Wright ready to storm out the blocks once race season can begin
After weathering a few storms, Pete Wright had been looking forward to another year of club racing after finally managing to get out on the track in 2020.
The Tividale rider has only managed to get on his bike once this year before the opening round of the No Limits championship, due to bad weather – and now the opening round of the new series has been postponed until at least early April due to coronavirus.
Wright had eventually made it third-time lucky despite some bad weather to get in some much-needed laps before the first HM Quickshifter Cup 600 sprint race, which had been due to take place this weekend.
Whatever happens during the next two months, the Double Two Racing rider will be returning to the cup competition for the second year running, having switched from the endurance class in 2019.
Wright had claimed three-straight endurance titles with Blackheath's Martyn Siviter before deciding to enter the solo classes.
And after finishing third in the cup last year during his debut season, Wright was eager to go even better in 2020.
"After three consecutive endurance championship wins, 2019 would bring a completely new challenge for the Double Two Racing team," he said.
"For a start, we would be down to a single rider team, with me now flying solo.
"We would also be moving into the highly competitive and explosive world of the No Limits Racing HM Quickshifter Cup 600 sprint racing."
After a tentative start and an "extremely quick learning curve", the team soon rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in – with great success too – as Wright began picking up podium finishes, eventually finishing the 2019 championship in third place.
"As soon as the last race meeting had finished the team knuckled down planning the 2020 season with engine work and upgrades on the race bike by PCR Performance of Cannock," said Wright.
"We also had new livery design and application by Sublime Designs, as well as working with continuing and new sponsors, with Novol painting both sets of our new Profibre bodywork."
The team ventured out to British Superbike (BSB) test track, Cartegena, for three days of winter testing in the sunshine of Spain.
"It went fairly well until a last day lowside crash left me with what turned out to be a nasty shoulder injury that has taken quite a while to heal," said Wright.
"But with Christmas and new year out the way, we took delivery of the new air suits from our sponsors at DRC Race Leathers and carried on with the gym work to make sure they still fitted, as well as working on fitness and the injury.
As soon as the track day calendar opened, the team booked on at Cadwell Park – but that was cancelled due to Storm Dennis.
"It kept us off the track and then two weeks later we set off to Snetterton," said Wright.
"With a dry weather forecast we were feeling excited to test all the new upgrades but Mother Nature had other ideas and with wind speeds gusting at over 50mph the day was cancelled for safety reasons.
"March 8 was third time lucky as we ventured back to the Snetterton circuit and after a damp start the sun came out and the pit lane came alive.
"The test day exceeded all expectations – I had no shoulder issues and the bike was on point."
And as well as the HM Quickshifter Cup 600, Wright will also look at two possible wild card entries in the British Supersport series, which is raced on the under card of the main British Superbike (BSB) championship, as and when things return to normal.
"After dipping our toes into the world of professional racing in 2019, when the team competed in the supersport class at Cadwell Park in front of 55,000 spectators and a TV audience, I finished just a few places outside the points, so it will be great to be back again," said Wright.
"Round one of No Limits has been cancelled along with all other race series, including BSB, World Superbikes, Formula 1 and motocross.
"Round two at Donington in April is doubtful too, so we're all gutted. At the moment, trackdays are not affected and I’ve booked on at Cadwell for Sunday, just to get track time in, but not 100 per cent that won’t be cancelled too.
"We'd still like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors who make our racing possible, which are DRC Race Leathers, Properly Protected Insurance, Novol Paints, Motorcycle Parts Warehouse (MPW), Motorbykebitz, Cradley Kawasaki, NRG, MCR, RUS Scaffolding, REVS Suspension Services, PCR Performance, AS3 Performance, Profibre, Express & Star Newspaper and MBF Home Improvements Ltd.
"Official team photography is by Chequered Flag Images and we are also supported by James at No Limits Tyre support.
"Shout out to our extended pit crew who are invaluable when we are at the BSB, which is Karl and Nigel of Datasys Racing."
