Located in Millville, New Jersey in the Northeastern region of the United States, the New Jersey Motorsports Park first held racing in 2008, and the 2.25-mile circuit saw County Donegal’s Kerr have his best qualifying performance of the season with an excellent fifth overall in the mixed conditions on the CBR1000RR Honda Fireblade.

The opening 14-lap Superstock race saw the 24-year old occupy fourth in the early stages but as the race wore on, he suffered a lack of grip with the rear tyre and had to drop back, eventually finishing sixth, 16.1s behind race winner and fellow Honda rider Hayden Gillim.

Continuing to make changes to the set-up of the Honda, to aid with grip in particular, the second race went a lot better for Richard as he ran with the leading pack for much of the way. Running as high as third for several laps, he battled with Jayson Uribe and Benjamin Smith for much of the way and took a fine fifth at the chequered flag, this time only eight seconds behind Gillim who won both the race and the championship.

The two Superbike races, held over 20 laps, were always going to be more challenging affairs with Richard lining up in 12^th on the grid after qualifying again saw mixed conditions. The races were dry throughout though and after taking 14^th in the first race he improved to an excellent ninth in the second race where he set his fastest lap of the weekend at 1’22.008. This was less than a second slower than race winner Loris Baz’s best lap on the Warhorse Racing Ducati.

Richard Kerr: “New Jersey was a good weekend for sure and there were a lot of positives to take out of it. We changed tact a bit and entered the Superbike class direct, rather than the Superbike Cup, to be out on track in all the sessions but the weather put paid to that as conditions were too sketchy at times to go out. I had a small tip-off on Friday but there was little damage to the bike, and we were soon back out and took solid qualifying positions.”

“The first Superstock race went well, and we weren’t too far away but the tyre started to chew up a fair bit in the second half and I lost the rear a lot when I was off the gas, so it was either push on and crash or ease back and settle for a position. We had much better pace in the second race though and ran with the leading group for a lot longer so fifth and sixth was a good way to end the season.”

“We spoke to a few other teams about set-up and the like to try and help the tyre situation and increasing the pressure really helped in the second Superbike race. I was really competitive, finishing in a good ninth ahead of a few of the Superstock boys who’d beat me earlier whilst being the first Honda to finish was also pleasing. The circuit suited me, and I was pleased with both my results and lap times and it’s fair to say we’ve been learning all season.”

“It’s been a good year and an enjoyable one too, so a huge thanks to everyone who’s helped me this season particularly my dad, Simon Bleasdale, Liam McMullan, Patrick McGinley, the Jones Honda team in America and, of course Fraser and Mary Dykes from AMD Motorsport and all my personal sponsors.”

MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship final standings (after five rounds)
1 Hayden Gillim (Honda) 201pts
2 Jayson Uribe (BMW) 180
3 Ashton Yates (Honda) 140
4 Benjamin Smith (Yamaha) 133
5 Bryce Prince (Yamaha) 117
6 Richard Kerr (AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda) 92

And there was further good news for the Kilmacrennan, County Donegal rider with the announcement he’ll ride the Cheshire Mouldings BMW for TAS Racing, deputising for the injured Rory Skinner, at round six of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Having opened in 1957, Laguna Sece held rounds of the MotoGP World Championship and World Superbike Championship at various times between 1988 and 2019 with its most famous corner ‘the Corkscrew, seen as one of the most challenging turns in motorsport due to a drop in elevation of some 59ft (18m) as well as its blind crest and apex on the uphill approach.

That meant it was going to be, potentially, the most difficult circuit for Richard to learn on the American calendar with the opening practice session seeing him post the tenth quickest time. The two subsequent qualifying sessions saw him reduce his best lap time by almost a second and that enabled him to take 11^thplace and line up in the middle of the fourth row.

Saturday’s race was held over 14 laps of the 2.238-mile circuit and a solid start enabled Richard to complete the opening lap in 12^th place and by lap three he’d worked his way up to ninth. Lapping quicker than what he had done in qualifying, it would prove to be a relatively lonely ride for Richard, but he duly took the chequered flag in ninth place.

Sunday’s race was again held over 14 laps with good conditions once more at the Californian venue and although he again lapped quicker than before, setting a fastest lap of 1’26.975, he had to settle for 11^thplace on this occasion. However, he was only six seconds adrift of seventh and the results from the two races moved him on to 71 points to maintain sixth place overall in the championship standings.

