For most people, the thought of spending a day with their motorcycle hero is nothing more than a pipe dream. And yet for Ben Hayes of Cheshire, thanks to the team here at Carole Nash, we were able to transform that dream into a reality.
Having won a competition on insidebikes earlier this month, Ben was invited to spend the day with none other than our very own Leon Haslam. Naturally, spending the day with a biking legend is something that Ben won’t be forgetting in a hurry – and we’re over the moon that both Ben and Leon had such an awesome day.
“The whole day was filled with incredible experiences from beginning to end and these will live with me forever” stated a reflective Ben. “It was a money-can’t-buy experience and I want to thank Carole Nash for the brilliant opportunity and Leon and his family for the experience and being so welcoming.
“Having started the day at the gym, it wasn’t long before both Leon and Ben put away their shorts, and climbed into their leathers. And by mid-morning, the pair were on the track at one of Britain’s most infamous biking circuits – Donington Park – for some time with the Honda Ron Haslam Race School.
“The guys [were] incredible” remembers Ben, “they have been there and they have done the job – and their ability to communicate effectively is phenomenal.” In the hours that followed, Ben enjoyed many a lap with both Leon, as well as riding pillion with the ‘Rocket’ himself, Ron Haslam.
Following his time at Donington, Ben retired back to the Haslam farm to meet the rest of the family before tucking into a home cooked curry. There was even time to check out the Haslam Museum – an experience that Ben described as both “amazing” and “mind blowing”.
For Leon, the feeling was mutual, and the multiple race winner was more than happy to share a few kind words about his day with Ben. “I really enjoyed getting to spend a whole day with a true fan” he explained, “and it’s brilliant to hear Ben had a fantastic day. Hopefully it gave him a real insight into the world of racing and training.”
Clearly, both parties had a great day – and if you’d like to replicate the experience Ben had, you might want to keep one eye on insidebikes, just in case there’s another competition around the corner!
