Jack’s keen to bounce back

JACK Burrows is hoping a frustrating start to the 2025 R&G British Talent Cup will turn into a successful conclusion.

The 15-year-old Dungannon lad went into the new year with high hopes but a series of misfortune – mechanical issues and over-zealous riding by opponents – has left him crossing his fingers for a change in luck.

The Cookstown High School pupil looked to be heading towards his best results of the year at Silverstone before disaster struck when he was taken out two corners from the end by a rival, ending his podium bid and last time out at Snetterton, a fall by another rider left him again cursing his luck as the top 10 beckoned.

Despite suffering from a mechanical issue at Silverstone during the MotoGP weekend, Burrows was riding well and he got to within touching distance of the top three.

“Qualifying and race one at Silverstone were so good. In race one I was in the front group for the first time [this season] in the dry but then my engine dropped off which is why I dropped off so much in the closing stages and then in race two, which was wet, because the engine had dropped off, it didn’t really matter.

“The rider makes the difference in the wet and we were in the leading pack and it was a fight between four of us for two spots on the podium. Me and Ryan [Frost] dropped off a bit two or three laps before the end but going into the last lap we caught them again and I was just biding my time.

“I passed Ryan on the way out of Becketts and on the back straight he got me back again because of my engine having dropped off – I was so down on speed – but somehow I passed three of them going into the top corner.

“And then, Filip [Surowiak] tried to go up the inside of me and wiped both of us out, which meant I had to say good-bye to a British Championship podium two corners before the end!”

A similar story unfolded at Snetterton at the following round with set up issues and a mechanical gremlin leaving him 17th on the grid for race one before he decided to withdraw from the opener.

But, having seemingly rectified the problem, he remounted for race two and he was soon on the brink of the top 10 before disaster again struck.

“I had to start at the back of the grid [for race two] in 23rd out of 26 and by lap five or six I was up to 11th, closing in on 10th and then on lap nine, the guy behind me missed his braking point and crashed just in front of me, which meant I had to pull more brake to avoid him and folded the front as well. So, that was a double DNF,” he explained.

Despite the numerous recent set-backs, Jack remains confident better times lie ahead this year, starting this coming weekend at Brands Hatch.

“I’m very frustrated [with how the season has unfolded],” he admitted. “Hopefully my luck will change at some stage and we believe we have sorted the issue. I’m getting there with the bike and set up and with myself, the mental side, it’s definitely getting better. We’re making progress.

“It’s just about it all coming together on one weekend, so hopefully we get a smooth, trouble-free weekend at Brands Hatch where we can get into the top 10 hopefully.