In addition to the Superstock 1000 races, Richard also contested the two Superbike races where he finished 15^th on each occasion to score more points in America’s premier series. Having contested four of the six rounds to take place so far, the 24-year old now sits in fifth place overall in the Superbike Cup Championship.

Richard Kerr: “That’s Laguna all done and it’s definitely a class track! I didn’t find it too hard to learn and with the exception of the Corkscrew there wasn’t any blind corners. I felt like I picked it all up in the first session and was happy enough but from that point on I struggled to improve my lap times – I got quicker each time I was on track but remained 1-1.5s off the front runners. I felt strong in some parts of the circuit but was losing too much time in others and that meant the results weren’t as good as I would have liked,”

“Going fast was hard to do for sure, but I enjoyed the track. I was missing my crew chief Simon at the weekend as he was away at the Southern 100 whilst I was also using the hard compound tyres for the first time so that combined with the new circuit meant it was a bit harder compared to other weekends. Maybe that’s why it took me a while to get dialled in, but we came away with four points-scoring finishes, no crashes and, as always, it was another enjoyable weekend.”

“With regards to Brands, first of all, I’d like to wish Rory a speedy recovery. As a racer no one likes to be out injured and especially as he has been doing such a great job for the team. I’ve known the TAS guys for quite some time and have obviously raced against them in Superstock. I’m also aware of their pedigree and history, so when asked to stand in for Rory in British Superbike, it was an easy decision to make. I’m looking forward to the challenge and representing Cheshire Mouldings BMW in BSB and I’d like to thank the team for this opportunity.”

MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship standings (after four rounds)
1 Hayden Gillim (Honda) 151pts
2 Jayson Uribe (BMW) 144
3 Ashton Yates (Honda) 112
4 Benjamin Smith (Yamaha) 104
5 Bryce Prince (Yamaha) 98
6 Richard Kerr (AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda) 71

Opened in 2012, The Ridge Motorsports Park is a 2.47-mile venue near the city of Shelton in the state of Washington and, as per the previous rounds, 24-year old Kerr had another new circuit to master and he made good progress across the three days of action, which started with sixth place in the opening practice session.

The two qualifying sessions followed, one on Friday afternoon and one on Saturday morning, and a best time of 1’42.855 put him in eighth place overall and in the middle of the third row for Saturday’s 13-lap race where a solid opening lap put him in seventh place. Here he remained until the closing stages when a lack of grip saw him drop back slightly to ninth.

Sunday’s race, again held over 13 laps, saw Richard make one of his trademark lightning starts and he moved from eighth to fifth on the first lap. Two laps later he moved up to fourth after championship leader Hayden Gillim crashed, remounting in 14^th, and it looked like this would be where he would finish only to run low on fuel at the end of the race. However, he only lost one position with a fine fifth place at the chequered flag keeping him in sixth place in the championship standings.

He also contested the two MotoAmerica Superbike Championship races and he truly excelled in Saturday’s encounter, which was held in the wet and ultimately stopped after eight laps. Quickly getting to grips with the conditions, Richard finished in a superb fifth place and ahead of several of the leading Superbike competitors including the Warhorse HSBK Ducati pairing of former World Superbike Championship race winner Loris Baz and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin.

Unfortunately, he tipped off in Sunday’s second race, losing the front end on the third lap but despite only contesting three of the five rounds to take place so far, he sits in fourth overall in the Superbike Cup Championship.

Richard Kerr: “It was another big learning curve over the weekend with a new track to learn but The Ridge was a really good circuit and had a bit of everything in it with lots of blind corners and I’m happy with the results and progress we made. In the first Superstock race, I was running in seventh for most of the race but in the final few laps, I really struggled for rear grip and dropped back to ninth. The second race was much better though, and I had better pace, holding onto fourth until the last corner.”

“The quicker pace meant we used more fuel than expected and the bike cut out several times on the last lap, but I still managed to get the bike across the line in fifth place. That matched my result from Saturday’s Superbike race which was quite sketchy due to the conditions. I went with wet tyres which proved to be the correct choice as the race wore on. It was my first time with the Dunlop wets, and I had a great feeling with them so was more than pleased with fifth. I tipped off in Sunday’s race, sadly, when I trail braked for a bit too long but we’re all fine so a huge thanks to my team for their hard work and my sponsors for another great weekend.”

The fourth round takes place at the iconic Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California on July 10-12.

MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship standings (after three rounds)
1 Hayden Gillim (Honda) 110pts
2 Jayson Uribe (BMW) 104
3 Ashton Yates (Honda) 87
4 Benjamin Smith (Yamaha) 83
5 Bryce Prince (Yamaha) 74
6 Richard Kerr (AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda) 59

Free practice around the 2.5-mile circuit saw the 24-year old post the eighth fastest time and although he dropped a position during the first qualifying session later in the afternoon, he shaved almost a second off his time. He repeated this feat in second qualifying the following day with a time of 1’33.477s helping him close the gap to pole man and reigning champion Hayden Gillim and move up to seventh on the grid.

Richard was only 0.6s adrift of second place though with Gillim again dominating proceedings from the front, his pole time putting him 1.3s quicker than the rest of the field. He duly romped to victory in the 11-lap race on Saturday afternoon by over seven seconds but lapping close to his qualifying time, Richard brought the Honda home in a strong sixth place, just four tenths of a second behind fifth placed Nolan Lamkin.

Sunday saw warm conditions once more and Richard set a new personal best lap in the second 11-lap race to again claim sixth place with Jayson Uribe taking the win after Gillim crashed out early. With twenty points scored across the two races, he now sits in sixth place in the championship standings, only 18pts behind second-placed Uribe.

The Kilmacrennan, County Donegal rider also contested the two MotoAmerica Superbike races where he again rode well, scoring three hard-earned points for 14th and 15th place finishes.

Richard Kerr: “That’s round two done and Brainerd turned out to be an enjoyable but tough weekend. We started strongly and weren’t too far away off second place, but it was a tough track to learn – the first section was a bit like Thruxton and the second had parts similar to Cadwell. It was very bumpy too so had a bit of everything although nothing I’m not used to. We’re just struggling a bit to get the bike dialled in to the Dunlop tyres; learning the tracks is one thing, and difficult to do, but to try and go quicker on the new tyres and on a race weekend isn’t easy. The more laps we do, the more we learn but finding that sweet spot is proving to be quite tough.”

“We did make small improvements as the weekend wore on although a change for the last Superbike Cup race didn’t go like we thought. On the plus side, we’ve learned more and got a lot more data which will hopefully help in the areas where I’m missing something; finding grip and getting on the gas out the corners. There were parts of the track where I was as quick as the other riders, but not in other parts which made it a bit frustrating but we didn’t expect it to be easy! We’re not far away though and we know we can do better. The good thing is that the next round is less than two weeks away so we can get stuck in again and try and get up to those podium positions. The team worked well again so a big thanks to them and all the sponsors.”

The third round takes place at The Ridge Motorsports Park near Shelton, Washington on June 28-30.

MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship standings (after two rounds)
1 Hayden Gillim (Honda) 75pts
2 Jayson Uribe (BMW) 59
3 Bryce Prince (Yamaha) 57
4 Ashton Yates (Honda) 55
5 Benjamin Smith (Yamaha) 52
6 Richard Kerr (AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda) 41

Competing at the venue for the very first time, the 2.38-mile circuit saw Richard run in sixth place in his qualifying group with a best time of 1’26.568, a more than encouraging 1.657s adrift of pole position man and reigning champion Hayden Gillim. On the overall qualifying times though, he had to settle for 12^thplace and a fourth-row start.

With two races on the schedule, the Kilmacrennan, County Donegal rider had plenty of opportunities to improve and did so immediately with a solid eighth place in the opening 14-lap race. However, lapping a full second than he’d managed in qualifying, the second encounter saw him move up the order to take an excellent fourth place at the chequered flag.

That made him the second Honda rider to finish with the excellent results already placing him third overall in the early championship table behind fellow Honda rider Gillim, who won both races at Barber Park, and Bryce Prince.

In addition to the two Stock 1000 races, Richard also contested the three MotoAmerica Superbike races which featured multiple champions Cameron Beaubier and Jake Gagne as well as World Superbike Championship podium finishers Loris Baz and Xavi Fores. Again, Richard acquitted himself well and with 15^th in Saturday’s race, he improved to 11^th and 12^th on Sunday to pick up ten hard-earned points.

Richard Kerr: “Overall, it was a good weekend what with a new track for me to learn, first time racing against the American riders and my first time on Dunlop tyres so there was a lot to take in during the weekend. We did a two-day test at Hastings Motorsports Park to get used to the Dunlops and blow off some cobwebs as it’d been two months since I’d been on a bike. Understanding the Dunlops was the biggest hurdle to overcome and it wasn’t until the Sunday that we got the bike set-up in a decent window although there’s still more to improve on.”

