Burnley racer Simon gears up for big year

Simon, who turns 36 next Friday, is aiming to ride with the East Midland Racing Association in the Formula 400 Championship on a Suzuki SV650 in the mini twin class - and push for the title he won in 2013 in his second full season.

Born and bred in Burnley, Simon represented his hometown club at cricket in the Lancashire League - as did his father and brother.

A keen biker, Simon, however, was torn between his whites and his leathers, and, in 2006, made the decision to get his ACU licence and take up racing, having been bitten by the bug at Donington Park on a trackday.

Based in Leicestershire due to his job with race tyre suppliers Complog, he was unable to undertake a full season’s racing until 2010, competing in odd races, before competing in a full championship - finishing runner-up in the Formula 400 Championship.

He was third overall after the first round, and led the series after the third weekend, before settling for second.

The following year was a frustrating one, not helped by a crash in race one at Brands Hatch, and 2012 also saw intermittent outings for Simon, as he suffered from bike problems.

However, last year he made a triumphant return, finishing third after round one at Mallory Park, before topping the leaderboard after round two - and staying there for the duration!

After a year out, he is champing at the bit to get started again.

To participate in the championship is tough financially though, and any help would be greatly appreciated from sponsors.

To help Simon’s quest to win the title again, anyone interested can contact him at [email protected], with more details on www.tjeracing.co.uk