Chris Hay Race Report (mid Season)

Hi everybody just thought I’d give a little update on my progress this year. Well where do I start? I have moved from my 125’s of season’s past to a 250cc machine for KTM UK and Bikesport Newscastle. After the unfortunate stealing of my van at last years ISDE things have been very difficult and due to the money tied up that my self and my family lost in the van (insurance not paying out) I am only going to compete in BEC and selected events this year.

This is my 1^st year on a 250 and it’s a big learning curve for me as I have never really had much time on a 250 before. Riding the 250 is a lot of fun and the KTM is a really great bike. In January I spent the whole month out in America getting used to the bike and getting confidence up. I was really hoping to race over there but it didn’t work out.

When returning home I continued my training for round 1 of British Enduro Championships and my debut on the 250 in the E2 class. But on the downside I hurt my lower back again that I injured at last years Hafren Enduro and in addition caught a very bad flu that kept me in bed for 2 weeks.

Breckland BEC Round 1 – I have always enjoyed this event in the sandy terrain and was hoping for a top 5 overall result. My hopes were short lived when I crashed very hard on Ice on check 2 and hurt my back that was still tender. Bent my bike up on the hard icy snowy ground. I was finding it difficult to walk but still managed to finish 8^th and 6^th in E2. It was more of a limiting the damage ride for the weekend, when I crashed on the ice I stretched my top triple clamp to the point it was moving every time I hit a hole making the bike very unpredictable in handling changing the steering angle. I also smashed my FMF pipe in the crash so that had to be replaced. But good points over the weekend I followed David Knight through a untimed special test and I learned a lot, especially the speed he carrys through the turns, he is riding fantastic at the moment.

After the Breckland I went to see my doctor and physio and they both told me to have a couple of weeks off to let my body recover from the crash and let my lower back have a rest.

After a couple of weeks off I started riding again and decided to ride in Round 1 of Scottish Enduro Championship at Lossiemouth. I cant do the full series because of clashes with BEC . I managed to win the event overall for the 2^nd year in a row from fellow KTM rider Crawford Carrick-Anderson and my Big Cuz Richard Hay, was really nice to win and for the 1^st time on the 250 aswell even though I was having some minor problems with the bike during the course of the day.

After Lossiemouth I was back to full fitness and continued practice and training for 2^nd BEC round in Brechfa, Wales. On the run upto this race I felt my riding was coming good and was getting ‘in the groove’ on the 250.

Brechfa BEC Round 2- A traditional wet Welsh Enduro! Just like the ones my dad used to tell me about when I was younger. Not conditions that have been good to me in the past but I am getting better at them all the time and with the 250 I was looking forward to it. I felt in the event I was riding really well and had a top 5 placing in my grasp when I slipped down a off camber and couldn’t get my bike back up, with only 1 lap to go this was very disappointing. But took away a lot of positives from this, I am getting a lot better in those conditions and have learned to use my head more. I have the ability to go even better. The 250 KTM was great in the slippy mud and tree roots.

The week after Brechfa I decided to do a club motocross, which turned out to be more like a championship with some of the top riders in attendance. With 2 solid close runner places to current Scottish Championship leader, my speed, fitness and everything felt good. But in the final race of the day I had a bad crash, dislocating and separating my shoulder, aswell as knocking myself out badly. So another time off riding due to injury, but in the last week I have started riding again and I am hoping for a speedy return and will be working hard to get the results I want. I feel in really good physical shape and know I have what it takes to be at my best again.

I would just like to take the chance to say a big thank you to my sponsors for all there help and support. A big thank you to Bikesport, KTM UK, Fox Racing Europe, Rock Oil, Pulse, DP Brakes, Bert Harkins racing (Scott, Acerbis), FMF, Volkswagen Van Centre Edinburgh and everybody that has helped me this year to get back on my feet.