BSB Final Round - A Top Ten Special!

The weekend of October 8-10th saw the BSB championships reach it's conclusion. Held at Oulton park in Cheshire, BMC Racing were there to compete in the final round of the 2010 Metzeler 600 Superstock championship. It was a three day affair...qualifying was over two days...one on the Friday, and one on the Saturday - with the top forty riders qualifying for the race on the Sunday. And Leon was eager to get well and truly stuck in!

The first qualifying session (on the Friday) went well, with Leon putting in some great lap times to finish twenty first overall. This put him well and truly in contention, and we all hoped for more of the same on the Saturday. His best time of 1:44:198 was only a couple of seconds off the leading riders pace, so things were looking good.

The second qualifying session (on the Saturday) was another story. In fact, it was an amazing story! Leon seemed to rise to the occasion, and very quickly put in some blistering lap times. After barely completing a handful of laps, Leon had already stuck in a lap time of 1:42:563...a fantastic lap! Only a second off the pole position pace too! And was enough to put Leon eighth on the grid for the race...YES...THE SECOND ROW! An incredible achievement! One that highlights just how much Leon has improved throughout the year, and certainly helped to negate the tricky year of injuries that he has had to endure. I looked at the sector times afterwards, and Leon was the fourth fastest in sector one ahead of the likes of Luke Stapleford, Josh Day and Danny Buchan. Wow! We were all over the moon and really looked forward to race day and watching Leon have some fun at the sharper end of the action.

Race day came, the weather was good and everyone's mood was upbeat. The 600 Superstock race was the first of the day, just after all the warm-up events had finished. I decided to head down to Lodge Corner. I was actually hoping to get across the track and go and film the start grid from outside of the track, but due to events being held up, all track crossings were cancelled. This was a shame as I would have liked to get some individual footage of the team on the start line on such a special day. So I settled for watching all the action from the exit of Lodge, that way at least I could see down the start and finish straight from a distance.

As I saw the pack of riders come round on the sighting lap, the excitement was building. It was quite emotional in fact! It's moments like this that make the hard work and effort all worthwhile. Then there were two warm-up laps before the race finally got underway. I positioned myself right under a loud speaker so that I could hear exactly what was happening at all times round the circuit.

The lights went on...then off! The roar of the pack was immense! And it was an incredible sight to watch them all dissappear off down towards Old Hall Corner for the first time. There was a bit of a pile-up at turn one though, but it was more towards the back of the pack so I tended to assume that Leon wasn't involved. My attention then went straight to the commentator as he tried to quickly make sense of how everyone was settling in to the race. There wasn't any mention of Leon on the opening lap, as all the attention was on the guys who were in with a shout at the title. But it wasn't long before the roar could be heard again as they all teared down the back straight down in to Lodge. I watched intensely as I counted the riders coming round the corner one by one. Leon was tenth! A great start, even though he got slightly boxed in going in to Old Hall. But he looked like he had settled in well with the leading bunch of riders.

Over the next few laps Leon climbed up to eighth place. He was now in a four way scrap for fifth position along with the likes of Josh day, who was one of the main title contenders. Lap by lap they came flying round as a group until an extra rider joined them and passed both Leon and Josh. So Leon was now in ninth, but he was along way ahead of the next rider...so a top ten finish looked good. This is how it then stayed right to the end, you could've thrown a blanket over them they were that close! Leon sat comfortably behind Josh and followed him home to see him crowned as champion, and in doing so Leon took his very first championship points at this level. It was a terrific race to watch, there was clearly a lot of fun being had out there, and finishing ninth amongst such quality was a testament to how well Leon, Mike and the whole team have worked this season. And to top it all off, when we looked at the timesheet, Leon was the fifth fastest...now that's a result!

So there you have it, a marvelous weekend indeed. And just goes to show that Leon really belongs in this championship. So let's hope we can secure enough funding to allow us to have a good crack at the full championship next season...

(One of the best circuits around.)







(All the top teams were there!)


(Now that's a qualifying session!)


(Leon takes time out to relax.)



(There was a lot of chatting about the set-up.)


(Mike takes the R6 down to the grid.)



(LOOK...LEON'S ON THE TELLY!)


(This is the view of the start that Eurosport didn't show.)


(Leon in a four way battle for fifth.)


(Smoothly does it!)


(Those practice wheelies came in very handy!)


