Apologies for the delay with last weekend’s race report. The school holidays have hit “comms HQ” so its been a little manic since Monday morning.
After a very difficult few weeks for the team and everyone involved, we agreed we will continue to race our Supersport machine, it is what Damo would of wanted.
The team have reached a short-term agreement with Sam Munro who we believe can help us continue to develop the bike and our experience within the class.
Sam who resides from just north of Aberdeen has been a friend of the team for many years. He has competed in the Supersport class before but due to time and travel constraints, he decided to leave the paddock midway through the 2022 season. This new arrangement works for both parties. Sam will be racing on circuits he did not get to race last year and as a very experienced 600cc pilot he will give us valuable feedback and data for the future.
Now we have a ‘Sam’ on either side of the garage I will give surnames throughout.
Sam Laffins was first on the circuit on Friday for the first of his two free practice sessions. After the disappointment of Snetterton and the race ‘DNF’, Sam simply wanted to spin some laps and build his confidence back up. The Brands Hatch GP circuit is a very different challenge that can not be take lightly. With its stunning undulations and long sweeping bends it can be quite the handful. Sam completed 14 laps in the 25 minute session and ended in P4.
Sam Munro left pit lane for his first free practice sessions with zero pressure or expectation on his shoulders. We just wanted to get him settled, move pegs, adjust bars and get him comfortable. That said, out of 45 riders he ended the session in P16. Sam was very happy with the power of the machine and we gained a clear direction on where to head with setup.
Free practice two for Sam Laffins in the stock class was much much stronger. Sam was now in his groove and pushing on. As the session was flagged to a conclusion he had beaten his previous best by over one second to take P2 behind known rival Louis Valleley.
Supersport free practice two improved across the board as all the riders improved their pace recording better lap times from top to bottom. Sam Munro held station in P16 but he was 0.8 secs quicker in FP2 than FP1. Satisfied with the setup changes and improvements it was agreed the day had been a great success.
As the team headed off site for the traditional Indian infused debriefing session, it was all eyes on the Weather apps. Friday and Sunday had looked like the better days all week on the long forecast and that was not going to change, regardless of who thought they used the better resource.
As Saturday came around the rain was due at about 2pm which would hopefully mean both riders would get to qualify in the dry.
Sam Laffins was first out at 09.35 which was usually early for the Junior Superstock qualifying session and he did not disappoint. Sam eased is way into the session superbly well building his pace very nicely. He came into the pits exactly halfway through the session for a new rear tyre. As he left the pits he found a nice slot out on track that gave him some pace to perfect his sectors. Once he had laid down a ‘banker’ he got on the throttle to top the session for his first ever non race timed Pole Position. His 9th lap of 15 was his strongest at 1.29.94, the best-ever stock 600 lap is a 1.29.84 set by Tarran McKenzie.
Supersport Qualifying got underway at 11.25. Due to the size of the field the session is split into two sessions with the top 16 from free practice elevated straight into the second session. Going quicker again Sam Munro recorded his quickest lap of the weekend with a 1.29.24 which would give him a staring grid position of 13th for the afternoons race.
Just before 2pm, as forecast, the heavens opened giving us all persistent down pour. It was not heavy rain but there was plenty of it and it was very wet. That said, we had a happy racer in the camp. Sam Munro was more than happy to see the rain and by is own admission enjoys racing in the wet.
As we lined up on the grid for his first race at just after 16.30 the Eurosport boys were fumbling around for their branded cagoules and brollies. The grid cleared the sighting lap got underway, Sam was one of the first back to take his place and it was clear then he was ‘up for it.’ As the lights went out he made a great start, taking some very confident lines and late braking with many others circulating a little more cautiously. By the end of lap 5, Sam was up into 4th place and looking really settled. However, as is often the case in these conditions, other riders get comfortable and they come back into the race. Sam dealt with these challenges very well by giving room where he needed to stay out of trouble. On two occasions into Surtees, riders were on the throttle too quick high siding in front of him, luckily he avoided contact on both occasions. As the race unfolded a couple of the championship contenders came back into the race and Sam took the chequered flag in 6th place. Sam and the whole team were absolutely delighted with the result. First weekend together, first race, awful conditions, rider and bike home safely with a strong placing, what more could we ask for ?
Fortunately, as we woke on Sunday morning for the feature day of racing the rain had subsided and despite a heavy dose of strong winds and rain in the night the temperature was rising and we had a gentle breeze to dry things out.
Sam Laffins opted not to venture out for his morning warm-up session. The track was still damp in places and very wet in others so Sam opted to save rubber and fuel. Sam Munro however knew he had raced on a wet setting on Saturday, today would be dry so he decided to just have a few laps to get a feel for those new settings and that went very well, despite it still being damp under the trees to the rear of the circuit.
Due to a fuel leak in the Superbike class on Saturday in the treacherous conditions the Junior Supersport race was cancelled and had to be re-run on Sunday morning. This meant the schedule was slightly delayed but at 11.10am we were with our pole position man Sam Laffins. The mood on the grid was cool and calm as the TV cameras and photographers circulated Sam in front of the fantastic crowds on the start-finish line. Sam had his strategy mapped out and the objective was to get away cleanly and settle into the race. As the lights went out, he did just that, nice and smooth, hitting his markers, keeping the bike planted with plenty of pace.
As he crossed the line at the end of lap one he was in second place and clear of any trouble behind. The top five riders were already starting to break clear of the pack and the pace was ‘hot.’ As the laps ticked by Sam still looked very comfortable, smooth and unphased by what was happening around him as the braking got later and the overtaking more aggressive.
On lap 9 off 11 Sam was holding station in 3rd pushing for a 2nd which was well within his reach. As he tried to reel in Cam Dawson who held 2nd he clipped the inside of the kerb into Sterlings which very unfortunately brought Sams race to an impromptu end. Absolutely dejected and frustrated to be in the gravel we were just pleased to see Sam was ok as Sterlings is a fast section of the circuit.
All we ask of these young men is that they try, no one is trying harder than Sam Laffins. We still believe in him and his ability to race motorcycles. He has remarkable pace and he is a fighter, we know what we need to work on with him. This sport can be cruel and difficult at times but we will not give up on our riders or their objectives, we are in this for the long haul.
Later on Sunday afternoon Sam Munro took to the 2.43 miles Kent circuit for his second race of his weekend. The conditions were unrecognisable compared to those he relished on Saturday afternoon. We needed the brolly to keep the heat of him, not the rain, absolutely glorious.
We were delighted to welcome Moto2 rookie and ex BSB star Rory Skinner to the awning this weekend. Both hailing from Scotland Sam and Rory have a very strong friendship that stems from their childhood. Rory had come along to help Sam with some spotting and setup suggestions as he himself aced the Supersport championship on an R6. Wherever Rory goes he attracts a lot of attention so it was nice to see Jamie Whitham interview Sam on the grid before the race got underway.
When the grid formed Sam was elevated to 11th based on his lap times in the wet race, two places better than he started the wet race. The revs came up and the brakes were released to start the 16 lap feature race. Sam got out of turn one really nicely as the rest of the pack battled hard for position. As the laps passed by the field began to spread out a little which gave Sam an opportunity to get to know the bike under race conditions. He had a great dice with his friend Jamie van Sikkelerus and in the latter stages he retook Cameron Fraser on his GP2 machine to cross the line in 11th.
On reflection our first Supersport weekend with Sam Munro was a huge success, from 40+ riders and machines we took a 6th and 11th, delighted !
We are really looking forward to Thruxton in three weeks time, August 11th, 12th & 13th.
On behalf of all the boys and girls at Binch Racing we are very grateful for your continued support.
