New Zealander set to make North West 200 debut
The 31-year-old will join 2024 treble winner Davey Todd in the Milenco by Padgett's Racing Team and will ride a 1000cc Honda Superstock machine in the Superbike and Superstock races.
Rees beat Todd and top road racer Peter Hickman at the Wanganui Cemetery Circuit in New Zealand last Boxing Day and has been granted the opportunity to step up his road racing involvement this year at the NW200 and Isle of Man TT by vastly experienced team boss Clive Padgett.
'I enjoy street circuits,' said Rees, who visited the Triangle course on the north coast with Todd last week.
'I found them terrifying at first but I learned to make them flow and I started to have some fun.
'These roads are very different to the New Zealand tracks though - none of them at home are this long or as fast.'
Rees' brother Damon passed away in 2023 after battling a non-racing related illness after coming to the UK to compete in the British Supersport Championship.
He will ride with the number 92 plate used by his late brother, but has not set himself any big goals in his first year at the event.
'I have no expectation of any kind of a result for this year,' he said.
'There is so much to learn so I want to do that with minimal risk and come back next year with a plan.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Wales international blasts Louis Rees-Zammit treatment and poses telling question
Wales international blasts Louis Rees-Zammit treatment and poses telling question Louis Rees-Zammit is forging a path in the NFL now Louis Rees-Zammit appeared on the Stock to Rugby podcast (Image: Stick to Rugby/YouTube ) Former Wales hooker Scott Baldwin has criticised the treatment of Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit during the early days of his career. Former Wales wing Rees-Zammit was told he would never play for Wales by former Cardiff defence coach Richard Hodges when he was in the club's academy. The rest is history, with Rees-Zammit moving to England where he took the Gallagher Premiership by storm with Gloucester before winning 32 caps for Wales and touring South Africa with the British & Irish Lions in 2021. Rees-Zammit sensationally quit rugby union for a shot at the NFL early last year but things could have been very different for the 24-year-old. Baldwin, who is now head coach of Super Rygbi Cymru club Bridgend, took to Instagram to criticise Cardiff's approach to Rees-Zammit in those formative years. "Happens too much, another example is Leigh Halfpenny," said Baldwin. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. "No coach at any age has the right to try and kill someone's dream! Article continues below "Imagine Louis Rees-Zammit and Pence (Halfpenny) had listened to those coaches! "I also got told by a coach while at Ospreys a similar thing, luckily he left before he could get rid of me." Rees-Zammit reposted Baldwin's post on his own Instagram reel. Former Wales and British & Irish Lions legend Halfpenny was not offered a contract by the Ospreys at a young age but luckily got picked up by Cardiff. If Rees-Zammit had listened to Hodges' opinion a successful career would have been flushed down the toilet before it had even began. The Jacksonville Jaguars star appeared as a guest of the latest episode of The Overlap's Stick To Rugby podcast, where he spoke about the period prior to him receiving his first international cap. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Rees-Zammit was asked about how he signed for Gloucester's academy from Cardiff Blues (as they were known at the time, now Cardiff Rugby). The winger explained that having gone through the system at Cardiff Schools and Cardiff Blues under-16s, he came to the realisation he wanted to attend Hartpury College in Gloucester. However, the former Wales star claimed that Cardiff Blues gave him a stark ultimatum: "If you go across the bridge, you're not allowed to play for Cardiff." "I ended up just making the decision to leave Cardiff Blues," explained Rees-Zammit. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free "I went over to Hartpury College, and then within two weeks I had a trial at Gloucester, their academy. "Before that, when they ended up making the decision to leave Cardiff Blues and go to Hartpury, it was a tough decision, because there is one person that told me that I would never play for Wales." "That one person who told you that you would never play for Wales, have you seen them recently? Do you want to name and shame him now or not?" asked England legend Lawrence Dallaglio. Article continues below "It's Richard Hodges," answered Rees-Zammit. "He was obviously the Cardiff Blues head of academy at the time." "100% they were trying to scare me," he added. "They said it to me and my dad. I went to watch a Cardiff Blues game as a fan and he said that to me and my dad after. It kind of actually just put me off it, (I thought) I'm definitely going over there now now."
