Race Reports

The Phoenix Racing Championships

www.phoenix-minimoto-racing.co.uk has loads of racing information. Phoenix run three championships LCRRC (British), NEMRC (Northern) and SEMRC (Southern). Depending on the geographical location of the track points will be awarded for 2 or 3 of the championships.

Round 9 Whilton Mill, Northants

Ryan Brain, the 11 year old Solihull School boy didn’t let three crashes, one in each race, slow him down as he came second at the final Round of the Low Capacity Road Racing Club, British Championship this weekend (4/5 October 2008). He was racing youngsters from all over the country on miniature Grand Prix motorcycles. This is a "pre-road race" championship, where young motorcycle riders, can cut their teeth.....in exactly the same way that young riders have done in Europe, USA and Japan for years. Ryans podium position confirmed his place as the 2008 British Low Capacity Road Racing Club Champion.

The race meeting at Whilton Mill, near Daventry in Northampton started badly when the bike refused to run for the first practice session, due to a seized water pump, a frantic search of the paddock secured a repair kit which Ryans mechanic, his Dad Keith, managed to fit in a pit lane frenzy of spanners and screwdrivers, before the start of the next practice session.

Once he was out on his bike things went well, with Ryan setting the fastest lap, over a second faster than any other rider. This superb display of racing techniques gave him a pole position start for the races on Sunday. Waking to torrential rain on Sunday morning did nothing to dampen his spirits, despite the track bearing a strong resemblance to a river.

The first race saw Ryan take full advantage of his starting position to pull away in first place and hold it. By the end of the first lap, Ryan and Joe Francis in second place had pulled half a track away from the rest of the pack, it was going to be a two man race. Ryan was living up to his qualifying potential despite the rain lashing into his face. More importantly he had kept the lead despite Joe being right on his rear wheel, waiting for any chance to get past. Ryan was showing some of his best racing skills, choosing his lines, sticking to them and giving Joe no opportunities. Suddenly disaster struck in the third lap, Ryan went sliding across the track at the top corner, he’d lost the back end, he jumped up and ran to his bike desperate to get it restarted. He was back in the race in less than 30 seconds, but it was just too long to make up the distance, and although he sped round for the final two laps he could only take third place.

Race two found Ryan determined to make up the points lost in the first race, he made a great start, again leading the way, closely followed by Joe. Although the rain had stopped the track was still wet making riding more difficult. Ryan was determined to maintain his lead, but unbelievably in lap four he came off at the same corner. Again Ryan re mounted as quickly as he could and again showed great skill in gaining ground to pass the chequered flag, in second place.

Ryan was not disheartened going into race three, only more determined to show what he could really do. Another great start gave him an easy lead, when unbelievably he came off again, going into the hairpin in the first lap. The disappointment was intense but to his credit he again re mounted and sped off in pursuit of the pack. Once again he made remarkable progress and although he could not catch first, he crossed the line in third place.

Ryan’s determination to finish each race had paid off. He collected the second place trophy for the meet however it didn’t end there as this was the final round of the Championship and Ryan had won it. An amazing achievement in his first full season of racing, Ryan was over the moon with the result, he said “all I could think when I came off was that I had to finish the race, but its over now and I’ve won the championship, I can hardly believe it.”

Ryan who attends Lyndon School in Solihull, will be moving up to full sized bikes next year. Securing funding and sponsorship will be crucial in ensuring that this Midlands Racer achieves his full potential.

Round 8 Ellough Park, Suffolk

Ryan Brain, the 11 year old Solihull racer won Round 7 of the Phoenix National Junior Race Championship this weekend (13/14 September 2008), in Suffolk, giving him yet another trophy for his collection.

The race meeting at Ellough Park Raceway in Suffolk went smoothly for Ryan from the start, with none of the mechanical failures that dogged the start of his season. The pressure was on with only this and one more race meeting to the end of the season and the championship.

On Saturday Ryan kept a steady pace through qualifying to gain second place on the grid. Even the weather seemed to be on his side, with none of the torrential rain of the previous week, so he was able to run slick tyres all day with none of the fiddly changes between races, which have characterised this season.

The weather held to Sunday and although some black clouds were seen, it remained dry and warm. Race one was nerve wracking as Ryan left the grid first with his closest competitor Joe Francis close behind, they remained tight together throughout the subsequent laps. They were quite equally matched and both moved between first and second place, each vying to out manoeuvre the other by overtaking up the inside on the corners and upping their speed on the straights, both were keeping their lines and were reluctant to give an inch. By the penultimate lap the race could have gone either way but unfortunately for Joe he lost the front into the chicane and was unable to get his bike re started, this meant that Ryan passed the chequered flag in a comfortable first place in front of Ryan Folkes in second and James Causebrook in third.

