Latest news with #CormacBuchanan
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Two points cap ‘positive' weekend
Cormac Buchanan in action during round seven of the Moto3 World Championship at Silverstone in the UK. PHOTO: DAST MEDIA A valuable points-scoring finish capped off a 'positive' weekend for Southland racer Cormac Buchanan in the Moto3 World Championship in the United Kingdom. The Invercargill teenager bagged two highly sought-after championship points after finishing 14th in a demanding race at Silverstone yesterday. Windy conditions added a degree of complexity to the race itself, thwarting Buchanan's impact on the official scoresheet. However, he rated round seven as a success overall. 'The weekend as a whole was a positive one. I felt really strong from the first session and we were able to consistently build on that momentum,' Buchanan said. 'Motorsport has a way of dishing out the highs and lows in pretty quick succession at times. You just have to roll with the punches and that's what we did.' Racing for Denssi Boe Motorsport in his rookie year, Buchanan continues to demonstrate his potential, particularly given his penchant for working solo in a field where the most miniscule margins can have a massive influence. 'We missed out on going directly to Q2 by less than half a-10th of a second again which was disappointing, especially given we hit traffic on our last time attack lap,' he said. 'But the best thing for me was to be able to spin laps alone and feeling the best I've felt all season and that just shows our evolution and proves our work is paying off.' Squally conditions were soon thrown into the mix and never relented. 'It was wet on Saturday morning and we put together a really good FP2 where I sat inside the top two for the whole session. We didn't switch to the dry tyres for the last laps so I had to settle for P6, but we banked a lot of information on the wets about the longevity of them,' Buchanan said. 'In the qualifying we did our work alone again despite the windy conditions not being the best without a slipstream. After the first run I was sitting second but I knew I had to improve to pass to Q2. 'I went with the group for the last flying lap and in the first sector alone I was up by three-10ths of a second, but I had a high-side at turn seven and that was my session over. It was a pretty bad crash, and I got banged up with lots of bruises and cuts.' The notorious UK weather continued for Sunday's battle. "I made a decent start to stick with the front pack so I knew if I just stayed there I would be able to make strong progress. With the wind it proved difficult and quite treacherous,' he said. 'I got blown off the track heading into turn six and I lost the group at that point which was annoying because we could have fought for the top places. Once I lost that slipstream it was impossible to catch them with the wind. 'On the next lap exiting corner five my front wheel got lifted up by the wind and when it came back down with a thud it bent my handlebar, so I had to ride with that from lap four onwards which was obviously not pleasant, especially given my physical condition wasn't flash after the crash. 'We save face by getting two points so I'm happy about that, but I know more is possible. "OK, it's not my best result on paper but the pace and everything we're doing now is a lot better than at the start of the year." — APL
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
‘Massive honour' to win awards: Buchanan
Cormac Buchanan made his Moto3 World Championship debut in Thailand earlier this year. PHOTO: MANU TORMO Southland rider Cormac Buchanan scooped two big awards at the Motorcycling New Zealand awards in Wellington on Saturday. Buchanan, who is currently competing in the Moto3 World Championship, was named male rider of the year and best up and coming road rider at the awards. Southland rider Jack Symon was also a finalist. Buchanan's two awards are testament to his breakthrough year in 2024 where he successfully defended the 600 SuperSport Championship title at NZSBK before returning to Europe where he claimed three podiums and a pole position at the FIM JuniorGP world championship, ultimately earning him a Moto3 contract. "It's a massive honour to win both of these awards," Buchanan said. "When you look on the Male Rider of the Year trophy and see your name now engraved beside riders like Jake Lewis and Shane Richardson, it is really humbling. "I've been lucky enough to learn from both of them, not only as a racer but as a person." It was a big night for the Southland Motorcycle Club, which was named club of the year for delivering the Burt Munro Challenge. "It was proud night for the club and fantastic to see everyone's hard work recognised," president Bill Moffatt said. "Like the majority of sporting clubs throughout New Zealand, ours is run by passionate volunteers and this award is a credit to them and the countless hours each puts in so our riders can do what they love. "Cormac and Jack are both