“We had a lot on our plate so to come away third in the Superstock standings is very pleasing. I was also pleased with my rides in the Superbike races where I ended being the second best placed Superstock rider across the three races. The heat wasn’t too bad as I’ve been training hard and that paid dividends as with five races, it was a busy weekend. I picked up some nice prize money too so overall, it was a really enjoyable experience.”

“I’m looking forward to the next round at Brainerd in June so a big thanks to AMD Motorsport and my team here, Simon Bleasdale, Liam Kelly and my Dad Ivan and also to Jones Honda. They’re letting us use their facilities at their dealership and then taking our equipment to the races so they’re keeping us right. Like I say, I’m really happy with how the weekend went.”

The Kilmacrennan, County Donegal rider, who took the British title after taking two wins and nine podiums during 2023, will continue on board the team’s Honda Fireblade and will be a Honda-supported rider in the series, which like its British counterpart takes place alongside America’s premier Superbike championship.

Kerr, 23, will be aiming to wrestle the title from reigning champion Hayden Gillim as he gets to compete at iconic circuits such as Laguna Seca, Barber Motorsports Park and Brainerd with additional rounds taking place at The Ridge Motorsports Park and New Jersey Motorsports Park, which will host the final round at the end of September.

As well as Gillim, Kerr’s expected rivals for the crown are expected to include former British Motostar Champion Brandon Paasch, last year’s runner up Kaleb De Keyrel, Travis Wyman and Ezra Beaubier, brother of multiple MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier.

Kerr is also eligible to contest the two feature MotoAmerica Superbike Championship races that take place on each weekend meaning he’ll have a busy schedule as he’ll contest a total of four races at each meeting.

Despite their absence from the Pirelli National Superstock Championship, AMD Motorsport will remain in the BSB paddock as they’ll again support PBM Racing and Jordan and Frank Bird jnr with the continuation of the race team. In addition, there’ll also continue to back KTS Racing and Jamie Coward at the International road races.

Richard Kerr: “Obviously, after nine years in the BSB paddock, we would have liked to have continued and step up to the BSB series but, unfortunately, no opportunities presented themselves, so we looked at other options and now that everything’s been confirmed, I’m very excited to be moving to the MotoAmerica series. There’s a whole world out there so getting the opportunity to experience something new is pretty cool and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

“The bikes have been shipped out already and will be based with Darrell Jones, who runs a Honda dealership and Ashton Yates in the MotoAmerica Superbike series, so we’ll just fly into each round which will allow me to concentrate on riding and learning the tracks. That will be the biggest hurdle, along with getting used to the Dunlop tyres, as I haven’t had to do that since I first came to the British tracks nine years ago but I’m very excited about the challenge especially as I’ll be competing at some iconic circuits. I’m confident we can do a good job.”

Fraser Dykes, Team Owner: “I’m very happy to continue supporting Richard in the development of his racing career by supplying our bikes for the MotoAmerica series project. It is fantastic news that Simon Bleasdale will now also be joining him Stateside to take forward the successful partnership that they have forged over the last couple of years, culminating in them winning the Pirelli National Superstock Championship with AMD Motorsport, It is exciting times and I am sure Cartersport Motorsport Media will keep us all up to date with their progress, Mary and I wish them every success in America and we hope to join them out there for a couple of rounds.”

The first round of the MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship is scheduled to take place at Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama on May 17-19.

Pictures by Tim Keeton – Impact Images Photography

Following a Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board (MCRCB) Tribunal which determined there had been a breach of class technical regulations at the final two races at Brands Hatch in October, it has led to the subsequent exclusion of the original winner, Dan Linfoot (Optimum Bikes Honda), meaning Richard Kerr and the AMD Motorsport Team have been declared 2023 Pirelli National Superstock Champions.

The ruling followed a report from the MCRCB Stewards present at Brands Hatch (13th – 15th October), which stated that they wished to investigate potential irregularities concerning post-race technical control following the Pirelli National Superstock Championship race two on Sunday 15th October.

Accordingly, under Article A6.3 of the MCRCB Sporting Code (2023), the Tribunal (National Court) was appointed by the MCRCB, and the findings published on Tuesday 28^th November 2023.