Race two saw Ryan riding in a relaxed manner, he knew that two second places in the final two races would secure him the meet win. He followed close behind Joe but did not fight for first place with the associated risk of coming off and loosing points. The race did not have the same excitement as race one but Ryan secured the second place he needed. Race three also saw Ryan racing for second place only, which he took with ease. This was enough to give him the first place trophy. Ryan Folkes came away with second and Joe Francis with third.

Once the meet points were added to the championship points Ryan realised that by winning the meeting he had also won the championship, although there was one race meeting left to go he had more than a 25 point lead. The Lyndon schoolboy could not stop smiling he said “it hasn’t sunk in yet, I don’t think it’ll seem real until I’m actually holding the Championship trophy”

His Dad and mechanic Keith, who has battled every step of the way with Ryan, by keeping the bikes on track with a very limited budget added “I’m so proud, he has worked so hard and this makes it all worth while, he’s proved that he has got what it takes.”

Ryans race team now have to decide his strategy for next year – he will be moving up to full sized bikes but there are a number of different championships that he can enter. Securing funding and sponsorship will be critical in ensuring that this young Racer achieves his full potential. If any business would like to discuss sponsorship they can contact Sarah via Ryans web site.

Round 7 Stretton 2000, Leicestershire

He won a third place trophy after showing superb riding skills despite mechanical faults with his bike.

The first days qualifying saw Ryan easily finish on pole position, despite the changeable weather. Race one on Sunday was on a damp track that was starting to dry after Saturday nights downpour. Ryan was in an optimistic mood, he made a good start pulling away in third place, he confidently kept is lines and by the start of the second lap was right behind the second placed rider who he overtook on the back straight. He immediately set his sights on first place and moved in to that position in lap three, again on the back straight. He continued to pull ahead gradually increasing the gap between him and the other riders. He was pushing the bike for all it was worth when he lost the front coming into the hair pin. He immediately retrieved the bike, got it started and jumped back on, only to come straight off again, he was missing a foot peg and so misbalanced, not daunted he mounted again managing to fit his foot on the tiny stump left and set off up the track in pursuit of the other riders. The riders in first and second place were over half a track ahead of him and although he reduced the gap over the next four laps he could not catch them and crossed the line in third place.
In race two Ryan again made a good start pulling away in third, he chased the second place rider through to lap four where he overtook him on the chicane, he was then racing for first place. He put up a good fight and seemed to gain lap by lap, but although close he could not find the extra power needed to overtake so he finished in second place, just a fraction of a second behind. In the pit lane Ryan reported that the bike was not running correctly, the engine was revving by itself.
Ryan started race three knowing that his bikes performance was below optimum. However this only served to motivate him and he pulled off the line in second place. It seemed doubtful that he could maintain the necessary speed as he kept on the back wheel of the first place rider but in lap seven he did it, emerging from the back end of the track in first place. You could feel the effort he was making in pushing the bike to maintain his lead but the speed was telling on the bike and he reverted back to second place in lap eight. Ryan was not to be defeated and increased his efforts to coax extra speed from the un cooperative bike, he was tearing round at phenomenal speeds pushing himself and the bike to the limit, then in the last lap he pushed a bit harder and went hurtling into a tight corner at incredible speed, the spectators seemed to hold their breath as they saw the bike swerve from side to side and Ryan fight to control it, there was a collective gasp as it was obvious he’d lost control and seemingly in slow motion he came off bouncing towards the tyre wall with the bike continuing down the track on its side. Ryan jumped up but it was heartbreaking to feel his disappointment as the third place rider passed him to move into second place, Ryan didn’t hesitate but retrieved his bike to chase them, his fortitude paid off as he passed the chequered flag in third place. This gave him a third place overall and a well deserved trophy.

On stripping the bike down back at home Dad and mechanic Keith said “ I was amazed, one of the clutch pads had disintegrated and the crank seals were gone, that Ryan could ride the bike at all, let alone take third place is phenomenal and a testament to his riding skill.” When asked how he felt about the day Ryan said “quite good, I didn’t have a clutch shoe or crank seals but I still kept up with Zac and Joe and I got the fastest lap time of the day, the only rider to get under 40seconds.”

Ryan was only racing one bike this weekend, as to help finance his move to full sized bikes, his other minimoto was sold, but with the skills he displayed this weekend it wont be long before he’s making his mark at larger tracks.

