Paul Jordan confirms solo effort in 2018

Jordan has purchased a Yamaha R6 for the Supersport class and says the Isle of Man TT will be his main focus after he made his debut at the event last summer.

The 26-year-old’s progress was hampered following a crash in practice coupled with limited time on the Mountain Course after bad weather throughout practice week.

He started the season riding under the B&W Site Sealants banner for Brian Hull but parted company from the team after the Skerries 100 in July.

Jordan then teamed up with Manx outfit Team IMR and won his first Irish national Supersport race at Faugheen, finishing ahead of seasoned frontrunners Derek Sheils and Michael Sweeney.

At the Ulster Grand Prix, he claimed an impressive fifth place in the second Supersport race on the IMR Yamaha but after the final Irish road race of the year at Killalane, Jordan’s association with the team came to an end.

The Mid Ulster rider has teamed up with Dwayne McCracken, who was his crew chief at IMR last year, and is eager to build on the promise he has shown over the past few seasons.

“I’ve bought an R6 road bike that was being used for track days and we’re basically turning it into a race bike for the Supersport class this year,” Jordan said.

“Dwayne McCracken is with me and he brings so much experience to the job. He spent a lot of time in America working with Honda and Suzuki and he’s got a couple of TT wins as well with John McGuinness.

“He was a massive help to me last year so I’m looking forward to working with him again and also Lee Bass from the Isle of Man, who was part of IMR last season too.

“It’s going to be different running my own show this year but at the same time, there won’t be the same amount of pressure either. If I damage the bike, then it’s on me and I’ll only have myself to answer to.”

Jordan says the TT will be the centrepiece of his season following his maiden foray in 2017, although he may be forced to skip the North West 200 in May.

“My big worry was not being able to get back to the TT but it’s the main aim for me this year,” he said.

“Obviously the more time you get at the TT, the faster you’ll be because there is so much to learn. I wasn’t really pushing myself last year but I was on my personal best lap in a practice session during race week before the session was red flagged, sadly because of Alan Bonner’s crash.

“I think our best lap was 118mph but I’m confident I could’ve done 120mph,” he added.

“I’m not so sure about the North West and it just depends on whether or not I can get the money pulled together. It’s all coming out of our own pockets and I’ve bought a van and an awning, so we’re pretty much out on our own.

“I’d be more than grateful if anyone was interested in coming on board and helping us out this season.”

Anyone wishing to become involved with Paul’s racing exploits in 2018 can contact him on: 07821 322721.