Go to Mike's:

Photo courtesy of Chris Martin  - Braking Zone

Mike Eglington has ridden motorcycles for 34 years. He began racing in 1981 and over the years has raced more than 200 races, and won numerous short circuit and endurance championships.

In his first five years of racing as a privateer and on a low budget, Mike gained 14 1st place positions, 12 2nd place positions, 6 3rd place positions and broke numerous lap records and was rated as the top Short Circuit competitor.

With the pull of racing in Europe, Mike decided to return to the United Kingdom in 1988. His aim was to race in Europe; his dream was to move into the specialised Superbike class. To save money for the move, he became a Development Rider for Slim Cameron testing a prototype motorcycle intended for use in Formula One and Endurance racing.

He returned to the UK in 1988 and in 1989 competed in the British Supersport 400 Championship and was snapped up by HMSO Books (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office) in their first-ever sport sponsorship deal.

At the peak of his career, the recession saw HMSO Books unable to continue his sponsorship for the 1991 season and at the same time, Mike was made redundant, causing his racing career to be put on indefinite hold.

Mike was devastated. To try and earn money to begin racing again, he started his own business but it would be 10 long years before he raced again and nearly 14 years before he raced as a solo again.

In August of 2000, Mike was given the opportunity to race as a sub-rider for Coyote Racing at the Snetterton 8-hour KRC Endurance race. Although it had been 10 years since he raced, he rode as if he had never been off the track. Mike became Coyote's top rider and raced with them in the KRC Endurance Championships up until 2004.

In 2002, Mike decided to try his hand at Supermoto and entered the British Supermoto Winter Championship Series, coming 9th overall in the 450 Rookie Championship. In 2003, he competed in the NORA National Supermoto Championship and brought home 4 trophies during the year but found that Supermoto, although inexpensive, was not the same as solo racing.

He decided to return to his first love - solo racing - in 2004 by entering the BMCRC Supersport 600 Championship on a Yamaha R6.

During the year, Mike regained his form and confidence which was categorically shown at Snetterton on October 1, where he took his first trophies in 13.5 years. He came home with two 3rds and a 2nd, beating the leading championship Honda on all 3 occasions and on a 1998 Yamaha.

Mike has proven without a doubt that age is no barrier to being competitive. At 46 years of age, he is an inspiration to his fellow riders in the paddock.

He was recently headhunted to race with Moores Racing in the KRC Endurance Championship for 2005 and will also be contesting the BMCRC Supersport 600 Championship.

Mike is also the co-founder of Adopt a Racer, a non-profit scheme set up to help raise sponsorship funds for club level racers. His long-term goal is to return to the British Superbike paddock both as a rider and a manager to mentor a young and aspiring racer.

Mike needs sponsorship to enable him to continue to race. For him, it would be a change to be able to afford some decent equipment.
 

Click the icon below to adopt Mike for as little as £10.00 per month!