Campbell has experienced the joy of his maiden Metzeler National Superstock 600 podium mixed with the frustration of grabbing a 10^th and 11^th just days later.

Elliott meanwhile has taken his first Metzeler National Superstock 1000 points of the season but has also had to deal with another DNF and a jump-start penalty.

Campbell’s maiden podium and national level came at a damp Oulton Park on May Day Bank Holiday Monday after he secured his best qualifying position to date of 10th.

Rain earlier in the day had stopped and the track was drying, so it became a tyre gamble which Campbell – opting for full dry– played perfectly. After a tricky first few laps he was soon in touch with the leading pack.

He was running in fifth place when the two leaders tangled and brought out the red flag, promoting him to third and giving him his first podium for the Grant Racing squad.

As a result he was full of confidence when he arrived at Donington Park for a double-header last weekend as part of the World Superbike Championship support programme.

Qualifying 13^th for Saturday’s race he moved up to P10 after the opening couple of laps and was able to fend off some hard charges from behind to defend the place to the flag. His best lap was enough to move him up one place on the grid for Sunday’s race.

But a crash in morning warm-up caused problems, and the team had to work hard to repair the bike. Getting a good start he got boxed at Redgate and dropped six spots. From there he had to fight his way back up and eventually crossed the line 11^th.

“I am really disappointed after having such a good result at Oulton,” he said.  “Once you have tasted the Cava you just want more. I had such confidence on the bike at Oulton but the same settings didn’t work around Donington.

“Hopefully we will find the sweet spot for Snetterton and I can be fighting once more for a podium.”

Elliott arrived at the famous Derbyshire track keen to turn the tide of his difficult start to his first full season in the UK.

On board the Carbontek Four Angels BMW, he had been disappointed the week before at Oulton Park after he had dazzled in qualifying and lined up eighth on the grid.

But trouble struck in the first lap when he suffered a power drop almost immediately and he was forced to retire.

So he was more determined than ever to grab at least one good finish at Donington Park, just days after he turned 18.

After the gremlins which have nagged him so often so far this season returned during first qualifying, he had his work cut out for the afternoon’s second session, especially since the work to get the bike back to its best took so long that the second session was already underway when the job was finished.

With just 10 minutes left to get a good lap in, Elliott threw together three stunning flying laps to qualify 19^th from 44 riders.

As the first race got underway he made his best start of the season but then had to avoid a fallen rider at the first corner which dropped him back to 24^th. But he was quickly back on the pace and took four places back in the opening lap.

He kept his head down and continued to sear through the pack, crossing the line in 12^th spot to take his first points of the year.

But the joy didn’t last too long. Having qualified 13^th fastest for the second race he got a quick getaway and was sticking his nose into the top 10 when he was called in and given a ride-through penalty for a jump start.

“I had no idea why I was signaled to come in as I was sure my start was good and first thought maybe there was maybe something wrong with my bike,” he said.  “It’s such a pity as I was comfortable on a good pace and would have given it my best for a top ten finish.

“After the problems we had through qualifying I was relieved to secure some points for 12^th in the first race. The team had worked really hard over the weekend and the bike was getting better as we improved the set up. I am now looking forward to Snetterton, where I hope I can repay the team with some more good points.”

Both riders will be back out next weekend as the series heads to the Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk.

Qualifying got underway in perfect weather conditions, and with two sessions for each race it gave the youngster plenty of time to get to grips with the tight and twisty track.

At one of his least favourite tracks on the 2012 calendar, he found a good set-up and qualified   second on the grid in the Junior C class on his Alan McIntosh-prepared Polini GP6.

Heading out for Qualifying One in the Lightweight class, James was hit by clutch problems on his and ended the session fifth overall.

He made some adjustments before the second session, and this time found a better pace but was unable to better his grid spot of P5 for the races.

Race One in Junior C started well after a good start and he enjoyed some good dicing to cross the line second.

But back in the pits after the race it was discovered he had cracked the frame, and with the clock ticking ahead of the second race, there was no alternative but to use his spare bike with some quick adjustments.

