MotoGP Challenge Ahead
Following a successful 2010 season with the factory Yamaha World Superbike Team, including a clean sweep of pole position, fastest laps and two race wins at his home round of Silverstone on his way to fifth overall in his debut season in the World Superbike Championship, the opportunity presented itself for Cal to join the Monster Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP team. This opportunity was too good to turn down, and so as part of a two-year deal Cal will be riding in MotoGP. He hopes this season to make steady progress throughout the year in what will be a challenging transition from the production based championships he has raced in to the prototype machinery of MotoGP.
After winning the 2009 World Supersport Championship, Cal stepped up to the World Superbike Championship for 2010. In 2009 he had an incredible season with the Yamaha World Supersport Team, and stormed to the world championship on his Yamaha YZF-R6 with five race wins and ten pole positions from fourteen races.
He cut his road racing teeth in 1999 in the UK Junior Challenge, dominating the class to win the championship before moving on to the Aprilia RS 125 Challenge for 2000 and 2001. Cal went on to push hard in his second year, culminating in a nailbiting race at Brands Hatch where with four laps to go he clinched the championship!
Cal’s 2003 year in the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup was an adrenalin-filled ride, and he gave it 100% from the outset, guaranteeing there was never a dull race. Cal clearly worked well with the R6, and ended the season second in the championship!
Cal is also no stranger to Supersport, racing for three years in the British Supersport Championship with great success, most memorably in 2006 when he won the title. This was preceded by a strong second year in 2005, when he finished third in the standings.
2007 was his debut year in British Superbike, when he was teamed with experienced racer Chris Walker. He finished a respectable ninth in his first season, scoring a podium and a third at Brands.
Cal further proved his abilities on a superbike in the British Superbike Championship of 2008. A couple of riders came to the fore as being that extra bit special, and Cal was one of those riders. He started the season strongly, being one of the few riders to cause problems for Shane Byrne in the opening half of the championship, and was the only rider to break Byrne’s run of wins in the first eight races. Unfortunate crashes at Knockhill and Cadwell Park kept him from making more of the season than he did; however he still managed an impressive third place in the standings.
For 2011 Cal takes his next step with the Yamaha family and joins double World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards in the Monster Tech3 Yamaha MotoGP Team.