Dave Luscombe, ACU Academy Manager wishes to congratulate former ACU Academy rider Tom Sykes on his first British Superbike Championship double victory at Oulton Park on 20th July 2008.
Since being one of the original ACU Road Race Academy riders in 2000, aged 14, Tom has steadily risen through the ranks of the British Road Race Championships, from 125GP with New Era Club through Junior Superstock, where he was Runner Up in 2002, to British Supersport in 2003 achieving another Runner Up spot in the 2006 Championship and into the British Superbike Championship in 2007.
2007 saw Tom collect the Rookie of the Year Award with Stobart Motorsport Honda, finishing sixth in the overall standings in the BSB series.
This season Sykes filled the Rizla Suzuki seat vacated by another former Academy rider, Cal Crutchlow, and not only achieved his first BSB win at Oulton Park, but made it his first double victory! This stunning result has moved him up to 3rd place in the Overall standings.
Dave Luscombe said, “It is very rewarding seeing an ACU Academy rider progress through the various Championships and onto a factory supported machine. Tom has worked incredibly hard to be in the position he is now and the ACU send their congratulations on his first and second victory in the British Superbike Championship and wish him well for the future.
Whilst Tom was with the Road Race Academy he was always eager to learn from others, but now he is equally happy to pass his knowledge onto others and assisted the ACU Road Race Coaches in selecting this year’s Academy ‘students’.” Continued Luscombe