At the green light James made a storming start, and jumped to the front of the pack, finishing second. Race Three was a carbon copy of the second, with the young rider taking another well-deserved second place and more silverware.

However the weekend wasn’t over yet, and James faced his next challenge – the Lightweight class. This was run with all weight classes – lights, feathers, middles and heavies – making for a full grid.

In all three races James got quick getaways and was soon dicing up at the sharp end and enjoying some good scraps with a number of other riders.

In each of the three 15-lap races he scored fourth places, which put him into second place in his class.

“I was really proud of James,” said dad Stephen. “For some reason he isn’t keen on this track but did the best he could and received two podium finishes.

“We were all really happy and are looking forward to round three of the British at Llandow and round three of the Scottish which will be on home ground at Walden Law.’

Round Three of the British championship will be at Llandow over the weekend May 18-20, while Round Three of the Scottish championship will be held at Warden Law on June 10.

Up in Kirkcaldy Fife, in a covered Karting venue James started his Scottish campaign taking two second place trophies in Junior C 4.2 and Lightweight production classes.

“This year I am competing in the Junior C 4.2 air cooled class and Lightweight Production Class.” James explains.

“Practice sessions went well for both classes; clutches were set to race spec, and the bikes felt really good.

Qualifying sessions, both went really well, the bikes felt great and I was really happy with them.  Qualified P2 for Junior C and P4 in Production class (for this race feathers/lights and middle/heavyweights all ran together with separate trophies at the end).

Race one, two and three in Junior C, Races went really well and had three good starts and also got some fantastic times (my personal best).  Bike felt really good and exceptionally fast and finished second in all three races.

Feathers/Lightweight Class, again races went well and had good starts.  The bike felt really good and I settled into some good riding with good completion and finished second in all three classes, again with some good track times.”

South of the border at Whilton Mill and far from the dry weather conditions they had at round one, Charlie and Ross tackled the varying track surface with caution.

Charlie spent most of the Friday free practices bedding in his Metrakit after the first round engine failure. Once up to speed he started showing signs of progress.

Saturday’s weather once again left the track with varying levels of grip which saw Charlie have a number of tumbles as he tried different lines to find grip

Race day again saw very unsettled weather so Charlie knew there was going to be some tough racing ahead of him. The first race of the day for Charlie was on the metrakit where once again he struggled with his start and by the second corner Charlie found himself in second to last. He gathered himself together again and started making his way through the pack. After fighting his way back to fifth place there was a large gap to the rider in forth after finding his rhythm Charlie caught him and finished his race in a respectable forth position.  Race one on the minimoto Charlie struggled and couldn’t maintain the speed of the front two riders. Charlie found himself in a four man battle where he finished in fourth position.  Race two on the metrakit Charlie made a much better start and tried to stay with the front group. Charlie rode a clean and solid race finished in his highest position of third place. Race two on the minimoto once again found himself in a four man battle for third with the third and fifth place riders swapping places giving Charlie another forth place finish. Race three on the metrakit Charlie found himself in a battle for third with a different rider having this time to settle for fourth place, however, the way the points were distributed gave Charlie his first podium finish of third place in only his second weekend of racing his metrakit. Charlie knew with race three on the minimoto it was going to be very close with three riders only separated by one point whoever finished third in the race would finish with an overall third for the weekend. After the flag dropped Charlie was in third position with a horde of riders behind him. After a nerve racking seven laps and with numerous failed attempts to topple him Charlie held his nerve to finish in the crucial third position giving him his second podium finish on the minimoto. Charlie was elated with his racing and said “I am so happy, I can’t believe I’ll be getting 2 trophies! I can’t wait until Llandow now I wish it was so long away.”

Ross Turner made a valiant start in race one from 16^th and row eight on the grid and fought hard to take eight places finishing eighth. Despite mechanical issues due to the weather conditions in the second race and last minute technical rule changes in the production class, Ross still had race three in the 4.2 class where he put on quite a show.

