The Cigma Racing team arrived in Scotland on Thursday, ready for the next round of the HEL British Junior Supersport at Knockhill.
Free practice started well on Saturday morning with Nathan-Ellis getting his lap time down to 59.110 over the course of the session. With some adjustments made to the bike, he was hoping to improve even more in the qualifying session.
But after an early improvement to 58.597, on Lap 5, the rear tyre lost grip swung round and snapped the bike into a highside. Nathan-Ellis went flying down the track and came down hard, landing on his leg.
Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any major damage done to Nathan-Ellis or the bike! Huge thanks to the marshalls and medical team for Looking after Nathan-Ellis after a nasty-looking incident. A big thanks also to LS2 and RST for the helmet and leathers that made sure it wasn’t worse, and R&G for looking after the bike!
Nathan_ellis still wanted to race though, and lined up later on Saturday for race 5 of the championship. Unfortunately, due to an incident at Donington, Nathan had to start from the back of the grid, but was feeling confident.
The start wasn’t as good as hoped, but he still managed to pick up 7 places in the first 4 laps. The racing got a bit tighter after that with the battles going right through to the end. Nathan-Ellis managed to make it as high as 24th place, from a 31st place start, despite pain and bruising from the qualifying crash.
Sunday started with an early trip to the med bay for some top-notch physio, and a thorough taping up around the knee and foot. Free practice followed that, with some changes to the suspension and gearing of the bike. Despite a wobble on lap 1, the practice session went well, leaving the team confident of an improvement in Race 6.
Nathan-Ellis got a good start from 28th on the grid, getting up to 24th by the end of lap 1 and starting on a steady climb up the order.
Until lap 6, when a racing incident meant that the Cigma Racing bike got its front wheel stuck in another rider’s back wheel on turn 1. That bought Nathan-Ellis’ race to an abrupt end, and adding a sore knee and shoulder to the weekend tally. Thankfully though, no broken bones!
Nathan-Ellis said, “over all, it hasn’t been the best weekend. But I’m looking forward to the World Superbikes in 3 weeks time at Donnington, moving onwards and upwards. Going home now slightly battered and bruised, but I can hold my head up high as I improved my lap times each time out and had a personal best time on the track of 58.4. Thank you for everyone on the team and the huge support you all gave me this weekend.”
As always, a huge thanks to the marshalls, medics and the rest of the huge team, that work so hard to make motorcycle racing as safe as it can be.
We hope to see you at the next round, which takes place alongside the World Superbikes championship at Donington Park, Friday 30th of June through to Sunday 2nd of July.
British Junior Supersport Championship Standings after Round 3
| Position | Rider | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finn SMART-WEEDEN (Kawasaki) | 121 |
| 2 | Jack KIRSCH (Kawasaki) | 116 |
| 3 | Lewis JONES (Kawasaki) | 112 |
| 4 | Lennon DOCHERTY (Kawasaki) | 100 |
| 5 | Jacob STEPHENSON (Kawasaki) | 86 |
| 6 | Kalvin KELLY (Kawasaki) | 82 |
| 7 | Lewis SMART (Kawasaki) | 52 |
| 8 | Joe ELLIS (Kawasaki) | 51 |
| 9 | Calum BEACH (Kawasaki) | 48 |
| 10 | Chloe JONES (Kawasaki) | 46 |
| 11 | Maximus HARDY (Kawasaki) | 33 |
| 12 | Jack SMITH (Kawasaki) | 30 |
| 13 | Adam BROWN (Kawasaki) | 30 |
| 14 | Ted WILKINSON (Kawasaki) | 18 |
| 15 | Nathan-Ellis WARD (Kawasaki) | 17 |
| 16 | Keo WALKER (Kawasaki) | 11 |
| 17 | Jamie HANKS-ELLIOTT (Kawasaki) | 11 |
| 18 | Rossi DOBSON (Kawasaki) | 10 |
| 19 | Abbz THOMAS (Kawasaki) | 7 |
| 20 | Denise DAL ZOTTO (Kawasaki) | 5 |
