After his early season wins, Retford racer, Scott Stone, needed little persuasion to contest another two rounds of the No Limits Premier 1000cc Championship on his Yamaha R1.
The June meeting was at the Croft circuit, near Darlington and he was delighted to be joined by his mentor, Gary Walton of Not So Fast Rider Training. Setting up the brakes and suspension to meet the demands of the tight and bumpy Croft track proved a challenge. The extra power and speed of the 1000cc bike requires a quite different riding style to that of his previous 600cc machines. Despite an uncharacteristic spill during practice, Scott steadily improved his lap times to qualify third in his class. Races at Croft are invariably close and frantic affairs and in Race 1, Scott managed a second place, beating the Championship leader. A fourth place in Race 2 was not disappointing and elation returned in Race 3 with another second place.
Contesting the July round at Brand’s Hatch had always been Scott’s plan. His first visit to the Kent circuit was to present a steep learning curve. Once again, he had the luxury of Gary Walton’s ‘virtual coaching’ and, in good conditions, Scott reduced his lap times from 1 minute 41 seconds to 1 minute 34 seconds between Friday’s testing and Saturday qualifying. He was lapping the 2.43 miles Grand Prix circuit at 93mph. A fifth place in Race 1 was more than respectable and he did the same again in Race 2, but reduced his best lap time by over a second. Success in Race 3 with a hard-fought third place rounded off the weekend.
Oulton Park in Cheshire enjoyed temperate weather for Scott’s last races. He was familiar with the circuit, but first time there on the big bike meant he had to concentrate on keeping smooth lines through the fast, sweeping corners. With only three short practice sessions before Friday qualifying, Scott ran his personal best time of 1 minute 42 seconds. He lapped the 2.69 miles track at 95mph. He had two demanding 11 lap races, earning a second place in Race 1 and a third place in Race 2.
Plans are being compiled to contest all the rounds in the Premier 1000cc class in 2025 and, if possible, a race or two in the British Superbike support class. After Oulton Park, Scott was fourth in the Premier 1000cc Championship, despite having raced in only four of the seven rounds. 2025 offers a serious tilt at winning the Championship. However, racing is costly and, hopefully, the team can find local businesses who wish to raise their profile through sponsorship arrangements. Scott can be contacted at scott-stone100@hotmail.com.
Scott is grateful for the help he has received from Gary Walton, Joe Richardson of JR Performance, Tuxford, RT Motors of Retford and Carlton Auto Finishers and, of course, family and friends.