Ross’ dad Simon fills us in on the events, “Race one of the 4.2s started wet and slippy from row 8 and 16th on the grid. Ross made a great start and worked his way steadily through the pack finishing in 8th

Race two started well but by lap 6 the engine started to miss fire due to the wet conditions, this cause Ross to lose a couple of positions and he finished in 10th

Race three was a blinder, Ross got a good start and joined a pack of 4 other riders, he got past the first two after two laps by which time the front two had pulled a gap of 50 yards. Ross reeled in the next rider and over the next few laps tried to find a way past. He managed it with a slick dive for the inside line and went in pursuit of the next rider. He worked hard for the next few laps to get on the tail of the other rider and with one lap to go he made his move only to be retaken straight away. Ross then got his head down and sat close on his tail before making a lovely move on the brakes into the infield set of corners. With only two corners and a drive to the line Ross kept his head and rode a defensive line to take 8th.

After the race Ross said he really enjoyed that as it was a good fight and he really had to think about what he was going to do.

The proddy races were a none event after he missed the first race due to a last minute rule change that left us unprepared, then in race two we had carb issues. The last race went ok but was steady without any real challenges. Ross said after he didn’t feel very confident in the bike as we’d a few issues.”

The next Scottish championship round will be on May 6th at Westlands. And the next British championship round takes all three YRF Juniors back to Llandow 18^th – 20^th May.

The opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship and its support programme at Brands Hatch proved disappointing for both Young Riders Fund boys as they endured their own sets of problems.

Elliott was forced to retire from the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship race, while Campbell crashed out of Easter Monday’s earlier Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship battle.

Elliott’s weekend had got off to a flying start when he emerged second quickest in his group at the end of Friday’s first practice. In qualifying he overcame earlier suspension woes to qualify sixth on the grid for Easter Monday’s race.

But things took a turn for the worse as race day dawned cold and wet, and he suffered a highside in morning warm-up.

Escaping with bruising and grazes he was declared fit to race by medical staff, and as the bike suffered only minor damage the Carbontek Four Anjels Racing team were able to repair his BMW S1000RR machine in time for the race.

Not getting the best of starts, Elliott’s race was over almost as soon as it began as he had to avoid a fallen rider on the track at turn one, and then had to almost stop his machine when he encountered a crash ahead of him seconds later.

As a result he dropped down the back, and as he put his head down and tried to establish a rhythm, lack of traction affected his confidence and decided to pull into the pits and retire on safety grounds.

“Looking back through the weekend I have a lot of positives to take from it,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy with the changing weather conditions and taking on very experienced riders but the team worked really hard and gave me a very good bike. T

“They sorted a rear shock problem early on and I was able to go fast in final qualifying. I am getting more and more comfortable on the BMW now.

“It’s such a pity race day went so badly for me, but I am looking forward to Thruxton this weekend and getting back on the bike. It will be a big learning curve as I’ve never been there before.

“I want to thank the team for the hard work over the weekend and the sponsors, friends and family for their great support.”

Over in the 600cc class, Campbell was eager to get his 2012 campaign off to a solid start on his Grant Racing machine.

Making a steady start in free practice in bright but cold conditions, he found himself struggling with rear grip and was finding it difficult to get good drive onto the main straight.

Adjustments were made for qualifying, and after two damp sessions he qualified 20^th. Disappointed not to be starting higher up the grid he was confident he could force his way into the points.

Like Elliott, Campbell was a victim of the weather, as he lined up with persistent rain and low track temperatures.

He made a decent start but couldn’t find any grip. Slowly dropping back his race ended even more miserably when he tipped off on Lap 14.

“I didn’t enjoy that one bit,” he said. “I had some huge moments early on and just concentrated on staying on the bike. The grip levels were inconsistent and gave me no confidence.

“The tyres came back to me on Lap 10 and I could see I was catching the group in front. A few laps later my race was over.

“I just touched the front brake on the approach to Druids and the front tucked with no warning. It was so fast I couldn’t feel the front push and had no time to react”

Both Young Riders Fund supported riders will be back in action at Round Two at Thruxton in Hampshire this weekend.

*Josh Elliott image by Ian Macey.

Both riders will be in action on the Indy Circuit as part of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship support programme.

