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Newsletters from 2011 season

1st December 2011 Banks Racing announce Joe Francis as their rider for 2012 Banks Racing are pleased to announce that 14 year old Joe Francis from Chester will be joining the team competing in the British 125 Championship. Joe will take over the Honda RS125 GP machine previously taken to wins and podiums by Luke Hedger, Brian Clark and Ed Rendell. Joe who was Metrakit champion in both 2009 and 2010 went on to win both the newcomer's class and the main Thundersport Aprilia Superteen Championship this year and can't wait to get started in 2012. Joe said “I am really excited about joining Banks Racing and I am looking forward to working with Pete, Alan and Martin. I know the British 125 Championship will be my hardest challenge yet but I am going to give it 110 percent. I would just like to thank all my sponsors past and present, without them reaching this stage in my career would not have been possible”. Team owner Pete Banks said “We are absolutely thrilled to have Joe Francis on board for 2012 and he gives the team another chance to promote and develop young riders again next year which is always very satisfying”. There may be an opportunity for a second rider to bring their own bike into the team awning so if you have an interest then call Pete on 07762 428210 alternatively send him an email message by clicking here.

31st October 2011 Rider search Banks Racing British 125 Championship

With the Hedger family still looking at their options for Luke for 2012 Banks Racing would like to hear from any interested riders who would like to ride the team bike that finished 3rd in the Academy Cup Championship and 4th in the British 125 Championship this year securing wins and fastest laps during the season. Also there may be an opportunity for a second rider to bring their own bike into the team awning. If you have an interest then call Pete on 07762 428210 alternatively send him an email message by clicking here.

12th October 2011 Luke Hedger ends season with another podium

Luke Hedger riding the Banks Racing Honda RS125 finished the season in fine style with third place in the Academy Cup class race and forth place in the main British Championship race. On the podium for the ninth time this year Luke collected two trophies, one for third place in the race and also a superb trophy for finishing third in the Academy Cup Championship. Brilliant performances were also recorded in qualifying when Luke again qualified on the front row and showing he is learning fast in the rain Luke finished race day warm-up in first position. The team would like to say a massive thankyou to Luke and his family and supporters for the results he has achieved in his first rookie season. Most other championships have a rookie award and had there been one Luke would have been way ahead of the competition. Also both the team and Luke would like to thank all the sponsors who have helped out this year, without you it just would not be possible.

		Luke Hedger at Brands Hatch for the final round in October
		Luke Hedger at Brands Hatch in October Photograph by Chris Pearce

28th September 2011

Podium number eight for Luke Hedger.

Another brilliant weekend for Luke Hedger was only spoilt by a bad start in the race. Friday's free practice saw Luke take 3rd place in both sessions at the ultra fast 3.6 mile Silverstone Arena circuit. Saturday's qualifying was equally good with another two third places and therefore another front row start. Sunday morning warm-up was another third place for Luke and we were all confident for the race.

After making a good start on the warm-up lap the bike bogged badly for the race and in a repeat of Brands Hatch Luke was at the back of the field and completed lap one in 17th place. By lap two Luke was 11th and at half race distance Luke was 7th. He battled on to finish in 3rd place in the Academy Cup Championship earning himself a much deserved podium and just missed out on 4th place in the main championship class. Continuing with his 3rd place consistency Luke also set the 3rd fastest lap of the race. The team are hoping an upgrade in the race fuel at Brands Hatch will cure the intermittent start problems we have had this year.

Next meeting is at Brands Hatch on the 7th 8th and 9th October so if you are there please come and say hello.

14th September 2011

Luke Hedger misses Cup podium by two tenths of a second.

Luke Hedger riding the Banks Racing Honda RS125 put in another great performance over the weekend finishing the first free practice session in first place by over two and a half seconds, the second session in second place, the first qualifying session in second place and final qualifying in 4th place after being forced to miss the last few minutes due to an electrical problem. Continuing his consistent run Luke was again 2nd in the warm up session.

