By Next to take part in Road Racing News, revamped Oliver’s Mount Top 8 series is top six, Steve Henshaw Gold Cup Supersport (B) race finisher, Adam ‘Stretch’ Rayner.
Three times a top ten clincher on debut at Scarborough, during the most recent Cock O’The North edition, his answers to the set of questions, are as follows:
Q1: First memory of Oliver’s Mount?
“First memory of it was some random clip on YouTube when I was a kid, watching them go over Jefferies Jumps all squirrely ha-ha, looked ace.”
Q2: Favourite part about racing at the mount?
“How laid back it is, all day long, you get BSB or high level club racing and it’s nothing more than a bunch of wannabe superstars taking themselves far too seriously thinking the worlds watching.
I love Oliver’s Mount because it’s one of not many road races left, it’s a bunch of laid back, down to earth blokes ran by a bunch of laid back, down to earth staff and Marshal’s that all do it because they love it.
You’ll never impress anyone there, we all do it for one reason, ourselves and nobody else, if you came first or last, everyone goes home happy.
As well as this it’s like any road race, short circuits are too policed and too safe and wrapped in too much cotton wool, maybe some of us want to skim a hedge row and brick wall at mad speeds, that is specifically where you find that buzz, you’ll not get at any short circuit event.”
Q3: Favourite section of Scarborough course?
“I want to say the jumps because I love getting air over the mountain at Cadwell but if I had to choose, I’d say it’ll be the top section from Quarry hill all the way to memorial out.
I try my best to get some proper speed through there and straight line it as best I can, watching the road go around me, skimming the hedge and grass with the bike protesting, love it.”
Q4: Best moment thus far at Scarborough?
“Best moment I’d say was my first ever race round there this year (2025), back in the Cock ‘O’ The North.
I was a bag of nerves making my road racing debut and riding with my head not my heart, I went out with wrong gearing and an awful qualifying position.
I made a tyre gamble which paid off, and I went from near dead last to 5th place in the pouring rain while making some properly jammy (but still respectful) moves to get through the pack, loved it.”
Q5: All time Scarborough racing hero?
“Scarborough hero? Haven’t really got one to be honest with you but what I will say is, have you seen that Adam Shelton ride a CB500 round that place?
Bloody mental, he’s either fully sideways or flat out round a bend he shouldn’t be going flat out round, as well as that he’s on the ball, every gear change, every downshift, track placement so on and so on.”
Q6: Is there one machine in particular that you would like to race at Scarborough?
“I’d love to take a 1000 round there, it’s all I’ve known really from my (public) road riding days, I’ve only recently jumped down to a 6 (600) specifically to race here.
Yeah, I’d love to attack it with an RR under me.”
Q7: One word to describe Oliver’s Mount?
“Honest. It’s a very honest circuit, no lies told and what you see is what you get, it also keeps you honest whenever you get a bit too cocky or complacent.”
Q8: Most respected racing rival at Scarborough?
“Haven’t really got one in-particular to be honest, I was hoping to stick in the B group (supersport) this year then move up but they moved me up so the faces around me changed.
I just want to be near the sharp end of it, but I respect anyone and everyone who races there equally, sure there are some I speak too more often than others, but I respect the entire paddock, fair play to the lads.”
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