(Another great action shot.)


(A job well done!)


(A big congrates to Josh Day from all at BMC.)


(You can't argue with the stats.)

NG Rd14 - LAP RECORD CHAMPIONS!

Last weekend BMC Racing were in action again. This time it was at Thruxton for the penultimate round of the NG Road Racing championships. It was Leon's first time at Thruxton too, so it was going to be a strong case of learn as you go! He was out on both the 400 and 600 machines, and was very much looking to consolidate his lead in the F400 championship.

The day started very misty. So misty, in fact, that proceedings didn't get underway until about 10.30. But things cleared up and the days racing began. First up, as usual, were the F400s...who were again grouped together with the 2-strokers. Race one saw Leon get faster with each lap as he went about his business of learning the track. He found himself in a battle with track specialist Michael Rose and narrowly missed out on taking the victory - but second place on a circuit he doesn't know is something to admire. And Leon's fastest lap time was a fraction of a second off the lap record too! Even more impressive. The BMC Racing team then set in to action, and looked to change the gearing in a bid to find ways of gaining an advantage in the points race.

Race two (the points race) soon came round, and Leon lined up on the front of the grid along with Michael Rose...it was going to be a battle, but Leon and the team had worked well to prepare the bike for action. And what a race it turned out to be! Not only did Leon beat Michael Rose to win the race, he also smashed the club record and the OUTRIGHT LAP RECORD as well! Amazing! The mind boggles as to just how quick Leon would have been if he actually knew the track! Again Leon just got quicker and quicker throughout the race which culminated in him taking the lap record on the final circuit with a very impressive time of 1:24:69. Some of the moves Leon had to make were just awesome. The crowd were agasp as they watched Leon keep the ZXR pinned through the first corner, and go underneath Michael to take the lead. A properly heroic performance indeed...well done mate. But there's more to the story...the victory was enough to give Leon the Formula 400 title. Impressive stuff...particularly when you consider the fact that he's missed four rounds of this year's championship. What a race!

And so to the Co-Ordit 600s...and a very highly competitive field too! There were two qualifying races, such was the amount of entries, and Leon was in the first one. He rode a very solid race to finish an excellent eighth place. This was enough to put himself on the fourth row for the final, but that was going to make it tough to break in to the top ten. The final came round soon enough and Leon got stuck in right from the off. He put in another very impressive display of lap times...pretty much all of them in the 1:23's to take himself up through the field to finish seventh. This now puts Leon tenth in the championship. Again this is amazing, as Leon has missed most of the races throughout the year due to injury. He beat Michael Rose again too, who was out on his 600, which just shows how quickly Leon can get his head round new tracks. Brilliant stuff!

So there you have it, another great day at the office for the BMC Racing team. We can now all look forward to the final BSB round at Oulton Park and then on to Silverstone for the final round of the NG championships...bring it on!

(Leon making the ZXR sing.)

(A winning partnership.)

(This is what NG had to say on the matter.)

(Lap record proof, not that you need it!)

(Uncatchable!)

(Top ten hit!)

EMRA Rd6 - The Final Showdown...

Last weekend the BMC Racing team were in action at Mallory Park for the final round of the EMRA championships. Simon was in with a shot at the Formula 400 title, and Leon was there to have some fun on both the ZXR400 and R6 machines. The weather wasn't too bad, a little windy but it just about stayed dry for the whole day.

In qualifying, Leon was only out in the F600s, where he managed to qualify second just behind Jody Lees. But that meant that he didn't get a qualifying time in the F400s, and would start the first F400 race from the back of the grid. Simon qualified well in the F400s though, and put himself comfortably on the front row in third place.

Let's start with the F400s (who were out with both of the 125 classes, so it was going to be a messy affair), with the F400s setting off a short time before the 125s. Anyway, race one was an exciting first lap...Leon flew off the line, from the back of the grid, and was soon hot on Richie Welsh's tail going as they went up to the hairpin for the first time. Then coming down the 'Elbow' he saw an opportunity to pass him, which according to the commentator was an extremely close move indeed...I remember hearing him say that they had probably swapped paintwork as Leon completed a well executed pass on Richie. Richie then briefly flirted with the idea of retaking the lead going in to 'Edwinas' but soon realised it was a lost cause as Leon steadily pulled out a comfortable lead to take a very convincing victory. In fact, his lap time of 56:112 was over two seconds quicker than any other F400 rider. Simon, however, had a real battle on his hands. For pretty much all of the race he found himself in a three-way battle for second position. He was clearly 'on it', and pushing really hard as he managed to take third position midway through the race. But backmarkers had their say right at the end of the race (as they usually do at Mallory), and Simon lost out on the third place that looked certain to be his. Which meant that Simon needed a miracle in race two if he was to be crowned the F400 champion. Still, a first and a fourth place for BMC is a great result.

