Belgium’s Eau d’Heure Lakes host Euro championship this weekend
Dean's Team Yamaha rider aiming for back-to-back Pro Stock titles
Belcher to also bid for Pro Sport class glory for first time since 1997
Reigning European Jet Sport Championship ‘Pro Stock’ Champion Simon Belcher heads to Eau d’Heure Lakes in Belgium this week aiming to successfully defend the coveted title he sensationally won exactly one year ago.
Belcher, from Swindon in Wiltshire, made his return to European-level competition for the first time in 18 years last season in the ranks of Jet Sport with Dean’s Team Yamaha and AVOS and grabbed all the headlines by taking the crown almost two decades since he won his first Euro title.
Once again piloting his 4-stroke, 350hp, supercharged Yamaha GP1800 in the Pro Stock class to try and make it back-to-back European crowns, his third such championship in total, Belcher will also double-up in the Pro Sport GP class during the event which runs from Thursday, 4th July, to Sunday, 7th July.
In the latter class, which will be broadcast on British Eurosport later in July, he will ride a 2-stroke, 185hp, 1200cc Retrojet HX boat as he makes his first appearance in the class in 22 years! His last outing in Pro Sport GP came during the 1997 World Finals where he finished sixth overall.
Already this year, the Briton – team principal of touring car motorsport team HMS Racing – has enjoyed great success in the British Jet Sport Championship, which he currently leads, and this past weekend he was a race winner again in the domestic Belgian Jet Sport Championship.
“I’m delighted to be returning to Belgium to defend my European title, and we’re going there with confidence high after a strong season so far in the UK”, said the Swindon sportsman, “We made plenty of heads turn last year after 18 years away from European-level competition, and this time around I’ll be even more prepared and race-ready with the Dean’s Team and AVOS Yamaha guys.
“Of course, I’m excited to be challenging for the Pro Sport title as well with Retrojet which will be my first time racing in that class in 22 years. It requires a different style of riding to the more powerful Pro Stock class, but we’re determined to do well and my aim is to try and win.”
Support for Belcher’s European Jet Sport Championship bid this year again comes from Dean’s Team Yamaha, AVOS Watersports Den, Yamaha UK, Yamalube, Retrojet, TH1RST Energy Water, VP Fuels, HMS Racing, Quakysense, BNJ Parts, Octane Fitness, ZX1, Finch Signs, Wamiltons Customs, Mark Povey Photography and Pro Green MX.
While Belcher competes in Belgium at the weekend, his HMS Racing squad will also be in action at Croft Circuit in the UK for the third event of the Dunlop Touring Car Trophy season, with Audi A4 driver Alex Day.
