Clogher’s Keith Farmer can afford a wry smile after stealing a march over his rivals following a controversial warm-weather pre-season test at Cartagena in Spain.

The reigning National Superstock champion has stepped up in class this season as he attempts to make his presence felt in the elite MCE British Superbike Championship.

Farmer has an unrivalled mentor in 2012 champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne in Paul Bird’s Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team and the pair had the luxury of meaningful track time at former Honda Britain boss Barry Symmons’ annual Cartagena test earlier this month.

The trip abroad paid dividends after the official BSB tests last week were marred by freezing temperatures at Brands Hatch and Snetterton.

Foreign tests were banned by BSB bosses for 2013, however Farmer’s team boss Bird had no hesitation in exploiting a loophole in the rulebook.

The regulations governing pre-season testing grant teams running BSB/FIM-spec engines and non- Motec electronics some leeway and Bird’s Rapid Solicitors outfit manoeuvred around the ban by using Kawasaki kit parts in Spain.

Series director Stuart Higgs’ said that although no rules were directly broken, the sporting actions of the team were ‘debatable’.

Ultimately, the decision by Bird proved a shrewd move as Ulsterman Farmer and defending BSB champion Byrne rattled off countless laps in dry conditions at Cartagena while the majority of their BSB rivals were hindered by winter weather and plunging track temperatures last week.

Former Irish Supermoto star Farmer certainly has no regrets.

He told the News Letter: “We didn’t get out at all at Brands Hatch and Snetterton] although we did manage a few laps at Donington before that, although it was so cold we didn’t get much time.

“You can’t learn a lot when you’re out on track in the cold.

“We’d already been to Spain so we managed to get plenty of time and get a head-start.

“Other teams weren’t happy but we changed electronics and used different tyres and the way things turned out with the weather it means we’re ahead of everyone else,” he added.

“It cost Paul a fortune to send us there and use kit ECUs but it was something Paul wanted to do.

“He went out of his way to send us to Spain and in the end it turned out a good decision because of the poor weather at the officials tests in the UK.

“I think the decision to have a foreign testing ban was wrong anyway because you can’t rely on British weather and I think the poor weather last week has come back to bite them,” said Farmer, who won the Superstock 600 crown in 2011 before following up last year in the 1000cc class.

“They’ve lifted the ban now because of the bad weather and I’d say next year now it’ll be back to how it was before.”

Farmer completed over 200 laps at Cartagena as he continues to familiarise himself with the ZX-10R Superbike ahead of the opening British Superbike round at Brands Hatch next month.

“I did over 200 laps at Cartagena and at the end I was only a second and a half slower than ‘Shakey’ so we’re not a million miles away,” he said.

“I was over a two seconds behind the fastest Superstock rider in Spain last year so I’m not too worried about the difference.

“It wasn’t really about lap times, it was more a chance to learn more about the bike and find out where we are strong and where we need to work.

“I just used the time to get comfortable on the bike and the main thing for me is getting used to the different tyres,” he added.

The Clogher Bullet is drawing on the reserves of knowledge of new crew chief Mark ‘Brains’ Woodage and slowly but surely is forming a plan of attack for the opener at Brands, where he has set himself a target of finishing in the top ten.

“I’m working with a new crew chief, Mark ‘Brains’ Woodage, and it’s been great having him there to explain what I’m doing wrong by looking at the telemetry and analysing where we can improve.”


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