Hi my name is Elliott Andrews, I work at Cheltenham H-D and am also part of the Blade motorsport XR1200 race team. As Gav said below racing Harleys has also been a bit of a dream for me. I have been working on harley's for just over 4 years now and I wouldt want to work on anything else!
Being part of the race team is hard work but good fun ( work hard, play hard seems to sum it up!) we do have a real hoot when were away racing and the whole team gets on well.
Check out some of the pics below!
Monday, 16 August 2010
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Not all hard work
It's not all hard work at the racing sometimes we get to hang out with people substantialy better looking than ourselves. What's that I hear you say "not possible". Well judge for youselves:
These are the Harley Cheerleaders. Elliott goes all funny whenever they're around!!
That's me with Roland Sands in Parc Ferme after our race at Brands.
Hello!
Hello everyone. Gavin here, team manager/crewchief for Oxford and Cheltenham HD XR1200's. This year I have realised a 15 year career long dream by being involved in Harley-Davidson circuit racing. Never thought it would ever happen, then in mid 08', I started hearing rumours and saw some pictures from the Padova bike show of a race kitted XR1200.My excitement level went through the roof. The italian dealers did about four rounds of a mini series with around 40, yes 40 bike grids and it was a great sucess.
So when HDUK sent an email around in early 09' Blade Group (with me begging) signed up for the series, then............Nothing happened. To say I was gutted was a complete understatement. Lack of interest from the dealer network + the economic climate conspirered against Harley (and me). In August last year I heard of a demo race at Silverstone and suggested to my boss that if anything was going to happen in 2010' then it would be a great idea to get a bike to have a leg up on everyone else. Being a petrol head he agreed and pushed the button. So here we are. Our season has been up and down so far. Our orginal rider for the Oxford bike Darren Neal bowed out of the season at Mallory park, due to not being able to com.mit the time anymore (racing deos tend to consume your entire life) as he has a young family and his own push bike shop and he's a salesmen at one of Blades bike shops. However within hours of him bowing out we'd signed a new rider by the name of James Webb (who was riding for the Foudry).James slotted very well into our team of Gary Byrne No.44 on the Cheltenham bike, Elliot Andrews, my right hand man on the spanners. So really looking forward to the rest of the season.
So when HDUK sent an email around in early 09' Blade Group (with me begging) signed up for the series, then............Nothing happened. To say I was gutted was a complete understatement. Lack of interest from the dealer network + the economic climate conspirered against Harley (and me). In August last year I heard of a demo race at Silverstone and suggested to my boss that if anything was going to happen in 2010' then it would be a great idea to get a bike to have a leg up on everyone else. Being a petrol head he agreed and pushed the button. So here we are. Our season has been up and down so far. Our orginal rider for the Oxford bike Darren Neal bowed out of the season at Mallory park, due to not being able to com.mit the time anymore (racing deos tend to consume your entire life) as he has a young family and his own push bike shop and he's a salesmen at one of Blades bike shops. However within hours of him bowing out we'd signed a new rider by the name of James Webb (who was riding for the Foudry).James slotted very well into our team of Gary Byrne No.44 on the Cheltenham bike, Elliot Andrews, my right hand man on the spanners. So really looking forward to the rest of the season.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
The riders... James Webb
Name: James Webb
Number: 66
Bike: Oxford (orange)
DOB: 25/07/89
Weight: 72kg
Interesting facts: Father, Jimmy Webb, was British Marlboro Sidecar Champion with Gary Golder. Rode solo for Stan Stephens and Exact Weld GB, riding 125cc and 250cc. Brother Daniel Webb has been riding in the Spanish Championships and has been part of the MotoGP academy in 2005 and 2006. Daniel is riding for a Dutch team for 2007-Team Arie Moleanaar Racing on a Honda GP125.Interests: Racing, fitness training, swimming and running.
James has just joined Blade Motorsport from Foundry H-D.
Number: 66
Bike: Oxford (orange)
DOB: 25/07/89
Weight: 72kg
Hometown: Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Interesting facts: Father, Jimmy Webb, was British Marlboro Sidecar Champion with Gary Golder. Rode solo for Stan Stephens and Exact Weld GB, riding 125cc and 250cc. Brother Daniel Webb has been riding in the Spanish Championships and has been part of the MotoGP academy in 2005 and 2006. Daniel is riding for a Dutch team for 2007-Team Arie Moleanaar Racing on a Honda GP125.James has just joined Blade Motorsport from Foundry H-D.
The riders: Gary Byrne
Name: Gary Byrne
Number: 44
Bike: Cheltenham (Black)
DOB: 15/12/1977
Interests: Getting his knee down.
A note from Gary:
When he was five years old, my son Lewis was diagnosed with a very rare condition, Severe Aplastic... Anaemia. He had two courses of treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital which were unsuccessful. Aplastic Anaemia is very resistant to treatment, and the only option was for him to have a Bone Marrow Transplant, however it was difficult to find a donor for Lewis. After a search world wide, someone was found in America but was only a 90% match. The decision was made to go ahead even though no-one was known to have survived without having a 100% match. The transplant was carried out in December 2005, and has been a success. Lewis is now 11 yrs old, back at school and his health is continuing to improve although he is still on some medication. All this is thanks to a total stranger in America donating bone marrow and the skill and expertise of staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital. I retired from motor cycle racing when Lewis became ill but have now returned to help increase awareness of the Bone Marrow Transplant Programme and the need for donors, and to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital by taking part in the televised Harley Davidson XR1200 Trophy, a support race at selected rounds of the British Superbike Championship. Great Ormond Street need donations constantly in order to continue their incredible work so please give whatever you can.
