Dromara's Sam Laffins was in upbeat mood as he prepared for the next round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Scotland's Knockhill Circuit.

"The 21-year-old is a most incredible talent and we're delighted that he's become an ambassador for the Antrim-based brand just six years after starting his racing career.
Laffins will be wearing Zerofit base layers Coldskin , Iceweave and Heatlab Move for the three-day event in Dunfermline.

"The products do exactly what they say they do. The more comfortable I am during a race the better as I need one less thing to think about so I can concentrate on the race. ZEROFIT base layers have never let me down," says Sam.

"I wear Heatlab Move every day in the gym and it helps regulate my body temperature so I don't get too hot and even if I sweat, I don't get cold. I finished second and fourth at Donington last time out wearing IceWeave , so I'm sure it helped me perform better while staying warm, " he added.

ZEROFIT's new deal with Laffins marks the start of a new talent acquisition strategy for the brand, says managing director Michael Morton.

Sam is looking to use his previous podium finish as inspiration for the future.

"In 2022, we as a group thought about how we could support up-and-coming athletes in major sports like motorcycling, golf, fishing and running. And we looked for young men and women who might be using ZEROFIT products," Morton said.

"Sam is the perfect athlete, which is what we were looking for. He has a class-leading presence on the track, in the paddock and away from the race environment. We're excited about his future, especially as he's a huge fan of the Ice Weave and Heat Rub moves ," Morton added.

While many riders start the sport at a young age, Sam was fascinated by watching his sister Chloe race Mini Motos, and when she decided to quit Mini Motos, an opportunity presented itself.

Blessed with talent, Sam's progress was rapid, winning two David Wood Memorial events in 2016 and taking both a win and a lap record at the Sunflower Trophy at Bishopscourt the same year.

In 2018 he competed in the British Talent Cup before moving up to compete in the Pirelli National Junior Superstock 600 Championship in 2019, improving with each race, last year he finished second twice and third twice, and even started a race from pole position.

He signed with defending champions Binch Racing at the start of this season and is looking forward to a promising start to the current campaign, which began at Silverstone in April.

"My target is to win the championship, get into the top three and just keep going. You can fight until 25 in this division but I don't want to do that. This will be my last year and then I'll move up to the Supersport championship," said Sam, who works full time as yard manager for Sloane Transport.

It's hard to juggle a 12-hour shift with training both in the gym and on the bike, but it's a costly journey up the ranks so it has to be done.

So, as Scottish race fans prepare to welcome the elite of British Superbike to the ancient kingdom of Fife, what does Sam have in store?

Moto GP might be a bit tough, but ideally I'd like to race at World Supersport level against someone like Jonathan Rea.
 
Good luck with the rest of the season!