The 2021 Honda British Talent Cup began with Oulton Park staging two fantastic races for the season opener, but there was one rider on the top step: Casey O’Gorman (Microlise Cresswell Racing). He stormed the first race before coming under some pressure in the second as Carter Brown (City Lifting/RS Racing) chased him down, but with the race ending early in a Red Flag it’s a full 50 points for the number 67 going in. So can those on his tail hit back at Knockhill?
Brown and teammate Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing) were the two closest to O’Gorman in both races at Round 1, and they’ll want to keep that speed and try and take some points back off the double winner. The only three riders on the podium so far, they’re also a target for those just behind them – especially Jonny Garness (City Lifting/RS Racing) as he took a fifth and a fourth place putting him fourth overall.
Garness will be eager to head the charge to try and cut the gap to the fast trio ahead of the game at Round 1, and he’ll likely have company from the likes of Ryan Hitchcock (Wilson Racing), fourth in Race 1 and then suffering a DNF, and Cormac Buchanan (Microlise Cresswell Racing), who completed the top five on Sunday after a tougher Saturday with an early run off. There are a host of fast faces just outside that top five so far too: Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing) and Jamie Lyons (C&M Motors Ltd/Tooltec Racing) were consistently there or there abouts across both race at Oulton, and Ollie Walker (Moto Rapido / SP125 Racing) started the year in sixth before an issue on Sunday saw him DNF.
Saturday was when the drama hit for another key contender: James Cook (Wilson Racing). A crash for the fastest man in the official pre-season test brought out the Red Flag and caused a complete reset for Race 1, and on Sunday he was left well down the grid in P28. But even in a shortened race he made some impressive progress up to just outside the top ten, so his speed was there once again. With two weeks to reset and reload, can he get back in the fight at the front from the off?
Knockhill is a different beast to Oulton Park and we can expect two more exciting races from the BTC class of 2021 – and both on Sunday this time around. Race 1 kicks off at 11:15 (GMT +1), before Race 2 at 14:15!