Round 3: Smaller Brakes, Zero Issues

“For Round 3 on July 11, we made the only brake change in three years of running the S4: we swapped the larger vented front rotors for the same lighter, solid GD Sport Rotor we run in the rear, so all four corners now match. The goal was to take weight off the front end of the car.

“That’s not a small decision. Brakes mean a lot in drifting: cold bite on the first entry, wear across a full event and season, and heat through back-to-back battles all decide whether you can trust the car. Going smaller up front puts every one of those to the test.

“The GD Sport Rotors passed. Paired with the Bluestuff pads, they worked extremely well, and we had zero issues moving to the smaller setup. We got the weight savings without giving anything up in stopping power or confidence.

“On track, Round 3 was a solid event. We drew Formula DRIFT PRO driver Rome Charpentier in our Top 32 battle, and I overdrove the car. That one’s on me, and it’s exactly the kind of battle I want more of. Knowing I needed more seat time behind the car we have set up to compete. I ran a local event where we lost the motor a few laps in. A broken exhaust valve blew a hole in a piston and took out our complete motor. Damaging every cylinder.â€�

Heat 1 (Grid: 8^th)

“We got off to a good start, gaining two positions through Dan Wheldon corner on the opening lap. However, we soon found ourselves stuck behind the kart running in fifth, which was slightly slower but proving difficult to pass.

“While looking for an opportunity to make a move, we also had to defend from the karts behind, making it difficult to commit fully to an overtake. Midway through the race, a couple of karts managed to get past us while we were trying to attack the kart ahead.

“Rather than let the opportunity go, we tried to use the momentum of the karts that had overtaken us to find a way past the slower kart. Unfortunately, the move didn’t come off, and we had to continue looking for another opportunity.

“A few laps later, we finally found our chance going through Stow, managing to get underneath the kart ahead and make the pass to move up into seventh.

“The race wasn’t over yet, though! On the final lap, the first two karts battling for the lead collided going into Dan Wheldon. This promoted us another two positions, allowing us to cross the line in P5.â€�

Heat 2 (Grid: 6^th)

“Starting sixth on the grid, we made another excellent start and immediately gained two places, moving up to fourth by the time we reached Turn 1. We continued to make progress through the opening lap and finished it running in third place.

“On lap two, the reigning champion made a move on us into Kestrel and took the position. We continued fighting hard and remained in the battle towards the front of the field.

“Mid-way through the race, we were running in sixth when a missed gear on the start/finish straight proved costly. This left us vulnerable into Turn 1, where two karts managed to get past.

“It was a frustrating moment after such a strong start, as we lost valuable positions through a small mistake. Despite continuing to push, we were unable to recover those places and eventually finished the heat in P8.�

Heat 3 (Grid: 16^th)

“Starting from 16th on the grid, we knew we had plenty of work to do in Heat 3. The opening lap was always going to be busy, and we took full advantage of the action through the Stow and Willows complex, managing to pass five karts in the hustle and bustle to make significant progress through the field.

“A retirement on lap two promoted us another position, and we continued to look for opportunities to move forwards.

“A lap later, we got a fantastic run out of Willows and carried the momentum onto the back straight. This gave us the opportunity to make a move on kart 30, and we completed the overtake going into Dan Wheldon to move up into ninth place.

“From there, we found ourselves in the middle of a closely packed train of karts, with positions six through to twelve all battling hard as the race progressed.

“With everyone fighting for position, it was a case of staying in the battle and capitalising on any opportunities that came our way. Towards the end of the race, two karts ahead of us retired on separate laps, promoting us further up the order.

“After starting 16th and working our way through the field, we crossed the chequered flag in P7. It was a strong recovery drive and another example of how important it is to keep pushing right to the end.�

Final

“Our strong performances in the heats earned us sixth place on the grid for the final, putting us in a good position to challenge for a strong result.

“Once again, we made a brilliant start. Getting away cleanly, we climbed from sixth to third by the time we reached Turn 1, putting ourselves straight into the battle towards the front of the field.

“We settled into third place and managed to hold the position for the first quarter of the race, showing good pace and keeping ourselves in contention.

“Eventually, we were passed into Turn 1 and dropped back a position. We continued to push hard and defend our position, but on lap ten, another kart managed to get past, leaving us fighting to hold on to fifth place.

“As the race entered its closing stages, we began to struggle with corner entry into Turn 1. With just two laps remaining, we were finding it increasingly difficult to get the kart turned in as we wanted, which made defending our position even harder.

“Unfortunately, on the final lap, we lost fifth place at Turn 1 and dropped back to sixth.

“Although it was disappointing to lose another position so late in the race, we kept pushing to the finish and crossed the line in P6, four seconds clear of seventh place.�

Summary

“It was a weekend with plenty of positives, including some excellent starts, determined overtaking and a strong recovery from 16th to seventh in Heat 3.

