Racer Andy Herd targets more joy after a year of success

Andy Herd competed in his first ever racing championship in 2021 at the grand old age of 38.

And the daredevil showed that age is no barrier as he secured a super second-placed finish in the No Limits Supertwins Club Championship.

He is now hoping to follow that by going one better this year and he has also set his sights on bigger achievements, dipping his toe in road racing with the final goal of racing in Ireland and at Isle of Man’s famous Manx Cup.

First, though, he has the small matter of making sure his Kawasaki 650 CC twin cylinder is in optimum shape.

Between the no limits rounds he will be dipping his toe into real road racing, events similar to the Isle of Man, held on closed roads. There are a number of these events held in Ireland

Herd said: “In late November 2021, I rolled open the workshop doors to take a long hard look at the bike that had carried me to some fantastic results through the 2021 season,” said Herd, who works during the day as a gas engineer.

"It had been a tough year following numerous crashes at numerous tracks, the damage sustained to it was quite bad.

"At the start of the year, the bike was in pristine condition. Everything brand new, shiny and clean.

"Now , looking at it, it's full of scuffs dents, broken panels. I grabbed the notepad and started writing down the long list of parts I needed to buy before stripping the bike down to put it back to its former glory.” This season the championship will take him to circuits all over the country, including Snetterton, Anglesey, Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Cadwell Park and Croft.

The No Limits Championships is also holding an eight-hour endurance race at Oulton Park, which Herd is set to enter riding his BMW 1000RR Superbike.

"The bike has had a full a full strip down, right back to a bare frame and rebuilt,” he said.

"Every nut and bolt that's needed replacing has been changed everything repainted every part inspected to ensure it's ready.”

Herd thanked his sponsors ALC Steel, owned and run by Ashley Cornall. He also thanked his father Steve, who has also provided financial support.

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