Taylor back on track with first Superstock podium

Mansfield Woodhouse racer Taz Taylor ended a run of bad results and problems to secure second place and his first Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship podium place at the iconic Brands Hatch GP circuit over the weekend.
Taz Taylor, left, on the Brands Hatch podium at the weekend.Taz Taylor, left, on the Brands Hatch podium at the weekend.
Taz Taylor, left, on the Brands Hatch podium at the weekend.

Taylor, 18, has not had the best of times on the track recently and the Taylor family have also had to try and find additional funds to keep him racing with murmurings his season may be over.

However, once regular backers KCS Crane and Transport Hire became aware the race fund was nearly empty, Colin and Nicky Marshall worked hard and managed to secure enough money to keep Taylor on track until the end of this season.

Celebrating that with a podium place, Taylor said: “I made a great start and had a great battle with Hordan Weaving early on.

“In the end I couldn’t quite keep his pace so concentrated on making sure I finished second.

“I can’t thank Colin and Nicky of KCS Crane and Transport Hire enough. They have always been generous but what they have done this time is just incredible. My whole family are so grateful.

“Without them I wouldn’t have been racing and today I got my first podium in the Superstock 600 class. Thanks also to all my other sponsors who have also helped me this year and, of course, to Craig Fitzpatrick and the team for a great bike.”

So it was with relief that on the Friday morning Taylor was third fastest in free practice with a lap time of 1:31.685.

During a very positive 25 minute qualifying session Taylor managed to cut his lap time to 1:30.999. He also cut the gap to the fastest rider, but in a class that is really competitive his lap time saw him provisional placed in fourth.

The second qualifying was again showed his motivation hasn’t been affected with Taz Taylor reducing his lap time further to 1:30.492 to end the day in fifth place.

This meant he would start the race from the middle of the second row.

When the red lights went out Taylor made a blistering start leaping from fifth on the grid to second as the riders went through Paddock Hill Bend.

Halfway round the first lap Taylor took the lead in the race.

When they returned to Paddock Hill bend for the second time Weaving took the lead from Taylor.

These two swapped the lead again and it was at the same corner on lap four that the two collided without incident as they battled hard but fairly for the lead.

It wasn’t just Weaving that Taylor had to contend with in the early laps.

There were three other riders pushing hard looking for a way past.

As the race reached the three quarters stage Weaving had opened a one second gap at the front and Taylor had a similar break between him and Wigley in third.

On the penultimate lap a rider fell and the race was red flagged.

The race result stood and Taylor’s fortunes were on the rise.

The next round of the Pirelli National Superstock 600 series will be at Cadwell Park on the weekend of August 27/28/29.