Round 6- Rowrah Cumbria

Ryan Brain wins more trophies in Cumbria
This weekend (2/3 August 08) Ryan Brain the budding junior motorcycle racer from Solihull travelled to Cumbria to take part in Round 6 of the Phoenix National Junior Race Championship. Ryan, aged 11, was delighted to take second place on both his Prody and 4.2 mini motos. He also overcame major mechanical difficulties to race his new full sized 70cc race bike.

The weather for Saturdays practice and qualifying was bleak, heavy showers that flooded the track interspersed with dry but cold windy intervals. Ryan was concentrating on getting to grips with a new bike, that he’d only picked up the day before, its large 17” wheels meant learning a new style of riding and the larger engine capacity meant getting used to speeds twice as fast as his mini motos. Ryan was taking this all in his stride when disaster struck with a bang. The engine had overheated destroying the piston and cylinder. Rather than abandon racing this bike his Dad Keith scoured the paddock for a solution, the usual spares supplier was not at the meeting and no local garage had the parts needed. Luckily a fellow racer loaned a spare piston, cylinder and exhaust system which effectively made the 70cc bike into a 50cc bike but more importantly meant Ryan could race. Keith spent a damp Saturday night making the modifications.

Heavy rain throughout Saturday night didn’t bode well for the days racing with water being swept from the track by the circuit staff. Racing started promptly and Ryan was off on his Proddy. He made a good start in race one pulling away in second place. The wet track made it difficult for all riders and the slippy conditions meant Ryan came off early on, he jumped back on his bike and continued in third position for the rest of the race, however the last lap flag spurred him to push a little harder to find extra power and so take second place. Race two again saw Ryan leave the grid in second place, he and Joe Francis the rider in first place, swapped positions several times but the chequered flag found Ryan in second place. Race three was also a battle between Ryan and Joe with several position changes within the first lap, Ryan eventually gained the lead and held it to the end to finish first, this gave him an overall second place.

The first race on his 4.2 saw Ryan pull away in second place which he maintained to the end. In race two Ryan left the grid in third place but had managed to secure second place by the end of the race. Race three saw some excellent wet weather riding which enabled Ryan to gain another second place, giving him second overall. A grinning Ryan clutching two more trophies said “I’ve got 40 trophies now”

The most exciting races of the day for Ryan were on his new full sized bike. In the first race three other riders coming off due to the wet conditions meant Ryan took fourth place, a sixth and seventh place in the other races weren’t enough to give him a trophy but that didn’t matter, Ryan had showed he’s got what it takes to make the move to full sized tracks when he’s twelve. He had handled the bike competently in some of the worst racing conditions he’s encountered with the engine running at less than full power. After a major rebuild over the next couple of weeks he’ll be taking it back to Cumbria at the end of August to really put it through its paces.

Ryan would like to take this opportunity to thank his Dad for keeping all his bikes running and particularly for spending all Saturday night in an awning rebuilding his engine by torchlight , Tony Hughes who provided the spare parts which enabled Ryan to race, Phoenix racing and all the staff at Rowrah Circuit for helping to make the weekend such a success.

Round 5- Whilton Mill, Northants

Another First Place Trophy for Ryan
Ryan Brain once again overcame mechanical difficulties to come first in the Junior Production Class of the Phoenix National Minimoto Championship, fifth round on Sunday (13/7/08). He also gained a third place trophy in the Junior 4.2 class.

Ryan was not able to make the qualifying day on Saturday, but arriving at the Northampton track at 8am on Sunday morning enabled him to get in a few practice laps and join late qualifying. He was racing two bikes and qualified in first place on his Prody and in second place on his 4.2.

With high expectations for the day ahead, Ryan was determined to do well on his Prody as he needed points to pull ahead in the Championship. In the first race he looked set to take first place from early on, but about halfway through he began to make signs that there was something wrong and his speed started to fall. He managed to keep the bike running and in a display of first-class riding skills still managed to come in second. A pit lane strip down of the engine showed that the clutch had failed. A quick clutch change later and Ryan was set for race two. He maintained first place from early on and passed the chequered flag in first place. In the third race Ryan had to engage in some head to head racing with Joe Francis who was pushing hard to prevent Ryan from winning. They were wheel to wheel for most of the race, Ryan would overtake only to be overtaken by Joe and so on throughout the race. In the penultimate lap Joe pushed a bit too hard and fell off, his bike skidding across Ryans path causing him to come off as well. After a few tense moments Ryan remounted, got the bike started and took the race, coming in first, to Joes’ third. This was enough to give him first place overall and so collect a massive trophy to add to his collection. This win puts Ryan into first place on the leader board for the Championship.

