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Race Reports
NPS - The National Pocket Bike Series
www.nationalpocketbikeseries.com
Round 3
Ryan Rains Supreme
This weekend (5-6 July 08) saw Ryan travel to the Stretton 2000 track
in Leicestershire to take part in Round 5 of the National Pocket Bikes
GP Championship. The rainy conditions allowed him to show some remarkable
wet weather riding skills to bring home a first place and a third place
trophy.
Heavy rain for Saturdays’ morning practice meant wet tyres all round as the track was quite slippy, clearer skies made the afternoon qualifying less hazardous with a change to vee rubber intermediate tyres. Ryan was racing two bikes, he qualified first on his 4.2 and third on his Prody despite a high speed crash, which saw him and the bike leave the track and end up in the tyre wall. His helmet took a battering but Ryan was unscathed, luckily a new helmet was provided by sponsors Nitro.
Sundays race day started wet with more heavy rain, another tyre change back to wets saw Ryan on pole position for his first race on his 4.2. Unfortunately he made a poor start, which allowed him to be overtaken on the first corner. He remained in second place until lap three, when he overtook. Gradually he pulled away from the rest of the field, lap by lap increasing his lead until he’d lapped most of the other riders. Ryan said “I didn’t know just how big my lead was, my Dad was giving me signals so I knew I was well in front, I was just concentrating on staying on the bike and watching for the last lap board to come out” Ryan passed the chequered flag in an amazing win, half a track in front of the next rider.
In the second race Ryan was again second off the grid, but he had overtaken, to take first place, by the end of lap one. He maintained his pace and as in race one he lapped most other riders and took first place, again over half the track in front of the second place rider, an exceptional feat at any time but this was in heavy rain.
Lunch break bought a break in the cloud and all over the paddock tyres were being changed as the track dried out. As Ryan was pushing his bike back to the track for race three, unexpectedly the clear skies darkened the heavens opened and torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightning soaked everyone and everything, the track became a river and the pit lane a lake. Racing was suspended until the shower ended, but after half an hour there was no respite so for safety reasons the rest of the days races were cancelled, giving Ryan a well deserved first place trophy for his 4.2.
Ryan was also racing his Prody, in a class for the more experienced riders. In his first morning race Ryan was in great spirits after his earlier 4.2 triumph, starting third on the grid he flew off the line in a fantastic start. First placed Bradley Ray, the National Champion, came off just after the first bend, the resulting confusion as bikes swerved to get round meant Ryan dropped down the grid to 6th place. Determinedly he slowly made up the lost ground to move into second place by lap four. Disaster, Ryan came off overtaking on a corner, he jumped straight back on the bike only to come off again on the next corner. He re mounted again, and again made steady gains lap by lap. By the last lap Ryan was one of the front three riders who were all well in front of the rest of the pack, he passed the chequered flag in 3rd place.
The second race started well but the wet conditions were taking their toll on all the riders, trying to control their bikes on the slippy track. Ryan was in second place but came off on the second corner of the second lap after a daring pass on Bradley Ray, he got back on quickly and soon gained third position, which he held for the rest of the race, giving him another well deserved third place.
The third race was also cancelled due to the rain so on the strength of points from two races Ryan was awarded the third place trophy. He was overjoyed to be on the same podium as Bradley Ray, the National Junior Champion.
Round 1
Ryan gets a new bike and a podium finish
Ryan Brain the Solihull minimoto Racer got a new larger geared bike on
Friday, then came third in a race on Sunday. The Chapelfields schoolboy
was amazed to come home with a trophy.
The bike is a three quarter sized geared bike - essential for young riders
to make the transition from automatic mini bikes to full size race bikes.
On Friday he just had time to go up and down the garden a couple of times
before bed, but only had room to use first gear. Early on Saturday morning
he headed over to Beccles in Suffolk for the National Pocket Bike Race
Series run by Minimoto Racing, for the chance to practice on his new bike.
His Dad Keith said “It was amazing, I explained how the gears worked
and he was off. In the practice rounds Ryan was being lapped by more experienced
riders, but by the racing on Sunday he was getting the hang of it.”
After three races Ryan managed to secure another podium position finishing
third overall.
Ryan said “This trophy’s wicked, I’ll put it at the
front of my collection. I did not think I’d be racing let alone
winning a trophy just 2 days after getting my bike.”
Local companies who would like to support Ryan through sponsorship should
contact his race team via his website. He is set for the top so there’s
no better time to get involved.
Round 2
Ryan wins a trophy In Northampton
Ryan Brain, the 11 year old Chapelfields schoolboy came an amazing 3rd
in the National Pocket Bike Championship, run by MiniMoto Racing Ltd held
in Northamptonshire this weekend (17th and 18th May 2008). He was racing
youngsters from all over the country on miniature race bikes.
During Saturdays’ practice the unpredictable weather did not dampen his enthusiasm and his Dad, a Landrover employee, got plenty of practice in changing tyres from wets to slicks and back again as the weather changed.
All three races saw Ryan slot into 3rd place holding this
position in each race to give him third overall and another trophy to
add to the ever growing collection.Ryan said “I really want to win
a Championship before moving on to 125s when I’m 12.”
Ryans next race meeting is being held at Rowrah in Cumbria on the 31st
May and 1st June. This is round 3 of the Phoenix Minimoto Championship
which Ryan is currently leading.
