While 12-year-old Connor Raymond was competing in the Mission Mini Cup National Final at Road America this past weekend, his 15-year-old brother Joshua Raymond Jr.–a former MotoAmerica Mini Cup racer himself–was competing overseas at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, England. He was joined at Thruxton by former MotoAmerica Mini Cup racer and current Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul competitor Julián Correa. Raymond Jr. and Correa raced in this past weekend’s round five of the British Talent Cup, a National Championship of which both American teenagers are competing for the entire season.
Correa qualified on the outside of the front row aboard his Mortimer Racing Honda, while Fibre Tec Honda by MLav Racing’s Raymond Jr. lined up in the middle of row two for the weekend’s two 14-lap races at what is billed as the UK’s fastest race circuit.
In Saturday’s Race One, Correa unfortunately was unable to maintain his podium-potential starting position, and he slipped back to sixth place by the time he crossed the finish line. Meanwhile, Raymond Jr. got a good jump from the second row at the start and moved into second place at the outset. But, like Correa, he was unable to press his advantage, and he ended up eighth at the checkered flag.
In Sunday’s Race Two, both American riders were determined to improve their results from the day before. Raymond Jr. made good on that proposition as he fought hard and advanced all the way up to fourth at the finish line for a result just off the podium. Correa didn’t fare as well, although he fought hard, too. He didn’t get the start he had hoped for, and he slipped to ninth at the outset, swapping positions with his countryman Raymond Jr. Correa was able to stabilize his position well inside the top 10 as the laps wound down, and he ultimately finished eighth to complete his weekend at Thruxton.
“I’m really proud of the progress my team and I made, even with a challenging and unpredictable weekend,” Correa said. “We started off strong, with me feeling confident and in sync with the bike and track during Friday’s practice sessions. That momentum carried into qualifying, where I secured my best starting position of the season in third place.
“The first race of the weekend tested us as strong winds changed direction. My team made a calculated adjustment to the bike’s setup, and it worked well. I was fighting for a podium finish and ended up crossing the line in sixth place.
“Sunday’s warmup was another highlight; I posted my fastest pace of the weekend. But, right before the second race, the wind direction changed again, forcing my team and me to make a bold, last-minute adjustment. We took a risk to try and take advantage of the new conditions, but it didn’t pay off. I struggled with a lack of drive and ultimately finished eighth.
“While the results weren’t what we hoped for, I’m proud of the risks we took and the progress we made. The team and I are using this as a learning experience. I’m heading into a short break to reset and am looking forward to coming back even stronger for the final rounds of the season.”
