like any other rookie! The lights went out but I didn't get a very good start as I hit a false neutral trying to change up from 1st to 2nd, so I was nearly at the back of the pack by the first corner. I managed to move up the field & finished 15th out of 25 which was okay, but I reckon it should have been a top 10 finish.

All in all a few costly problems but this is my rookie year and we are still on a learning curve. Already looking forward to the next round though where I will be looking for a top 10 finish. During the break I'm hopefully going to get out on my local airfield to practice my race starts aswell!

I want to say a big thanks to my dad Kevin Nichol (EGS Landscapes) for keeping everything running as some of the problems couldn't have been rectified without his help.

Right, quick update on what's been happening.

Had my first test day at Knockhill on the 14th. Snow on the circuit when we arrived, but it was soon cleared away and we finally got some proper track time after what has felt like a long winter. This was actually the first time I've been on the new bikes and they felt pretty good. This session was mainly a chance to adjust the suspension settings and for me to learn the track, as I've only ridden there once before, and most of the Scottish championships rounds are held there.

The following weekend we had a test day at East fortune. The track was canny - really fast and had some good places to spectate from. The dry bike was good again, but the wet bike was suffering from an engine problem. So for most of the day I took the opportunity to figure out my braking points and what gear I should be in for what corner. I can now see why its called 'Scotland's best kept secret'.

So now the bikes are back home getting everything checked over in preparation for the first round of the KDMC at Knockhill on 4th of April. Bring it on!!!!!

Brent #65

p.s. Photos to follow soon.

Big thanks to Chris at Dynopro

Brent #65

Thought you'd all like to see the new paint scheme for the 2010 season. Big thanks to GBM Motors for the paint, Vinylmark Signs for the graphics & Mark Lenthall for the photos.

Brent #65

Hi guys, welcome to the first blog of the year and also the first of my new website. Yes, I know its already February but better late than never!

On this website I'll be posting regular updates with blogs, photos and hopefully video, so you can keep track of my progress throughout the 2010 season.

This year we are a bit more prepared for a full season of racing, with 2 ex-race winning Honda VFR 400cc race bikes. So far this year the bikes have been stripped down and rebuilt, with both the engine & the suspension (thanks to Reactive Suspension in York) being refreshed, so the bikes are like brand new. They also have a new paint scheme (blue, yellow and silver), and a new race number, 65, instead of 34.

Now it's a case of piecing everything together. Hopefully we will have at least 2 test days before the start of the season, probably at Croft and Cadwell Park. I'm just looking forward to getting back on the bike after a 3 month hiatus, filling in the time with Shooting and fitness training. So hopefully we will have a good season as the bikes are top notch and the fitness is up, so I just need to have my mind in the right place.

Also I'd like to thank all my sponsors & my Dad for making the 2010 season possible.

Brent #65