You can donate to this very worthy cause by visiting
http://www.justgiving.co.uk/garyandlewisbyrne
So come on and dig deep.
Number: 44
Bike: Cheltenham (Black)
DOB: 15/12/1977
Interests: Getting his knee down.
A note from Gary:
When he was five years old, my son Lewis was diagnosed with a very rare condition, Severe Aplastic... Anaemia. He had two courses of treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital which were unsuccessful. Aplastic Anaemia is very resistant to treatment, and the only option was for him to have a Bone Marrow Transplant, however it was difficult to find a donor for Lewis. After a search world wide, someone was found in America but was only a 90% match. The decision was made to go ahead even though no-one was known to have survived without having a 100% match. The transplant was carried out in December 2005, and has been a success. Lewis is now 11 yrs old, back at school and his health is continuing to improve although he is still on some medication. All this is thanks to a total stranger in America donating bone marrow and the skill and expertise of staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital. I retired from motor cycle racing when Lewis became ill but have now returned to help increase awareness of the Bone Marrow Transplant Programme and the need for donors, and to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital by taking part in the televised Harley Davidson XR1200 Trophy, a support race at selected rounds of the British Superbike Championship. Great Ormond Street need donations constantly in order to continue their incredible work so please give whatever you can.
You can donate to this very worthy cause by visiting
http://www.justgiving.co.uk/garyandlewisbyrne
So come on and dig deep.
Dates for 2010 Harley-Davidson XR1200 Trophy
Here are the following dates for the 2010 Harley-Davidson XR1200 Trophy:
Round 1 - 1st-3rd May - Oulton Park, Cheshire
Round 2 - 25th-27th June - Malory Park, Leicestershire
Round 3 -& 4 - 2nd-4th July - Knockhill, Scotland
Round 5 - 5th-6th August - Brands Hatch GP
Round 6 & 7 - 28th-30th August - Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire (Double Header)
This series can be seen on Eurosport 2 as support for the British Superbikes.
http://www.britishsuperbike.com/support/henderson-harley-davidson-xr1200-trophy.aspx
Round 1 - 1st-3rd May - Oulton Park, Cheshire
Round 2 - 25th-27th June - Malory Park, Leicestershire
Round 3 -& 4 - 2nd-4th July - Knockhill, Scotland
Round 5 - 5th-6th August - Brands Hatch GP
Round 6 & 7 - 28th-30th August - Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire (Double Header)
This series can be seen on Eurosport 2 as support for the British Superbikes.
http://www.britishsuperbike.com/support/henderson-harley-davidson-xr1200-trophy.aspx
The bikes...
Blade Group Ltd are proud to represent the racing history of Harley-Davidson in the Henderson Harley-Davidson XR1200 Trophy, with representations from both Oxford and Cheltenham Harley-Davidson.
Team name: Blade Motorsport
Team manager/crew chief: Gavin Cupit
Race Tech: Elliott Andrews
The bikes: both Harley-Davidson XR1200s.
The racing kit includes:
· Pair of Dymag Wheels 7 spoke forged aluminium
· Brembo floating front discs
· Brembo front race pads Z04
· Harris fibreglass front fender, black gel coat
· HEL Braided front and rear brake pipes with black sheath
· Brembo front master cylinder 19/20
· Brembo front master cylinder reservoir and bracket
· Domino Quick action throttle twist grip
· Ohlins front fork cartridge kit
· Fat bar handlebars with nylon bar ends
· Renthal handlebar grips
· Domino clutch lever
· Domino ignition & run/stop switch
· Harris CNC milled 531 aluminium adjustable fork yokes inc h/bar clamps
· Ohlins steering dampener with Harris fitting kit
· Harris fibregalss front slatted numberboard in white gel coat
· Front numberboard & oil cooler mount hardware
· Earls oil cooler hoses
· Harris race solid footpegs to fit on standard hangars
· Harris fibreglass seat assembly in black gel coat
· Harris seat foam
· Harris seat sub-frame
· Harris fibreglass belly pan in black gel coat
· Harris belly pan mounting brackets
· Harris stainless steel rear undertray pair of catch tank/overflow bottles & mounting bracket
· Ohlins Race rear shocks
· Harris rear race disk
· Brembo rear race pads Z04
93 Brake Horse Power limit
233KG Lower Weight limit
The rules:
Top 4 and Random 4 are weighed and Dyno'd at end of each race.
No engine blueprinting
No gas flowing
No engine work allowed
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About Me
- Oxford Harley-Davidson
- Oxford Harley-Davidson Corner House Wootton Oxfordshire OX13 6BS Tel: 01865735121 Open: Monday-Friday: 9-6 Saturday: 9-5 Closed Sunday.