incredibly talented racers who represent our club in their respective disciplines with a high degree of professionalism and we are naturally proud of their latest achievements." First staged in 2006, the Burt Munro Challenge has established itself as the largest motorcycle rally in the southern hemisphere. Last year, a round of the New Zealand Superbike Championship (NZSBK) was incorporated into the mix, adding another element for the club to run successfully. Buchanan has acted as an ambassador for the Burt Munro Challenge for the past six years. "Regardless of where I'm racing around the world, I just have to glance down at that Burt Munro logo on my leathers for a little piece of home so it's amazing to have their support throughout this journey," Buchanan said. "The Southland club has played a massive part in my racing — they were the first to encourage me on to the track and have been right behind me ever since. "I'm an incredibly proud Southlander." — APL
Otago Daily Times
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Buchanan stays on two wheels to bag points at Le Mans
Southland racer Cormac Buchanan has bounced back in style to bank valuable Moto3 World Championship points at the Le Mans circuit in France. Buchanan, 18, finished 14th in the 20-lap showdown yesterday to add another two points and take his rookie season tally to 11. It was a confidence-boosting performance for the teenager and his Denssi Racing Boe crew after a setback at the previous round last month in Spain, where he finished 19th after a crash. "For me the goal was just to finish the race and see the chequered flag, ideally in a points position," Buchanan said. "Overall, it was a great weekend for me. "After having crashes in the last two races, we lost all of our momentum and, honestly, a little bit of confidence, so this result helps build that up again for the coming races. "It's a base that we can build on now and it's a great result considering our qualifying position of P19. It's a step forward with more points. "I'm now looking forward to the next round at Silverstone where we will focus on putting another brick in place on this foundation we're creating." Adding Le Mans' unpredictable weather into the equation, there was an air of uncertainty right up until riders made their way to the grid and opted for slick tyres. "We went out on the sighting lap and the track was more or less dry, despite it raining quite heavily in the morning, although there were quite a few wet patches which made it a bit sketchy." Continuing his impressive race starts, Buchanan gained six positions in the opening lap and stuck comfortably with the main group. In the latter stages, the pace improved in front and the group started to break apart. "I get pretty good starts and this race was no different, going up six places and getting myself into a great position and battling in the group," he said. "It was a bit difficult because some hairy moments on the track made me lose touch with the group at times and I found myself yo-yoing back and forth to them. I had to work hard to get back within touching distance and then struck some late grip issues. "I had to ride within myself. Not wanting to throw away a good result I had to play it safe a little bit to bring the bike home." Buchanan also showed a good pace in free practice before narrowly missing promotion to Q2 by a frustrating 0.015sec. "The margins are so tight when it comes to qualifying, but I can be satisfied we gave it a strong nudge despite working alone and in windy conditions." He will be back in action for the next round at the Silverstone circuit, in the United Kingdom, on May 23-25. — APL
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Oulton Park: Tributes paid to Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson after they died while racing
Fellow New Zealand rider Morgan McLaren-Wood, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, paid tribute to Richardson on social media. "Struggling to find the words for what happened," he said. "Rest in peace Shane and Owen. My heart goes out to both of their families during this heartbreaking time." New Zealand Hutt City councillor Brady Dyer posted on Facebook: "Shane was proud to be from Wainuiomata and was admired both locally and abroad for his skill and passion. "This is a heartbreaking loss, and I know many in our community will be feeling it deeply." Fellow New Zealand rider Cormac Buchanan said Shane was "truly one of the best people I ever had the privilege of sharing the track with". Writing on Instagram, Buchanan said: "You never failed to put a smile on all of our faces. You were someone I could look up to and learn from and I am so lucky to have had your guidance in my first year in the UK. "I cherish all of the track walks with you and Damo, the hard battles we had, bumping bars and swapping paint. I'm grateful to have been able to consider you a competitor, rival, and a friend. I always felt your support no matter what the situation, race, or outcome was".
