Caythorpe father and son go head-to-head on Ducati Monsters at Cadwell Park

Caythorpe motorcycle racer Jason Dixon and his youngest son Oliver competed in the final round of the NG Road Racing Motorcycle Club Ducati Desmo Due Championship at Cadwell Park last weekend.

Due to work commitments, the pair had to miss the last two rounds at Castle Combe and Anglesey, but Cadwell Park is their home circuit so they were not going to miss this one.

Oliver turned 21 in August so for his birthday father Jason bought him a Class A Ducati Monster bike – the same as his, so they would now be competing in the same race.

Jason said that Friday practice was so hot, “the tyres felt like chewing gum”.

He said: “The bikes were moving around so much, riders were crashing out in every session.”

Saturday race day was no better. Free practice went OK for Jason and Oliver, but everyone was just trying to find a setting that worked in the severe heat. And then it was into qualifying.

Jason said: ”The session was only 12 minutes long so finding a clear track with 45 riders on was difficult, but I managed third in class and 11th on the grid with a time of 1min 49.7sec. Oliver came home in 10th with a lap time of 1:53.6.”

Jason enjoyed a blinding start to race one, so good that the officials deemed him to have jumped the lights.

He said: “The race was text book. I tucked in behind the third place rider then, two laps in, I out-braked them into Park, moving up to third.

“By this time, the leader had disappeared so second place was up for grabs.

“On the last lap we both climbed the famous Mountain section, nose to tail through Hall Bends.

“When we arrived at the Old Hairpin, the 169 bike went defensive, hugging the inside line. So I let the brakes off and rode around the outside, taking second place.”

However, that was short lived as his 10-second jump start penalty put him back to third.

Oliver finished the race in a respectable ninth.

Sunday saw two more races. After his jump start the previous day, Jason said he was conscious that the start line officials were keeping a close eye on him. Consequently, he suffered a terrible start, losing six places going into the first corner.

Jason said: ”It took me five laps to get back to my third place, where I finished.”

Oliver finished in ninth with a personal best lap time of 1:49.7.

Starting from ninth for the final race of the year was not looking perfect for Jason.

But, he said: “The lights went out and third time lucky I got away well, getting up to second place for the entire race until the penultimate lap, where the championship leader slipped past to claim second.”

Oliver came home in seventh.

Jason said it had been a fantastic weekend’s racing, with three third places for himself and a seventh and two ninths for Oliver.

Jason said: ”I finished fourth in the championship which I’m happy with considering I missed two rounds.

”Must say a big thank you to all the team for the help and support they have given Oliver and myself this year

“A special thanks to my wife Courtney for all the sacrifices she makes so we can go racing. Looking forward to next season already.”