In the 2021 WorldSBK Championship there is the latest version of a single make championship - designed to bring younger riders from the global source inside the WorldSBK paddock - for a relatively affordable cost.

The R3 bLU cRU European Cup was the only other regular 2021 class than WorldSBK itself to race at Donington Park, with two races each held on Saturday.

The bLU CRU cup is just one element of the new ‘SBK Roadway’ initiative to develop new talent from inside the WorldSBK sphere, and in this one the competition takes place on identical, if lightly modified, R3 Yamahas.

The ultimate prize for the winner is a ride in the WorldSSP300 championship in 2022, another thing that made the series attractive to the British riders, Brody Crockford and Fenton Harrison Seabright.

“We looked at doing WorldSSP300 but seeing how high the competition is there, and comparing lap times around Donington to the lap times we did in the UK, we saw the bLU cRU cup as a good balance,” said Crockford, son of ex-racer John, at Donington. “And after experiences we have had with Yamaha in the UK we wanted to stay with them so we decided to do this.

“There is no other manufacturer that does anything like this until you go to GP racing, or the British Talent Cup, or whatever. This is the only affordable way of doing it. It has been a experience, and something different, because we normally run ourselves, but we still have our own team. The bikes are built to a high standard but they are obviously not the highest spec. It is fine and everything is equal. We do not really have any issues.”

Seabright said it gave him the opportunity to just think about his racing, with few distractions, and the prospect of a paid-for ride in 2022 was another big attraction.

“It has been good to be honest,” said Seabright, who set the fastest Friday lap at Donington. “I signed up to this knowing what the outcome would be if you win it - everyone knows that you get a WorldSSP300 ride. I think a lot of people are aiming for that, as I am, and I think it is a good opportunity for the year if you win the championship. So far it has been great.

“It is so easy going, there is no stress for any of the riders, the bike turns up at the track, you ride it and enjoy it. You have all the support you need here, there is nothing more you need. You just need your own mechanic who does the wheels etc but any problems you got to the (R3 Cup) mechanics and they sort out suspension, tyre pressures, anything like that you need, they have it there.

“I am loving it at the minute because you turn up to the track, race and go home. You just need to think about the racing. There is no pressure and us young riders - we don’t need the pressure. We are doing our development in our head for years to come and it is a good stepping-stone. You start riding against the European riders and you get a good feel for it.”