Commitment to supporting grassroots racing remains key for leading bike insurance specialist

Fifteen-year-old Chester racer Joe Francis continued his path towards motorcycle stardom by winning the Moto3 class of the British Motostar championship at Silverstone yesterday.

Bennetts first backed Joe in 2011, providing financial backing to help the then 13-year-old complete his season in the Aprilia Challenge championship, a series which has helped launch the career of numerous world champions including Cal Crutchlow, Chaz Davies and two-time MotoGP champ Casey Stoner. After going on to take the title in thrilling style, Bennetts continued to back the prodigious talent as he entered the British championships as part of its policy of supporting young riders.

This season saw Francis join forces with the professional Team WD-40, racing a Honda NSF250R Moto3 machine in the British championship. Starting with a second place in his first race at Brands Hatch, the youngster scored a podium finish at every round until Sunday’s Silverstone event, where he rode with maturity to take the fifth place required to secure the title.

Joe Francis said: “It’s a fantastic feeling to win the British championship. We had a few problems in qualifying but I knew what I had to do going into the race and I was able to get the fifth place that I needed to win the championship with a race to spare.

“Bennetts have supported me since 2011 and have proved a great sponsor, not only in terms of helping me raise the finances required to go racing but also in raising my profile and putting me in touch with professionals who can help me progress my career. In the past year I have worked alongside Scott Redding and James Toseland, Bennetts’ other ambassador riders, and been interviewed by national TV, radio and newspapers.

“Being a Bennetts ambassador is a fantastic experience for a young rider and they’ve certainly played their part in helping me to become a British champion. My ultimate aim is to make it to MotoGP and become a world champion, and I hope to continue working with Bennetts as I move on to the next step in my career.”

Bennetts is committed to supporting Britain’s top motorcycle racing talent and up-and-coming young riders. In addition to Francis, the company is currently in its third season of backing Scott Redding, who currently leads the Moto2 world championship, and retains an association with two-time former World Superbike champion James Toseland.

Any young riders who think they have what it takes to follow in the tyre tracks of Francis and Redding are invited to email Bennetts at [email protected], detailing their racing history, 2014 plans, career objectives and sponsorship requirements for the 2014 season.                            

The Department of Economic Development Motorsport team has negotiated for the Senior TT Trophy to feature in a prestigious one-day exhibition alongside some of the world's most iconic sporting trophies.

The exhibition, which will take place at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day on 19th October, will also feature The FA Cup, The Ashes Urn, the Rugby League Challenge Cup and the Calcutta Cup.

The trophy was donated to the Auto Cycle Club, now the Auto Cycle Union, by Joseph the Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars, the President of the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1905-1906. His name can still be seen on the award. The Senior TT Trophy was first presented, to Charlie Collier, in 1907 who won the first TT Race.

The Senior Trophy was based on the Montague Trophy, awarded to the winner of the TT car races, which pre-dated the motorcycle TT, and was handed to the rider of the winning single cylinder machine.

Standing 197centimetres tall and weighs 59.5 kilograms, it features Mercury, the Winged God of the Messengers from Roman mythology, crafted in silver standing atop a winged wheel. The effigy is mounted on a tiered plinth featuring engraved shields detailing the winner of every Senior race.

Past winners read like a who’s who of motorcycling including Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Stanley Woods, Joey Dunlop and Giacomo Agostini. Current champion John McGuinness, who has won twenty TT Races, has won the Senior TT six times.

Although insured for at least £1.5million, it is a priceless, unique part of the TT’s heritage. It is kept in the Isle of Man, under tight security provided by G4S Secure Solutions (Isle of Man) Limited, and will travel to Ascot with G4S's Divisional Manager for Security Services Lloyd Mister.

The Ascot exhibition will include other famous sporting trophies and mementos including the Jules Rimet Trophy won by the England football team in 1966, the Sid Waddell Trophy won by PDC World Darts Champion Phil Taylor in 2013, the World Snooker Championship Trophy won five times by Ronnie O’Sullivan, the European Player of the Year Award – The Ballon d’Or – won by Michael Owen in 2001, along with his Premier League Golden Boot awards and medals relating to the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.

The display will also include a number of prestigious trophies from the world of horse racing, including the Champion Jump Jockey Trophy won a record 18 times by AP McCoy, along with his BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award from 2010; the Champion Flat Jockey Trophy; the Champion Racehorse Trainer Trophies; nine of the most famous trophies won by Frankel during his unbeaten career; and the silver salver to be presented to the winner of the 2013 £1.3 million QIPCO Champion Stakes.

