Langman making his mark in debut season
It's a case of steady as she goes for Josh Langman, who is determined not to get too carried away despite running in the top three of a club racing championship in just his first campaign.
The 27-year-old is fulfilling a life-long ambition of competing in the Thundersport GB class and has taken to the motorsport like a duck to water.
After entering the CB500 series, in the Freshman class, following advice from his father and race organisers – mainly because it was the most economical class to enter – the Cheslyn Hay ace has found he is capable of not just running at the front end, but also winning races.
But rather than having lofty ambitions of world domination, Langman, who works in general maintenance at Birmingham Airport, is instead taking each race as it comes.
“I've always owned bikes and my dad is the Chairman of the North Staffordshire BSA club” said Josh.
“I started riding a bike when I was about 11-12. My first bike was a BSA Bantam and I learnt to ride at BSA camps and on fields. I still own it!
"I passed my bike test as soon as I could. I turned 17 in the June and then passed in the July – I had my bike licence before my car licence.
"My dad, Arthur, has always helped me out when he can. He's always owned BSAs so I've always been around road bikes, starting with my moped and then moving up to a Honda CBR 125, then a RVF 400 but never thought I'd actually get around to racing.”
But a family of motoring enthusiasts also comes laced with problems, as Josh explained: “My dad has got a total of six classic bikes and two classic cars, then there's my Bantam and RVF too, so getting two CB500s in the garage as well proved difficult.
“We decided to enter the CB500 class after attending the bike show at the NEC. I had my heart set on the Golden Era Supersport class but it was too expensive to start off in that.
“But the 500s are relatively-harmless fun and you're not constantly wrestling with the bike the whole time either. It's pretty enjoyable.”
Josh’s first track experience before entering the Thundersport series included a day at Donington Park on his RVF – but he fell off.
He then used a 600cc at the Ron Haslam Race School – and that was when someone suggested he might enjoy taking up club racing.
“I went back to do the elite course after being told that, to brush up on my skills, but ended up highsiding one of his Fireblades while doing about 120mph, which left me with a broken foot.” said Josh.
“But I'm now racing in the 500 Freshman championship and I know how much I still have to improve because some of the elite riders are incredibly quick."
His main goal, however, is to eventually taste success in the supersport class, on the more powerful and lively 600cc machines.
“I just want to see how it goes for now but I'd like to race a 600cc. It's not that CB500s aren't proper bikes, it's a 600cc is my own goal.”
Josh currently sits third in the championship – and that is after missing the first round at Donington Park because both he and his dad were both too ill to even get out of bed.
“It meant I was playing catch-up after that, but I followed it up with two wins at Oulton Park,” said Josh.
“I won three out of four at Cadwell Park after being knocked off in one race and then at Mallory Park I had two seconds and two wins.
"At Brands Hatch I had one win, two thirds and a DNF so I'm looking forward to better luck at Anglesey.
“I did go into the championship thinking anything in the top 10 would be good so it's nice to be winning races already.
“There's the still the sportsman, senior and elite classes to progress through yet. If I move into sportsmen next year, finishing in the top six would be the aim. It will be a big step up."
