So Damon Smith 2017 Season finished on a high, grabbing 3rd Place in the Metzler/DTR 1300 Streetstocks

 So thats it, the 2017 race season is over and we finished on a high ! We went into the final race at Thruxton near Andover, 3rd place in the championship standings 22 points clear and on Saturday I clinched 3rd place in the Metzler/DTR Streetstock 1300cc Championship !! 

I arrived early afternoon on friday to set up and prepare the bike as the bike still had the wet wheels on from the last race meeting at Pembrey and as the forcast looked overcast but dry for Saturday, the dry tyres were put on. Saturday morning dawned wet so I quickly swapped the wheels back for wets 
First practice was wet but after making a small change to tyre pressures the bike felt softer and more forgiving around the fastest circuit in the UK and I set the 12th fastest time out of 50 riders in the session mixed with faster and more experinced riders. My first race was the first race of the day and although the wind was drying the track, it was still too damp for dry tyres. I started 6th on the grid and made a good start with most people opting for wet tyres and after a few good battles with bikes in my class and other classes and scrabbling around on a fast fading rear tyre I crossed the line in 6th place. 
The all important championship points scoring race was dry enough for dry tyres. I made a good start held off a group of 5 bikes and made progress picking off a Honda Fireblade in my class to steal 5th place gaining 11 points enough to secure the third place overall. The slow down lap it began to sink in as I had been third in the championship before back in 2015 but lost it at the final round, but not this year ! So as the pressure was off now I decided to try and get a place on the grid to play with the big boys in the unlimited Powerbike class. As i didnt race in the qualifier I had to start 39th out of 40 on the grid. I just wanted to see how I would go against a lot faster bikes and try and get them to pull me along to improve my laptimes which I did knocking 0.8 seconds off my fastest of the weekend. The first lap into the complex i missed my breaking marker and had to stamp on the brakes with the bike fishtailing undernerath me but somehow got it stopped and after a great race with a gaggle of Zx10r's, a Ducati 1198 and a GSXR1000 i block passed into the final chicane and scrabbled across the line in 16th and I didnt get lapped by runaway champion Josh Day To celebrate on a now knackered rear tyre meant one thing...burnout !! 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my loyal sponsors who have stuck with me again this year, Paul Redmore & Judith of PJ Parcels & Light Haulage, Dan Lou Howley of 26FIT Gym, Nigel Eddleston-Dike of EDP Photonews, Andy Forbes-Buckingham of AFB Motorcycles, Jonathan Burt of New Road Motorcycles, Jennifer Shone of Knox and Rob Turner of Tor Printing Co. I would also like to thank Dad Stuart Smith for advice even though he couldnt make any races this year due to ill health, my Mum Linda Smith, my son Leon for being my Team Manager/Chief Mechanic, and my amazing girlfriend Cat Barnstable who all support me and help me to live the dream, without them all it wouldnt be possible.