Thundersports GB

Cadwell Park

1st June 2021

My bank holiday weekend used to mean travelling to the coast, seeing relatives or taking a mini break which usually resulted in sitting in traffic jams listening to some local radio station with the kids kicking the back of my seat and me achieving nothing.

These days I’m a little wiser and try not to travel when the rest of the UK car owners are out and about. However, there is usually something motorsports related going on that I want to see, so needs must.

Having a motorcycle helps with the traffic but they are not the greatest mode of transportation when you have a load of camera gear.

As the weather looked great and having previously perfected the art of Nikon Tetris, I packed my camera gear in my deliveroo (it’s what my wife calls it) top box.

Setting off the long way round with my shooting partner for the day, we headed for Cadwell Park to watch the motorcycle racing, this time under the Thundersports banner. 

Thundersports GB, to give it its full title, is one of the larger motorcycle race clubs that organises its own race championships at different venues around the UK.

These clubs are a great way into racing. If you have been doing track days and want to take the next step, these clubs will guide you through the process. 

They run events where you turn up knowing nothing and after eight hours and your wallet a little lighter you will be an Auto Cycle Union race licence holder ready to race.

All you need now is a bike, but what sort of bike if you are just starting out on your journey? Well looking at the grids the Honda CB 500 is very popular.

Don’t take my word for it, let’s hear it from a racer #113 who is currently taking part in the Thundersports 500 Seniors, Steven Kilpin.

"I first wanted to try racing as a teenager so to get close to the racing I used to marshal for Pegasus when I was an apprentice back in the 80’s. However, I ended up getting a mortgage rather than a race bike! 

Turning 50 and getting a reminder that life is too short, I made my mind up to give it a go! Enter Dave King, my old mate from school.

He pointed me in the direction of Roy Ridealgh of RP Motorsport in Grantham who got me kitted out with Benjie, a Honda CB500 and I started racing with EMRA in 2018. 

After 35 years of road riding and considering myself fairly quick, I had a bit of a shock starting almost at the back of the grid.

Despite that, I was still grinning at the end of that week! Last year I joined Thundersport GB and competed at Donington and Cadwell Park, which was enough for me to get rid of the orange novice bib. 

This year, I want to make as many of the Thundersport and EMRA rounds as I can.

This weekend was great, my lap time came down over 4 seconds and in the 500 Seniors, I had two 12ths, a 13th and a 14th. Happy days!"

Inter-Service Motorcycle Championships

As Steve was packing his kit away, the final race of the Thundersports weekend meeting was assembling on the grid.

Nine Army, six Royal Air Force and a combined team of five Royal Navy and Royal Marines were preparing themselves for the Inter-Service motorcycle race.

During the bank holiday meeting the military riders had been racing machines from 1000cc Ducatis down to the humble Honda CB500 in a variety of different classes in their individual events.

But now it was time to come together as a team and start the first race of the Inter-Service Championships.

Riding as number 18 Richard Spencer-Fleet from the Army had put in the fastest qualifying time of 1:38.228 seconds followed by Paul Cunvin from the RAF.

Cunvin was half a second adrift of the pole setter, not a bad time considering Cunvin was riding a 600cc bike, 400cc down on Spencer-Fleet's 1000cc Ducati.

The Army’s number 51 Leon Wilton was third fastest on another 1000cc machine, this time a Yamaha, firmly stating the intentions that the Army want the championship back from the RAF who were crowned Inter-Services champions at last year's final round. 

Richard Spencer-Fleet led from pole to flag with Leon Wilton coming through from third on the grid to take second place, making it a one two for the Army.

Paul Cunvin #8 and Dave Langley #60 for the RAF took third and fourth places to keep the pressure on the Army.

Chatting to the guys post race via social media (keeping within the CV-19 rules) the point scoring for this race is basically the same as a standard race, 25 for first and so on but there are bonus points for the guys on the smaller machines like the CB 500 and the stock twins. 

There will be five more Thundersports race meetings this year with the final round "The Thunder in the Wolds" 16th - 17th October at Cadwell.

We will be back at the mini Nürburgring to see if the Army can hang onto their early lead and report who is crowned Inter-Service Motorcycle Champions, and to see how Steven Kilpin got on in in the 500 Seniors. 

Thanks to Graeme Taylor Images and DEEGEE: Motorsport Photography for helping out on this report, you can see more of their work by following the links below.

DEEGEE: Motorsport Photography