Elliott will be making his debut in the Metzler National Superstock 1000 Championship with the Carbontek Four Angels Racing Team, while Campbell returns to the Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship with Grant Racing.

For Elliott, the opening round will also mark his rookie year in Britain after two years in the European Superstock 600 series, and after enjoying some good testing time on his new BMW S1000R machine, and he is looking forward to his new challenge.

“The official BSB tests at Brands Hatch and Snetterton with my new team went well and we made good progress over the two days,” he said. “I have some more fine tuning to do at Brands with the suspension, but that was to be expected as I learn the bike and the track.

“I have to be realistic with my goals for the first round as there are so many good riders that have a lot of experience in BSB. But I know if we can find a good set-up to allow me to push hard, I won’t be far away.

“I’m very grateful that the YRF are supporting me this year and am looking forward to meeting some more members at Brands Hatch and throughout the BSB campaign.”

For Campbell it will be his third year in the hard-fought 600cc championship, and he is determined to get a good result at Brands, even though he knows he could face some stiff competition.

“I’m really looking forward to the weekend, it will be interesting to see what the competition will be like this year,” he said. “Qualifying at Brands Indy is always tough but I hope to put in a solid performance.

“It will be good to work together with my team mates and I’m sure we will be pushing each other on. Hopefully I can achieve a good result at Brands and be consistently at the sharp end throughout the year.”

THE YRF Juniors got their 2012 campaigns underway last weekend in the warm sunshine at the opening round of the FAB Racing British Championship at Llandow, South Wales.

Over the three day event Charlie Atkins contested both the GP50 and the 4.2 junior classes, Ross Turner also tackled the 4.2 junior class as well as junior production, where he was joined by James Alderson.

Atkins stamped his mark on the championship with a storming start to his season, qualifying in second place. On board his Polini GP5 he took a second, third and fourth places in the three races and now sits third in the championship.

“Charlie was really looking forward to making the best of a front row start,” explained dad, Gareth. “In the first race he made a good start and maintained his second place until the leading group caught back markers.

“Charlie came off the worst, dropping a place into third and he simply couldn’t find a way past. He finished third and hoped to he could do better in Race Two.”

As the flag dropped for a second time, the youngster got a clean getaway and led for the opening three laps. Again back markers came into play and as he moved up the inside of one, the rider tipped in on him enough to cause him to back off.

As a result he was passed and knocked down to second, a place he was able to hold to the chequered flag.

Race Three didn’t go quite to plan when he developed a technical problem on the way to the grid and missed the warm-up lap as he worked to fix the issue. Starting at the back of the grid he quickly seared through the pack to take an impressive fourth place.

“What a weekend!” he said. “I’m over the moon to have got my first podium with FAB in the first round.”

But things weren’t quite so good on his Metrakit GP50 machine. Despite qualifying a respectable fifth in his rookie race, he misjudged the start and was slow getting off the line in the first race.

“He was soon back on the pace in fifth position on the back wheel of the rider in fourth, but at half race distance the bike developed a technical issue, losing power,” said Gareth.

“He managed to carry on but on the last lap on the last corner the bike finally gave up. He managed to get back on and was pushed over the line to gain valuable points in sixth.

“Unfortunately, once the bike was back in the paddock the true extent of the technical issue became apparent. The crank had failed and he had to retire from the next races. He was gutted.”

James Alderson also made a good start to his 2012 season after qualifying fourth on his Polini GP5.

But he was unlucky to be taken out by another rider in the opening race. “I didn’t get the best start but I was just starting to get into my stride when another rider came off on the track and took me down,” he said.

“The bike was damaged so I didn’t get to finish the race but I put it behind me and concentrated on the other two races of the day.

“In Race Two I didn’t a brilliant start but really got into my stride and settled in to some good racing.

“The bike was not competitive on the straights but I really enjoyed myself and finished sixth.”

Race Three was to follow a similar suit with the youngster making a better start and soon finding a good pace, notching up another sixth place.

“We had a fantastic weekend and made lots of friends,” he added. “There was a great atmosphere.

