June 2025 CRMC round 3

 It's been a little while since we last spoke, but don't worry, the RAF Classic racing team are still here and stronger than ever.

If you haven't already, make sure you follow our Facebook and Instagram as that is where we most often post photographs and videos of the paddock and our riders.

The weekend started strong with two full gazebos of motorcycles being prepped for the weekend at Cadwell Park. Riding this weekend were:Ady - CBR600F3Dorian - BSA Rob North 750 Gavin - TZ350GFrancis - ZXR400Joe - ZXR750, Molnar Manx, SupermonoMurf - FZ600Symon - RD250Tubs - ZXR400
The cool damp conditions soon had shiny new paint jobs well and truly scuffed up as too much enthusiasm and not enough grip took their toll.

Tubs and Francis appeared to be challenging one another to see who could crash the ZXR400's the most, but they soon settled into the tricky conditions, entering every race and claiming some much-needed points.

Murf and Gavin were both out together in the production and GP350, respectively. Murf had a great weekend, cleanly gaining more points for his championship with only a small hiccup when his exhaust tried self-disassembly mid-race. Gavin on the other hand, chased overheating problems, with the only race the bike ran right ending early when the gear shift came loose, leaving him stuck in 4th. Most did however agree, the TZ did look and sound lovely for the short time it did work.

Ady went well on his freshly painted CBR600 F3, gradually building confidence till he found the limits of his dry tyres in wet conditions. The decision to take it sensibly and get it home was taken, ready to race another day.
Dorian, who nobody photographed this weekend somehow, had some great results with a first and a second place this weekend. Some braking issues made him miss a race, but the BSA certainly won a lot of praise in the paddock.

Joe, fresh out of RAF basic training, kept his dad busy changing tyres as he bounced between the different machines he had to race. A couple of falls did not put him off, bringing home a series of podium finishes as well as claiming the top step in both the Classic and Post-Classic ACU races.His dad, Symon also had success after fixing some electrical gremlins on his long-suffering RD250. With the bike sorted, he comfortably finished first in class for his last 3 races, keeping Jerry at bay.

All said, the team had a great get-together. Sharing the gazebos with so many riders again was a welcome return to the strong RAF representation we became used to, not so long ago. Even having Bondy back on the spanners supporting his son was a welcome change (he didn't bring any Bombay mix to chuck around the caravan this time). We were fortunate enough to be visited by a huge number of former teammates, family and friends. We hope to see you all again very soon.

The Royal Air Force MotorSport Association supports tens of disciplines both two and four wheeled. More information on the RAFMSA can be found on Facebook, the Sports federation home page, Twitter and can be found with a quick search on MODNet. 

The RAF Classic racing team race in the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club (CRMC) offer live timing and have race results going back years, you can find more the team on Facebook Twitter Blogger and YouTube.

There is a strong contingent of the RAFMSA MCRR in No Limits Racing, they can be found on Instagram with some fantastic video shared by competitor James on his YouTube channel and many others can be found on there too. There is also an interservice race held at all NLR rounds for which the RAFMSA NLR team are the defending champions.

All serving RAF team members race under the banner of the Royal Air Force Motorsports Association (RAFMSA) alongside our veteran former members and associate members. If you are serving and wish to get involved with motorsports you can find all the contact details you will need on the RAFMSA website or get in contact directly with us.

 This blog post was written and edited by Gavin Heggs with contributing media from riders, supporters and fans. 

 

Finally special thanks go to the companies who continue to support us:

Classic Racing Green, EBC brakes UK, Forcefield body armour, HPE, Hel performance brakes, J&S Accessories, PJMphotography, Royal Air Force Motorsports Association, Royal Air Force Central Fund, R-Tech Welding, Ragged edge racing, Stahlwille UK, Witham group and individual sponsors:

Symon Woodward: Mick Abbey tuning.

Andy Green: New Era Restorations