British Talent Cup: O’Gorman starts the season with Oulton Park double

Casey O’Gorman (Microlise Cresswell Racing) started the 2021 British Talent Cup season in perfect fashion and did the double at Oulton Park. After a comfortable win in Race 1, he was saved from a late challenge from Carter Brown (City Lifting by RS Racing) by a red flag that ended Race 2 after 10 laps.

Brown and Evan Belford (City Lifting / RS Racing) were the closest challengers all weekend and occupied the remaining podium spots in both races.

With two wins at the opening round, O’Gorman leads the championship by 14 points each from Belford and Carter. The third City Lifting by RS Racing rider Johnny Garness sits fourth with a 26 points deficit to the top.

RACE 1

Brown took the holeshot from pole ahead of O’Gorman and James Cook (Wilson Racing). Wasting no time on the opening lap, Cook claimed second and the front duo started to break. The #34 challenged for the lead and as the front two ruffled each other’s feathers, O’Gorman managed to stay with them.

The red flag came out on Lap 2 when Cook highsided coming out of Shell Oils and was stranded on track. Desperately trying to avoid him, Harrison Dessoy (Thorneycroft56 Racing) crashed too and the race was stopped to attend to the riders who mercifully were both conscious.

At the restart Brown again led through Old Hall but O’Gorman instantly put pressure on his opponent. Belford and Garness were the only riders able to keep up with the pair and were trailing in third and fourth respectively.

Brown did well to keep O’Gorman behind him who in turn increasingly had his hands full with Belford. Halfway through the race, the front trio were separated by less than four tenths and although they looked punchy, the running order stayed the same.

O’Gorman finally took his chance on Lap 6 and claimed the lead through the chicane into Clay Hill. Brown tried to retaliate straight away but ran wide at Druids and fell into third. Belford briefly took the lead on Lap 7, but O’Gorman fought back immediately and started to gap his opponents. Brown had a couple of warning looks at Belford and the teammates started to exchange punches on the final lap.

O’Gorman became the first winner of 2021 while Belford narrowly beat Brown to second. Ryan Hitchcock (Wilson Racing) finished fourth ahead of Garness who had dropped pace in the late stages of the race. Ollie Walker (MotoRapido / Sp125) was sixth from Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing) and Jamie Lyons (C&M Motors Ltd / Tooltec Racing) while Mason Johnson (Johnson Racing) and Rossi Dobson (WM Racing) rounded out the top 10.

RACE 2

O’Gorman delivered a textbook getaway from pole and comfortably led into Old Hall. Belford lined up in second from Brown and the trio put a couple of bike lengths between themselves and the field on the opening lap already. Their closest challengers were Garness and Walker who were running closely together as a lonely duo in fourth and fifth.

Belford briefly took the lead through Shell Oils on Lap 2, but O’Gorman retaliated straight away and pulled the pin to grind out an advantage early on. Belford and Brown were left contesting for second and had more trouble coming their way as Garness edged in ever closer on the pair.

Halfway into the race, O’Gorman was untouchable out front and proceedings had turned processional behind him as well with Brown, Belford and Garness all settled in P2 to 4. Scattered battles were raving further back in the field with Crosby and Buchanan fighting over fifth while Lyons and Hitchcock contested for seventh.

Brown had found late pace and left Belford behind to hunt down O’Gorman and had closed the gap with three laps remaining. However, O’Gorman did not have to fight for the win as the red flag came out due to a Hitchcock crash and terminated the race prematurely.

Belford claimed the final podium spot in third ahead of Garness and Buchanan who just held Crosby behind him. Lyons was seventh from Sullivan Mounsey (iForce Lloyd & Jones) and Troy Jeffery (Stiggymotorsport) while Bailey Stuart-Campbell (151’s Racing) completed the top 10.