Hartlepool motorbike racer Tommy Fielding triumphs in relay race

A Hartlepool motorbike racer took home the prize after a three-hour relay race in heavy rain.
By Madeleine Raine
Published 13th Apr 2024, 15:32 BST
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Tommy Fielding, 31, entered the Motul ACU National endurance race at the Snetterton Circuit – a former air base in Norfolk – at the 2024 Pirelli Super series 1000 championship on March 23 and 24.

He entered the race alongside his friend Aaron Silvester at the second highest competition tier for motorbike sports in the UK.

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Speaking about the three-hour relay race, Tommy, a senior mechanical engineer at Hitachi Rail, said: “We had to compete in the highest class – the National 1000 – despite Aaron riding a 600cc motorcycle.

Tommy Fielding, (racer on the left), and Aaron Silvester win the Motul ACU National endurance relay race.Tommy Fielding, (racer on the left), and Aaron Silvester win the Motul ACU National endurance relay race.
Tommy Fielding, (racer on the left), and Aaron Silvester win the Motul ACU National endurance relay race.

"We qualified 7th and I took the reins for the Leman style start in the very wet conditions.

"I took the lead on lap 25 after a brief red flag stoppage and safety car intervention period.

"From there, we never looked back and grew the gap with each stint eventually winning by one minute and 20 seconds.

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"A team was closing rapidly in the dying stages, however, they miscalculated fuel usage and had to make an unscheduled stop with just three laps to go.”

Tommy Fielding took part in the first race of the Pirelli Superseries 1000 – the second highest tier for motorbike sports in the UK.Tommy Fielding took part in the first race of the Pirelli Superseries 1000 – the second highest tier for motorbike sports in the UK.
Tommy Fielding took part in the first race of the Pirelli Superseries 1000 – the second highest tier for motorbike sports in the UK.

Tommy also took part in the Pirelli Superseries 1000 race, placing 8th in his class and 11th overall in his first race on Saturday, March 23, despite qualifying 21st out of 33 entrants, owing to heavy winds.

He said: “A delayed start after a brief rain shower on the warm-up lap saw me starting the race with a wet front tyre and a slick rear tyre.

"I got my elbows out at the start and managed to make up a lot of positions throughout the race.”

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Speaking about his test day on Friday, March 22, Tommy said: “I spent the day working on myself and the electronics on the bike to make it more manageable.

"The increased power from the Suzuki means that it wants to wheelie and spin the back tyre up at any opportunity.”

Tommy said: “The weekend concluded with 13th and 12th place finishes, which all things considered, was not a bad result.

"I still have a lot of creases to iron out.”

Tommy is going to be racing at Croft, in Dalton-on-Tees, Darlington, on April 6 and 7 in a non-championship event.

Related topics:HartlepoolNorfolkHitachi Rail

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