The race started well with Luke crossing the line in 4th place at the end of lap one and after a few more laps Luke had moved up to 2nd place and lapping just a bit faster than third placed RSF/KRP rider Wayne Ryan. Disaster almost struck a couple of laps later when Luke clipped the inside of the curb at the Esses and saved what was looking like to be a big crash. Luke dropped to sixth place but fought his way back up to fifth setting his best lap of the weekend chasing down Wayne Ryan and Rob Guiver. Luke crossed the line just two tenths behind Wayne missing out on another podium by the narrowest of margins. Team owner Pete Banks said, “Luke's consistency this weekend has shown what a great rider he is and we all feel for him the he missed out on a second place”

Next meeting is at Silverstone Arena on the 23rd 24th and 26th September. Races are usually shown live on Eurosport 2 and repeated on the following Thursday evening.

31st August 2011

No luck for championship contenders Hedger and Guiver

Two of the top four championship contenders were out of luck at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire when Banks Racing's Luke Hedger crashed out on lap one and Rob Guiver's chain came off. The first day at Cadwell was wet but Luke Hedger showed he is a fast learner finishing the day in 4th place and was already happy if the race was held in wet conditions. The two qualifying sessions saw Luke end the day in a creditable 5th place just on the second row. A serious accident occurred earlier in the day and at one point it looked like racing would be abandoned. Several riders opted out of taking part in the delayed race. Luke made an average start and within half a lap was in 6th place on the tail of the leading bunch. Race leader Kyle Ryde had a moment at the bottom of the mountain and Luke crashed out at the same spot a few seconds later and was unable to re-start. A great shame for Luke after a superb qualifying effort.

The meeting was over shadowed by the loss of Ben Gautrey and our thoughts are with Ben's family and friends. Our thoughts also go out to other riders from England, Ireland and Scotland who also succumbed to their injuries at other events and the last week in August is one we don't ever want to see repeated again.

On a better note the team's Alan Green and Nick Densley again took part in the CJ cycling event and raised some much needed money for this marvellous charity. Many many thanks to all those that gave money to Alan and Nick, you know who you are and we are proud of you all.

The next round is at Donington Park near Derby. For those with Sat Nav systems the address is Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2RP. Please come along to support and meet the team.

11th August 2011

7th Podium for Luke Hedger and Banks Racing

After another front row qualifying position fifteen year old Luke Hedger rode his Banks Racing Honda RS125 to his seventh podium of the BSB season. The meeting was not trouble free though because Luke crashed out of final qualifying on Saturday afternoon high siding the Honda at Surtees bend. Luke landed heavily and was taken to the medical centre but the worried team were please to see a bruised and battered Luke back at the awning before they were. The bike suffered damage to the radiator and exhaust and for the race Luke had to use another exhaust, which altered the set up of the engine. After the first sighting lap it was obvious something was not quite right as Luke had great difficulty getting the bike of the line. When the race started the problem was worse and he was second last at the first corner. Luke's progress through the thirty-one rider field was nothing short of brilliant and despite being in pain from his crash he passed everyone but the top three to finish third in the Academy Cup class and fourth in the Sunoco British 125 race. Luke was once again on the podium spraying champagne on his rivals Kyle Ryde and Wayne Ryan.

We have a small break now before the next round at one of Luke's favourite tracks Cadwell Park near Louth in Lincolnshire. Please come along and meet the team. Thanks to Chris Softley for this weeks photo from Brands Hatch.

