O’Gorman on top form in European Talent Cup season finale

BY GILES SPENCER
giles@slpmedia.co.uk

Motorcycle racing sensation Casey O’Gorman rounded off his debut Hawkers European Talent Cup season in style with a win from the front at round 8 in Valencia last weekend.

The 15 year old Erith schoolboy continued his race winning form from the previous round in Aragon by topping Friday practice and setting his first pole position by over half a second on Saturday.

With cooler but dry conditions for Sunday’s 17 lap race O’Gorman made the most of his number one spot on the grid to lead the pack into the first corner for the final race of the year.

Three laps in and with the race settling down, O’Gorman still led but had championship protagonists Joel Esteban and Guido Pini glued to his rear Dunlop.

A couple of laps later and double race winner Brian Uriarte joined the action, briefly taking the lead before O’Gorman snapped right back to reclaim his position.

As the laps counted down a seven rider group had broken clear of the pack and were relentlessly pressing O’Gorman who kept his cool to remain at the front.

Four laps to go and O’Gorman dropped to third as Max Martinez and Uriarte slipstreamed past the youngster down the front straight and into the first corner.

A lap later and O’Gorman had re-grouped and retaken the lead but with the clock ticking down the pack was starting to push harder.

Half way through the penultimate lap and Esteban dived past O’Gorman to take the lead of the race and the championship with Pini moving into second through the last corner with one lap to go.

One final lap of the race and year to go and O’Gorman once again re-took the lead into the first corner with nothing but the race win on his mind.

Pulling the pin, O’Gorman pushed his 250cc Honda to the limit through every corner with Pini desperate to find a way through though try as he might, the Italian couldn’t make a move as O’Gorman held on to record his second race victory in a row.

“I knew I was strong and in the first few laps I tried to break away but couldn’t do it.” said O’Gorman.

“Before I could stay in front into turn one but then they started to double slipstream me and get me (into turn one).

“On the second to last lap I dropped back to third because I knew I could get a double slipstream and lead into the first corner and I knew if I could lead into the first corner I was strong everywhere else and in the last corner I broke as late as I possibly could and I managed to hold it to the line.”

O’Gorman ended the season in third place on 130 points, 35 behind new champion Pini with Esteban in second.