EMRA Round 5 at Mallory Park – Speed, Noise and a Proper Introduction

Sunday 6th September 2026 saw us heading to Mallory Park for Round 5 of the East Midlands Racing Association championship, and, surprisingly, this was our first visit to an EMRA meeting. It did not take long to realise what we had been missing.

First Impressions of EMRA at Mallory Park

As the first practice session got underway, I was standing at the exit of the Esses waiting for the first bikes to appear. Then the first rider came into view and the immediate thought was simple: wow, these guys are moving a lot quicker than expected.

A few rapid changes to the camera setup followed.

The speed was one thing, but the noise was something else. Bikes accelerating hard out of the Esses, engines climbing through the revs and riders committed to the next section of Mallory Park gave the meeting exactly what you want from a proper motorsport event. Speed, noise, close racing and plenty happening every time you looked around.

It certainly kept the bike nut of our little team entertained. There was plenty of laughing, plenty of pointing, and more than one moment where a bike disappeared down the circuit followed by an enthusiastic reminder that we really should be photographing that one.

Richard Cooper Leads the Opening Race

Once practice was complete, attention turned to the racing and the pace did not drop.

In the opening race, No.47 Richard Cooper put in an impressive performance to take the win. His pace stood out immediately and set the tone for what was to follow throughout the day.

Steven Brittain Takes Race Three Victory

Race Three produced another strong display, this time from No.48 Steven Brittain, who took victory after another fast and committed performance around Mallory Park.

There were impressive rides throughout the field too, with Andy Bower on No.70 showing good form and looking particularly strong through the faster sections of the circuit.

Why Mallory Park Rewards Commitment

Mallory Park is a circuit that rewards commitment. It might look relatively simple compared with some larger venues, but once the bikes are travelling at race pace, the character of the place becomes obvious. Riders arrive quickly, change direction aggressively and accelerate away with very little time for photographers to reset before the next machine appears.

For us, that was part of the appeal.

EMRA Delivers Proper Club Racing

EMRA delivered exactly what club motorsport should. The racing was fast, the bikes were loud, the paddock felt welcoming and there was enough variety on track to keep both photographers and spectators interested all day.

For a first visit to an East Midlands Racing Association meeting, it made a very good impression. We arrived expecting an enjoyable day of motorcycle racing. We left wondering why it had taken us so long to get to one.

---