Tim Hastings Racing #50

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Round 4 - Oulton Park (5/6/7 May)

Falkirk teenager Tim Hastings delivered yet another strong performance in Round 4 of the British 125GP Championship Cup - with a 10th place finish at Oulton Park.

Riding the Applied Sweepers sponsored Honda for Pete Banks Racing, this was Tim's first visit to the picturesque Cheshire circuit - his fourth "new" track in as many rounds - but he quickly adapted to the track many consider to be one of the finest racing venues in the country.

Tim made good progress during Friday's free practice sessions - moving from 24th spot in the morning to 20th by the end of the day. Saturday's first qualifying session initially saw Tim running in a strong and impressive 13th place and it seemed there was more to come as he took a further 1.6 seconds off his best time over the first two sectors of a flying lap. Unfortunately he then ran too hot into Lodge corner and lost the front end - a crash that left him nursing a sore and swollen foot for the remainder of the weekend.

Despite the setback, Tim finished combined qualifying in 20th place - with a 1.51.547 - and therefore lined up on the 5th row of the grid on race day. Although frequent showers produced tricky conditions and tyre choice dilemmas for a number of the classes, the 125s took to a dry track in bright sunshine and yet again produced one of the day's best races.

As has often been the pattern for his season so far, Tim got off to a great start before quickly being swallowed up by a large chasing pack. As the leading quartet of riders pulled away and treated the bank holiday crowd to a stunning display of close riding, further back Tim and seven others were embroiled in an equally fierce battle for the entire race distance. Despite some fairing bashing and a few unorthodox passing manoeuvres, the whole group of eight crossed the finishing line separated by less than 1.5 seconds - and Tim put in his fastest lap on the very final circuit.

10th place in the Cup race (and 20th overall) gave Tim a further six points and he remains one of the few Cup riders to score points in every race of the season so far.

The team will return to Oulton in July for round 8 of the series, but moves next to Snetterton for the weekend of the 18th-20th May, where for the first time this season Tim will find himself on a track he has raced at before. Hopefully his previous experience at the fast Norfolk circuit will contribute to another good result.

Read the race reports from previous rounds.