The 2021 Honda British Talent Cup began kicked off at Oulton Park as Casey O’Gorman (Microlise Cresswell Racing) led the pack.
O’Gorman stormed the first race before coming under some pressure in the second as Carter Brown (City Lifting/RS Racing) chased him down.
Brown and teammate Evan Belford (City Lifting/RS Racing) were the two closest to O’Gorman in both races at Round 1, and they’ll want to keep that speed and try and take some points back off the double winner. The only three riders on the podium so far, they’re also a target for those just behind them – especially Jonny Garness (City Lifting/RS Racing) as he took a fifth and a fourth place putting him fourth overall.
Garness will be eager to head the charge to try and cut the gap to the fast trio from Round 1, and he’ll likely have company from the likes of Ryan Hitchcock (Wilson Racing), fourth in Race 1 and Cormac Buchanan (Microlise Cresswell Racing), who completed the top five on Sunday after a tougher Saturday.
There are a host of fast contenders just outside that top five so far too: Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing) and Jamie Lyons (C&M Motors Ltd/Tooltec Racing) were consistently there across both race at Oulton, and Ollie Walker (Moto Rapido / SP125 Racing) started the year in sixth before an issue on Sunday saw him DNF.
Saturday was when the drama hit for another key contender: James Cook (Wilson Racing). A crash for the fastest man in the official pre-season test left him down the grid in P28. But even in a shortened race he made some impressive progress up to just outside the top ten.