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Paul race ready and raring to go - August 2010Paul is very sorry to have missed the Cock o' the North meeting at Oliver's Mount and the Aberdare Road Races last month but after a lot of soul searching he really didn't feel that he would have been competitive and fully focused, so the tough decision to sit out the two meetings was therefore taken. Just because he wasn't racing doesn't mean Paul was idle though: he has spent the time working on the bikes in readiness for the Dundrod Bike Week, culminating in the Ulster GP. Last year Paul had his best ever finish with a podium in the 250cc race against top class competition. Preparation for the Irish meeting has included 2 outings to Oulton Park to test and set up the Speedycom ZX10. The first test was accompanied by the guys from Maxton suspension who have got the bike set up to suit Paul's riding style; the second was primarily to test new tyres and Paul was really impressed with the Michelin rubber. The combination of suspension and tyres have enhanced the handling of the bike which should pay dividends. Paul will be campaigning three bikes round the Dundrod track: You can see Paul (with the RS250 & the 98 Club R6) at the Llangollen Bike Show on Saturday & Sunday 7th & 8th August, come along and say hello if you can. We will also have some exclusive merchandise on sale courtesy of mugs4u.com - all proceeds direct to the racing fund.
Cock o' the North 10th-11th July 2010Unfortunately, as a result of the effect that the TT had on him, Paul will not be taking part in the Oliver's Mount meeting in Scarborough this year. He feels that he needs a bit more track time before racing again to get himself "back in the groove". Oliver's Mount is a demanding circuit and not one to be taken lightly; Paul doesn't feel that he would be able to give 100% at the moment and any less than total commitment is not acceptable to him on the race track. Paul is determined to be back on form in time for the Ulster GP and will be getting some track time in during July to prepare himself both physically and mentally and to get the bikes set up as far as possible for the Dundrod circuit. The Speedycom ZX10 is now handling better thanks to the time and effort put in by the guys from Maxton and should suit Paul's style of carrying corner speed. The #98 Club R6 is also running well and, other than when he had a small tyre issue (see the picture on his blog), put in some good times at Oulton Park recently. The Honda RS250 needs some work if Paul is to contend for a podium place at the Ulster again but he is determined to be competitive and is completely focused on his preparations for the emerald isle. To keep up with Paul's preparations check out his blog http://paulowen98.blogware.com/blog
TT2010The TT was marred by the deaths of Paul Dobbs and Martin Loicht on Thursday 10th June.
Paul was following his friend "Dobsy" on the road on the first lap of the 2nd Supersport race when, on seeing the accident, he pulled up and took up a position with a flag to warn other riders of the incident in order to free the marshal to assist his colleagues attending to Dobsy. This completely selfless act cost Paul his own chances in the Supersport race and also prevented him from riding the Brunel University bike in the TT Zero race. Paul would like to extend his apologies and thanks to the team from Brunel University who worked tirelessly to prepare and set up the the electric bike; he was very much looking forward to pursuing a podium finish in the first ever running of the official zero emissions TT.
In recognition of his heroic actions Paul was awarded the inaugural PokerStars "Spirit of the TT Award".
Paul at the 2010 NW200(Click on the icon at the bottom right of each frame to view in "full screen" mode)
#98 Club April Draw won by member #43Tim WL Rhino MotorsThe April draw for £98 worth of products from mugs4u.com was made on April 30th by Thomas Owen, the number drawn was 43 and the lucky winner Tim WL Rhino Motors can choose products from the mugs4u.com site up to the value of the membership If you would like to be in the next draw but haven't joined the 98 Club yet, click the button on the right to download a membership form. Sunday 18th April Oliver's Mount - Paul cracks up at Scarborough
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Paul worked hard over the winter break trying to attract new corporate sponsorship and promoting the #98 club.
The #98 Club provides a new and innovative way for individuals and clubs to support Paul with an outlay of just £98 for the season; membership is limited to 98 members, each of whom will have their name on the R6 Yamaha that Paul will be competing on during the 2010 season.
You will be able to see the bike at all 3 Oliver's Mount meetings, the North West 200, the Isle of Man TT, the Aberdare Park Road Races and the Ulster GP (at which Paul had his 1st ever international podium in 2009)
For 2010, Paul will be racing his Honda RS250cc, Yamaha R6, and a 1000cc machine (he is still awaiting confirmation as to just what bike that will be), watch this space for more info about the 1000cc bike.
The 2009 season also saw Paul take his first ever national wins in the 250cc class at Aberdare Park and in the Superbike B final at Oliver's Mount.
Shaun Ingram of Shelfbank Windows in Oswestry lent Paul his Yamaha R1 for the 2009 TT meeting. Despite the fact that he hadn't been on the bike before setting off down Bray Hill during the first practice, Paul managed to finish in 13th place in the Senior Race and set his fastest
ever lap time of 18mins 27sec: an average speed of 122.697mph. .gif)
An amazing achievement given that the R1 was bog standard and was competing against factory supported superbikes.
There are a few places left in the #98 Club if you would like to support Paul, click on the club logo to download an application form.