Tom has been racing and collecting trophies since the middle of 2018 and last year swept all before him with the Preston and District Motorcycle Club. With a new bike in the stable for 2020 Tom, like everyone else, is hoping to be going round in very fast circles again very soon.
Q1 - Race number? 647. A little random but it was my motocross number from when I raced so thought I'd stick with it, although it's hard to find space for such a long number on some bikes.
Q2 - Club / Championship? Preston and District Motorcycle Club (PDMCC) at Three Sisters in Wigan.
Q3 - Class / Classes? Last year I raced in the Steelframe and Pre-Injection classes but am now looking to race in Formula 600 on my Triumph Daytona 675 after lockdown is lifted.
Q4 - Debut? My first race was at Aintree in June 2018, on a day where the weather couldn't decide what it wanted to do. Don't think I will ever have to change a set of wheels that many times again!
Q5 - Honours / Titles? 2019 PDMCC Steelframe, Pre-Injection and Newcomers champion. Also hold the lap record on the perimeter circuit at Three Sisters for the Steelframe and Pre-Injection classes.
Q6 - Favourite Circuit and Favourite corner? Three Sisters is my favourite as I have done the majority of my racing there and have done well. Favourite corner is probably the hairpin after Paddock Bend (Not sure what it's called) as it's a great place to get hard on the brakes for passing opportunities.
Oulton Park will always be one of my favourites as well though as this was my local circuit growing up.
Q7 - Boyhood heroes? None really.
Q8 - Toughest rival? Toughest rival last year was Alistair Milne, had some quality races with him.
Q9 - If I could swap places with any other rider? I don't think I would, I like racing for myself. Although I would like to be Rossi or Marquez for a day to see what MotoGP pace is like.
Q10 - Biggest accident? 1st race of the 2019 season, coming around Lunar in 2nd place, tried to short shirt up a gear but gearbox hit a false neutral then suddenly dropped back down a gear locking the rear wheel and spitting me off.
Q11 - Biggest influence on your career so far? I'm not too sure about this. Probably the competitive nature of myself and my friends.
Q12 - Rossi or Marquez? I'm torn between the two, Rossi is just the legend of MotoGP, but you cannot deny the skill that Marquez possesses. Soe of those saves he does are unreal!
Q12a - If I wasn't racing I would be? BORED! I love racing and wish I had started it earlier in life, but unfortunately, I did not have the means to do so until more recently.
Q14 - Nickname? Major.
Q15 - If money were no object I would? Own a racetrack and race team. Would love to be able to just go and ride all day every day.
Q16 - Brown or Red sauce, Coke or Pepsi? It depends, I flip flop between brown and red. Prefer Coke over Pepsi, but I will drink either.
Q17 - If I could be one person for one day I would be? Rossi, I would love to experience what it is like to be the GOAT.
Q18 - Cost to race per season? I try not to think of this! But a few thousand. I think it is only going to get more expensive as well as I progress to a newer bike and more races per year.
Q19 - Dream bike? 500cc 2 stroke GP race bike. Love a crisp 2 stroke, and that smell! Just can't beat that.
Q20 - Training regime (Gym rat or bike fit)? I don't really have a training regime, which I really need to work on.
Q21 - Dogs or Cats? Dogs, although I don't have one, I have always wanted one.
Q22 - From October to March I can be found doing? Tinkering with my bikes getting them ready for the next season.
Q23 - Dry track, wet track or not fussed? Not too fussed. I love a dry track, but again do love racing in the wet.
Q24 - Best ever race? The race with James Leatham in June 2019 was an absolute corker, constantly swapping places at the front and we were both on lap record pace. I think the lap record got beaten 3 times in that race. Icing on the cake was that I won the race and took the lap record for the full circuit, unfortunately James took the lap record from me the race after!
Q25 - Special thanks to? My partner Alessia for all her help and support whilst on and off the racetrack. She loves to get stuck in and help out with anything and everything and help in getting me and other things ready before races.
My parents for coming along to all the races they can, supporting and feeding me and taking pictures.
My friends for being there to help out and support me on and off the racetrack. Also a massive thanks to Alex Johnson who comes out of his way to help me and the others out at race and track days with pictures, type warmers and paddock stands, truly makes life easier.
All the race staff, marshals and photographers who attend all the events to make racing possible. They all do a cracking job.
My sponsors HEL Performance and Chris Swinton Photography for helping me out with equipment for my bike and photo's to remember the race days.
Big thanks to Tom for his answers and extending the Dogs lead (See what I did there?). Looking forward to seeing what he makes of the 675 when racing finally resumes. Up next is no less than a professor of motorsport, one of two to feature soon, Ryan Garside.