“We showed that we had the pace to run towards the front, holding third place for a quarter of the final after another fantastic getaway. While a missed gear in Heat 2 and difficulties with corner entry in the final cost us valuable positions. Strong results in all three heats and good pace throughout the day. Was our strongest round of the season

“Before the dropped round we were placed 5th out of 23 in the standings for the 2026 British Championship. Looking forward to the presentation Awards in November at Silverstone Wing.Ìý

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support through this season and previous seasons as it is much appreciated and helps a lot.�

“This was our first race weekend at the new Kart Silverstone.

“Kart Silverstone is the newest and most impressive facility on the British karting calendar. The 1,377 metre circuit opened in autumn 2025 and holds CIK-FIA International grade status. Designed with input from former Formula 1 drivers David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson, it is a predominantly sweeping, European-style layout with a tight final sector that tests every aspect of a driver’s ability. The wide surface opens up multiple racing lines and overtaking opportunities throughout.

“It was a frustrating weekend with the pace to fight at the front.”

Qualifying

“Quali saw some technical issues which stopped 20 drivers from going on to the track and setting a time.â€�

Heat 1

“P26 – P10.”

Heat 2

“P26 – P14 (OTR): I was taken out at the start but managed to have a decent recovery.”

Super Heat

“P12 – P16: I was taken out again at the start along with multiple other drivers.”

Final

“P29 – P17: a very scrappy final, making as much progress as we could with the very poor driving standards. Ultimately finishing P17 out of 63 drivers.”

On the stand this year, expect the official unveiling of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™s all-new SC Super Ceramic automotive brake pads – promising the perfect combination of low dust and high performance.

Also present will be the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½/PowerNation Cadillac CTS-V and bespoke sim rig trailer – a heavily-documented project that is being given away in just a few weeks’ time.

Finishing off the booth will be – a 2002 BMW Z3 M Coupe that’s being driven 3,500 miles across the USA in the lead-up to the show. This car features a 6-piston Apollo big brake kit from ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Racing.

As always, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ booth will also play host to the firm’s wide range of high-performance braking components – be sure to grab one of the friendly team to discuss your braking needs if you’re attending!

While the automotive team attends SEMA, the motorcycle division will be at the EICMA expo in Milan.

• to find out more about the SEMA Show.
• to find out more about ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

Test Days

“For a change, we did the Thursday track day due to the weather forecast. I had not ridden the Honda at Donington Park so needed some bike time. Thursday was cold and we had to be careful, but, surprisingly for a Donington track day, it ran quite smoothly. JR Performance’s Joe turned up to give us a hand with setup, which helped a lot. By the end of the day, I didn’t feel the bike was perfect, but good enough and that I was ready for Qualifying. With more time, I could have improved the bike even further.

“Friday was very different. I decided to miss the first session as it was looking like rain. Went out for Session 2 only to be sent back as the track had been completely contaminated by an oil spill. Then the wind and rain picked up, one minute dry, the next wet, so we waited until Session 5 and then had to run in wet conditions. The setup we selected first wasn’t even close, but we gathered extra data and made adjustments to give us a better chance if Qualifying was on a wet track.�

Qualifying

“No guessing this time. It was to be a full wet setup. Wasn’t quite sure how the bike would behave, but gained confidence and my early laps were strong, putting us into P3. Kept an eye on my pit board and felt I had more pace if it was needed. Caught Michael Needham as he lost grip from the rear tyre going into McLeans causing him to fall. I also lost the rear and despite having legs right off the bike, managed to land back on the seat and stay upright. We must have slipped on an untreated patch of oil. Was unable to improve on my time due to a lot of yellow flags and the warning just received. Finished on the second row in 5th. Happy with that.�

Race 1

“Wet. Got a good start and elbows-out to find myself in third place behind Paul Bowerbank. With good drive out of Redgate, I got underneath Paul at Hollywood putting me 2nd, behind Tommy Fielding.

“In the early laps, my pace felt strong, but not enough to run with Tommy. Hadn’t been in this position all year and regretted not asking for a pit board. I thought “this is going be a long raceâ€� as the track started to dry out and it was difficult to know how much to push. I had a look round with three laps to go and couldn’t see or hear anybody which was a surprise. Decided to just keep my head down, not do anything silly and bring it home. Then, on the last lap, Tom Norton came inside me at Redgate. Tried desperately to get back past him, but he held the dry line and I had to go on the wet patches. With hindsight, I think I could’ve made a move into Roberts, but it wasn’t to be. But guess what – I just got my first Pirelli podium and it felt great. Was gutted not to hold 2nd, but in those conditions the main focus was staying on.â€�

Race 2

“This turned out to be one of the best races of the year. Started 6th on the Grid, got an okay start, but it was busy at Turn 1 and I had some work to do. Managed to pass Liam Murtagh and Peter Eccles by the end of Lap 1 and found myself glued to the back of Tom Norton Felt I had more pace and knew I could pass him. After taking a few laps to work it out, I managed to get up the inside at Redgate to move into P2 behind Tommy Fielding. I started to pull a little gap on Norton and felt good on the bike apart from having to dodge the damp patches. With four laps to go, Connor Cummins passed me, pushing me back to P3. I didn’t fully relax in this race as you had to ride very close to damp patches and it started to take its toll. My lap times were very consistent, setting a fastest on Lap 11, but Connor and Tom upped their pace that I couldn’t match. Started to get a little arm pump and with two laps to go, Tom Norton passed me back. This time I didn’t have the energy to do much about it.

“Something I will work on for next year, but a great race. P3 again if you take out Connor Cummins.�

Race 3

“I watched the replay of Race 2 to see what I could improve. I decided not to make any bike changes for the last race as I felt there was way more in me than the bike. From 5th on the Grid, I got a good start again. Found myself on the back of a train that consisted of Phil Crowe, Tommy Fielding, Conor Cummins, and Tom Norton. Tried my hardest to stay with them. My riding was better and I followed them into the 1.09 secs, but after Lap 6 they started to creep away.

“I was in ‘no man’s land’, but this time I had a pit board to keep me informed. Knew I couldn’t catch the group in front so kept an eye on the gap behind which I increased to six seconds. Kept my head down and after 12 laps brought it home 4th in Class. Again, taking Cummins out of it, would have had another strong 3rd.�

Summary

“To say I enjoyed the meeting is an understatement. I’m very happy to finish the year this way. Mostly, it felt comfortable and if I continue these improvements the next step is very close. Managing and staying on the bike in those mixed conditions took some doing and there were many crashes.

“We managed our goal of securing 4th in the Championship. For a short while we even had our eye on 3rd as Luca Jennings went down in Qualifying and his bike was wrecked. Luca borrowed a bike to secure his well-deserved 3rd in the Championship.

“Once again, I had so much track side support. If that was a part of the Championship, we would take some beating! This season would not have been possible without friends, family and sponsors. Thank you so much to everyone.

Photos: Matt Sayle Photography

“A mega weekend at Whilton Mill, with great pace – we weren’t outside of the top four all weekend.�

Qualifying

P8

Heat 1

P8 – P4

Heat 2

P8 – P3

“In the final, I started P5. I got a good start into P4 but an incident on the first lap pushed me down to P9. However, with great pace and racecraft, I managed to finish in P4 – my best result in juniors at Whilton and just 1/10^th off the podium.

“We are now 7th in the championship with 1 round to go…�

“I missed Saturday’s practice due to not feeling well, so it was straight into Sunday with only a three-lap warmup to get into the swing of things before the random grid heats.�

Heat 1

P17 – P26 – P11

Heat 2

P6 – P4

“In the final, I started P12 and after a very scrappy and hard-fought race, I finished P9 out of 56 Junior Rotax drivers.�

“Round 9 of the British Superbike Championship took us to the iconic TT Circuit Assen, where Luke Hedger continued his impressive comeback following the serious injuries sustained after a fall from a second-story roof at work earlier this season.

“The weekend was focused on continued recovery, rebuilding confidence, and finding speed, and Luke delivered exactly that. Qualifying saw a significant step forward as he broke into the 1:38 bracket for the first time with a superb 1:38.8 lap, finishing ahead of three riders and showing clear progress throughout the session.”

“Race 1 brought even more encouragement. Luke lowered his lap time again, recording a personal-best 1:38.1 around the famous Dutch circuit. The improvement highlighted the hard work being put in both on and off the bike, with pace continuing to build despite the challenges of returning from injury.

“The final race of the weekend delivered another breakthrough. Luke dipped into the 1:37s with an outstanding 1:37.9 lap, comfortably his fastest-ever lap of Assen and a clear indication that both rider and team are moving in the right direction. While the race results themselves did not fully reflect the progress made throughout the weekend, the underlying speed and competitiveness were there for all to see.”

“Most importantly, Assen demonstrated that Luke’s recovery remains firmly on track. Each session brought improvements, with lap times consistently falling and confidence growing every time he headed out onto the circuit.

“With plenty of positives to take away from the Netherlands, the team now turns its attention to the final rounds of the championship at Donington Park and Brands Hatch. If the progress shown at Assen is anything to go by, there is every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead.

“A huge thank you to all of our amazing partners, sponsors, supporters, and everyone behind the scenes. Your continued support makes this journey possible, and we look forward to finishing the season strongly together!