Gault gets national ride

We’ve been following the exploits of club racers Nigel Baines and Alex Gault for a while now, and it seems to be paying off for the pair of them, with Baines getting a string of good results, and now Gault getting to ride at the British Superbike round at Knockhill on a 125. Find out below how he got on…

Knockhill 125:

Well it had to happen didn’t it? Alex has spoken about a wild card at Knockhill since start of the year. I’ve been adamant there would be nothing to gain from it and that it was a bad Idea. With a phone call from Craig Linfoot asking if Alex would like race Dan’s bike as Dan has now moved to 250s at MotoGP, it was all but decided.
Now money as ever is tight this year, Alex has so far only had one “away day” from championship racing but this would also be the first time he’d sat on a 125 since last October!
Alex put out an appeal to all interested parties to try raise the necessary funding, with thanks to Trevor (MAG), Dave (Specialised Coatings), Wilbert (MaineMotorcycles), Eddie (ERS Suspension) and supporters Wull & Gill, Garry and Vikky, Chris and Geoff . However due to others not stumping up their pledged money came out a bit short and I crumbled and made up the difference (what’s dads for???) funds raised, we accepted the offer and put in our entry!

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The first time he sat on the bike he said it felt like a minimoto, but before long he got back into it, and after the first two free practice sessions on Friday he was lying 15th place with a 55.57 pole sitter did a 54 .17 so all in all not bad for his first day.
Saturday and timed qualifying Craig and Phil had made some changes to the bike and Alex made the most of them by setting a 54.878. It’s the fastest he’s been round Knockhill, which qualified him in 13th position. Pole had been set in the first session by Dan Cooper with a 53.659
It’s a different world in the BSB paddock, a full weekend for one race. On Sunday morning the 125 “Warm up” took place around 10.20, but it would be 4.30 in the afternoon before his race! With the bike going very well nothing to fix it was just a case of waiting for our slot.
Adopted Scott Jonathan Rae had his first podium in Superbikes with an inspired ride! Jonathon helped Alex at a redbull test day back in 2004 and I have always remembered what a nice lad he was (My claim to fame….I know Jonny Rae)
By this time I’d made my way round to the chicane (I think the best vantage point) as the race started I caught sight of Alex in 13th spot and watched as he moved into 11th going into “Clarks”. As the race progressed he moved up and up, by lap ten he was 8th following Tom Hayward, lap 11 and back into sight in front of Tom – 7th place fantastic!

Then going into Macintyre’s Tom pushed inside, forced Alex wide and it was over! Alex lost the front end and slid into the gravel trap!
Very disappointing, but after all is said and done, he had had a fantastic weekend with the whole country bathed in sunshine, for Alex to have even made it up to 7th position in his only 125 race this year, I think was a remarkable achievement on Friday and looking at how fast the top bikes were I’d have said it would have been good to finish in the top 15. Far from ending his thoughts on 125 racing (which this was supposed to do!) it has made him realise what he’s missing. I hate to say this but a return would not be out of the question, only the cost stops him. He has already said, “That’s where
I should be, I want to be back there, the 125 is a proper race bike but I don’t care if it’s 125, 250’s or 600’s! The race was brilliant!”
So if he can raise more funds you could see him back out this weekend at Oulton or at Silverstone in September both are tracks he would go well on.
Thanks to all at Team Linfoot Racing, they did a fantastic job over the weekend and congratulations to young Dan (I used to say Wee Dan) on finishing 19th in the 250 race at the German round of MotoGP.