“We now have an idea of what we need to do for the next round, and I’m looking ahead to my next race which will be in the Scottish Championship.

Ross Turner – the YRF Juniors’ youngest member – also kicked-off his season with a good start.

Despite set up problems on his 4.2 Minimoto during Saturday’s qualifying, a few modifications and tyre changes were enough to see him end the day with two eighths and a tenth, placing him eighth in the championship

In the faster Junior Production class he took a ninth and two 13ths and now lies 13^th in the points.

Ross’ dad Simon explained:  “Saturday practice gave us the chance to change gearing to improve drive out of the problem corner. We tried a few combos but just couldn’t get a perfect set-up, the 4.2 just wouldn’t pull out of the corners like we wanted but left with no choices it would have to do.

“The Junior Production bike was flying and with a lap time of 1.01 I was feeling happy with Ross’s progress.

“In the 4.2 races he got some flying starts and got stuck into some great battles with a couple of riders. They were all equally matched in pace which led to some great dices as each rider seemed to have their favourite bits of track.

“In the Junior Production race, he again got some great starts, moving up three places in one race within the first half lap.

“He finished that race in ninth and the other two races were replays of the first with him battling with against one lad from start to finish.”

Simon says the rest of the season will be spent working on Ross’s braking and teaching him to ride defensive and attacking lines.

Charlie and Ross will be back for Round Two of the FAB Racing British Championship this coming weekend, April 6-8 at Whilton Mill, while James heads north to tackle Round One of the Scottish Championship at Kartstart Kirkcaldy.

Charlie Atkins, of Goole, East Yorkshire is the third rider who will race under the YRF Juniors banner for the 2012 season.

The nine-year-old began riding motocross machines at the age of four, making his racing debut on a Minimoto just a year later.

And after finishing his rookie season in the FAB Racing championship last year sixth overall, the youngster is confident he can seal a top three position in 2012.

He has recently returned from a test in Spain where he enjoyed valuable track-time on his Polini GP5 as well as getting to grips with his new Metrakit GP50.

This season will be his first attempt at racing his Metrakit machine, and sees 2012 as a learning year on the bigger bike.

Charlie is the third and final rider to join the 2012 YRF Junior line up, where he will receive support and guidance as he adjusts to life in the fast-paced motorcycle racing world.

He will also receive help working with the media both local and national, and will post regular race reports and news on the YRF website to keep supporters up to date.

Charlie will also get the chance to attend selected rounds of MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, meet current YRF –supported riders Niall Campbell and Josh Elliott and learn all about life in the UK’s leading motorcycle racing paddock.

Lee Vasey of the Young Riders Fund said “We are delighted to welcome Charlie in to the YRF Juniors scheme completing our rider line up for 2012 and can now look forward to the season ahead.”

All three of the YRF Juniors will start their 2012 season campaigns at this weekend’s opening round of the FAB Racing Championship in Llandow, Wales.

Read Charlie’s rider profile Here

James Alderson, 10, of County Durham has been named as the second youngster to become part of the new scheme.

The youngster has already been tipped as one of the stars of the future as he prepares to tackle a busy season which will see him compete in two championships.

Piloting a Polini GP6 4.12 Junior and a Polini GP5, he will make his third appearance in the Scottish Minimoto Championship as well as make his British Championship debut.

And he is looking to build on his results from 2011, when he rode in the Junior C and Featherweight Production classes, picking up a number of podiums on the way to finishing the season in third and second spots respectively.

James’ successful second season followed a strong rookie year, where he finished fourth in the Junior A class and was named Best Newcomer.

James is the second young stars of the future chosen to receive help from the Young Riders Fund in 2012 under the new YRF Juniors scheme, introduced last month to find budding child racing stars and give them a helping hand with non-financial help and support.

He will get the chance to attend rounds of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, meet key race personnel and spend time with the YRF’s current supported riders Josh Elliott and Niall Campbell.

He will also receive help and guidance in working with the media both local and national, and will be able to post race reports and news here on the YRF website to keep supporters up to date with his progress.