The last time so many national sporting trophies were displayed together was over half a century ago at an exhibition in April 1956 at the Café Anglais, London.

Michael Owen, the former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and England striker, who is now an ambassador for British Champions Series, said: ‘It’s a real honour to have my awards and mementos sitting alongside so many famous cups, trophies and decorations. It’s on these occasions that you really appreciate Great Britain’s amazing achievements in so many different sports.’

Rod Street, chief executive of British Champions Series, added: ‘QIPCO British Champions Day has, in just two short years, become one of the world’s most important race days so it’s fitting that some of the most iconic trophies from other sports are on show alongside racing’s most coveted prizes.’

‘Champions Day is one of the highlights of the autumn sporting calendar and the exhibition celebrates the sporting achievements of some of our greatest champions. We’re indebted to the organisations and individuals who’ve agreed to participate, ensuring that our Day is a true celebration of Great British sport.’

We should of wound our very small charity up at the start of the year due to lack of donations and support. However we couldn't do this due to the amount of people contacting the charity from all over the UK in need of our advice or support.  

The charity has noticed a sharp increase in the amount of carbon monoxide incident's it's seeing this year. I am sure you like I have noticed this and are as keen as us to try to prevent even more from happening. I believe we can expect more deaths and injuries from this silent killer this year if more organisations, companies etc don't join together with our very small charity to try to prevent them. I believe many of those living/working in the UK today still don't know enough about the dangers of carbon monoxide to make sure they and their family stay safe from this silent invisible killer. Therefore I thought that for just one week this November I would try to enlist your support to make sure that as many people as possible living/working throughout the UK become a little more aware about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Most people still don't realise that carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless highly toxic gas that is produced by the incomplete combustion of any hydrocarbon fuel e.g. coal, charcoal, wood, oil, petrol, diesel, natural gas and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) They still seem to believe that it's produced by just the incomplete combustion of "natural gas" and if they don't use natural gas or have a gas boiler they are totally safe. This just isn't true. People still believe that you either die or make a full recovery from carbon monoxide. This isn't true as many of those poisoned by just low levels of carbon monoxide go on to develop long term chronic health problems. A group of people poisoned by carbon monoxide can be found here:

I believe anyone with a interest in people, families, health and/or the safety of others can to do much more to help prevent people being injured or falling victim to this silent killer.  The charity's posters/leaflet's carry both the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and National Ambulance Resilience Unit (NARU). I am sure you will agree the webmaster did a fantastic job.

Allowing anyone living here in the UK to find information on carbon monoxide very quickly. The charity's "Carbon Monoxide Android Phone App" can be downloaded via the above website's. Its a very handy app for everyone to have.

The charity will launch a NEW updated website www.covictim.org on Monday 18th November 2013.  The charity's 8th National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week starts Monday 18th November 2013. However for the first time in eight years the charity finds it's unable to visit Scotland, Wales, Ireland or any other area due to lack of donations. Therefore this year we are looking for people, organisations, businesses etc to pledge their support to the charity's 8th National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week to help us reach the people we can't this year.   Please pledge your support and help us raise awareness about the dangers of this silent killer to everyone living/working here in the UK before they become the next victim of this silent killer!!!   

Please don't forget to add Monday 18th November to your diary and do all you can to help our very small charity raise awareness about the danger of this silent killer to those living/working anywhere in the UK. I myself am a victim of this silent killer. My family and I were poisoned by carbon monoxide for over a decade. Fourteen years later we are still paying the price for our exposure to this silent killer. Please don't let someone you love/know or someone listening to YOUR show fall victim to this silent killer.  

I don't get paid a penny for my charity work I do it because I don't want anyone else to suffer they way we have/still are. Please pledge your support and together we can save lives and prevent injuries to all those living and working in every community.

Thank you. Kind regards

Lynn

Lynn Griffiths. Carbon Monoxide Awareness President/Victim of Carbon Monoxide.
Founder of National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 
Carbon Monoxide Awareness. Independent registered charity run "entirely" by volunteers. Charity No. 1125755

Augusto Fernandez won today’s race in the penultimate round of the European Junior Cup powered by Honda Racing at Magny-Cours in France to set up a thrilling final round in two weeks.

In a day of spectacular crashes that affected virtually all the main championship protagonists, the Spanish rider won by just 0.179s from Hungarian Peter Sebastyen, with another Spanish rider Javier Orrelan taking the final podium slot.