The revised results see Kerr, from Kilmacrennan in County Donegal, win the title by 22 points with the victory in race two at Brands Hatch taking his winning tally to two along with seven further podiums on the AMD Motorsport Honda for the Dumfries-based team run by Fraser and Mary Dykes.

Fraser Dykes: “I would like to thank the MCRCB for their efforts in resolving this matter quickly and I’m pleased that the outcome has vindicated the hard work put in by Richard and the AMD Motorsport Team. I’d also like to dedicate this title to my late father Albert Munro Dykes, who founded AMD, and to other absent friends.”

ENDS

The action around the 1.824-mile circuit had been due to take place on Friday and Saturday but Storm Babet resulted in the programme being moved to Saturday and Sunday with Richard taking pole position for the three Superbike races on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, a time of 1’06.708 putting him almost half a second clear of recently crowned Irish Superbike Champion Jason Lynn and British Superbike Championship rider Charlie Nesbitt.

The first 10-lap Superbike race got underway on Saturday afternoon with favourable conditions, and it proved to be the perfect start with Richard dominating as he opened a lead of seven seconds before easing off in the closing stages to take a 3.855s victory over Nesbitt and former Moto 3 World Champion Danny Kent who, like Nesbitt, finished on the podium during the 2023 British Superbike Championship season.

With dry conditions once more on Sunday, the second 10-lap Superbike race opened proceedings with Richard having to settle for second on this occasion, Nesbitt taking the win. With his fastest lap of the weekend, 1’05.881, Richard pressurised Nesbitt throughout but ultimately had to settle for second at the chequered flag, 1.131s adrift of his fellow Honda rider after backmarkers came into play in the final laps.

That just left the feature Sunflower Trophy race, held over 12 laps with 23-year old Kerr keen to retain the trophy he won twelve months ago. That could be seen when he led the race in the early stages with Nesbitt and Kent running in his wheel tracks, less than a second covering the trio.

Nesbitt took the lead on lap four though and pulled away in the final third of the race which left Richard focusing on keeping Kent at bay and this he duly did, completing the 12 laps 0.086s ahead of his Yamaha rival to conclude his highly successful 2023 season with Fraser and Mary Dykes’ Dumfries-based team.

Richard Kerr: “I’m over the moon with how the weekend and the results we got given we were up against full-blown Superbikes. I had a bit of an advantage early on with track knowledge as Charlie, Danny and Lee (Jackson) were riding at Bishopscourt for the first time whilst Danny and Lee were also on their respective bikes for the first time. They got quicker as the weekend wore on, particularly Charlie, and the Superbikes had a bit of an edge along the start and finish straight.”

“With the extra rpm, they could pull a couple of tenths on me along there, but the pace was good all weekend, as could be seen by the fact we were lapping in the 1’05 bracket. Conditions were really good on Sunday, and I lapped Bishpscourt quicker than ever before, so I’m delighted with a win and a couple of seconds. It’s a great way to end the season so a big thank you to Fraser and Mary and the entire AMD Motorsport team.”

Fraser Dykes, Team Owner: “Obviously bad weather stopped play on Friday but after qualifying on pole for race one, Richard was quick out the blocks to lead from start to finish. It was important to lay down a marker as we knew with the quality of Charlie Nesbitt, Danny Kent and Lee Jackson on full blown Superbikes, that once they got to grips with a new track, it was going to be difficult. Sure enough, Charlie was on it on Sunday, but Richard had two great rides to take a brace of second place finishes. All in all, we’re delighted to take a win and two seconds on our Superstock-spec bike against the full-blown Superbikes.”

Pictures by Stephen Davison (Pacemaker Press International)

Driving the Den Motorsport 2.5-litre Ford Escort Mk2 for the first time, Stephen from Kirkcudbright, and co-driver Larry Higton from Newton Mearns, soon got to grips with the powerful car in the tricky conditions over the two-day event including a trio of top ten times on Friday night’s opening leg.

Into Saturday’s daylight stages and the pair continued to match times with the four-wheel drive contingent as they gradually climbed the leaderboard and at the close of the leg, were up to an incredible seventh overall and increasing their class lead.

The final leg was in the early hours of Sunday morning with a gruelling seven stages, but Thompson maintained his challenge to bring the car home to a fantastic seventh place overall and a class win. In addition, they won the Mishnish Lochs Trophy and for the third year running, claimed the Race and Competition Equipment (RACE) Escort Challenge award too.

Making it a successful weekend all round was Stephen’s younger brother Darren who was using the car Stephen normally competes in where along with co-driver Kyle Livingstone, they finished in a deserved 16^th place overall and third in class.

