EAST RACING Arrives at the Cheshire circuit of Oulton Park.
With the circuit's undulations and challenging corners, it is a big test to the team and James.

Free Practice
James's goal is to find his way around the circuit, although he has had relative success at Oulton Park and done many laps before in 2008, the track becomes a different shape on the 600 compared to the GP125 of 2008.
James feels his way around to end the session after 13 laps in 29th place with a time of 1:47:272, he returns to the awning where problems are ironed out in the form of handle bar positions, suspension preload adjustment, and a large seat pad is made to stop James shifting around to much on the seat, as arm pump was becoming a hinderance.

Qualifying 1
The Changes Help alot, the bike holds a line better, and James goes 2 seconds faster, to a 1:45:042 which put James in 24th Place.

Qualifying 2
A new set of tyres are put in the bike for the start of the session and James gets as high as 16th but As James broke into the 1:44's it became aparent that the suspension set up was not working at the faster pace, with the ride height being to low and the bike bottoming out in the cambered corners, James grinds out his foot, fairing and cases around the steep banked Shell Oils Hairpin, pivoting in the centre of the bike causing a lowside, James slips back to 20th on a 1:44:013. James's final qualifying position would be 19th after a technical scrutineering issue with another rider.

Warm Up
The paddock awakens Bank Holiday Monday morning to a classic damp rainy scene, James heads out in wet conditions to come in 12th on a 2:04:143.

Race
As the lights go out James gets a good enitial launch but wheelys as he changes to 2nd and goes back to around 25th place by the 1st turn.
After a lightning first lap, over taking around 10 riders, James crosses the line to start the 2nd lap in 15th place.
After some courageous moves into Cascades and Island Bend, James is up to 12th place by lap 6 and is forever closing down on riders infront.
Lap 10 and James is in a battle for 6th position when another rider colides with James at Lodge corner, hitting his handle bar hard enough to bend the clutch lever which unloads James bike on the brakes sending him straight into the gravel trap and down.
James remounts in Last place, but manages to pick up a few spots in a last push to grab 26th place.

A Bitter end, but a sweet reward of a good base set up which was found over the weekend, James's words are " In the race it was the first time I felt comfortable with the bike since I started riding it, it ment I could push and proved I could run the pace up the front, the set up we have now lets me read better what is going on with the bike aswell, which leaves me with judgement for improvements in the future.
It's a shame about the crash, but you cant help what happens behind you and I now just cant wait to get on the bike at Donington Park! ".