HERE, talented St Albans motorcyclist Nick Clift looks ahead to the 2013 season, and why it could be a very different campaign to the previous one...

Herts Advertiser: Clift will be hitting speeds of around 165mph this seasonClift will be hitting speeds of around 165mph this season (Image: Archant)

Following a strong 2012 with a sixth place finish in the Thundersport 500 Championship I will be moving onto a 600cc machine for 2013.

I was very keen to finish in the top three in the 500’s but in the end this wasn’t possible.

However, looking back now I am fairly happy to have finished this high up in a championship of over 50 riders.

Luckily for me, the results last season have given me the opportunity to race for JDR Performance Racing based in Shrewsbury for the 2013 season on a Suzuki GSX-R 600 in the Sportsman Elite Class.

I am more than happy to race for this team as the team owner Jon Richards has a lot of experience in racing and motorbikes in general.

The bikes are a lot faster than the 500cc machines, down the long straights we will all be knocking on 165mph which makes it a lot more fun and exciting for me.

I have had one test on the 600 at Mallory Park in November, it seemed to go very well but I have got a lot to learn about characteristics of the bike before I can ride it at its full potential.

Hopefully I can understand the Suzuki as soon as possible after racing a Honda for two years, the bikes aren’t at all similar and the engines will have different temperaments and have to be treated in different ways by the rider.

It will be a tough year as the Sportsman Elite Class is an extremely competitive class but I don’t see any reason why I can’t be battling in the top five.

In order to race where I want to be which is at the front, I am trying to obtain donations of any amount.

Tyres are very costly and as the rider I have to have enough sponsorship to cover this bill. I would be eternally grateful for anyone who would be kind enough to sponsor me.

If you are a local or a national business your logo will go on the side of the bike as well as my two team-mates’ bikes.

This will be seen on MotorsTV as well as throughout the UK at all the circuits we visit.

I would like to thank St Albans Van Hire, Ray Read at Read’s Motorcycles and my dad for the support and backing.