No.6: Calon Racing - Follow Your Heart
- Richard Dawson
- Jan 28
- 4 min read
Welcome back to the blog and this week I caught up with Calon Racing Team Owner Helen Smith, to get her story of more than two decades in racing, and the decision to run her own team.
“My hair was like straw from all the dust, apparently I looked like a lobster, I had burnt my finger and my finger nails were black. My hands stank of race fuel and I had a bruised leg but… I simply had THE BEST DAY”
Helen Smith - Aintree May ‘24
Oh the joys of racing!! But what was Helen’s journey to that best day last year?
Well it started in 2002, volunteering as a race marshall at Club Racing events to collect the necessary signatures to move up to marshalling at National racing events. Helen got those signatures and moved on to marshalling at British Superbikes, World Superbikes and MotoGP also.
In the years that followed hard work and dedication gave Helen the knowledge and experience needed to become an Incident Officer/ Sector Marshall.
In 2017 she qualified as “Clerk of the Course” - The certification that entitles her to run race events and Helen is one of only a handful of women to hold the certification in the UK.
After years of travelling the UK, Ireland, and the Isle of Man in various racing roles, Helen returned from marshalling at the 2023 Southern 100 determined to follow a dream: she'd be back in 2024, but this time with a bike and a rider of her own.
Dream it - Believe it - Do it
Helen had the dream of team ownership for a long time, but 2023 was the time to believe it and do it. The passion was aligned with the purpose.
So after years of supporting and sponsoring more than 25 riders at various levels including Glenn Irwin, Paul Jordan, Marcus Simpson and David Jones - Helen was on the lookout for a rider for her bike.
The Bike? An Aprilia RS660 which was purchased towards the end of 2023.
The Rider? Mike Bampton - Mike was recommended to Helen by his friend and fellow racer James Leatham. Mike is a rider with plenty of race experience, competing since 2012, he’s a multiple championship winner on various bikes and the winner of the Best Newcomer at the Pre-TT 2023 meeting onboard Ian Harrison’s Mistral Racing 750 Kawasaki.
Best Days and Blown Engines
“The Little Team that dared to dream”
That little team competed across five different race events and championships throughout 2024. A Season that started on Anglesey in March with the Wirral 100 and continued on the “Horrendously hilly” Oliver’s Mount for the first road race of the year.
May saw a trip to Aintree where Mike finished with a 1st in Class in Race 1 and then he had an unfortunate crash in Race 2 when challenging for the win, whilst Helen got the previously mentioned sunburn and bruises.
It was over to the Isle of Man in July for the Southern 100.
“It was totally amazing, a memorable moment and a huge accomplishment.” Helen said.
More challenging times followed, I witnessed the engine blowing up over Hilltop in August, Mike appearing on the Oulton Park horizon in a plume of smoke!! And there was a tumble in the NGRRC Meeting at Anglesey in September, but the setbacks have only highlighted Mike’s positivity, resilience and determination to keep the project moving forward.
What’s Next?
The Calon Racing journey continues and the team is expanding in 2025 with the addition of James Leatham as a second rider and team mate to Mike.
Helen says that Mike doesn’t set too many targets but will be looking to do the Southern 100 again and James will have his sights set on the lap record at Three Sisters!!!
More Best Days.
I can only foresee more best days for the team this season, Helen was keen to stress in her end of year report for 2024 what a fantastic team she has around her, helping with advice, guidance and - most importantly at any race meeting - cakes. I’m sure they will build on these foundations in 2025.
The emphasis will also be on raising the voice of women in motorsport. Helen is driven by this and it’s a voice which rightly gets louder with the work Helen is doing and championships like the WCR, and the work of Pippa Laverty and Maddie Patterson.
I’d like to thank Helen for collaborating with me on this Blog and also for helping me follow my own dreams by promoting my photography across the Calon Racing and Wirral 100 Social Media pages.
You can support Calon Racing in 2025 here and Helen will be donating 10% of any money raised to Prostate Cancer Charities - after losing her Father unexpectedly in 2021 with secondary cancer after a previous battle with prostate cancer it is a cause very close to her heart.
Dilyn Dy Galon - Follow Your Heart
So there we have it - follow your dreams and believe in yourself. Calon is the welsh word for heart and if you follow yours you might get your fingers burnt, but you’ll have had the best day doing it!!
Thanks for reading.
Richard
Calon Racing Sponsors:
Rider Support
Calon Racing Supporters Club
2024 Race Stats
Race events - Aintree, NG, Scarborough, Southern 100 and Wirral 100.
3 x 1st, 1 x 4th, 4 x 5th, 2 x 6th, 1 x 7th,
2 x 8th, 1 x 9th, 2 x 11th, 2 x 12th,
1 x13th, 1 x 15th
4 DNFs
1 lap record (Aintree 750cc Twin)
4 sets of tyres
2 engines
Aintree Championship 3rd
Wirral 100 MC Championship 7th
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