Round 6 - MotoGP Round at Silverstone
After only a single week back home and a really fun weekend with SFLMiniGP on minis; I was back on a plane to the UK. This round is a very special round not just because it’s on the biggest stage in the world but because I get to see my big bro Sean Dylan Kelly. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to race but I was still able to see him during the weekend. I also had my extended family Tim and Buch heading over to watch me race this weekend as well. My dad couldn't come cause he is saving his last bit of vacation incase I get called to the Redbull tryouts this year. Fingers crossed there for sure.
This variant of Silverstone is my favorite on the calendar, so I was very excited to get back on it. Having MotoGP there as well makes it an unforgettable experience for everyone. Arriving to the circuit on Wednesday it's always a surreal feeling with all the team trucks there and seeing all the riders that I watch on tv. Thursday was setup day along with the BTC track walk. The track is forever long but I enjoyed every minute of walking it. You get to walk along side the different riders and their teams. Some of them are walking, others are on bicycles and some even get driven around the track on scooters or golf carts. It is the longest track and sometimes you need a different view than just walking it. This track is very similar to what I’m used to in the States with not much elevation so I was feeling confident going into the weekend.
Along with the track walk on Thursday I had some media duties to do. I lost P3 in the championship at Brands Hatch so I wasn’t able to attend the press conference room but I got the opportunity to talk on stage in front of the crowd. This was a super cool and fun experience for me but I was most surprised that I wasn’t too nervous lol. Along with talking on stage I also got to watch the MotoGP race from the service road in turn 3 which was only about 20 feet from the circuit. This had to of been my favorite part of the whole weekend, the noise of the bikes going around and seeing what all the greatest riders in the world do right in front of me was surreal.
FP1 was a very good session finishing P6 but the most important thing was that I felt right at home on the bike after just one session completed. The schedule was quite different due to running alongside Motogp so we had FPs and Qualifying on the Friday. Qualifying was just 1 hour after FP2 so I didn’t want to push over the limit before qualifying so FP2 was a bit slower but I felt really good on the bike. Qualifying didn’t go exactly to plan, unfortunately I got held up on my fast lap which caused us to qualify p8 but I knew I could make it work from the middle of the third row. Sometimes you roll the dice on a plan it doesn't workout...but that is all part of it.
The weather wasn’t looking very pleasing for race 1 but that didn’t phase me and I was ready for the race. Lap 1 had to of been the best I’ve had because I went from 8th on the grid to p4 by turn 6 and I was well in the group. The front two put down some astonishing laps in the beginning of the race and pulled away but I was still in the fight for p3. I had fully found my flow during the race, consistently staying in p3 until lap 6 came around. The wind had really picked up since the start of the race and it completely caught me out through one of the fastest parts of the track. I lost the front through Maggots and Beckets and once it left there was no getting it back. I had crashed out of a podium place and I couldn’t believe it. It took me a second to realize that I had gone down because of how fast it all happened. The only thing I could do now was sit and watch the rest of the race go on, watch the points just slipping away from me, and apologize to the team. I was really expecting big things in that race from myself and it was really gutting to see it end like that but I put it behind me for Race 2. I knew the crash wasn’t me nor my bikes fault, it was just the conditions and pushing limits.
Sunday was time for Race 2. I was starting P6 and I got another amazing jump getting up to P4 again but on lap 3 I made a massive mistake causing me to lose the group and the race. I almost sent myself to the moon. I came into the Club Chicane too sideways and it kicked back on me and I ran off the track. For the rest of the race I couldn’t believe I had made this kind of mistake when fighting for the podium. Not only did I lose the lead group...it took me sometime to analyze what I did while still trying to compete. Trying to push I made more poor judgement calls on the line choices and just lost my entire rhythm. Frustrating to say the least but coming back into the pits after the race, the team sat down and helped me understand what caused my error and why I couldn't continue to push after the incident happened. I can't thank them enough for helping me get the answers I needed.
Things happen in this sport and tough weekends are part of it. I spent the week discussing with my team about what we saw and experienced so that we can be ready and better prepared for the upcoming weekend. We are always learning, evolving and pushing to get stronger for each round. I learned a ton between Brands Hatch and Silverstone. I am looking forward to a successful upcoming weekend at Thruxton. My team Sandy, Jay, Alan, Neil and Bobby have been fantastic this entire season. I haven't been able to provide the results we need to show my appreciation for all their hard work but they provide me an amazing package and I can not thank them enough. Team Owner John for believing in me. Massive thanks to Tim and Buch for being here this race weekend and having an absolute blast with them. Coach Mike getting me reset during the weekend and prepared for the next round.
My mental state is really strong and confident, my riding is progressing while always finding things to work on. I’m ready to give it all at Thruxton this weekend, can’t wait to make you all proud and hit all my targets!!
