
The Team Wood Motorcycle Youth Academy had a very successful year. With 10 young riders getting
support via the Academy and Academy Sponsors.
We did have a few older riders this year that we kept on, just to give them a full season with us as the
previous season was curtailed to just a few months.
We have enjoyed working with and seeing these riders learn and grow into mature teenagers and improve
their race craft and speed.
2022 has produced for the Academy four Championships and Champions.
Ruben Sherman Boyd won both Ulster Superbike Moto-One and Mondello Masters
Moto-One Championships on the Academy supplied Tianda TDR300.
11 USBK wins, 5 USBK 2nd places and gave the last round a miss.
The last round at the Sunflower Trophy races the Academy obtained Adam Browns Kawasaki 400 machine to
try out the SS300 class. Ruben didn’t disappoint the Academy, his team or Adam Brown and family, setting
pole position on the Friday morning and winning his first SS300 race, he followed this up on the Saturday
with a creditable 2nd place finish behind Kai McClintock on the Saturday. Ruben scored a SS300
Championship finish of 7th place.
Ruben also excelled in the Mondello Masters Moto-One class winning 18 races out of 18.
100% record. Ruben can relay information to his team on machine settings and feedback, he is a real good
mannered young lad with a great future.
Ruben had the use of the Team Boyd Moto 3 machine in 2022 and he again produced superb results. 1 –
Win, 7 – 2nd places, 3 – 3rds, 5 – 4th places, finishing 2nd in the Ulster Superbike Moto 3 Championship.
Alexander Rowan had Academy support during the season while he raced at home, Alexander was the
academy’sfirst scholar in 2020 but due to covid never a wheel turned in that year on home soil. Alexander
has campaigned in the BSB British Talent Cup series since 2020 and improves immensely round by round.
This really shows when he competed in the USBK Moto 3 championship rounds that didn’t clash with BSB
duties. Alexander won this year’s USBK Moto 3 Championship with 7 Wins, 7 – 2nd Places and 2 – 3rds.
Excellent results on top of his BSB results. Alexander has a great family team built around him and will go from
strength to strength in whatever class he races in.
Kai McClintock, what an incredible season Kai had riding his Studio 16 Kawasaki 400 in SS300 Class. 2022
Ulster Superbike SS300 Championship Winner. Collecting along his way 12 Wins, 3 – 2nd Places, one 4th place
and two DNS.
Kai is a raw talent that just gets on the machine and rides as hard as he can. A worthy
Championship Winner following up his Moto-One Championship in 2021. Kai is looking for a new Team or
ride for next season if anyone is looking for an excellent rider. Kai’s team are retiring after many years
involved with the sport, Jimmy Dickson of Studio 16 is going to try and do some gardening, we all wish him
and James well for the future.
Kai also had the Habit Moto 3 machine this year, a different type of machine to what Kai was used to, the
Moto 3 is a pukka race bred, compared to production-based machines which tend to be softer. Kai managed
1 win on the Moto 3 and finish 4th in the Ulster Superbike Moto 3 Championship.
Cory Barron was more used to Kart racing, until he first tried out a Tianda TDR300 at the MCUI (UC) race
school. New to our sport and two-wheel machines he soon adapted quickly.
Cory’s early results where 5th & 6ths, but soon moved up the results and championship points table with 4 –
3rds, 2- 2nds and then took 6 wins on the trot. No mean feat for someone getting used to motorcycles. Cory
finished runner up in the Ulster Superbike Moto-One championship which is astonishing for not just Cory
but his family, team, and the Academy.
A bright future awaits Cory who will most likely move up from Moto-One for 2023.
Alex McCalmont another young lad from the IMC Championship moved to the Moto-One class this year
onboard his Kawasaki Ninja 250. This was a big step for Alex to move to Nationals and made steady
progress during the year with 6th – 4th place results. 3rd place in race 4 of the Mid Antrim event in July was
excellent for Alex confidence. After missing rounds 6&7 due to family commitments, Alex was given the
chance to race the Academy’s Tianda TDR300 at the Sunflower Trophy event. This proved to bring Alex to
the fore of the class obtaining 3rd place in first race and 2nd place in the final race of the season. Alex finished
4th overall in the Ulster Superbike Moto-One Championship.
Alex will now campaign the Team Wood Motorcycle Youth Academy Tianda TDR300 in 2023.
Lee Hara, A quiet lad until you get to know him, Lee moved onto the Supertwin class riding his Kawasaki 650.
A tuff class to compete in with so many of the top National ridersin this class. Lee put in a superb
performance all year, picking up 4th – 7th place finishes throughout the season giving him a fantastic 3rd Place
in the Ulster Superbike Supertwin Championship. No mean feat but as previously proved points make prizes,
consistency pays off. Lee is well coached by his dad William a retired seasoned road racer. Family Team that
just get on enjoying the sport without much fuss, pleasure to work with.