In the Junior 4.2 class Ryan made a good start and was pushing hard to gain first place when disaster struck and he crashed while overtakeing, he got a tank slapper, his handlebars wobbled and he was off. Ryan had banged his head and did not feel able to continue the race, but after a check up and some chocolate he felt able to resume the days racing. He said “I knew that having no points from the first race put me well behind, so I was determined to do well in the other two”. In his second race he made his presence felt, despite his earlier mishap coming in a credible second place, a further second place in race three meant he came home with a third place trophy. Ryan is now in second place in this class and more determined than ever to win.

Round 4- Ellough Park, Suffolk

In Saturdays qualifying heats the uncertainty about the weather – would it be torrential rain as the forecasts predicted or glorious sunshine as the sky promised? – meant different intermediate tyres were needed, after scouring the paddock unsuccessfully for his usual make Ryan decided to try Vee Rubber, a decision that paid off as Ryan put in the fastest times and started Sundays races on pole position on both his 4.2 and his Prody.

Waking on Sunday morning to blue skies, the teams confidence continued into Ryans first race on his 4.2, Ryan pulled away first and maintained his lead until the end, despite the valiant efforts of the other riders. Ryan displayed a skilled approach, he appeared very relaxed as he rode and no one could manage to overtake him. Ryan took first place.

Race two appeared to be following the same pattern, Ryan made a good start, pulling away from the other riders early on, then continuing to defeat their attempts to catch up, by the last lap his team were sure the race would be his, but then in amazement they watched Ryan slow to a stop. He frantically tried to re start his bike as the other riders passed him, but he was unable to, so he did not finish the race, robbing him of valuable points.

A pit lane post-mortem showed there was nothing Ryan could have done – the engine had seized. This left Mechanic Dad, Keith about half an hour to change the engine, he joked “some people think I’m mad to carry a spare engine with me wherever we go – but this has proved that it is a good idea!

With minutes to spare Ryan was on the grid for the final race with his spare engine bolted on the bike. Ryans’ riding didn’t have the fire of the previous races, he was slower off the start than expected and spent the race chasing first place and although close in some places he could not catch him. He ended the race in second place. All became apparent when Ryan explained that the clutch was not working, but he said “I knew I had to keep on going as I could not afford to loose any more points. “ Ryans tactic paid off as he was awarded 2nd overall for the 4.2 class.

In his Prody class Ryan once again showed exactly what he’s made of. In race one he pulled off the grid in second place – this meant he was playing catch up and for the first seven laps he was chasing first place, making significant gains but unable to get that burst of power to allow him to overtake. On the final lap, on the final corner he did it, the spectators all seemed to gasp as he passed to move into first place and cross the chequered flag first. He had battled every inch of the way in wheel to wheel action.

In the second Race Ryan was flying, he pulled off the grid in first place and lap by lap added to his lead. By the final lap he was half a track ahead of the nearest rider when he crossed the finish line.

Race three saw Ryan pull off the grid in second place, he was chasing the first place rider for only two laps before he overtook him round the outside on a bend. From then on the race was Ryan’s – the gap between him and the other riders grew lap by lap. Once Ryan had passed the chequered flag his delight showed as he punched the air in a victory salute to his Dad. His 1st place trophy a testament to his riding skill.

As ever Ryan, the Chapelfields schoolboy, would like to thank his sponsors Nitro Helmets, Jon Wishart Motor Sport Photography, and Arachsys Specialist Internet Service Provider for all their help and support, but most of all his Dad and mechanic Keith, for both the ongoing maintenance and the trackside emergency repairs.

Round 3- Stretton 2000, Leicestershire

Young Solihull Sportsman wins 2 Trophies
Ryan Brain, aged 11 from Solihull, was competing on two bikes, this weekend in the Phoenix National Mini Moto championship, against children from all over the country. He was competing in two classes and won a first and a second place trophy at Stretton 2000 Track in Leicestershire, on 8th June 08.

Ryan and his mechanic, his Dad Keith, had been working on the two bikes non stop since the race meeting last weekend. They used Saturday’s qualifying races for last minute tinkering and adjustments, which certainly paid off. Keith said, “I can’t believe how well both bikes went, those late nights in the garage were certainly worth it”.

The first race on Sunday saw Ryan pushing his bike to its limits, he was on the tail of the race leader from the start and came a credible second. He continued to pose a serious threat to first place, and despite some unexpected engine problems resulting in pit lane repairs he came second in the next two races, giving him second overall for the meet and enabling him to maintain his championship lead.

On his second bike Ryan flew off the start grid, with an ever increasing gap between him and second place. He kept up his pace and took first place in a very comfortable win. Race two also saw Ryan win with what looked like ease. In race three he took it easy knowing that finishing was more important than winning, so he took second place, giving him a First place win overall, which means that he is now leading this championship as well.

