Paterson clan start season in style

Knockhill Circuit hosted its first bike race meeting of 2018 at the weekend.

A stellar 34-race programme saw Scotland’s top racers go head-to-head for Scottish Championship and Knockhill Motor Sports Club Championship points.

Scone motorcycle racer and former Scottish champion Torquil Paterson and his sons, Lewis and Owen, were in impressive form to start the new season.

Torquil was competing on his Saltire Motorcycle sponsored Suzuki SV650 and qualified first on the grid.

He certainly went on to make his mark in the championships by claiming the top podium spot in all five of his races over the weekend.

Lewis, the 2017 Scottish Lightweight champion and fresh from competing in the British Talent Cup, was in the Formula 600 class.

Aboard his Yamaha R6, the 17-year-old qualified 14th on the grid from a field of 28 riders.

But due to a problem with his front brake, which caused the front wheel to lock up, he was unable to start his first race on the Saturday.

The problem was soon sorted and he took to the track for the second race and finished 15th from a field of 27 riders.

Sunday’s racing saw Lewis compete in three races.

In his first outing he finished ninth and in his remaining two, he secured a sixth place in both.

The newest Paterson to take to the track is 13-year-old Owen, who was competing in the Formula 125 class on an Aprilia RS125.

This will be Owen’s second year of racing, however, the young rider missed most of last season due to an injury.

After Saturday’s qualifying, in which he qualified sixth on the grid, he went on to take a fifth and a third place.

In his three races on the Sunday, he finished fifth, sixth and seventh.