24 HOURS FLAT-OUT!

Ever fancied a crack at 24-hour endurance racing? You might think again after reading this...

- JOE AKROYD

I'm not the best man when it comes to social media. I don't really like posting my life out on the internet and opening myself up to public scrutiny, so when people send me messages using Instagram or Facebook, they usually get missed. I'm not being rude or ignorant; I just don't see them, because I don't spend much time on there.

Well, fortunately, a few weeks back I actually checked my messages and had one in my inbox from a lad called Ryan Maher. An Irishman, born the same year as me, and with the same passion for the roads, but more specific to this story, endurance racing.

Ryan and I were newcomers at the Manx in 2015, but he was on a twin, and I was on my 600, so our paths never really crossed. Ryan had messaged to see if I'd be interested in joining his efforts to put a team together to compete at the 24hr Barcelona around the world-class circuit of Catalunya. The event is a standalone, not part of the Endurance World Championship (EWC) and has been running for a long time now. It attracts top Spanish teams who put all their resources into this single race, including drafting in topclass riders for their bikes. More recently, the event has begun to attract the attention of some of the EWC teams, as the calendar for their championship is only Le Mans (24hr), Spa (12hr), Suzuka (8hr, but most teams don't make the trip due to logistical costs), and the Bol D'or (24hr). With only the three European rounds being accessible for most teams, the 24hr Barcelona is a great addition to the calendar, if funds are available.