Market Rasen rider gets results boost on eve of new season

Crowe made a last-minute decision to take his BMW bike to Mallory Park, to blow the cobwebs away after the winter lay-off, and secured a seventh and fourth place in the first two races in the EMRA club round.

Qualifying took place in overcast and damp conditions, but Crowe powered through to secure fifth place to start his first race from a second-row grid position.

As the lights went out, the Lincolnshire racer didn’t get away to the best of starts and was 11th on the first of 10 laps in the first leg of the Buildbase Trophy championship.

But he made up ground and by the fourth lap was up to seventh place where he remained to the chequered flag, completing the race just 0.3secs behind sixth-placed Michael Austin.

Starting the Tamworth Yamaha Allcomers race from the second row in fifth position, Crowe moved up to fourth on lap one and maintained that position throughout the 10-lap affair for a strong result.

But it all went wrong in the second Buildbase Trophy race when he was caught out with a cold tyre on the first lap and crashed on the approach to Edwinas, his race over.

Crowe explained: “I was hit in the back by another bike which has left me a bit sore, but the bike escaped without too much damage.

“I will have a few days of discomfort now, but other than that all is well.

“The aim was to get some races under my belt to get some TT licence signatures and I did do that, but it definitely isn’t racing season weather just yet as it was cold and damp out there.”

Crowe was in action yesterday (Tuesday) at the official British Superbike test day to prepare for the opening round of the Thundersport GB races on Saturday and Sunday.