Rising Wisbech motorbike star
Harry has an exciting year ahead.
Rising star Harry Cook is looking forward to an exciting year after being chosen to race for Yamaha in the junior class of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship (BSB). The Year 9 student will make his debut in the Hel Performance British Junior Supersport Championship this season, after going from strength to strength and gaining his national licence. He has been selected for the McAMS Raceways Yamaha team, who have Superbike stars Jason O'Halloran and Tarran Mackenzie as their main riders in BSB. Harry rides a Yamaha R3 300cc full race spec bike built by his team. Harry is also excited to be competing in another championship solely for Yamaha riders called the bLU cRU challenge. Two riders will get the chance to race in the R3 bLU cRU Cup in Europe next year. He will be competing against 35 riders aged 14 to 23-years-old, making Harry one of the youngest riders. His rider coach is the legendary 11 times champion Roger Marshall.
Motorbikes are in Harry’s blood – his dad and grandads have always had motorbikes so from an early age, Harry showed an interest and wanted to see them working.
When he was 5, his parents bought him a Yamaha 50cc motocross bike for Christmas and he took to it instantly. At age 8, Harry started going to British minibike championships, racing on karting tracks around the UK on pit bikes from 90cc to 140cc engines. He soon began winning trophies at all his races.
When he was just 11, Harry went to Spain to race on a Moto 5 bike at tracks including Valencia, Monteblanco, Aragón and Jerez. When he turned 12, Harry could legally compete in the UK on an Aprilia RS 125cc at club level, which he did with a club called Thundersport. Harry completed his ACU licence that season to move on from his novice licence and gained his clubman licence by getting 10 completed races signed off. Harry came second that season in the Aprilia 125 class, narrowly missing out on first place to a 17-year-old rider.
Last year, Harry was selected to race in the British Talent Cup on a Honda Moto3 250cc bike. This was his first season in the top class of racing in the UK – the Bennetts British Superbike Championship - and Harry’s races were aired on BT Sport. He secured championship points in his first ever year and climbed up the grid with each race. He also completed his clubman licence to get his national licence.
More recently, Harry has just returned from official testing with BSB at Silverstone and Snetterton, where he got to try out his new bike and get back into racing after six months off due to the pandemic. He did well at both tests and improved his lap times with each session. He was the third quickest Yamaha at Silverstone and second quickest Yamaha at Snetterton – so the future is looking promising.
This year, Harry starts off his season at Donington Park in July and will be travelling up and down the UK to race at famous tracks including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Knockhill, Oulton Park, Thruxton and Snetterton.
Speaking about his love of racing, Harry said:
“When I’m on my bike, life just makes sense. You can escape from the world and it makes me feel free, calm and happy. Racing is a way of life and it’s helped me to become a better person and more respectful of life and everything around me.”
Harry said he has been very lucky to attract the following sponsors who have supported him and made his journey possible: Force One, Tru7 group, J.S Cook, Washbrook Farm Motocross, Ultimate Workforce Ltd, Hanson, R&G, RST leather suits, Arai Helmet, Sidi boots and Motul.