Ian Lougher got his 2013 season underway on Sunday when he returned to the Ian Watson Spring Cup National Road Races meeting at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough after a one year absence.

The circuit's most successful ever rider came away from the meeting, the 180th road race at the North Yorkshire venue since the first race in 1946, with some valuable track time under his belt as he keeps one eye firmly on the forthcoming North-West 200 and Isle of Man TT races.

For the 2013 season on the roads, Ian has teamed up with W.A. Corless/Jackson Racing and renewed his partnership with Repli-Cast UK Racing.

Good weather was forecast for the meeting and this was indeed the case as practice got underway promptly at 9am in excellent conditions for the first road race of the season and the opening round of the Duke Road Race Rankings Championship of which Lougher was the inaugural winner back in 2002 and has since won on two more occasions.

Ian's first race of the day was in the Ultra-Lightweight/400cc race with his big threat coming from his regular sparring partner and pole position man Chris Palmer. And indeed it was Palmer who got the hole-shot as the 6-lap race got underway. Palmer was leading the pack by 1.9 seconds at the end of the first lap, followed by Lougher, and Alistair Haworth and the gap was similar as they completed their second lap with Ian still in second.

At half distance Ian, on the Repli-Cast UK Racing machine, had reduced the leader's advantage to 1.6 seconds but Palmer responded with a sub two minute lap next time round to increase his advantage to 2.5 seconds with Lougher now coming under pressure from Haworth. The penultimate lap saw the Manxman once again increase his lead to over three seconds and at the flag it was Palmer took the victory by 4.19 secs from Alistair Haworth with Ian third.

Ian's next race was Race 3 of the day, the first heat for the feature Ian Watson Spring Cup over four laps. Ian quickly tucked in behind early leader Paul Gartland who led by just 0.17secs at the end of the first lap. On the second lap it was still Gartland from Lougher with Jamie Hamilton, Davy Morgan and Mick Goodings also in contention. Hamilton took over the lead with a lap to go followed by Ian with the two starting to break clear and this was the positions at the chequered flag with Ian a clear second from Davy Morgan.

Race 6, the first leg of the Junior 600, saw Ian's first appearance on the W.A. Corless/Jackson Racing bike and unfortunately after running in the top six for the first four laps, the Welshman had to retire from proceedings on the sixth lap.

After a well earned break, it was on to the W.A. Corless/Jackson Racing Superbike for the first leg of the Ian Watson Spring Cup. Guy Martin grabbed the early initiative and led at the end of the opening lap from Michael Pearson with Lougher in third.

At half distance, Martin's advantage was 2.9 seconds from Pearson and Hamilton with Ian fourth from Dean Harrison and Goodings. Ian held Harrison off for another lap before the Bradford man got past with two laps to go and it was Martin who took the win with Ian a secure fifth.


It was straight out again and back to the smaller machinery for Ian as he renewed his rivalry with Chris Palmer in the Ultra Lightweight/400 second leg.

Again it was Palmer who got the hole-shot from pole and he led at the end of the opening lap by 1.66 seconds from Ian with Seamus Elliott in third and the lead was similar at the end of the second lap.

At half race distance the lead was up to 2 seconds with positions remaining the same. Palmer extended his advantage to 2.7 seconds at the end of the fourth lap and a further second was added by the end of the penultimate lap with Ian a lonely second by almost 7 seconds from Elliott and it remained that way at the flag.

Ian had barely time to catch his breath, as next up was the second leg of the 600cc event.

Daniel Frear grabbed the lead into Mere Hairpin as the riders set off on the first of the six-laps, but it was Michael Pearson who led the pack at the end of the opening lap. Ivan Lintin was second from Frear, Harrison, Martin and Lougher with a gap developing to seventh place man Goodings.

Half distance saw Guy Martin in front followed three-quarters of a second behind by Lintin then came Harrison, Pearson, Lougher and Hamilton.

On the fifth lap Ian was riding strongly to hold off Hamilton but just lost out on the last lap, finishing sixth by just 0.32 seconds.

With spots of rain now falling, Lougher's final race of the day was the second leg of the Ian Watson Spring Cup race and he was riding well in fifth when the race was red-flagged on the fourth lap.

So a satisfactory outing for Ian with three finishes in the top three and a total of five placings in the top six from six starts.



Photo: © Stuart Watson
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