British Superbike stars reveal how they got into motorbike racing
Dave Sellers – Photo courtesy of Ian Hopgood
Motorsport is notoriously hard to break into, especially motorcycle racing, but one team who break down these barriers for UK service personnel is True Heroes Racing.
Earlier this month, we caught up with the riders of True Heroes Racing to ask them the questions fans wanted to know; including how they got into motorcycle racing.
Q&As to British Superbike riders
We asked #61, Dave “Salty” Sellers, and #22, Dave Mackay, some of your most burning questions.
Bikesure: How did you get into motorcycle riding?
Dave Sellers: Through my dad. My earliest memory is of my dad on a Triumph Thunderbird with me sitting on his tank wearing a plastic policeman’s helmet. That was before health and safety, of course! The rest, as they say, is history.
Bikesure: How did you find out about True Heroes Racing?
Sellers: In 2013, I had just retired from racing for the first time and was spannering for a friend in the Triumph Triple Challenge. I came across and met True Heroes Racing in the BSB paddock.
Bikesure: Did you have any previous motorcycle racing experience prior to joining True Heroes?
Sellers: I started racing in 2003 when I left the Royal Navy. Then I did club racing for years and found I was pretty good at it – when I wasn’t drinking and enjoying the social aspect too much.
So, I thought I’d step up to the BSB paddock and have a go at the Triumph Triple Challenge. In 2014, I went on to do the Manx GP and classic TT for two years, before progressing to the Isle of Man TT in 2016. In 2017, I retired from racing after a crash at the TT that year and losing friends there.
I came out of retirement in 2018 when Phil (True Heroes Founder and Team Principal) asked me to race a wildcard in the Ducati TriOptions Cup at Assen for True Heroes Racing.
Bikesure: What advice would you give a fellow serviceman who was thinking of getting into racing?
Sellers: Find someone you trust, everyone tries to help and give advice in the paddock but a lot of it is bull. Find a trusty source, someone that’s been there and done it, and stick with them. These people are generally older and covered in oil!
Seriously though it’s not as hard as you think to get into it, but go in with your eyes open and your wallet fat!
Bikesure: What has been your greatest achievement or best moment since joining True Heroes?
Sellers: It would be easy to say a race result, but I have to say helping one of the True Heroes Racing beneficiaries, Nathan, to get back on his feet and start a new life.
Dave Mackay – Photo courtesy of Ian Hopgood
Bikesure: How did you find out about True Heroes Racing?
Dave Mackay: I saw them in the club paddock the year they formed back in 2012, so I was aware of the team. I went along to help at a few meetings a couple of years later in 2014 and then the following year rode with them in the Ducati Cup.
Bikesure: What advice would you give a fellow serviceman who was thinking of getting into racing?
Mackay: Do it, especially if you are still serving. Otherwise, you will have to get a real job to pay for it and as we all know, it’s not cheap!
Bikesure: What has been your greatest achievement/best moment since joining True Heroes?
Mackay: Getting the Grassroots programme up and running. Seeing people who thought it was going to be too restrictive to race a bike, obtaining a race licence and get on the grid was/is extremely rewarding. Especially when progress is tangible over the course of a race season.
Q&As to Ducati TriOptions Cup competitors
We asked Ducati TriOptions Cup competitors #15, Leon Wilton, #44, Charlie White, and #89, Chris Ganley, about their experiences racing.
Leon Wilton – Photo courtesy of Barry Clay
Bikesure: What advice would you give a fellow serviceman who was thinking of getting into racing?
Leon Wilton: First of all, look into how much it is going to cost. It has a massive impact on your racing and ability to race. I think it’s a lifestyle more than a sport. It’s something that you cannot just dip in and out of.
Bikesure: What has been your greatest achievement/best moment since joining True Heroes?
Wilton: My best moments so far with True Heroes Racing have been: getting points in the first race weekend at Silverstone, and racing in the World Superbikes, looking for my best result by battling with 12th, but unfortunately crashed out. But still a great achievement.
Bikesure: Did you have any previous motorcycle racing experience prior to joining True Heroes?
Wilton: I had two years worth of endurance race experience for Team Army, before moving to Sprint racing in the Interservice Championship, where I won the championship in 2020 upon joining True Heroes.
Charlie White – Photo courtesy of Ian Hopgood
Bikesure: How did you find out about True Heroes Racing?
Charlie White: As a motorbike race fan, I always kept a close eye on results and saw the True Heroes Racing team through that. It was only at the end of last year though when I was introduced to the team and saw first-hand what it was all truly about.
Bikesure: Did you have any previous motorcycle racing experience prior to joining True Heroes?