Race two was a similar story really. Leon flew off the line to lead the race from lights to flag for a double F400 victory. And again Leon's lap times of low 56's was almost two seconds a lap quicker than any other F400 rider. Simon had an uphill struggle if he was going to win the championship, but he got stuck in right from the off. Going in to 'Edwinas' I noticed a rider at the front go down...it was hard to see who it was. I knew it wasn't Leon as he was out in front, but it could easily have been either Richie or Simon. It was, in fact, Reece Baldwin who was third in race one. He was in second place at the time and both Richie and Simon seemed to take avoiding action. This incident left a huge gap out front for Leon by the end of lap one, and left Simon having to battle it out with Richie for the remaining podium places. The race soon settled down though as Richie managed to edge out in front of Simon. But Si's lap times were less than a second behind Richie's, so he stayed in touch for most of the race. The onslaught of GP 125 riders seemed to disturb Simon's rhythm but a third place finish and a second place in the championship in his first full season is a fantastic achievement. So, congratulations Simon...you did yourself and the team proud!

Let's turn our attentions to the Formula 600s. Race one was a very close affair indeed! There were only two riders in it in fact...Leon and Jody who finished nearly sixteen seconds ahead of anyone else. And it was nip and tuck between them right to the end, with Jody just taking the win by a whisker on the line. Oh, and Leon got the fastest lap of the race.

So that left everyone expecting another close fight in race two. However, this was ruined when the marshals didn't allow Leon out on to the grid for the warm-up lap...and would therefore have to start the race from the back of the grid! This was very odd as I could see clearly that they were holding Leon and that the grid hadn't even been formed yet. Ridiculous! Anyway, that left Leon with one hell of a task if he was to get anywhere near the front. I have to say though, it was just as entertaining watching Leon come from the back of the grid as it would have been watching him fight it out with Jody. What we witnessed was actually a remarkable ride from Leon who was clear on the top of his game. The way he carved through the pack was a joy to behold, a truly top class ride indeed. He took his frustration and chanelled it brilliantly in to putting in some very fast and consistant lap times. With about three laps to go Leon had cleared the pack and was making good headway on Jody, who was also having a great ride out in front. Leon was gaining on every circuit but simply ran out of laps for us to be treated to any battle with Jody. And his lap times showed just how quick he was going! Again he was the fastest man on track, only this time he was the only rider to drop in to the 53's...over half a second quicker than Jody! A great ride to watch, definitely one of Leon's finer moments.

So there you have it, another succesful day of whizzing round in circles on tarmac. Well done to everyone involved...a great way to end another EMRA season...


(What a couple of stunners!)


(The team help Leon get ready for the F600s.)



(Le 'on it' Jeacock.)


(The team watch the display.)




(Leon in action on the ZXR 400.)


(Leon takes time out to mingle with his fans.)


(Simon flies down the 'Elbow' on his way to third.)


(Another trophy for the collection.)


(Time to give back last years barrow load of trophies.)

New look leathers...

Tracey has been hard at work creating a brand new look for the back of my leathers. Not only do I have my name and number on, I also have the BMC Racing logo! With the pic of the bike! It all looks absolutely fantastic, I am a very happy chappy indeed. Thank you Tracey, you've done an amazing job...check out her blog here: http://sew-n-go.blogspot.com/

If anyone wants theirs doing, get in touch with Tracey to sort out your own unique look...I highly recommend it. Here are the details:

Tel: 07814 259400
Email: roderick.jeacock@ntlworld.com


(Stunning.)

Seventh heaven...

There was a great bit of local press recently. The Coventry Telegraph ran an article about the seven lap records that he has added to his cv this year. It's worth a read, here's a link:

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-warwickshire-sport/other-sport/2010/09/22/motorsport-leon-jeacock-sets-seventh-lap-record-92746-27314735/

And here's the article:


(Nice!)

NG Rd13 - Sun, rain and another club record...

