2026 race season begins for ben currie and mcams yamaha…

7 May

A Strong Start to 2026

Round 1 is always unpredictable. New bike, limited testing, and plenty of unknowns. Coming into the opening weekend at Oulton Park, the objective was straightforward: execute cleanly, gather data, and leave with momentum.

The reality? Better than expected.

Two races. Two podiums.
P3 in Race 1. P3 in Race 2.

After a difficult pre-season developing the Yamaha R9, that’s a solid statement to start the year.

Building From a Tough Pre-Season

Testing hadn’t gone to plan. We’d been working through multiple directions trying to find a base setup that gave me the confidence to push. Some days clicked, others didn’t.

The focus heading into Round 1 wasn’t about chasing perfection — it was about putting a workable package on track and committing to it.

By the time we rolled out for the weekend, we had something consistent. Not perfect, but usable. That made all the difference.

Race 1: Staying in the Fight

Race 1 was about control.

Getting a clean start, staying with the lead group, and understanding how the bike behaved over full race distance. Early laps were all about feeling where the limit was — especially with rear grip and front-end confidence under braking.

Once things settled, the pace came to us. I was able to stay in the battle and bring it home in P3.

No risks, no mistakes. Exactly what we needed.

Race 2: Backing It Up

Race 2 is where the real progress showed.

We made small changes overnight — nothing major, just refining the balance. Straight away, the bike felt more connected. More support on entry, more drive on exit.

That allowed me to be more aggressive, more precise.

Another strong race, another P3.

Backing up a podium is always important. It proves the result wasn’t a one-off — it’s repeatable.

What Changed

The biggest step wasn’t one single adjustment — it was clarity.

Better rear support gave confidence on throttle
Front-end feel improved with spring/preload direction
Overall balance allowed me to carry more corner speed

We’re starting to understand what this bike needs — and what I need from it.

Why This Matters

Pre-season had its challenges. There were genuine question marks around where we stood going into Round 1.

To come away with two podiums changes the tone completely.

It gives us:

A clear direction moving forward
Confidence in the package
A strong points start to the championship

But more importantly — it shows we’re in the fight.

The Reality

We’re not the finished article yet.

There’s still work to do if we want to consistently challenge for wins. The margin at this level is small, and we need to keep building.

But this weekend proved something important:

We’re closer than we thought.

Next Stop

The focus now is simple — build.

Take what we’ve learned, refine the package, and keep moving forward into Round 2.

Momentum matters in a championship. This is exactly how you want to start.

Watch the Full Vlog

All the behind-the-scenes action from Round 1 — the build-up, races, and debriefs — will be live on YouTube Sunday 10th of May.

Final Thought

No noise. No overreaction. Just a solid start.

Two podiums.
Work to do.
Season underway.

Benjamin-james Currie