White: As I’m a serving Royal Marine Commando, I started my racing career through the Royal Navy Royal Marine Road Race team after joining them in 2016 to race in the Interservices Championship. I started racing on a Triumph Daytona 675 and then after a year or so I moved onto racing a Honda CB500 until the end of the 2021 season.
Bikesure: What has been your greatest achievement/best moment since joining True Heroes?
White: Getting two 11th place finishes at Cadwell Park and getting points for the team. Getting points this year was my main goal after moving to the BSB paddock and riding a completely different bike.
Since I started, the thought of racing at British Supersport had always been a dream. This year the team gave me that opportunity at my local track Thruxton, which was so surreal.
Chris Ganley – Photo courtesy of Ian Hopgood
Bikesure: What has been your greatest achievement/best moment since joining True Heroes?
Chris Ganley: Qualifying at Donnington Park for the WSBK support round, it was my first time qualifying to race at such an amazing track, and as far as I’m aware the first one armed rider ever to qualify at a national level of racing.
Bikesure: What advice would you give a fellow serviceman who was thinking of getting into racing?
Ganley: What a great bunch of guys and girls, all with similar passion and camaraderie, everyone has all similar backgrounds and all so welcoming. If you have a draw to the racing, what a great way to watch and get involved.
Bikesure: How did you get into motorcycle riding?
Ganley: When I was younger I always wanted to ride, my uncle took me on the back of his Fireblade when I was about ten and always had the bug for it, but I didn’t start riding till my second tour. When I came back for my two weeks’ leave, I booked in for a CBT to see what it was all about and loved every second of it. Once I came back, I booked in to get my full licence.
Bikesure: Did you have any previous motorcycle racing experience prior to joining True Heroes?
Ganley: After I was discharged from the Army I started racing a Yamaha YZF-R1 in 2017 in a club called Thundersport, which I found out over the last few weeks is closing down which is a huge shame. I raced the R1 for three years until I was forced to change to a Yamaha R6, which I raced last year in the same club.
Q&As to Grassroots riders
We ask grassroots riders Chris Duggan (#3), Chris Jacketts (#10), and associate rider James Cleary (#87) about their experiences with True Heroes Racing.
Chris Duggan – Photo courtesy of Dave Mackay
Bikesure: How did you find out about True Heroes Racing?
Chris Duggan: I was a patient at the Military Rehabilitation hospital and was asked if I wanted to go to Brands Hatch BSB and meet True Heroes Racing. I was told by the staff what the team was about, and was immediately very interested in meeting them. I couldn’t have met a nicer bunch of people.
Bikesure: What advice would you give a fellow serviceman who was thinking of getting into racing?
Duggan: Come along, meet the team and see what it’s all about. See how it helps people who have their ups and downs from both mental and physical injuries. Racing and working on the bikes is a great form of medication and gives you that break from all worries you have even if it’s just for a short time.
Chris Jacketts – Photo courtesy of Dave Mackay
Bikesure: What advice would you give a fellow serviceman who was thinking of getting into racing?
Chris Jacketts: Encourage them to get on track as soon as possible even just a track day, if the interest and desire is there then go for it. It is so easy to keep putting it off and doubt our own ability, just go for it and the community is so helpful!
Bikesure: What has been your greatest achievement or best moment since joining True Heroes?
Jacketts: Difficult one as I’ve had so many good times with the team, even just watching others achieve what they thought they couldn’t.
Mine though is building and helping to develop the Ducati V2s this season and my involvement in helping Dan Cleary get back on a bike and back on track after his lower limb amputation.
Also chasing Chris Duggan around Cadwell Park during the IMS 600 Race with NG Road Racing, never laughed so much whilst trying to ride a bike.
James Cleary – Photo courtesy of Dave Mackay
Bikesure: How did you find out about True Heroes Racing?
James Cleary: We have watched BSB for years as a family and my dad saw the team on TV. He contacted them to see if he could help out in any way. Due to my dad being injured in service, it was a way of him and I being surrounded by like minded people during a tough time.
Bikesure: What has been your greatest achievement or best moment since joining True Heroes?
Cleary: Winning the Newcomer 500 Championship whilst being able to support and promote True Heroes Racing was a great achievement for me, but being able to watch my dad pass his ACU after his amputation with their support was the best moment.
Fancy the thrill of the track?
Now you know about the amazing riders of True Heroes Racing, perhaps this has whet your appetite on spending a day at a track yourself?
With that in mind, it’s reassuring to know that as well as brilliant bespoke motorcycle insurance, Bikesure can organise special cover for trackdays and other bike events from as little as £67.20, and if you’re a member of Motorsport UK it’ll be even cheaper with our exclusive discount scheme.
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