Motorcycle racing: Barnsley team's Jack Hart just misses out on top-20 finish

Jack Hart finished just outside the top twenty in the first European Talent Cup race and then 25th in race two. Fenton Seabright suffered some technical issues which meant he didn’t qualify for the main races. Forced to compete in the series 2 race for those outside the qualifying time Seabright left with some consolation as he took a comfortable win.

There were two qualifying sessions on Saturday and the riders were split into two groups due to the number of entries. Jack Hart managed 17th in his morning session. Despite the increased track temperature making it harder to improve on lap times in Q2 Hart cut six-tenths off his lap time to end 16th quickest. With the two qualifying groups combines he would line up 35th on the grid.

Seabright had a technical issue in Q1 and finished 22nd. The team worked hard to try and resolve the problem and opted in the end, to change the whole engine. Seabright was able to improve significantly. He was 22nd in the morning and 6th in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the track had become too hot and whilst he improved by more than seven-tenths his combined time was not good enough to make the starting grid.

Wilson Racing only had Jack Hart to represent them in the two main races on the Sunday. Seabright had to settle for the series two race for those that hadn’t qualified.

Hart started from 35th position. Although there had been some rain earlier in the day there was already a clear dry line forming. The riders chose to race on dry tyres which was clearly the correct choice. Not known as a great starter Jack Hart surged off the line making up several places on the first lap. He latched onto a back of large group in the middle of the race. He battled with the Italian Falzone and the French rider Gabin Planques among others. Jack Hart finished 21st missing out on a top twenty finish by seven-hundredths of a second.

In the second main race of the afternoon Hart again started 35th. This time he was not able to make the dramatic impact he did in race one although did go on to set his fastest lap time of the weekend a 2:05.793. After the 14 laps he finished 25th holding off Soma Görbe from Hungary as they crossed the finish line.

Fenton Seabright was clearly disappointed that he had not qualified for the two official points scoring races. Being unable to contest them he slipped to 13th overall in the championship standings. However, Seabright doggedness to do well, whatever the circumstances meant he gave the race his all.

He lined up fourth on the grid for the series two race. He made up two places from the start line as he slotted in behind Spanish rider Marco Tapia. The two managed to break-away at the front of the race and the lead changed between several times on the opening laps. By the end of the third lap Fenton Seabright had got to the front and was gapping Tapia in second.

Seabright continued to increase his lead and went on to cross the finish line more than five and a half seconds ahead of Tapia in second.

Gary Wilson said,” Well done to Jack Hart who managed two solid results over the weekend. His lap times got better each time he went out on the circuit.

I feel for Fenton because we had a technical issue. These happens in motorcycle racing and it was frustrating for all the team. Once we got it sorted the track conditions conspired against us so Fenton didn’t qualify for the main races. But I’ve got total respect for his efforts in the series two race. He didn’t want to be there but was and gave it his all and won it.”

The European Talent Cup is part of the FIM CEV Repsol championships and are seen by many as being one level below the MotoGP classes of motorcycle racing. The vast majority of the current World MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 riders have competed at this level earlier in their career. The ETC riders compete on equal standard Honda NSF250R Moto3 machines.