| 21 | Charlotte MARCUZZO (Kawasaki) | 3 |
| 22 | Brandon RUSSELL (Kawasaki) | 3 |
| 23 | Jack KNIGHTS (Kawasaki) | 2 |
| 24 | Greg MARSHALL (Kawasaki) | 2 |
RACE 5 RESULTS
| Position | Number | Name | Time | MPH | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Lennon DOCHERTY | 15:17.792 | 79.51 | 56.615 |
| 2 | 67 | Jacob STEPHENSON | 15:17.799 | 79.51 | 56.670 |
| 3 | 7 | Jack KIRSCH | 15:17.968 | 79.49 | 56.602 |
| 4 | 74 | Finn SMART-WEEDEN | 15:18.162 | 79.48 | 56.827 |
| 5 | 3 | Lewis JONES | 15:20.068 | 79.31 | 56.687 |
| 6 | 23 | Joe ELLIS | 15:20.192 | 79.30 | 56.651 |
| 7 | 22 | Ted WILKINSON | 15:20.387 | 79.29 | 56.545 |
| 8 | 32 | Lewis SMART | 15:21.624 | 79.18 | 56.808 |
| 9 | 81 | Keo WALKER | 15:22.211 | 79.13 | 56.906 |
| 10 | 71 | Maximus HARDY | 15:23.059 | 79.06 | 56.953 |
| 11 | 15 | Chloe JONES | 15:24.388 | 78.94 | 56.572 |
| 12 | 27 | Calum BEACH | 15:29.531 | 78.51 | 57.486 |
| 13 | 69 | Brandon RUSSELL | 15:29.739 | 78.49 | 57.242 |
| 14 | 66 | Rossi DOBSON | 15:35.259 | 78.02 | 57.860 |
| 15 | 16 | Jamie HANKS-ELLIOTT | 15:35.534 | 78.00 | 57.737 |
| 16 | 44 | Jack SMITH | 15:36.015 | 77.96 | 57.728 |
| 17 | 33 | Adam BROWN | 15:39.035 | 77.71 | 57.689 |
| 18 | 95 | Greg MARSHALL | 15:48.115 | 76.97 | 58.213 |
| 19 | 6 | Jack KNIGHTS | 15:51.078 | 76.73 | 58.395 |
| 20 | 52 | Katie HAND | 15:51.143 | 76.72 | 58.669 |
| 21 | 8 | Denise DAL ZOTTO | 15:51.559 | 76.69 | 58.478 |
| 22 | 17 | Charlotte MARCUZZO | 15:51.822 | 76.67 | 58.606 |
| 23 | 88 | Abbz THOMAS | 15:54.037 | 76.49 | 58.441 |
| 24 | 31 | Nathan-Ellis WARD | 16:03.319 | 75.75 | 59.038 |
| 25 | 61 | Freddy OAKLEY | 16:04.974 | 75.62 | 58.815 |
| 26 | 72 | Samuel MUNSON | 16:05.123 | 75.61 | 58.785 |
| 27 | 87 | Felix DORLING | 16:05.336 | 75.59 | 58.909 |
| 28 | 9 | Will GRANT | 16:12.129 | 75.07 | 59.922 |
| 29 | 51 | Holly HARRIS | 15:21.464 | 74.24 | 1:00.046 |
| 30 | 41 | Scarlett ROBINSON | 15:22.566 | 74.15 | 1:00.303 |
RACE 6 RESULTS
| Position | Number | Name | Time | MPH | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Lennon DOCHERTY | 15:17.792 | 79.51 | 56.615 |
| 2 | 74 | Finn SMART-WEEDEN | 15:17.799 | 79.51 | 56.670 |
| 3 | 7 | Jack KIRSCH | 15:17.968 | 79.49 | 56.602 |
| 4 | 90 | Kalvin KELLY | 15:18.162 | 79.48 | 56.827 |
| 5 | 32 | Lewis SMART | 15:20.068 | 79.31 | 56.687 |
| 6 | 23 | Joe ELLIS | 15:20.192 | 79.30 | 56.651 |
| 7 | 71 | Maximus HARDY | 15:20.387 | 79.29 | 56.545 |
| 8 | 15 | Chloe JONES | 15:21.624 | 79.18 | 56.808 |
| 9 | 27 | Calum BEACH | 15:22.211 | 79.13 | 56.906 |
| 10 | 22 | Ted WILKINSON | 15:23.059 | 79.06 | 56.953 |
| 11 | 67 | Jacob STEPHENSON | 15:24.388 | 78.94 | 56.572 |
| 12 | 33 | Adam BROWN | 15:29.531 | 78.51 | 57.486 |
| 13 | 81 | Keo WALKER | 15:29.739 | 78.49 | 57.242 |
| 14 | 3 | Lewis JONES | 15:35.259 | 78.02 | 57.860 |
| 15 | 95 | Greg MARSHALL | 15:35.534 | 78.00 | 57.737 |
| 16 | 44 | Jack SMITH | 15:36.015 | 77.96 | 57.728 |
| 17 | 88 | Abbz THOMAS | 15:39.035 | 77.71 | 57.689 |
| 18 | 17 | Charlotte MARCUZZO | 15:48.115 | 76.97 | 58.213 |
| 19 | 16 | Jamie HANKS-ELLIOTT | 15:51.078 | 76.73 | 58.395 |
| 20 | 66 | Rossi DOBSON | 15:51.143 | 76.72 | 58.669 |
| 21 | 87 | Felix DORLING | 15:51.559 | 76.69 | 58.478 |
| 22 | 52 | Katie HAND | 15:51.822 | 76.67 | 58.606 |
| 23 | 72 | Samuel MUNSON | 15:54.037 | 76.49 | 58.441 |
| 24 | 8 | Denise DAL ZOTTO | 16:03.319 | 75.75 | 59.038 |
| 25 | 69 | Brandon RUSSELL | 16:04.974 | 75.62 | 58.815 |
| 26 | 9 | Will GRANT | 16:05.123 | 75.61 | 58.785 |
| 27 | 96 | Floris SCHIPPER | 16:05.336 | 75.59 | 58.909 |
| 28 | 51 | Holly HARRIS | 16:12.129 | 75.07 | 59.922 |
| 29 | 75 | Aaron LILLY | 15:21.464 | 74.24 | 1:00.046 |
| 30 | 41 | Scarlett ROBINSON | 15:22.566 | 74.15 | 1:00.303 |
| DNF | 31 | Nathan-Ellis WARD | 5:58.550 | 76.32 | 58.426 |
