Scott Swann finished his 2017 season on a high with two podiums at the Sunflower Trophy Races at Bishopscourt. In cold and damp conditions Swann finished 3rd in both races behind experienced Moto3 campaigners Richard Kerr and twice British Champion Christian Elkin on their open class Machinery, the first race being the closer of the two with Scott just over a second behind Elkin at the flag. In only his third season racing the young 14 year old has finished in the top 3 every year in successive classes at the prestigious County Down event. With such a full schedule of BSB racing, Scott was only able to compete in two home events this year, the other being an Irish Championship meeting at Kirkistown where he finished 1st and 2nd getting his first overall win in Irish Moto 3.
The main focus for Scott and the Swann racing team this season was the Hell Performance British Motostar Moto3 Standard Championship, where in his rookie year, Swann riding the IFS Honda finished a creditable 8th overall, scoring 162 points. Scott had numerous top 10 finishes throughout the year, but the highlight of his racing battles was a hard fought 4th place finish at Oulton Park while dicing in a 5 rider scrap for the lead, just missing out on his first podium by fractions of a second in the dash to the line. Scott picked a tough year to start in the class, in only the second year of running, the Moto 3 Standard class has proved a very popular and competitive series with over 20 young riders from across the UK and Europe taking part over the season. Such was the level of competition this year that lap records were broken at almost every event. Scott said, “It was a really amazing year in the Moto 3 class, tough, but I really enjoyed it. The hardest thing was at the start or the year getting used to the Moto3 Grand Prix type bike and style of riding, after riding the big KTM RC390 Cup bike last year. But after I got used to slick tyres and the grip, I absolutely loved it and we got quicker as the year went on. You learn so much in the BSB and with so many fast riders you learn to ride on your limit all the time, every session you are on the bike, you have to”
Another highlight of the year for Scott was to be selected at the Silverstone tests, to ride in the brand new British Talent Cup series in 2018. A new series designed and funded by Dorna the governing body and owners of Moto GP, this series will give Swann and other young Grand Prix hopefuls the chance to showcase their talents in front of the motorcycling experts and teams of Moto GP, World Superbike and BSB. The series is seen as a platform and feeder class for potential Grand Prix talent.
What does the future hold for Scott Swann and the small but efficient Swann Racing Team of Scott, friend and mechanic Stephen Ferguson and dad and mechanic Mike. Apart from the huge opportunity of competing in the British Talent Cup, the team at present are hopeful to retain their sponsors and IFS machinery for next season and are looking to competing again in the every growing British Motostar Moto 3 Standard Championship. When asked, Scott said, “I really can’t wait for next year for lots of reasons, the BTC will be brilliant and very tough, with all the best young riders from the UK, Ireland and even some lads that race in Spain, all together in the one race. It’s a great opportunity. I’m also looking forward to riding the same IFS Moto3 again for a second season and build on all the things I’ve learned this year, as every year I’ve raced I’ve always been on a different bike.”
Dad Mike said, “It’s been another brilliant year in BSB, tough but very enjoyable and a good result for first year in Moto3. We put a lot of work in and over the past few seasons racing with Scott, we have simply tried to keep learning and keep moving forward each year, and next year will be no different with the step up in level of competition in the Talent Cup and British Championship. It has worked well so far, so hopefully we can keep going in the right direction, the Talent cup will be a great opportunity. Scott is only 14, but if we can make the right choices early, it can help make the next steps even better. We are very lucky that all our sponsors are also all good friends, so it’s been great to go racing with them. Over the next few weeks we will get talking and confirm our plans for next year. Without these guys it simply wouldn’t happen. Looking forward to 2018”
There’s no doubting, if young Swann continues on his path of progression, the 2018 season will make for an exciting year for Scott and the Swann Racing Team
Scott and the Team would like to thank all their sponsors and everyone that has helped, make 2017 another fantastic seasons.
Images courtesy Scott Swann Racing
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