The British Army motorcycle road race team is closing in on a successful defence of their Inter-Services title after a strong showing in the sixth round of championship action at Cadwell Park.
Sgt Aaron Evangelista (REME) took the chequered flag in the forces’ race at the Lincolnshire circuit, and with teammate Cpl Jack Morgan (REME) finishing third the soldiers formed a commanding presence on the podium.
They also claimed four further positions in the top ten as welcome points were recorded in their battle with nearest rivals the Royal Air Force.
Staged by No Limits Racing, the championship sees personnel hit full throttle over eight sprint rounds at some of the top venues in the country. Cadwell Park was the sixth leg in that journey, and the action was switching to Oulton Park as this issue was going to press.
The campaign then concludes at Donington Park on the weekend of September 27 and 28.
Morgan is eyeing a services double come the end of the season as he currently sits second behind Evangelista in the individual standings, with the team riding high.
The 31-year-old is also battling for honours in the newcomer 600 class in No Limits’ civilian competition, claiming two third place finishes and a second over the Cadwell Park weekend.
And in a further test in what is just his second season with the army set-up, the soldier has featured in the BMW F 900 R Cup, one of the support series to British Superbikes.
“I think I can win, but it is going to be very close,” he told SoldierSport from the pit lane as he reflected on his chances in the Inter-Services.
“It has been a great season so far. Going to Anglesey in the wet has been one of the highlights – I had a really good feel for the bike and managed to get a win.
“When it comes to British Superbikes I’m not expecting anything. It is a chance to see how I get on and it would be naïve to think I can go there and get on the podium.
“The F 900 is supposed to be an entry-level series, but you have ex-Moto GP riders in there. They are professionals who would not dream of going out on a used tyre – that’s the difference.”
Morgan is a former motocross rider and has credited the service for helping him make the step up to track racing.
“I love the thrill of it,” he said of the transition. “There is more of a crowd, and the environment is really good. It’s also safer.
“As a civvy, if you’re not working, you’re not earning, but the army gives me time off to come and compete and there is funding available for things like tyres and entrance fees.
“I’m not sure what I’ll do next season in terms of series and British Superbikes but I’m still new to this and I have plenty of years ahead.”
The set-up is also on a mission to attract newcomers to the sport and Capt Mark Felton and LCpl Abi Faulkner (both REME) are among those embarking on their rookie seasons.
The former has been racing with one of four army teams in No Limits’ endurance competition, while the latter has been putting her skills on the tools to good use as part of the pit crew.
“The best thing about this is the team ethic,” Felton said. “As the new guy I was a bit worried coming in, thinking the other riders would be focused on being the fastest.
“But they are here to help. A session has just finished, and we were chatting about the gearing for different corners – there is a real collective spirit.
“I am racing in team four and we are not going to be pushing for the podium as it is our first year. It is about progression and finishing races.
“Each round is different, but some can last for six hours. You’ll ride for at least 20 minutes before changing so it is physically demanding. You are trying to go as fast as you can, but you still need to focus – if you make a mistake, it can be all over.”
Like Felton, Faulkner joined the team for winter training in Spain ahead of the new season and while she took her bike out on the track, she is content with a role in the pits for now.
“I’ve always been involved with road bikes,” she said. “I saw the army team on Instagram and got involved from there.
“I like getting hands on as part of the pit crew. A lot of the riders know their bikes well, but we are here to help. That can be anything from checking tyre pressures to rebuilding a machine after a crash.
“You learn to appreciate racing from the pit lane.
“In the last round at Anglesey, I was crewing for one of the endurance teams in a four-and-a-half-hour race, while also running the pit board.
“We only had two riders and there were a lot of issues and crashes in the race, but we survived it.
“I want to keep coming back to learn more while also continuing to ride, even if that’s just at track days.” Follow the team’s progress via @armymrrt on Instagram.
