Brands crash ends O’Gorman’s title dreams

BY GILES SPENCER
giles@slpmedia.co.uk

Casey O’Gorman’s hopes of winning the British Talent Cup ended in the dirt at Brands Hatch as he twice crashed out of podium positions last weekend.

The Erith schoolboy couldn’t get the best out of his 250cc Honda in a wet qualifying, placing an unheard of seventh on the grid.

O’Gorman took full advantage of Saturday’s dry race, launching off the line to be in second as they tipped into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time.

However, the youngster struggled to match the pace of his older rivals in his first visit to the Kent track, dropping to third behind Franco Bourne and Harvey Claridge.

By two thirds distance O’Gorman had caught Claridge to retake second place but disaster struck on the last lap as Claridge attempted a move around the outside at Surtees, coming in contact with the thirteen year old, sending them both sliding off, ending their race and championship hopes.

Starting from the front row for Sunday’s race, O’Gorman didn’t make his usual lightning start but still managed to sweep into the lead down the back straight on the first lap.

A four way battle for the lead then ensued between O’Gorman, Claridge, Charlie Farrer and Franco Bourne.

Seven laps in of thirteen and disaster strikes once again as O’Gorman asks for the power exiting Graham Hill Bend, the back wheel stepping out and throwing the diminutive figure off the bike, collecting championship contender, Farrer, in the process.

With the championship out of reach after failing to finish the first race, crashing out of the final race of the season has left O’Gorman down in fifth place in the final standings on 104 points, 62 behind overall winner, Bourne.

“I was feeling good going into the weekend,” said O’Gorman, “I knew how up and down the track was and I was really excited to ride it. It was amazing.”

“It was wet in qualifying that made it harder.

“In race one Franco Bourne broke away and Harvey Claridge was getting away a bit but then I started closing them and got into a bit of a battle (with Claridge) and on the last lap went into Surtees, he tried to go around the outside of me, tagged me and we both went down.

“I was in the lead on the first couple of laps (of race two), then Franco (Bourne) came past me and I was going to sit behind him on the straight but then the other two (Claridge and Farrer) came past me and I got into a bit of a battle with Farrer and when I was trying to close back up to Claridge I highsided (crashed).

“It was a good season but I was disappointed not to have won. It was my first time at a lot of the tracks and the non finishes cost me dearly.

“I would like to thank FWR, R&G, Bay Signs, KYT, DRC, Seb Racing for making this all possible.

“Hopefully I’ll be racing in the European Talent Cup in Valencia on the first of November. The bikes are the same Honda machines but with better exhausts and different suspension.

“I’m not sure what’s happening next year yet, but if we don’t manage to get into the Red Bull Rookies next year, we might be doing the British Talent Cup again.”

Photos: Cami@CamipixPhotography