The race was run in two parts, either side of today’s second World Superbike Championship race, with the first part red-flagged after five laps following a crash involving series leader Jake Lewis and local rider Guillaume Raymond, who was third in the points table going into today’s race.

Second-placed Robin Anne had crashed earlier in the first part of today’s encounter and none of these three championship contenders was able to take part in the re-start – Raymond having sustained a fractured collarbone in the crash.

“I am very happy for this result,” said Fernandez afterwards. “It’s my first victory and it was a great fight. The next race is in Jerez so I will do my best to win again in front of the local fans.”

Four Honda CBR500R riders scored their first points of the championship today, and Brazilian rider Sabrina Pauita celebrated her 19th birthday with her first top ten finish of the season, taking sixth place at the flag.

Today’s result leaves Lewis four points ahead of Anne, with today’s winner Fernandez moving up into third place, just a single point further back. However, the European Junior Cup series will head to Jerez in Spain in two weeks time with no fewer than nine riders holding at least a mathematical chance of winning the inaugural title and a possible ride in next year’s European Superstock 600 championship.

Marty Nutt secured the Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge title in the final race of the season at Silverstone, holding off the late season surge from series rookie Jonathan Railton.

The Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge reached its exciting conclusion this weekend at Silverstone, as two riders came into the event battling for outright championship glory. Boast Plumbing’s Jonathan Railton trailed Ducati Coventry’s Marty Nutt by just 12 points coming into the weekend, and with 50 points up for grabs it was all still to play for.

Qualifying saw Railton way back in 13th place for the first race on Saturday afternoon, however a lightning start saw him jump up to fifth by the end of the first lap. He looked to have the pace to lead the pack, and was battling for the lead with Dennis Hobbs by half race distance while Nutt was embroiled in a battle back in fifth place. With things looking set to provide a scintillating final showdown, Railton suffered a gearbox issue on his blue and white Ducati 848evo and dropped from second to sixth across the line. A late resurgence from Nutt saw him take second place behind Hobbs, and with that result the ball was put firmly in the court of the #77 rider going into the final contest.

In perfect conditions the 21-bike grid lined up for Sunday’s Silverstone season finale, with championship leader Nutt on pole from Mike Edwards and Dennis Hobbs. It was the experienced Edwards and fast starting Leon Morris that got away at the front early on, with Nutt and Railton battling for fourth and fifth further back. A superb final race for inaugural 848 Challenge champion Darren Fry saw him right in the hunt over the eight lap sprint, eventually crossing the line third. Morris held on to take the win from Edwards, while Nutt rode a calculated final race to fourth, breaking his run of fifteen podium finishes but ensuring the 2013 title was his.

Marty Nutt said:
There have been a couple of races this season where I’ve been careful, sat back and thought about the championship, and it’s really paid off for us. We’ve already got an 899 Panigale order and it looks awesome! I can’t wait to get riding it with the number one on the front. A lot of these guys have finished strongly this year which has given them the drive to come back for more next year, and I can’t wait to get back out there with them.

Leon Morris said:
My season has been up and down – we struggled at the start, but the pace of the series this year is phenomenal. When I won in 2011 and likewise Robbie Brown last year, we weren’t exactly hanging about, but this year the guys have been consistently a second and a half quicker than before! I’ve tried my hardest all year and we’ve only come out with two wins, but it’s definitely nice to round the season off with a win. The level of the series has grown and grown, and it’s really different to win races. It’s a brilliant series – the bikes are fantastic but more than that we’ve grown into a family. We’ve had a great year, there’s a lot of respect out there between the riders, I’d like to give a big congratulations to John Hackett and Marty Nutt and I hope to be back again next year.

Jonathan Railton said:
The first part of the season couldn’t have gone any better – my confidence was sky high and I was really enjoying riding the Ducati. Half way through the season at Brands I was leading the race and had the front end go. It was one of those crashes where you don’t know exactly what happened which always knocks your confidence, and it’s been difficult since them. We got back on form at Assen with some great racing and another win. That’s what is great about these one make championships – the racing is really close and the Ducati 848 has been a brilliant bike to ride. Well done to Marty and all the front runners who have made it such a great series this year – it’d be great to be associated with Ducati again next year. I’d also like to say a big thanks to the whole Boast Plumbing team who have been there and helped me through all the ups and downs.

The Ducati 848 will return to British Superbikes in 2014 alongside the new 899 Panigale to form the Ducati TriOptions Cup.

For final Championship results click here