TAG Racing returned to the podium and took their season-best results at round seven of the ZYN British Superbike Championship, as Matt Truelove took second place in Sunday’s Pirelli National Superstock race, with Charlie Nesbitt taking seventh place in the final race on Sunday.
Following a positive Friday, where the team worked hard with all four riders to develop the Fireblade package, they headed into Saturday full of confidence and prepared for solid results.
However, qualifying would prove challenging for Fraser and Charlie. Although Nesbitt would post what would then be his best time of the weekend, he could only achieve 17th on the grid for the opening 20-lap feature race on Saturday. Rogers would also be left frustrated after failing to improve on his pace from free practice, meaning he would only be able to post a time good enough to line up 21st on the grid.
In stark contrast, Matt Truelove would enjoy a positive Superstock qualifying session, posting a 1:15.821, which would line him up fourth on the grid for Sunday’s 15-lap battle. Jaimie would endure a challenging session and qualify 23rd on the grid; however, he was confident of a good result on Sunday.
The first 20-lap BSB race on Saturday saw Fraser and Charlie enjoy a positive fight, battling in a group as the duo fought their way through the field to achieve two solid points finishes, bringing home 13th and 15th respectively and giving the team good data to reflect on for Sunday’s action.
Following an evening of data crunching, Sunday morning’s warm-up sessions would see Charlie, Fraser and Jaimie improve on their best times of the weekend, with Van Sikkelerus knocking more than one and a half seconds off his PB, while Rogers posted his fastest-ever lap of his home circuit.
The BSB sprint race would once again see Nesbitt and Rogers make great progress and collect solid Championship points. By virtue of their lap times achieved in race one, Spud would start from 10th and Rogers from 13th.
The duo made great starts and battled hard throughout the 12 laps for position. After a race-long fight, Nesbitt would finish in his starting position, with Rogers taking the flag in 14th. However, he was confident that he would race strongly.
The third and final Superbike race of the weekend would see Nesbitt start from 12th, with Fraser 17th, by virtue of their lap times achieved in the sprint race. From the start, the duo made great progress and began to battle hard. Nesbitt sat comfortably on the tail of the leading group. He would race hard throughout the 20 laps, managing his tyre life to perfection and eventually crossing the line in seventh, taking his best result of the 2026 season.
Rogers would also enjoy a positive race, battling hard with a group of four riders and swapping positions throughout the race. On the final two laps, he worked his way into 11th and held his position to the flag, collecting vital Championship points.
Sunday’s Superstock race saw Matt Truelove take his second podium of the season. After a solid start, he ran within the top three throughout the 15 laps. After planning his move, ‘Truey’ forced his way into the lead with three laps to go and got his head down to break clear of the pack. However, as he entered the final complex, the Lincolnshire man outbraked himself and ran through the chicane, forcing the organisers to drop him one position to second after the flag.
Jaimie enjoyed a solid 15-lap fight. After making a strong start, he worked his way through the field, making his way into 18th by the halfway point. The Dutchman then worked hard to hold his position to the flag, crossing the line in 18th.
Charlie Nesbitt: “I’m really pleased with how this weekend has ended. We’ve achieved our best results of the year and we’ve made some real progress with the bike as well, which is a real positive for me. It’s taken some time, and it’s not been easy, but we’ve stuck together as a team and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. We can head to Cadwell now knowing we’re in a much better place.”
Fraser Rogers: “We’ve had a much better weekend this weekend, and I’m pleased to be back in a battle and able to move my way through the field. The final finishing positions aren’t where I want to be, or where the team expects to be, however, we’re pleased with the progress.
“The bike is in a good position and we know there are still areas we can improve for the next round at Cadwell. I need to give my team a big shoutout; they have not stopped working all weekend long and I can’t thank them enough.”
Matt Truelove: “Honestly, I feel like it could have been a lot more this weekend. We worked incredibly well. On Friday and Saturday, the team did a fantastic job to improve the bike after what has been a challenging previous few rounds. We qualified well and I knew I was in a good place for the race, and honestly, it’s the best I’ve felt all year. I was doing everything I could to get the win.
“I just made a small mistake on the last lap, and there is nobody else more annoyed about it than me. I wanted that win, not just for myself but for the team. Second place is great; however, I think it shows how far we have come to say I’m disappointed with the result. Anyway, we’re in a great place now, and we’ll head to Cadwell knowing we can be in the fight.”
Jaimie Van Sikkelerus: “It was a weekend of learning for me, and working hard to show better form in the upcoming rounds in the second half of the season. The team worked hard and did a great job, so I want to thank them for that. We improved our pace across the weekend, but unfortunately, our qualifying cost us in the race. However, I rode strongly and did the best I could.”
Team Manager Gary Winfield: “It’s actually been a really positive weekend for us. We’ve come away with a podium and our season-best results, so as a team we can be really pleased with our efforts this weekend.
“The Superbike side of the team worked hard to really develop the package and improve Fraser and Charlie’s feeling, and that was evident in the races. I feel we’ve gone down a path now where we can start to make some real progress going into the second half of the season.
“I’m pleased for Matt, but deep down, it could have and probably should have been our first victory with him. But mistakes happen, and he’ll learn from this as he heads into his home round. He’s shown he has the pace now, and we’ll push this forward at the next race. Jaimie has worked hard this weekend, improving his pace across the three days, and he’s getting much stronger as the year goes on.”
Fraser Rogers now sits 17th in the ZYN British Superbike Championship standings on 34 points, with Charlie Nesbitt 18th on 28. Matt Truelove holds fourth in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship on 144 points, with Jaimie Van Sikkelerus sitting 21st on 10.
The team now has a two-week break before heading to Cadwell Park for the annual Party in the Park over the August Bank Holiday.
