Alastair Fagan goes into his second round in British Superbikes after joining the Red Viper Racing team to take on the Cup challenge while his predecessor Aaron Zanotti is running in the main championship.
Fagan who only started racing in 2004 competed at club and national level in both mixed and one make categories.  Fagan took a leap in his second year of racing by jumping into the National Superstock Cup after only a year in the Honda Hornet Cup championship in which he took the title.
After taking part in the previous R6 Cup and GSXR Cup one make series he returns to the British paddock to battle at the top.  Talking about his riding career he says: “I haven’t been riding that long and admittedly it was a big jump from the Hornet Cup to the Superstock, but it was at that level of racing that the previous winners of that category had moved onto.”
“I was given an opportunity that I couldn’t refuse and only five years on I am in British Superbikes.  It wasn’t my intention to make racing my career, but racing at British level has really bought my riding on.  I have gone back and down some club racing, but I would clean up, it is so much more challenging at this level.”
Fagan admits that in the one make series he went better, but doesn’t necessarily prefer them as the flexibility to make changes in the mixed categories makes it more interesting.  His 2009 season didn’t get off to a great start with his pre-testing being cut short following a crash in which he knocked himself out putting further testing on hold.
 
Fagan tried to make up for it by taking part in a track day at the Cheshire circuit that he rides this weekend, but due to limitations and traffic this didn’t allow him to gain a lot from the day. 
Reviewing his two practice sessions so far this weekend Fagan said: “ The biggest thing is learning about the Superbike and how to set it up.  This weekend we are struggling a bit as we haven’t got complex electronics and no anti-wheelie system like some of the other teams, which it needs around this track.  We have made changes and gone quicker and we have ideas for further changes.”
Alastair who took 3rd place in race one of the Cup challenge at the season opening at Brands Hatch, will be aiming for that again this Bank Holiday weekend and a top 20 finish overall.