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Tadcaster racing team win 'Fastest Newcomer' at Isle of Man TT
A sidecar racing duo who were crowned 'Best Newcomers' at the Isle of Man TT say they are still riding high on adrenaline after their Kieran Clarke, from Tadcaster, and passenger Andrew Johnson finished fifth overall in the event, the highest ever place on a first-time appearance, hitting a top speed of 114.221mph (183km/h) in the Johnson, 41, described their experience as "crazy" and unlike any race the pair have previously competed in."I should have learnt by now that when [Kieran] says we'll just go out, take it easy and see how it goes, that his version of taking it easy isn't the same as everyone else," he said. Reflecting on the experience, Mr Clarke, 28, added: "It's the adrenaline – we're probably three weeks post the Isle of Man and it's still pumping round your system, it's the strangest feeling."Sidecar racing is a two-person motorsport involving a three-wheel motorcycle with a sidecar, and requires both driver and a passenger to work closely passenger has to shift their weight according to the direction of travel, in order to keep the motorcycle's wheels touching the ground to maximise stability and speed. Mr Clarke and Mr Johnson's partnership started four years ago when they first competed together at an race meet at Brands they had known each other much longer, first meeting when Mr Clarke was eight and Mr Jackson was after a crash last year, which temporarily hospitalised Mr Clarke, the pair have climbed the rankings and are currently second in the British Championship F2 FSRA, with four rounds to go. The Isle of Man TT is one of the most well-known events in the motorsport calendar, and sidecar racing has been a part of the race programme since they duo are well-versed in the demands of short circuit racing, the TT course was a completely different challenge to tackle, according to Mr Johnson."The speed at which you're going on the TT course with the bumps and everything is crazy," he said."You've got to have respect for the course, you've got to understand each other and you've got trust each other."I trust Kieran with the handlebars and I wouldn't have raced with anybody else on that course."The pair are currently focused on the remaining races in the British Championships, but said they were already anticipating a return to the Isle of Man in about what he loves so much about the adrenaline-fuelled sport, Mr Clarke added: "It's just the thrill, there's nothing else like it."People have said to me, 'do you reckon jumping out a plane is just as exciting?' and I think you'd have to get out a big plane somewhere very high to make it equally as good." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Michael Dunlop lays down gauntlet by smashing qualifying record on return to Tandragee 100
The Isle of Man TT star is competing at the Co Armagh meeting at the invitation of personal sponsor Gerry Rice of Around A Pound – the title backers of the national road race. Dunlop smashed the qualifying record to put his MD Racing BMW on pole for Saturday's Open Superbike races. He also finished on the podium in third position in the non-championship Supersport race, despite starting from 17th position on the grid after running into a problem with his Ducati in qualifying. On his last appearance at Tandragee in 2013, Dunlop won both Superbike races by 26 seconds on the McAdoo/Hunts Honda Fireblade. Mike Browne from Cork won the four-lap Supersport race by half-a-second from Skerries man Michael Sweeney, with Dunlop 2.7s back in third on corrected time and clear of Conor Cummins (Burrows/RK Racing Ducati) in fourth. The Ballymoney ace set the fastest lap of the race on the Milwaukee Ducati at 107.445mph and will be fired up to reach the top step in today's Supersport encounter. Dunlop is on a high after winning four more races at the Isle of Man TT to extend his record to 33 victories. He broke his uncle Joey's famous 24-year-old record of 26 wins in 2024. Earlier this month it was announced that Dunlop would be made an MBE in recognition of his motorcycling success, following in the footsteps of Joey, who received an MBE in 1986 and an OBE 10 years later. Last year the 36-year-old stated that Irish national road racing 'was finished', but Dunlop said he was happy to lend his support to the Tandragee organisers. 'The TT will thrive regardless, the North West will thrive regardless (of whether national road racing continues) – that might be controversial,' Dunlop said. 'National road racing used to be the platform to go international road racing. 'Realistically, who is now winning international road races who is a national road racer? We're racing against BSB people now. 'That's who is at the front of the North West now, that's who wants to be riding at the front of the TT.' Dunlop, who started the road racing season with a double at the Cookstown 100 in April, said it was 'nice' to add his name to the Tandragee entry list. 'It's harder for the smaller races,' he said. 'But it's hard to say the people aren't supporting (road racing) any more when you see the amount of people at the North West and TT.' The popular road race, organised by the North Armagh Club, is taking place for the first time since 2022. Earlier, Dunlop recorded a new qualifying lap record on his 1000cc BMW Superstock machine with a speed of 107.97mph. His time of 2:58.174 was around 1.3 seconds quicker than Derek Sheils' record from 2018 (107.212mph). Dunlop secured pole for Saturday's Open and Tandragee 100 races by 2.8s from Sweeney (106.308mph) on the Martin Jones Racing BMW. Browne will line up in third on his 600cc Yamaha. The Irish rider was just under half-a-second down on Sweeney, lapping at 105.866mph. Ramsey rider Cummins was fourth quickest on the Burrows/RK Racing BMW (105.035mph). The top six was completed by Shaun Anderson on the Team Classic Suzuki and Manxman Marcus Simpson (WH Racing powered by Dynobike Honda). Fellow Isle of Man rider Joe Yeardsley was next riding an Aprilia for Trevor Scott, with the top eight rounded out by Ulsterman Neil Kernohan on his Kernohan Racing Yamaha R1. Browne topped the Supersport times at 106.148mph from Sweeney (104.516mph) and Darryl Tweed (104.246mph). Anderson was fourth fastest on his Suzuki ahead of Cummins. Sweeney claimed pole in the Supertwin class on his MSR Aprilia with a speed of 102.344mph, almost four seconds clear of Tweed (Novo Gen by FAO Racing Aprilia). Sweeney will be looking for more success in Saturday's Supertwin race after earning his maiden podium in the class at the North West 200 in May, when he finished as the runner-up in the second race behind Paul Jordan. Kernohan had a strong run on his Aprilia to qualify fourth behind Barry Furber on the DC Autos Yamaha. The Supertwin session was restarted following a red flag stoppage, which resulted in a delay to the evening schedule. Ten races are due to be held on Saturday, with roads closed this morning from 9:30am and reopening by 7pm. The first race for Supertwin/Supermono riders is scheduled to commence at 10am.
