Chris Walker rides Key Racing’s Manx TT winning Ducati 916 at Donington Park

On Thursday 19th September, Ducati UK hosted their third and final track day of the year at Donington Park. Ducati owners got to ride the bikes around the full GP circuit, where they were joined on track by former WorldSBK and BSB racer Chris Walker and reigning British Supersport Champion Ben Currie. 

Chris got the chance to ride Key Racing Ducati 916, which in the hands of Mike Browne won the 2024 Classic TT and the Manx Grand Prix. The opportunity was a personal one for Chris as it brought back memories of his very first superbike ride, on the same model bike and the very same circuit.

Chris Walker
“Here I am at an official Ducati UK track day, just for Ducati owners. There’s some incredible equipment here, just like earlier in the year. Donington Park is a local circuit for me and believe it or not this beautiful bike (Key Racing Ducati 916) which I just got to ride around on has recently won the Classic TT at the Manx. 

The very first time I got to ride a superbike was a Ducati 916 at Donington Park in 1995! It was for the late, great Steve Hislop. He was an incredible chap, and he’d won the British Championship that year on the Devimead Ducati. I don’t know whether it was partying for winning the championship or just a little mishap, but he’d fallen down the stairs and hurt his shoulder. 

Steve had turned up at an invitation round at the end of the year, for a Shell Oils promoted race. Aaron Slight was there, Simon Crafar, Jim Moody and all the BSB protagonists and front runners were there. But Steve was unable to ride.

I was riding for Padgett’s on the 250 back then and Steve recommended to his team that rather than have his bike sit idle that I should be the one that pedalled it round for him for the weekend. It was an incredible honour, just like it was to ride this bike today.

I was literally straight in at the deep end. The first lap I had was a flying lap down Craner Curves for a Superbike race and I’d never raced Superbike before. The last thing Hislop’s mechanic said to me as he pushed me down the pitlane was those frames have been on all year, don’t crash it. Three laps later I was in the gravel at the Old Hairpin with the dash in my hand and the bike in a few bits!

I was panicking getting back to the garage in the bac of the van. But the team were so chuffed because even though I’d fallen off I’d in the only three laps I’d ever done on a superbike I’d managed to put it on the front row and then on the podium the next day. 

It was a tough start with a fairytale ending. To relive that memory on a Ducati 916 back down Craner Curves, it was pretty special, it brought back a lot of memories back. To see this bike perform like it did at the Manx only a few weeks ago was great. I’ve obviously followed its story, and I know the sponsor, James from The Bike Specialist a good friend of ours. The pilot Mike Browne did a great job. I’ve just ridden it and it’s beautiful. I’ll be begging them for another go next time I see it on track.”