		Luke Hedger at Brands Hatch
20th July 2011 Rain lashed Oulton Park brings more points for Hedger
Fifteen year old Luke Hedger delivered another stunning performance at Oulton Park to put the Banks Racing Honda RS125 on the front row of the grid in 3rd position. First qualifying was held in the rain and the second qualifying in bright sunshine so track time was always going to be short of what is needed to find a good feeling in both the wet and dry. A good dry set-up was quickly found but Luke had to spend time running in new components during the wet Sunday morning warm up session and did not have enough time to evaluate new wet settings for the bike. The race started in heavy rain and Luke settled into a safe point scoring position which is all that could be asked of him due to the lack of a good wet set up. Five laps in and the rain became even heavier and while many riders crashed out Luke continued to go faster and make his way back inside the top ten. Luke had made his way up to ninth in the main race and seventh position in the Academy Cup class when the race, which was originally scheduled to be twelve laps, was brought to a halt at the end of eight laps. Conditions were so bad the rest of the meeting including the second Superbike race had to be cancelled. The result had little effect on the championships with Luke still second in the cup class and third in the British 125 Championship. The next round will be another learning curve on the long GP circuit at Brands Hatch. Unfortunately this meeting can only be ran over two days so we lose two full sessions on the long circuit meaning Luke will have twenty minutes to learn another new track then just twenty five minutes to qualify as far up as possible. Next meeting is Brands Hatch on the 5th 6th and 7th of August. Races are usually shown live on Eurosport 2 and repeated on the following Thursday evening.
4th July 2011 Championship closes right up for Luke Hedger
Fifteen year old rookie Luke Hedger riding the Banks Racing 125 Honda put on another great show at the new Snetterton 300 circuit. Although he had a lot of new track to learn Luke was in the top five during qualifying and race morning warm up. A better than usual start saw Luke running third but in a battle with Lee Jackson and Ryan Watson. As Luke and Lee swapped places Ryan pulled a small gap on them and on the last lap Lee sneaked past Luke giving him no time to attempt a repass on Lee. Fifth place in the main championship race and fourth in the Academy Cup class was a great result for the team because Luke crossed the finish line ahead of Academy Cup Championship leader Kyle Ryde who finished one place behind Luke. This has brought both championships very close together now with Kyle Ryde leading on 85 points, Luke second on 83 points and KRP/Racing Steps Foundation rider Wayne Ryan third on 82 points in the Academy class and Rob Guiver on 95 points, Kyle Ryde on 75 points and Luke on 74 points in the Sunoco British 125 Championship. The Banks Racing Honda is now due a complete engine rebuild with new crankshaft and piston fitted for the next round at Oulton Park on the 15th 16th and 17th of July. Due to MotoGP commitments Eurosport 2 has not been able to show the last two 125 races live but they are shown on Thursdays evening and again on Saturdays. Many thanks to Rob of www.maxrevsimages.co.uk and Chris Pearce for some great shots of Luke at Snetterton. Richard Ferguson, injured at Knockhill has just returned home to recuperate and we are hoping team supporter Bill Taylor will be allowed home from Dunfermline hospital in the next few days. More news when we have it. Next meeting is Oulton Park in Cheshire on the 15th to 17th July. Races are usually shown live on Eurosport 2 and repeated on the following Thursday evening.

		Luke Hedger at Snetterton
		Luke in new leathers

21 June 2011

More podiums for Luke Hedger at Knockhill

Fifteen year old Luke Hedger stood on the podium for the third meeting this year with a stunning 3rd place at Knockhill. Luke was awarded two trophies, one for third place in the main British Championship race and another for 3rd place in the Academy Cup class. It was another difficult weekend for Luke and the team and the complete opposite conditions to the last round at Thuxton. It was Luke’s first visit to the fabulous twisty Knockhill circuit where every session was sadly wet except for the race. The weekend got off to bad start when Luke along with many other riders crashed in the first session at the notorious first corner. Damage was heavy but thanks to a huge effort by everyone especially Luke’s dad Lee, Luke was back on track for free practice 2. Luke’s confidence grew every session and he just missed a second row start with 9th place on the grid. After a wet morning warm-up the sun came out offering Luke a dry race but it was going to be difficult to go fast with the track dry with no previous dry laps ever on the circuit. Faced with the prospect of arriving at all the corners in both a higher gear and a much higher speed Luke did a brilliant job to bring home the Banks Racing Honda on the podium in 3rd place.