Last Saturday saw the BMC Racing team in action at Oulton Park in Cheshire...we were there competing in the latest round of the NG Road Racing championships. Leon was looking to retake the top spot in the Formula 400s, and also use the opportunity to gather further data on the R6 ahead of next months BSB trip back here again. Si was also there to join in the fun and I took the opportunity to race on my favourite track.

So how did it all go then? Well, the morning started very mild...the sun kept poking it's head through the clouds, the wind was down to a minimum and everything was set for a fun day. Practice went without a hitch and everyone looked forward to the first set of races.

First up were the 600s and the qualifying heat. Yet again Leon would have to start way down the grid. But, undeterred, Leon made a terrific start and seemed to effortlessly carve his way through the pack to finish a brilliant third place. In fact, the commentator was waxing lyrical about how well Leon and Freddie Russo worked together as a team to pick their way from the back of the grid to take a couple of well deserved podium finishes.

Next up was the qualifying race for the Formula 400s. Leon was starting from the front row and Simon and I started alongside each other on row six. We all got away well, with Leon completely blitzing the 400 field to take a comfortable victory, and in doing so, claiming yet another club lap record. He actually smashed the record by about a second with a time of 1:50:85 - brilliant! Simon managed to work his way through the field well to finish eleventh in class, and I managed to finish fifteenth in class which was one place better than I started on the grid...so not too bad.

The weather then decided to take a turn for the worst over lunchtime. And we were left guessing as to what tyre choices to make. A brief downpour seemed to suggest wets but the paddock was drying and the rain seemed to have stopped falling. Leon was out next in the final of the 600 race...so he went out on dry tyres and was going to see how the track conditions were on the warm-up and decide whether to stay out or not before the race started. As it turned out the conditions were quite wet, with Leon finding out in dramatic fashion as he had the bike sideways on a couple of occasions...so, very wisely, Leon decided to pull in before the race started and concentrate on getting the tyres changed on the 400 which was in a couple of races time.

As it happened, Leon's decision to change to full wets for the 400 race was a stroke of genius. I was convinced that it was going to dry out...but the grey sky, and the fact that Leon had not long been out on track, meant that full wets was the decision of the day. As the race got under way, it began to slowly start raining again...not a lot, but enough to make you think twice about leaning the bike too far over. About three laps in and the rain was now lashing down, making the choice to go for full wets an excellent decision. In fact I remember seeing a few riders pull in early on as they were obviously struggling for grip on dry tyres. About midway through the race I noticed that the yellow flags were being waved furiously round at the hairpin...I then noticed that a bike was on the deck...it was Simon! Oh no! He had been pushing very hard for third place, and was well on target to get this when he lost the front on the exit of the hairpin. The next time round I noticed that the bike was up and that Si was standing next to it with his arms crossed, looking very dejected. Still it was good to him up and ok. My race was steady...I didn't get the best of starts, and at the first corner there was a lot of movement from the tyres. It probably wasn't as bad as it felt, but it felt like it was about to let go on me...luckily it didn't and I managed to get my head down and finish eighth in class. I was happy with that.

Leon's race was another story altogether...he had a belter! He rode an incredible race in very tricky conditions to take a well deserved victory. I should also say that he was up against the likes of Tim Bradley, who we all know is a quality wet weather rider, so the win really was impressive...very well done Leon. And it now puts Leon firmly at the top of the Formula 400 championship.

So there you have it, a tricky day's racing with a mixed bag of fortunes...but it was an enjoyable one all the same.


(Leon putting the RVF through it's paces during practice.)


(Leon carves his way through the 600 pack.)


(And was rightly delighted with the result.)


(The team access the damage to Si's bike.)



(Berrie and Samual came to cheer us on.)


(Leon and Lawson with the winners hat.)


(Top of the pile again.)

EMRA Rd4 footage - better late than never!

Well, it's been a while since round four of the EMRA championships. In fact, they've had round five too! And I believe Simon didn't quite have the sort of day he had hoped, although he is still very much in with a shot at the Formula 400 championships. The final round is in a couple of weeks, and I believe it's a double points round...so you never know. Good luck for that Si.

Anyway, I've also (finally) got round to finishing the video from the footage I collected at round four. I hope you enjoy watching it, I enjoyed making it...although I did go a little bit crazy with the effects buttons - I guess I just can't help myself sometimes...