MOTOR SPORT: DAVE Thomasson will shun a rest from racing in a bid to stay in tip-top form for next season.
Construction worker Dave, 37, from Willaston, made his track debut at the age of 36 earlier this year after becoming frustrated at the dangers of the road.
After a nervy start he began to flourish. Last-place finishes turned into confident mid-pack placings, and with his new 600cc Yamaha R6 tuned race bike, he was just getting into top gear as his season ended.
Now he will take up motocross during the off-season to maintain his fitness and enable him to hit the track running in the Darley Moor Championships next March.
Dave said: 'I really feel I have improved 10-fold in a short space of time. Early on I was getting stressed and angry with myself because I knew I wanted to do it but couldn't get going. I was getting a lot of last and second-to-last finishes.
'But I slowly got my confidence with racing. You have to forget riding on the roads and looking for traffic lights and T-junctions. Here you search for apexes, lines and breaking. It takes a while.
'But I am getting my knee down now and getting faster. I didn't really want the season to end but I will have a go at motocross until next season. It will be good practice and help me learn to control a bike when it steps out. Then I will push hard from the start in March. I know where I went wrong and can put it right.'
Dave, who also took part in rounds of the Wirral 100, got his lap time down at Darley from 1:14 to 1:06. In his final outing, he secured 17th place out of a field of 45.
Dave, who is married to Tracey and has three kids, is sponsored by his own company Dave Thomasson Building Contractors, and thanks mechanic pal Simon Wilson for his help.
Anyone who can provide sponsorship can contact Dave on 07703 183885.