This was another great performance from Luke who unlike his other championship contenders is a "rookie" in his first year in the championship. Luke has another new circuit to learn at the next round at the Snetterton 300 circuit and rain or shine we are confident Luke will put on a good show and bring home some major points in his and the teams quest to finish as high as possible in the two combined championships. We must mention two of the teams close friends, Richard Ferguson #26 was injured at Knockhill and is recovering in Dunfermline hospital and also Willie Taylor, a keen supporter of not only Banks Racing but also of Richard Ferguson. Willie is also in Dunfermline hospital after becoming unwell at Knockhill. Get well soon guys and hope to have you both back at the track soon.

If anyone would like to help the team in any way please call Pete on 07762 428210 alternatively please email Pete by clicking here, or at www.banksracing125.com where you can leave a donation via PayPal.

Next meeting is Snetterton in Norfolk on the 1st to 3rd July. Races are usually shown live on Eurosport 2 and repeated on the following Thursday evening.

31st May 2011

Luke Hedger takes lead in Academy Cup Championship

15 year old Luke Hedger had a tough debut at the UK's fastest circuit Thruxton last weekend. Making his debut at the fast and bumpy track rookie rider Luke was looking like securing another front row start during final qualifying but an off track excursion at the fast Village corner saw Luke grass tracking at over 100 mph. He managed to slow down before crashing out at 50 mph but despite missing the remaining half of the session he only dropped two places to start on the second row in 6th place.

The team are happy at the moment with both the engine performance and Luke's riding but one area we are lacking is front suspension. Most of the front runners are using Ohlins kit front forks but we only have modified standard forks and we are now actively looking at ways to find a budget to give Luke equal machinery by adding Ohlins forks to our bike. If anyone would like to help the team in any way please call Pete on 07762 428210 alternatively please email Pete by clicking here,

www.banksracing125.com where you can leave a donation via PayPal. Next meeting is Knockhill in Scotland on the 17th to 19th June. Races are usually shown live on Eurosport 2 and repeated on the following Thursday evening.

The team are happy at the moment with both the engine performance and Luke's riding but one area we are lacking is front suspension. Most of the front runners are using Ohlins kit front forks but we only have modified standard forks and we are now actively looking at ways to find a budget to give Luke equal machinery by adding Ohlins forks to our bike. If anyone would like to help the team in any way please call Pete on 07762 428210 alternatively please email Pete by clicking here,

www.banksracing125.com where you can leave a donation via PayPal. Next meeting is Thruxton 28th to 30th May. Races are usually shown live on Eurosport 2 and repeated on the following Thursday evening.

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3rd May 2011

Round 2 - Oulton Park 30 April - 2 May 2011

As the Sunoco British 125GP Championship contenders resumed their battle at Oulton Park, Banks Racing’s Luke Hedger, winner just a week ago at Brands Hatch once again found himself battling for the lead of the race in the early stages. This time however, it wasn’t to be as he crashed out of the lead whilst fending off eventual race winner, Rob Guiver at the fast left-hander of Cascades approaching half distance. The result sees Hedger slip to third in the standings, but just four points off the lead in what is shaping up to be an exciting season for the youngster.

Full of confidence, the series leader was comfortably inside the top ten during both free practice sessions and then impressively reduced his lap time by almost two seconds to provisionally move into second place on the grid after the first qualification session. During the early stages of final qualifying Hedger would be involved in a collision which ended his chances of improving his lap time. The Banks Racing crew studied the timing monitors closely for the remainder of the session and fortunately, Hedger would hold on to his front row grid slot, being shuffled down just one place to third for the start of the twelve lap British 125GP race.

Hedger completed the opening lap of the race in second position, and then began to chase down Rob Guiver who had built a lead of almost a second. Impressively he used the power of the Pete Banks prepared Honda RS125 to great affect, and on lap two set the fastest lap of the race, over two seconds faster than his qualifying time. The battle with Guiver continued for the next few laps with Hedger leading the majority of the time as the duo built a seven second lead over the third placed rider. Unfortunately, on lap six as Hedger turned in, just fractionally wide at Cascades, he lost the front and took a fast tumble through the gravel which would end his race.

