Success for Vale-based bikers at Mallory Park and Snetterton

Lee Rance heading the pack at Mallory Park's EMRA race event on Sunday (Photo James Beckett)

Last weekend proved a successful one for Vale-based motorcycle racers Lee Rance and Mark Biswell, who were both in action across the Midlands at the Mallory Park and Donington Park tracks.

For Aylesbury-based Rance, Mallory Park proved a happy hunting ground as, when riding his 1100cc Aprilia, he was able to storm to victory in both of the East Midland Racing Association (EMRA) Rookie races.

In the opening encounter for race newcomers, Rance headed off the challenge of Honda rider Douglas Robinson, and later in the day on a damp track won from Adam Masters by the narrow margin of just 0.349 seconds at the fall of the chequered flag.

Earlier in the day the CGR Plumbing-supported racer also recorded second and third place results in the EMRA Open races around the fast lakeside track that proves so popular with club motorcycle racers.

Just a few miles up the road at Donington Park, Mark Biswell was on-track in the latest BMRMC race event, riding a Bizzle Bikesport Yamaha YZF R6 in Thunderbike Extreme races.

The Quainton racer scored third in class finishes in each of his four races across the weekend, recording a best overall finish of 11th in his final race of the weekend on Sunday afternoon.

Rance is expected to continue his EMRA club championship season at Mallory Park at the beginning of July, with Biswell's in action on the same weekend at Lincolnshire's Cadwell Park.

*Steller Motorsport continued their GT World Challenge season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Sunday, when they raced their Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R to eighth in the Silver Cup class and thirty-second overall in the latest three-hour race of the championship's Endurance Cup.

Driven by Matisse Lismont, Daniel Ali and Lorcan Hanafin, the trio of racers battled hard around the course that is home to the Italian Grand Prix for the Vale-based squad, who as a team will next be in action for the Spa 24 Hours later this month. The Mercedes AMG Mann-Filter car of Lucas Auer, Matteo Cairoli and Maro Engel were declared the winners at the end of the race.

*Ross Gunn starts his quest for 24 Hours of Le Mans success this weekend, when he is scheduled to take part in the event's Test Day. Gunn will drive the number 007 Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar in France on Sunday, as The Heart of Racing Aston Martin squad start their final preparations for the world famous endurance race.

The Le Mans circuit uses sections of the public highway, and with roads closed for track use, the French countryside will echo to the sounds of over sixty racing machines throughout Sunday as all competitors entered into the big race enjoy the opportunity to test for six hours prior to next week's race event.

Gunn does have previous Le Mans experience, but 2025 will mark the race debut for the new V12-powered Aston Martin Valkyrie. Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble will join Gunn in the lead Aston, while a second Valkyrie, number 009, will be driven by Alex Riberas, Marco Sorensen and Roman De Angelis.

*Josh Steed will race around the famous Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans on Sunday, when he contests a Ligier European Series race in France.

The Aston Clinton-based racer will share driving duties in a Nielsen Racing Ligier JS P4 prototype with Ben Caisley for the fifth race of the 2025 season for French-manufactured Ligier cars.

This special race will take place during the 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day event, with free practice and qualifying sessions taking place in the morning, prior to a race on Sunday afternoon.