Team History - History of GSE Racing
The Next Test - The Move Into The International Arena"Our initial aim was to be the best Superbike team in Britain" says Darrell. "We achieved that and rather than doing the same thing year in and year out, we made the decision to move into international competition and take on the challenge of World Superbikes- I personally relished this test of the teams skills and felt we acquitted ourselves very well". The road was not as smooth as was hoped with the team unable to secure a title sponsor for the 2001 season. Darrell was undeterred in his determination to race and to be successful and his personal passion for the sport and GSE in particular was evident. "GSE Racing was always totally committed to competing in the Superbike World Championship and there was no way that our standards would drop. If that meant that I had to cover a high proportion of the cost, then so be it". Darrell's faith was vindicated as the 2001 season saw GSE Racing scale new heights and launch a serious assault on the Superbike World Championship. Supporters were treated to Neil Hodgson's scintillating battle at the front of the pack with World Champion Colin Edwards and former GSE rider Troy Bayliss, who ended the season with the title. In his first WSB season, the second GSE rider, James Toseland showed maturity beyond his years and steadily improved to the point where he was consistently finishing ahead of world-class rivals. "2001 was a dream start for the team in WSB- we took the fight to the big guns of motorcycle sport and traded blow for blow with the factory teams with unlimited budgets and access to exclusive engineering. I was delighted with the way the whole team acquitted themselves and considering that we were the new boys, I think Neil's fifth and James' thirteenth places were a testament to our quality". GSE Racing evolved in 2002 with an influx of sponsors, extra backing and the same settled rider line up allowing them to consolidate their position in WSB. Once again, James Toseland and Neil Hodgson battled toe-to-toe with the top teams and finished the season in notable 7th and 3rd positions. They benefited from factory support provided by Ducati Corse and hopes were high that in 2003, the team could provide a WSB champion. In 2003, the team raced two proven riders in James Toseland and Chris Walker and again achieved excellent results with 3rd and 6th places secured at the end of the season. However, the season was played out against the frustrating backdrop of GSE's quest to find a manufacturing partner. Team Manager Colin Wright commented, "One of the things we established mid-way through our second year of competing in the World Series was that we needed to be running or managing a factory team to actually win the Championship." |