As ever Ryan would like to thank his sponsors Nitro Helmets, Jon Wishart Motor Sport Photography, and Arachsys Specialist Internet Service Provider for all their help and support.

Round 2

Ryan 2 crashes 2 Trophies
Ryan Brain, the 11yearold Chapelfields schoolboy from Solihull, overcame adversity this weekend at the National Phoenix Minimoto championship at Rowrah Cumbria to come 1st on one bike and 3rd on his other. Ryan was leading this Championship so the pressure was on to perform well and increase his lead.

Ryan and his team made the 4 hour journey to Cumbria on Friday night giving them the whole of Saturday morning to learn the track as Ryan had not been there before and to set up Ryan’s GRC 4.2 and his Production bike for the twisty track. The weather was perfect bright sunshine with cool winds which allowed Ryan to try out different gearing and calibration combinations.

However the afternoon started with high drama in qualifying Ryan went out on his 4.2 he was pushing himself and the bike as hard as he could when he had a crash through the chicane – the bike flew in the air and Ryan was catapulted into the air, the bike landed on the barrier – with damage to brakes and bodywork – luckily there was no damage to Ryan who jumped back up and desperately tried to get the bike started to continue. Despite this incident Ryan qualified 2nd.

He qualified first on his Prody with no drama.

Sunday saw a complete change in the weather, with dark clouds overhead, Ryan started out on slicks but soon had to change to wet tyres.

Overnight repairs meant Ryan was on the grid to race his 4.2. He made a good start pulling away 3rd and soon it was 3 riders battling for the top 3 places leaving the rest of the field behind. Ryan was chasing the two in front of him battling for 2nd place, by the middle of the race the 2 leaders had pulled away and Ryan had to find extra power to catch them back up and overtake to take second place in the last lap and so he race.

A tactical decision was made to change up to a bigger sprocket, resulting in frantic pit lane action as time was not on Ryans side.

Ryan on his modified bike was off the grid 3rd in race 2 but quickly moved into 2nd place. Ryan was right on the leaders back wheel and followed him tight into a corner but could not catch him as he pulled away up the straight. By lap 4 he was still a close second just looking for a chance to follow his line through to first. It was a tense race to watch as the two bikes were so closely matched. Ryan said “ I knew had to win this race, I was focused on keeping my line and looking for any chance to get through” On lap 5 Ryan gave a push of power up the straight but disaster struck at the last corner and he high sided the bike , he jumped up and desperately jumped back on his bike but could not continue. He did not finish the race as he had bruised his shoulder and grazed his hip. But after a few minutes he bravely got back on to start his next race.

The last race for his 4.2 saw him take it easy to begin with as his shoulder was sore but as the adrenaline kicked in he forgot the pain. Ryan said “ I just knew I wanted to get a first place and I forgot everything but the race.” Watching it as amazing to see Ryan holding his line, for the first 3 laps he was in 4th place but by lap 4 was closing the gap on the lead bike and in the chicane at lap 6 he was near to overtaking, he had his knee to the floor round the corners and you could see the determination as he pushed the bike for every bit of power it had, coming out of the chicane he was wheel to wheel with the race leader and then he overtook on the straight. He didn’t get complacent but continued to push himself and the bike. The second place rider was right on his wheel fighting to catch him but Ryan was flowing with his bike leaning into corners and holding his line and using full throttle on the straights this continued to the final lap with Ryan holding his position with the second place rider fighting to regain first right on his back wheel but Ryan passed the checkered flag.

Round 1

Ryan does it again – in the rain
Ryan Brain, aged 11 from Solihull, came an astounding 1st in the first round of the Phoenix National Minimoto Championship, held at Whilton Mill, Northamptonshire this weekend(12/13 April 08). He was racing youngsters from all over the country on miniature Grand Prix motorcycles. Ryan has a flair for riding in the rain, so he’s using the unpredictable weather to his advantage – as other riders slow down he speeds up. The action was fast and furious as Ryan battled to maintain his lead, but he pushed himself to his limits and although there were some close moments he was able to find that extra power to cross the finish line first.

The talented schoolboy began racing last year. Last weekend he came second in the MRRA British Championship, in the snow. His achievements are incredible as he has less than a years race experience. Ryans’ Dad and mechanic, Keith said “It’s amazing that he’s done so well two weeks running. My heart is in my mouth as I watch him in the wet conditions, but he just puts his head down and gets on with it.”
Ryan said “I’m so excited, it was unbelievable to get a first place, I hardly knew where the other riders were, I just concentrated on crossing the line.”

MMRA Race Reports

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