Taking things easily on Friday night to hold 32^nd overall, the pair soon upped the pace throughout Saturday to climb into the top twenty. A big push in the dark of the final leg saw them rewarded with a top sixteen finish on one of the toughest events on the calendar.
 
Stephen Thompson: “We were over the moon to finish seventh overall and first two-wheel drive car. Although it took a bit of getting used to, the car was fantastic and has more to give in the correct weather conditions. We got to grips with it pretty quickly even with limited test time before the event, so I was happy to consistently set top ten times amongst R5 cars in very changeable and tricky conditions. Thanks to Larry, he was brilliant all weekend on the notes and well done to my brother Darren who had a great run in the car I normally use. Thanks to all our team, sponsors, family, and friends for making this weekend happen. Special thanks go to Den Motorsport for the car and a special mention to Calum Duffy for the advice on set up which paid dividends for Saturday. Thanks also to the organisers, marshals and volunteers who put on a great event.”

Note to Editors: Stephen is the General Manager at AMD Contract Services, the Dumfries-based company owned by Fraser and Mary Dykes, where they run a plant hire and contracting business servicing the construction and forestry sectors throughout the UK.

Pictures Attached (courtesy of James Ward – Chicane Media): Stephen Thompson/Larry Higton (car 9) and Darren Thompson/Kyle Livingstone (car 34) in action on the Beatson’s Building Supplies Mull Rally 2023.

It also meant for the second year in a row, the 23-year old was the only rider to score points in every race, a phenomenal feat in any championship, anywhere in the world.

The weekend started with an extremely wet day on Friday with limited track time seeing Richard down in an extremely unfamiliar 25^th place and it meant he had to go into Q1 for Saturday’s qualifying session although it proved to be invaluable as the extra track time helped his challenge. Topping Q1, a time of 1’28.495 in Q2 put him in seventh place and at the head of the third row.

Heavy rain returned later on Saturday which saw the opening race of the weekend cut from 14 laps to 12 with the race starting on a wet track. Sixth on the opening lap, the County Donegal rider shadowed arch rival Dan Linfoot for much of the way and although he slipped back to seventh at one stage, he dug deep in the closing stages and a final corner, final lap manoeuvre saw him overhaul Linfoot and take sixth place.

It cut the deficit to 31 points and ensured the championship went to the final race of the season with Sunday seeing dry and sunny conditions albeit with cool temperatures. Starting from eighth on the grid, one place ahead of Linfoot, Richard moved into fifth on the opening lap and although Linfoot worked his way through the pack slightly quicker, taking the lead on the sixth of 14 laps, Richard put in another superb ride to take second place and his ninth podium of the season.

It meant he ended the year with 341 points, 36 adrift of former British Superbike Championship race winner Linfoot, and three places higher up in the championship standings than in 2022.

Richard Kerr: “I’m happy with that second place and second overall in the championship is amazing! Saturday’s race was tough, and, for whatever reason, I’ve found the going difficult in the damp races lately and just haven’t been able to get the drive or grip when I needed it. Sunday’s race was a lot better and it’s brilliant to end the season with another podium, especially as it’s my first ever one here at Brands.”

“I was pleased I was able to take the championship down to the final race and there’s no shame in losing to Dan as he’s a class act. He has a lot of experience, so I’ve learnt an awful lot from him and he’s a rider who doesn’t make mistakes and to win titles you must ride inch perfect like him all the time. Second overall in the championship is another big step forward so a massive thank you to Fraser and Mary and the whole AMD Motorsport team as well as all my personal sponsors.”

Fraser Dykes, Team Owner: “What can I say, we’ve ended the season with a fantastic result both in the final race and in the final championship standings. It’s never over until it’s over so fair play to Richard for taking it to the final race and it was quite appropriate that the 1-2 in the final race of the season was also the final 1-2 in the championship table. We couldn’t be happier with second overall in the championship and Richard’s consistency is absolutely phenomenal, an attribute that few riders can match.”

Pictures by Tim Keeton (Impact Images Photography)

Final Championship standings (after 11 rounds)
1 Dan Linfoot (Honda) 377pts
2 Richard Kerr (AMD Motorsport Honda) 341
3 Alastair Seeley (BMW) 315
4 Joe Talbot (Honda) 300
5 Billy McConnell (Honda) 270
6 Lewis Rollo (Aprilia) 234