The second spherical of the British Superbike Championship took riders again to Knockhill in Scotland final weekend, a circuit which was missed out by final yr’s diminished British championship schedule.
he usually giant Irish contingent was diminished in Scotland because the Nationwide Superstock 600 class and Junior Supersport races had been left off the schedule as a result of occasion being diminished to only two days somewhat than the standard three.
With Glen and Andrew Irwin persevering with to wrestle to match the front-running tempo within the Superbike class, it was left to the Supersport riders to supply one of the best Irish outcomes of the weekend. Six of the highest 12 locations on the grid had been taken by riders from the North and South of Eire, with former double champion Jack Kennedy qualifying greatest in second place, whereas Lee Johnston and Korie McGreevy sat on the second row of the grid in fifth and sixth.
The extremely skilled Kennedy was anticipated to be the person to beat on this yr’s championship however to this point he has not had all of it his personal means in his first season on a Kawasaki. begin at Oulton Park introduced a win and a second place however Knockhill was all the time going to be tougher because the circuit structure doesn’t swimsuit the 636cc Kawasaki’s traits.
“The bike is missing in acceleration, in comparison with the Yamaha out of sluggish corners and with the hairpin earlier than the beginning end straight having an uphill exit, this made issues even worse,” Kennedy mentioned.
“I needed to over-ride the bike a bit and be actually on the restrict on the brakes to get the outcomes that we did.”
In race one, Kennedy was within the lead battle all through and needed to retake third place from Johnston within the latter phases to maintain observe of championship chief Bradley Perie. Perie was operating second however was gifted the win on the ultimate lap when the chief fell, elevating Kennedy to second and Johnston to the rostrum. McGreevy was a faller in race one, leaving class rookies Eunan McGlinchey, Scott Swann and Rhys Irwin to return residence fifth, seventh and ninth.
The second race was even more durable for Kennedy. It was apparent simply how laborious he was driving as he battled again from a sluggish begin that left him seventh on the finish of lap one. By the point Kennedy received to 3rd place, Perie was lengthy gone within the lead and the Dubliner had his work minimize out to catch Johnston.
Kennedy finally caught and handed his Northern Irish rival with three laps to go, however Johnston moved again previous on the straight, as anticipated, to retake second and maintain on for one of the best results of his British Supersport Championship profession.
Third place was sufficient for Kennedy to maintain second within the championship and preserve the stress on Perie because the championship heads for 2 circuits that may swimsuit his Kawasaki.
“It was a very good weekend’s work below the circumstances,” Kennedy mentioned.
“I believe we received one of the best that we might have out of the bike, with out pushing too far. I used to be on the restrict on a regular basis however we received the outcomes we wanted and I’m pleased with the place we’re as we transfer on to the Manufacturers Hatch Grand Prix circuit in two weeks’ time.”
Lee Johnston was additionally completely happy along with his weekend’s work, as he felt he had the tempo to go one higher and take his first win.
“Our tempo was actually good and in race two, once I received freed from the visitors, I might match the chief’s occasions however sadly he was too far forward by that stage,” Johnston mentioned.
“It was good to return out on prime of the battle with Jack within the final couple of laps and I used to be pleased with second however would have been happier with the win.
“With no highway racing deliberate for 2021, I’ll be doing the remainder of the Supersport season and I do know after this weekend that we’re able to having outcomes like this each time and difficult for the title.”
Of the remaining Irish Supersport riders at Knockhill, McGreevy once more failed to complete race two whereas McGlinchey and Irwin each matched their race one outcomes with fifth and ninth place.
Within the Superbike class, Honda rider Glen Irwin picked up a greatest end of eleventh in race two earlier than crashing out of the third encounter. Youthful brother Andrew picked up simply 4 championship factors on the TAS BMW with a greatest end of fourteenth. Waterford’s Brian McCormack suffered one other disastrous weekend, with only one race end following mechanical points.
13-year-old London-based Portlaoise teenager Casey O’Gorman had an unlucky weekend in Scotland. The British Expertise cup and European Expertise Cup star had taken two wins on the season opener in Oulton Park, however was run into from behind on the finish of the primary straight throughout Apply, touchdown him in hospital and out of the Knockhill weekend.
O’Gorman’s championship problem is now in jeopardy, as he’ll miss some rounds whereas he recovers from the Knockhill accident.