Twenty five year old Ben Wilson from Lincolnshire races a Suzuki GSXR in the Metzeler Superstock class for Windmill Racing, after having spent two seasons competing in the Superbike class. He sits fifth in the Championship after having several rounds cancelled due to the poor weather. We caught up with him on the morning of race day at Croft Circuit.

 

Not too bad. Started off fairly strong at the start of the year, but we had a big crash at Snetterton when I snapped a bit off my collarbone. I've got a big bump there now. It's not been too bad. We got our first podium at Mondello and we've not really raced since then because every one we've been out in has been a washout.

 

Yeah, this is the fourth one and hopefully we'll race here. We've been four times and put the awning up and not actually raced. It's not been the best of years for racing. We've got more double headers than enough to be honest.

 

Yeah, we've got double headers at Donington and at Brands, but we're riding the 600 for Crescent Suzuki at Cadwell. So from this round onwards we've got two races at all the last rounds, so we're going to be fairly busy.

 

Yes it is, but we don't over test there to be honest. I know it's only twenty miles up the road but we don't over test there. We test there a bit because it's quite local but we'd struggle not to get stuck in a rut if we always tested there. We like to go there as little as we can but just make sure we've got a good set up when we go there. With it being the home Grand Prix everyone expects us to be at the front and obviously we want to deliver. There's a bit of extra pressure but I don't mind a bit of pressure to be honest. I'm looking forward to it at the next round and we'll see how we get on.

 

Yeah, to be fair it was painful. I was in the medical centre and pretty much wrote off the weekend when I learnt I'd popped it out. I said to the medical people 'obviously that's the end of it for the weekend' and he said 'yes, you're not going to be able to race'. He then let it slip that John Reynolds had the same injury, so I said 'surely I can have go at trying to ride then?' Then he said 'that's why I didn't actually say no, definitely not'. He wanted me to be able to do twenty press ups in the morning, so we got some duck tape on it and popped back up there in the morning and we got of my shoulder, wrenched it in and out, pulled it about - I took a few paracetamol before we went. He gave it a good pulling and then he said that I was mad! So, he let me race but it was painful to be out there.

 

Yeah. We started miles down the grid because it was painful over the weekend, it was really bad, but I didn't want to come off in the next qualifier because we only did four laps of the first practice, missed the first qualifier and did as little as we could in the second qualifier, just to qualify. And I think we qualified something like twenty fourth and we finished thirteenth, or somewhere around there. We scored points anyway. We got up to eighth and then the quicker lads, I just couldn't hang onto them once the shoulder started to go. I couldn't hold on any more. Once I crossed the line I couldn't hold the arm up. It was just enough to get through the race - as soon as I saw the chequered flag I nearly fell off the bike it was that bad. It was painful but it just shows what a bit of duck tape and willpower can do!

 

Yeah, it's completely different to be honest. The biggest difference is how much softer a Superstock bike is. A Superbike is literally like a board, they don't move at all. And you've got proper slick tyres. It does take a long while to get used to a Superbike from a Superstock bike, and now I've had to go back to a Superstock bike from a Superbike you have to do the same sort of transition - you've got to do it all again. We had struggled getting the bike set up a few times to be honest. The bike's getting better and Suzuki are helping us a fair bit, but there's only so much you can do to a Superstock bike. Apart from that you've just got to ride them. The K7's a good bike we've just got to stick our neck out and give it a bit more.

 

We've been robbed of a few podiums throughout the year which has set us back a little bit. At Silverstone we were robbed because it got stopped early, at Oulton we had a little slide off when the rain came down and after that we didn't quite repair something right on the bike and struggled in the second part of the race, ending up fourth. Then we got the second at Mondello, which was good for the team. It gives everyone a big morale boost, but from there we haven't really raced. Today we haven't qualified that well, but I'll be the first person to hold my hand up and say 'I'm a racer'. You know, I'm a Sunday morning man, so I'm looking forward to the race and I know I can do the times that the other lads can do.

 

For sure, you know, it's not where I want to be. I want to be on a Superbike or a Supersport bike, I don't want to be on a Superstock bike. It's such a competitive class this year, there's so many good riders who haven't got rides with other people for one reason or another that they've dropped to the Superstock class because it's so cheap to do.

 

Yeah, for sure, we've got a lot of Superbike riders. Glenn's just dominated the series to be fair. He's a quick lad and so's Hudson, and we've got Steve Brogan as well, riding the Honda. It's a really good class and, to be honest, I think it's tougher than the Supersport class this season. It's definitely a tough class and I think everyone's pushing the bikes to the limit. We're half a second under the lap record this weekend, and that's just me and I'm a little bit off pole, so they're a good second under the lap record. To be that far under the lap record just shows you the calibre of rider that's in the class.

 

Thanks.