Rider Profile
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Name |
Jeremy Hill |
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Age |
43 (Yep, the older I get the faster I was!!) |
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Started Racing |
1991 |
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Classes and Results |
1993 Yamaha YPVS350
Championships - 2nd |
| Instruction |
One of a few qualified ACU
Coach\Instructors in the country |
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Machines Raced |
Yamaha YPVS350 |
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Summary Riding bikes since 1984 on the road my racing began in 1991 on a two-stroke Yamaha YPVS350. I shared this with a friend as our combined budget was enough to keep the bike going! Obviously sharing the bike at meetings had its downfalls as if the one who had the first race crashed the other didn't get a ride! In 1993 I was running the bike on my own and winning the YPVS championship. Unfortunately I had a crash at Cadwell whilst leading the race but didn't have the money to replace my leathers, crash helmet and repair the bike with 2 rounds to go. I had to settle for 2nd place in the championship. In 1998 I joined forces with two friends to form "Fastduck Racing" (There is a story!) to enter the UK Endurance Championships. We had many good results over the 4 years we raced but consistency in finishing was an issue an there were differences in what we wanted to get out of the racing itself. I was a little more competitive the others were a little more social! We remain very good friends but it was time to move on. I moved on from Fastduck Racing in 2001 and decided to have a go on something a little bigger. I raced a 1998 Yamaha R1 in the endurance with another racer friend just as a stop gap. It was really a development year for the bike and my team mate had been absent from the racing scene for a few years so it was just going to be fun. We achieved a 3rd overall at Pembrey but personal commitments meant that the other rider could not attend all of the races for the season. In 2003 I bought the R1 outright and entered back into the short circuit racing of the Nationwide Powerbike Championships. I also moved to S&D Racing in the Endurance Championships on an R6. It was going to be a busy year with primary focus on the Endurance Championship. My expectations for the Powerbikes were top ten finishes due to the age and specification of the R1 I was running in comparison to the other bikes on the grid. It is pretty standard and tuned for endurance, not peak power short circuit events. I exceeded my initial expectations in Powerbike with consistent top 5 finishes and wins in the Open 1300 Championship. Higher results were only restricted by the age of the bike. I intend on getting a championship winning bike for 2004. The Endurance with S&D was spectacular leading the Championship nearly all year in 2003 and 2004 only to have the title cruelly robbed from us at Oulton Park in 2003 due to oil on the wet circuit that saw 37 crashes over the 6hr race and then by a freak fuse blowing on a the brand new Kawasaki in 2005 on the last round at Donnington! We still finished 2nd in the championship on both occasions. That's how cruel racing can be though! The Open 1300 and Powerbike Championship in 2004 was unbelievable. My old R1 blew up at the first meeting at Snetterton in practice and I borrowed endurance 600 for the first race, finishing an incredible 3rd at Snetterton in the Powerbikes! I borrowed an R1 from Neil Faulkner for the second and bought it to continue the season and, despite a couple of big crashes, managed to win the Open 1300 championship on the very last race at Lydden against my very good friend and great racer Rob Elsmere. The Forza Xtreme Powerbike Championship in 2005 on a brand new ZX10 proved to be another outstanding year. The first three rounds were very hard where the bike setup was a challenge to say the least. Once the problems had been dialed out I started winning....alot! I won the Forza Xtreme Championship with 4 rounds to go and over 200points in front of 2nd place (Poor old Rob Elseme again!). I was also running 2nd in the Champion of Brands right up to the last race where I was racing for the overall championship against the odds. I was pushing very hard and it was truly my best ride of my career with consistent best personal laps and massive tactical work. I knew Zak Barry was on a beast of a machine and I was on basically a superstock ZX10 but a championship was up for grabs. I knew Zak was .5 of a second a lap faster from the morning but it was win or bin. It turned out to be bin at Druids on lap 12 and handed 2nd place in the championship to the next rider due to double points. You know what they say "2nd place is the first loser" but I was proud to race against Zak for that championship all year and he deserved to win it. I did myself proud in trying for the win against a .5second a lap deficit and I will remember that race as one of my finest from a racing point of view. In March 2006 after many conversations with good friends and racing colleagues I decided to hang my leathers up from competitive racing. There were a number of very good reasons to do this, one of the toughest decisions for any racer. I was proud to run the number 1 plate and finish at the top. Racing has been a part of my life for too long just to stop going so I am now a director of the British Mortorcycle Racing Club (Bemsee) with a pure focus on how we can support new riders and develop their skill and knowledge of racing. As well as the Rider Development Director at Bemsee I am one of a handful of qualified ACU coach\Instructors in the country. With a great team at the club we have created the best support and rider development package for our members with the goal of safer faster racing. I look forward to being in the paddock for many years to come and being part of the sport I love so much. |
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