Bailey Dobson, IMC Scholarship rider on another Tianda TDR300. Bailey had five 2nd place finishes in the
Moto-One class plus three 3rds in the first half of the championship but never completed the second half of
the season on the bike. Finishing 7th in the Ulster Superbike Moto-One Championship. Bailey also had the
use of his older brothers Moto 3 machine which he rode very well. Scoring two 3rd place finishes and several
top ten results placing him 7th in the Ulster Superbike Moto 3 Championship. Great rider and will improve in
years to come. Bailey also had a ride in the SS300 class obtaining a Win and 2nd place results, very adaptable
kid with great future.
Callum Clint having his second season on a Kawasaki 400 in SS300 class had a very strong start to his season,
recording three 2nd places a DNF and then consistence run of 4
th – 6th place finishes, not the results Callumreally wanted, but come to tallying up championship points Callum
came out 2nd overall in the UlsterSuperbike SS300 Championship.
Martin Burnett, Martin must have had the unluckiest season, he started out as probably a title contender
but was several timessubject to being caught up in other riders’ incidents. Even so Martin returned five 3rd
place result, one DNF not his fault, six 4th places and a 6th. Again, consistency pay off, Martin finished the
season with 3rd place in the Ulster Superbike SS300 Championship, even though the team withdrew from
the final two events over the MCUI Technical rules not being updated or applied. This has tinted the
Championship this year, but we do thank the technical team for holding their hands up and admitting the
oversight. The MCUI(UC) Officials need to understand that just because these machines are only 400cc, they
still cost lots of money to prepare and race week in week out.
All competitors spend £1000 of pounds to compete in their national championships and deserve a fair and
policed technical rule.
Martin also left the academy at the end of September, and we wish him and his team all the best for the
future.
Dean Graham, Dean into his second season of tarmac racing hasn’t found it easy going, but persevered.
Dean this season has achieved more than he would have, working hard he lost weight and chipped away
race by race in the Moto-One class. Constantly supported by his mum, brother, and Ryan Robinson. First half
of the season Deans results were inside the top ten, the second half you could see the improvement in his
relaxed riding position and results. Deans lap times improved his confidence grew every weekend. His
results were consistently in the top five now and at the final race of the year Dean got his first podium in 3rd
place and 5th in the Ulster Superbike Moto-One Championship.
The team managed to purchase a 650 for the second half of the season. Dean rode in the production twins
in the last three rounds scoring several 7ths– 9th place finishes and 12th in the Ulster Superbike Production
Twin Championship. Well done, Dean…
2023 Team Wood Motorcycle Youth Academy plans
As mentioned above Alex McCalmont will have the use of our Tianda TDR300.
Ruben Sherman Boyd will have the academy support in whatever class he moves to.
We have a few applications from some young people’s parents interested in moving to National tarmac
racing.
The academy is open for young girls as well as the boys, we would really like to see females represented
next year.
These applications will be assessed very shortly, and details will be released when available.
We have a second academy machine available for some 12yr old moving into the Moto-One class for 2023
they will have the use of Kawasaki 250 Ninja.
Overall, a very successful season the Academy has had, with the strength, determination that all these
young riders have is astonishing. It was a pleasure to work with them all, for 2023 most of these riders will
have to move on due to age restrictions, making way for the next group of new competitors. We look
forward to another challenge and chapter.
Team Wood Motorcycle Youth Academy 2022 Results
2022 Ulster Superbike Moto-One Champions
2022 Ulster Superbike Moto-One Championship Runner Up
2022 Ulster Superbike SS300 Champions
2022 Ulster Superbike SS300 Championship Runner up
2022 Ulster Superbike SS300 Championship 3rd Place
2022 Ulster Superbike Moto 3 Champions
2022 Ulster Superbike Moto 3 Championship Runner up
2022 Ulster Superbike Supertwin Championship 3rd Place
2022 Mondello Masters Moto-One Champions
Expression of thanks to our partners. Without the support of our partners, we wouldn’t be able to help so
many young competitors coming into the sport.
IFS Global Logistics, Pirelli Motorcycle Tyres, Ernie Coates Race Support, WIZ knee Sliders, RTC Rea
Timber Craft, Sign-Stik, ANJ Parts automotive eBay store, Nutt Travel, Classic Bike Festival Ireland, Ernie
Coates Track Days, Forrest your first-choice gear & Disport, MCRRCI, Billy Nutt, James Courtney, Uel
Duncan, Robinson Concrete, Will Bennett, Davy Rea, Roger Chen, Adam Brown, Jami Coates, Nikki
Coates, Ernie Coates, Bishopscourt Racing Circuit, Roy Biggerstaff, Kenny Duncan Plant, Ophir Motors
Dundrod, Glenn & Janine, Graeme Hanna. Also, all those who donated towards the academy.
Team Wood Motorcycle Youth Academy.
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