Uninjured in the crash, Hedger will be looking to make amends at the third round of the series in just under two weeks time, when the North East based Banks Racing team look forward to their ‘home’ round at Croft.

"The weekend went really good apart from the crash in the race. I qualified really well, on the front row again, which I was happy with. I enjoyed battling with Rob Guiver during the race and it was going very well up to the crash. I’m now looking forward to Croft and hope we can get a similar result to what we had at Brands Hatch." Luke Hedger.

2011 SUNOCO British 125GP Championship
Top 10 Positions after Round 2
1	Matt Davies	29
2	Harry Hartley	26
3=	Luke Hedger	25
3=	Rob Guiver	25
5	Philip Wakefield	23
6=	Ryan Watson	20
6=	Kyle Ryde	20
8	Lee Jackson	14
9=	Tarran MacKenzie	11
9=	Catherine Green	11

The third round of the Sunoco British 125GP Championship takes place at Croft, North Yorkshire over the weekend of 13-15 May, with television coverage of the race being broadcast on British Eurosport 2.

Written and distributed by MK Motorsport PR,
martin.knighton@btinternet.com Tel: 07818 040205

Luke Hedger at Oulton Park

Photography by Maximum Revs Images

Click on picture to enlarge

26th April 2011 Sunoco British 125 Championship Making his debut in the Sunoco British 125GP Championship, Luke Hedger has taken a sensational victory in the opening round of the series held on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Riding for the highly experienced Banks Racing team, the 15 year old qualified on the front row of the grid and then rode with great composure during the 19 lap race to take the win and with it an early championship lead. The reigning Thundersport GP3 Cup Champion sat comfortably in tenth place after the opening free practice session, and then shaved half a second from his best time to end free practice in a highly respectable fifth place. Gaining more confidence on the Banks Racing Honda RS125 he improved by a further half a second during the opening official qualification session but would provisionally sit on row two in seventh position, with eight riders being covered by just 0.505 seconds. Remarkably, during final qualification he set his best ever lap time of the 1.2 mile Indy circuit, this time reducing his time by another six tenths of a second to secure third place on the front row of the grid. As the race got underway it was immediately red flagged due to a multiple collision approaching the first corner. Luke was already clear of the incident but would have it all to do again as the grid reformed for the re-start, which would be run over 19 laps. Impressively the youngster moved up from ninth place at the end of lap one to fourth place by the end of lap four. He found himself challenging Racing Steps Foundation’s Wayne Ryan, which would quickly become the battle for second place. Approaching back markers on lap 12, Ryan was forced to take to the grass, moving Hedger up to second place, and with a comfortable gap behind him, he was set for a debut podium. However, race leader Kyle Ryde crashed out of the race approaching Druids on lap 16 meaning that Hedger just had to hold his nerve for the remaining three laps to take the race win and with 25 points to become the early leader of both the British 125GP Championship and ACU Academy Cup. "Qualifying went really well and I put the Banks Racing Honda RS125 on the front row of the grid with a 50.1 second lap which is the fastest I have ever been round Brands Hatch Indy. At the start of the race I had some work on my hands to get to the top of the pack. Then I got in third place and was battling with Wayne Ryan but back markers got in his way and he ran on. I set my sights on Kyle but he was going to be hard to catch, then his bike seized which put me in the lead, which was an amazing feeling. I would like to say thanks Pete Banks and his team for giving me this chance. Roll on Oulton Park, can’t wait " Luke Hedger. Thanks Martin for allowing me to steal some text from your own newsletter, I will try to not make a habit of it. Work is ongoing for the 2011 season with one or two new parts on the way but the team needs help to remain established at the front end of the British 125 Championship. If you would like to get involved in any way at all, large or small we would welcome your enquiry or visit the team website www.banksracing125.com where you also have the opportunity to leave a donation via PayPal. Please email Pete by clicking here, or call 07762 428210 with any enquiries about the team. Races are either shown live on British Eurosport or can be seen on the repeat programme on a Thursday evening ensuring any sponsors and supporters who can’t get to the meetings get the chance to see the action from the comfort of their own home. We must say a big thank you to the 2010 sponsors who helped make this season possible and hope they will all be in touch soon to confirm their intentions to help promote the team and Luke during the 2011 season. Luke has already shown he has exceptional talent and together we can do our bit to help establish him at the top. Round two is this weekend at Oulton Park and feel free to come and say hello. Banks Racing