Lee Vasey of the Young Riders Fund said: “We’re really excited about James joining the YRF Juniors. He will be competing in both the British and the Scottish Championship flying the flag for the Young Riders Fund.

“Our young team is growing and with the start of the British championship just over a week away things are starting to look very positive for the riders and the Young Riders Fund.”

James will now display the YRF logo on his bike for the season and will receive branded YRF merchandise.

For more information on James Alderson see his profile here: James Alderson Profile

JOSH Elliott got his 2012 season off to a flying start last week in a three-day test at Almeria, Spain.

Just days after inking a deal with the Carbontek Four Angels Racing outfit to contest this year’s Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship, the Young Riders Fund-supported rider got his first taste of the BMW S1000RR machine at a Racedays event at the Spanish track.

The 17-year-old quickly got to grips with his new machine, making steady progress over the three days as he tried various settings in a bid to find a good base setting.

By the end of Day Three he had recorded the second best time of the test, and admitted he was thrilled with the power of the BMW.

“The Carbontek Four Angels Racing BMW lived up to my expectations and I was surprised by how comfortable I felt on the bike,” he revealed.

“The sheer speed of it alone had me smiling down the 1km back straight and having the power to leave lengthy black lines of rubber down coming out of corners was somewhat enjoyable as well!”

Elliott used the test to get a full feel for the power and learn the characteristics of the BMW.

“I set myself targets throughout the last two days on track,” he explained. “As I was getting faster and faster we encountered some difficulties in terms of chassis and suspension set-up. One of the main issues I was having on track was trying to get the bike to finish the corner and getting the power down.

“We worked hard and improved it certain areas but I feel we have still got some work to do before the first round at Brands Hatch.”

With his first test now done and dusted, Elliott has just a couple of weeks until he’s back out again at the official MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship test at Brands Hatch on March 21.

And he’s returned home to Northern Ireland feeling buoyed up and confident about the season ahead.

“Overall I’m delighted with my first test on the Carbontek Four Angels Racing BMW and I’m eager to get back on it again at the BSB test at Brands Hatch later this month. I’m also looking forward to meeting up with my team mate Dave Johnson and working together.

“There is certainly much more to come from me and the bike as a package.

“I would I like thank the team for preparing the bike under very short notice, Gerry Bryce from Racedays for getting me some essential track time and everyone at the event who were so friendly and helped me with adjusting to the new machine. “

NIALL Campbell has been getting to grips with his 2012 machine in his first outing of the year at Donington Park.

The Young Riders Fund-supported teenager joined Grant Racing team-mates Matthew Paulo and Jamie Perrin at a No Limits Trackdays event last week to test his new Yamaha R6 for the first time.

The aim of the day was to get as many laps as possible under his belt to get comfortable with the bike and try and find a good base setting.

It was also a chance to get a feel for the latest K-Tech suspension which he will use for the first time in 2012.

But things got off to a slow start when the weather played its hand with overnight rain delaying the start of the track time.

Campbell sat out of the first two sessions, and when a dry line appeared shortly before the third session he used it has his cue to hit the track, venturing out on dry tyres.

The surface was still slippery, ruling out the chance of any quick laps but he was pleased to have a chance to finally get out on track, and was even happier to find it had dried further after lunch.

This time he was able to get a consistent rhythm and was soon within 1.5secs of his best race laps last year, which he and the team were happy with given the track conditions.

“It was a really good test,” he said. “I’m getting a lot of feedback from the K-Tech suspension which is giving me bags of confidence.

“Next time we will try a lighter spring on the rear, but other than that the settings were fine. The only other change I made was to the clip on positions.”

And although track conditions were far from perfect, he admits he is pleased with how the day went, particularly with his own physical fitness.

“It was really good to get back on the bike and I already feel my winter training has paid off. We did more than 40 laps and I didn’t get the usual aches and pains afterwards.

“I’d like to thank No Limits Trackdays for managing to accommodate me at the last minute and finding me a place at very short notice.”

Niall Campbell will be back in action later this month at the official MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch and Snetterton on March 21 and 22.

*Action image by Peter Wileman Photography