Paul Shoesmith looking ahead to Ulster GP

[Mago]

Poynton’s Paul Shoesmith heads into next week’s Ulster Grand Prix in confident mood after the Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade rider enjoyed strong performances at the recent Southern 100 and Chimay road race meetings.

 

After a mixed start to the season, that saw team members Franck Petricola and Laurent Hoffmann both badly injured at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT respectively but rookie Peter Hickman in sensational form at the two meetings, Shoesmith got his ‘mojo’ back, firstly at the Southern 100 held on the Isle of Man.

 

With good conditions all week at the 4.25-mile Billown course, Shoesmith put together a solid meeting that saw him finish all seven of his races inside the top 13. The best results came in the Lightweight class where he took eighth and ninth whilst he took ninth and 12th in the two Supersport races and a brace of 12th’s and a 13th in the three 1000cc races, one of the twelfths coming in the feature Southern 100 Solo Championship.

 

Onto Chimay, the venue for the most recent round of the International Road Race Championship, and ‘Shoey’ was buoyed by the attendance of both Hoffmann and Petricola to support him. Taking on six races in a day, the first time anyone had attempted such a feat, Paul had a fantastic meeting finishing all six of his races inside the top eight, including a brace of excellent seconds in the Lightweight. Fourth and fifth were the results in the Supersport races with a solid seventh and eighth in the Superbike events.

 

Sadly, the Chimay races were overshadowed by three separate accidents that claimed the lives of Vick de Cooremeter, Thilo Hafele and Julian Paquet.

 

Paul Shoesmith: “Everyone knows how tough a start to the road racing season it was for both me and the team with the injuries to Franck and Laurent and the sad loss of our former rider Simon Andrews and it was difficult for me to find the enthusiasm to go racing. I got through the NW200 and TT but the Southern and Chimay events were a breath of fresh air and it feels great to be enjoying my racing again. The Southern really picked me up as I enjoyed myself immensely. The weather was great, the racing was great and I didn’t have a single problem so came away with some good results.”

 

“Chimay was the same again although the meeting had the shine taken off it with the three accidents and I’d like to pass on my condolences to the friends and family of the three riders, particularly Vick who had become a friend. The races themselves were hard work with all six of them coming in the same day but I had another great day and was extremely satisfied with the outcome, especially the two podiums on the little Supertwin. We’ve still got plenty of racing to go and the next stop is the Ulster which I’m really looking forward to. Dundrod’s a course I enjoy a lot and I’m hopeful of some more good results and another good week for the Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade team.”

 

Shoesmith will be a busy man at the Ulster GP, which sees practice get underway on Wednesday 13th August, with outings in the 1000cc, 600cc and Lightweight classes whilst Hickman will make his course debut on a Superstock BMW S1000R.