12th April 2011 Debut win for Luke Hedger at Croft 15 year old Luke Hedger from Bristol made sure the long journey to Croft was a worth while one by winning first time out on the Banks Racing Honda RS125 and backed that up with three other podiums and the fastest lap demonstrating his potential for the 2011 British 125 Championship. Croft was the first time Luke had sat on the bike but he was instantly happy with all the settings and set about learning the exciting Croft circuit and after just a few test sessions was putting in good lap times and loving riding the bike. The whole weekend was superb with perfect weather, great organisation from a club dedicated to give the riders maximum track time and some great battles with a bunch of other young riders all eager to be at the front. Work is already in hand for the 2011 season with one or two new parts on the way but the team needs help to remain established at the front end of the British 125 Championship. If you would like to get involved in any way at all, large or small we would welcome your enquiry or visit the team website www.banksracing125.com where you also have the opportunity to leave a donation via PayPal. Please email Pete by clicking here, or call 07762 428210 with any enquiries about the team. Races are either shown live on British Eurosport or can be seen on the repeat programme on a Thursday evening ensuring any sponsors and supporters who can’t get to the meetings get the chance to see the action from the comfort of their own home. We must say a big thank you to the 2010 sponsors who helped make this season possible and hope they will all be in touch soon to confirm their intentions to help promote the team and Luke during the 2011 season. Luke has already shown he has exceptional talent and together we can do our bit to help establish him at the top. First round of the Sunoco British 125 Championship will be held at Brands Hatch over four days starting on Friday April 22nd and then round two will be at Oulton Park the following weekend. Banks Racing

Sunoco Fuels British 125 Championship 20th March 2011 The new season is fast approaching now and our season begins at the Croft circuit for three days on April 8th 9th and 10th. Friday is a test day while on Saturday and Sunday new team rider and Thundersport Cup champion Luke Hedger will be competing in the first round of the North East Motorcycle Racing Club's championship. It will be Luke's first time at the demanding Croft circuit with the main aim to come away after the final race on Sunday with both a good knowledge of the circuit and of the Banks Racing Honda RS125 in readiness for Round 3 of the British Superbike meeting being staged at Croft on May 13th, 14th and 15th. Luke will be joined in the team awning at the first round of the championship at Brands Hatch on April 22nd to 25th by Jason Douglas from Scotland. Jason will have to miss the early Croft test meeting but will be in action at East Fortune on Sunday March 27th. Work is already in hand for next season with one or two new parts on the way but the team needs help to remain established at the front end of the British 125 Championship. If you would like to get involved in any way at all, large or small we would welcome your enquiry or visit the team website www.banksracing125.com where you also have the opportunity to leave a donation via PayPal or if you would like speak to Pete directly. call 07762 428210 with any enquiries about the team or email by clicking here. Races are either shown live on British Eurosport or can be seen on the repeat programme on a Thursday evening ensuring any sponsors who can't get to the meetings get the chance to see the action from the comfort of their own home. We must say a big thank you to the 2010 sponsors who helped make this season possible and hope they will all be in touch soon to confirm their intentions to help promote these two young prospects during the 2011 season. Both have already shown they have exceptional talent and together we can do our bit to establish these rising young stars at the top. Banks Racing

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