Monday 31 May 2010

Pattinson and Wylie go well at TT first practice.

Both riders completed four laps of the mountain circuit in tonight's sessions. Pattinson achieved a best of 120MPH on his Superbike with Wylie at 119MPH. Each rider tested with two bikes, Pattinson on the Superbike and Superstock machines and Wylie went with the Superbike and 600. Conditions were good with an air temperature of around 14 degrees C and only light wind. No major problems were encountered, but Wylie's Superbike engine will be receive a precautionary inspection prior to tomorrow's session and the usual array of minor adjustments will be completed.

The Team plan to run all machines tomorrow, with an aim of achieving the maximum five laps per rider. Ben Wylie will try the 195 section rear in the Superbike in an effort to improve stability and Ian Pattinson will run the 600 for the first time.

The forecast for the rest of the week is for continuing dry conditions until Friday when there may be rain, so around a maximum of 16 or 18 laps could be possible.


Ian Pattinson to join Ben Wylie for TT Races

Ian Pattinson will replace Carl Rennie in the Phase One line up for next week's TT Races.
Rennie failed to gel with the team at the NorthWest 200 event and Pattinson jumped at the opportunity to compete in his place.
Ian Pattinson, a Manx GP Race winner, is a regular top 15 finisher at the Isle of Man TT, with a best placed 8th in the Superstock event in 2007. Ian will compete alongside Ben Wylie in the Senior, Superbike and Supersport races and will take the Team's single Superstock entry.

Ben Wylie's stated ambition for the race is to achieve his first 125mph lap on the Team's Superbike, following his Newcomer best of 121.7 mph last year.

Russell Benney: "This is a massive undertaking for the Team and really is very different. Probably the biggest difference is that we have enjoyed the luxury of working from a pitbox garage for 25 years and returning to multiple awnings is a challenge - just storing 5 bikes, plus an 08 Superbike as a spare is difficult enough!"

Following the cancellation of Saturday's practice because of rain, tonights will be the first test.

Friday 21 May 2010

Ben Wylie mixes it with Martyn Jessop and Gary Mason at the NorthWest 200

Ben Wylie finished both 600 races in the top 20 at last weekend's NorthWest 200 Races, leading home the second wave mass start in race 2. It was first time out for the Phase One entered R6 Yamaha which proved competitive from the off. On the superbike he finished 21st and 22nd, splitting BSB riders Martyn Jessop and Gary Mason. Wylie has come a long way his 2005 junior team ride on the Shell Endurance Academy Yamaha and has chosen the roads for 2010.

Monday 10 May 2010

Newsletter 153: The Northwest 200

The Team’s first Irish Road Race and Practice for the TT

With the pre-season Albacete tests and a Mallory Park shakedown behind us, we are now ready for the NW 200 and TT. Carl Rennie and Ben Wylie will each race in two classes; Carl in Superbike and SuperStock and Ben in Superbike and SuperSport. For the Team it’s a big undertaking, having previously focused on keeping just one machine on track! For the TT the task will be even larger, when Carl’s SuperSport bike will also be debuted. But we are ready. The TT is proving to be one of the most popular races ever for team members, with more than 24 being involved over the two and a half week period.

Both the NW200 and TT have also been made a lot easier by the enthusiasm of our sponsors to get involved in real road racing. Direct product support has been offered by all of our old endurance sponsors, many of whom see it as being more relevant to their business. So, for the first time (we think) we shall see Beringer discs and France Equipement sprockets on a SuperStock bike at the TT.!

Carl’s regular sponsors have also worked hard to support his SuperSport bike, which will be built to a specification capable of winning. Thanks to Carl’s brother Dereck and Martin at MTC.

The Team’s quest for sustainable racing, in the form of e-bike racing has continued leaps and bounds with Mike Wain at the proposal stage with at least one major manufacturer and with the Universities of the West Country ganging up to be involved. More soon….

At the NW 200, the team will be based in the paddock and at the TT we have rented the house that TT regular Ian Armstrong normally has in Onchan.

Please feel free to come and visit us.