Last weekend Ryan Dixon was back to Scarborough for his second visit to Oliver’s Mount for the Trickbits Racing Moto2 Trumph and Suzuki SV Supertwin with a number of podium finishes making it another successful weekend.

Ryan brings us up to date with his race weekend and what went wrong and what went right for him.

The weekend mainly consisted of looking at the sky, the ground and trying to make some sort of sensible gamble of tyres as both days started out wet but began to dry out and the odd shower of rain here and there. 

I’ll start with the feature race…

Steve Henshaw Gold Cup – on Saturday I had posted the third fastest lap which then gave me a spot on the outside of the front row. My starts are always strong and I knew I had to make this one count, and that I did. Great reaction and almost perfect drive to turn one, I went it hard and late on the brakes, running ever so slightly wide but got it turned and fired out of the first turn in the lead.

Job one done, BUT, I was aware I didn’t quite have the pace of some of the others but I was close enough lap time wise that I could make it hard to pass and so that’s what I set about doing for the next 8 laps 😂. Franco Bourne attempted a pass at the final hairpin on lap one but couldn’t stop and I cut back to take the lead. I ran ever so slightly wide part way round lap two and he attempted another pass, I wasn’t expecting him to appear when he did and as I sat up to avoid contact, I ended up running onto the wet grass. Slick tyres and wet grass don’t mix well so whilst trying to not crash, rejoin in front of any other riders passing considerably faster and also not going down the steep bank the other side, I dropped back to ninth. Franco’s bike actually broke down the next lap in the same spot and then the race was red flagged anyway. 

Annoyingly, the re gridded is as of the end of lap three which meant I was eighth for the six lap re run. Another near perfect start saw me head into the first corner in the top four and I ran in late on the brakes down the outside, and managed to come out in second! Then I set about trying to hold the chasing pack. I made a few mistakes and was struggling with front end chatter which meant I dropped to sixth by the end but was as close to the front boys as I had been so was happy enough with that. 

Supertwin Race 1 – after running in the top three in the first three starts, when we finally got a full race in, it ended up being a bit of a disappointment. I ended up having a bit of a lonely race, running fourth for the duration with a few seconds to the boys in front and a pretty big gap behind by the finish. 

Supertwin Race 2 – a wet one, full were in and away we went. Got away fourth again, made a pass for third with just over two laps to go and then set about chasing second down. I reeled him in and finished right on his back wheel but just ran out of time to actually get myself into a position to make a pass. Had to settle for second. 

Supertwin Race 3 – mixed conditions and a safe tyre bet with full were again and I was away second. Got run wide at turn one and back to fourth. Third had a big moment towards the end of lap one and that allowed me past and I then set about chasing the lead pair. I could see second was trying to make a move for the lead but struggling, having almost closed then down, he got through so I made a move a few corners later so as to limit the gap he made. We had just over two laps left and the race was in. Again I caught him part way round the final lap but just couldn’t find an opportunity to pass. I posted the fastest lap in the process and crossed the line right on his back wheel in third. 

Supersport Race 1 – tricky conditions meant a tyre gamble. I opted for dries which I think was as good a choice as any. A few damp patches but mainly dry and I worked my way into third. Ran there for the race until the final lap when Rob Hodson passed me. I knew he had a front wet in so was sure I could make a pass back in the brakes into one of the remaining hairpins. That proved difficult and I get dragged in on the brakes into the final one and couldn’t stop, somehow I missed Rob, by millimetres and had to run onto the grass and down the escape road. Turned round and rejoined but ended up fifth at the flag. 

Supersport Race 2 – wrong tyre choice meant zero rear grip, too dangerous to continue so had to stop three laps in. 

Supersport Race 3 – mixed conditions, slightly more dry than wet. Ran a lonely seventh for majority of the race then got into sixth due to retirement by another rider. Seventh got very close on the last lap but a bit of defensive riding held him off so a sixth place it was. 

Massive thank you to Paul, Brian, Kev and Louie for their help over the weekend and to Laura for doing the out board (even if it was to distract herself so she didn’t worry too much!). Onto Donington in two weeks for the final No Limits Racing NLR 2025 round.

Image courtesy of David Garrison Photography