Just as it proved to be earlier in the
season, Oulton Park proved to be a successful stomping ground for Team #109
this weekend as the Bennetts British Superbike showdown kicked off, with both
Eunan McGlinchey and Kevin Keyes both managing to make it onto the podium
across the weekend.
The weekend got off to a fantastic
start for Dickies Junior Supersport championship leader McGlinchey, topping Friday’s
free practice session by over two seconds in the damp conditions, finishing
ahead of his title challenger Brian Hart. Qualifying proved difficult for the
twenty-year-old from Aghadowey, finishing the session in seventh, which meant
he would have to start the opening race of the weekend from the front of the
third row.
As the lights went out to start the
first of his two races, McGlinchey set about passing a number of riders on the
opening lap, making up for his third tow start. With a gap of almost four
seconds to Hart in the lead, victory was looking like a task too far for the
series leader. But as the laps ticked by McGlinchey was eating into the KTM
riders lead by almost a second a lap, before making his move on the penultimate
lap and taking the lead.
Holding off Hart’s attempts on the
final lap, McGlinchey crossed the line to take an incredible victory and extend
his lead in the series by another five points. As a result of taking the win,
it gave McGlinchey the opportunity to wrap up the championship in Sundays
second race, with another victory proving enough to wrap it up.
Starting from pole position, a three
way breakaway group at the front, consisting of McGlinchey, Hart and Elliot
Pinson battled it out for the victory throughout. As they began the last lap of
the race it was all still to play for, and as they three entered the final
corner McGlinchey went for the lead, and what would have been the title, but a
slight mistake exiting the corner saw him slip back to third behind Hart and eventual
winner Pinson.
Despite not claiming the championship
title on the day, the Aghadowey rider enters the final round of the year at
Brands Hatch in pole position to take the crown, with a forty-three point
advantage back to Hart in second, and looks in good position to claim a British
championship in his debut season, and what would also be the first for Team
#109.
Commenting on his weekend McGlinchey
said; “Coming away it was a good weekend, free practice started off
brilliantly, finishing the session at top of the standings. Into qualifying it
was a patchy track in terms of the conditions, so I didn’t push too hard
knowing I could get off the line and make up the positions. In the opening race
I had to claw back over three seconds of a gap to be able to challenge for the
win, but the bike worked perfect in the tough conditions and I was able to take
the win. Race two was a tight one between myself, Hart and Pinson, and as it
has done many times before it all came down to the last corner on the last lap.
I made a mistake coming out and ended up having to take third, but coming away
with two podiums I am happy and looking forward to Brands Hatch, I know what I
have to do and I am ready to go.”
In the Pirelli National Superstock 600
class Kevin Keyes had one of his most consistent weekends this season, setting
a solid pace early in the weekend, finishing inside the top five in both a dry
free practice one and a wet free practice two on Friday. Sitting inside the top
ten throughout all of qualifying on Saturday morning, Kevin went out for a
final stint in the closing few minutes, and a great lap saw him jump onto the
front of the second row, finishing the session in an excellent fourth position.
In what was an incredibly wet race on
Sunday afternoon, Keyes started the race smoothly, running as he had done all
weekend inside the top five. As the race reached its halfway point Keyes began
to close the gap to the riders ahead, passing firstly Joe Sheldon-Shaw, before
having a great battle with Milo Ward for the final spot on the podium. As they
entered the final few laps Ward was unable to reply to Keyes’ move for third,
and despite the horrible conditions at the Tarporley track, Keyes brought the
Team #109 Kawasaki ZX6R across the line in an excellent third position,
matching the result he scored at the first Oulton Park event back in May.
Speaking about his return to the
podium, Keyes said; “I really enjoyed the race to be honest, even in the wet
conditions. After starting the race being just a little too cautious, I found
myself battling in and around fifth and sixth in the opening laps. I had a big
gap to close to the front but as I settled in I managed to close in the boys
ahead and could see them coming back to me. I was feeling more and more
comfortable on the bike and in the conditions, and I was able to get by and
make it back onto the podium. I can’t give enough credit to my Dad and my team,
including my teammate Eunan McGlinchey for getting the complete wet setting
wheels and springs into my bike in under five
minutes, it was incredible. I’m delighted to be back on the podium and bring
some more silverware back to the Team #109 camp.”
A delighted Team #109 team manager
Paul Tobin commented on his riders performances over the course of the weekend
saying; “We had a good setting for Kevin all
weekend and when things are right for him he can push. He had a good qualifying
that put him fourth on the grid for the race. The team done a fantastic job as
it was all hands on deck when we had less than five minutes until pit lane
closed to get the bike from full dry settings to wet. Kevin goes well in the
wet and proved that again in the race, a great podium and just rewards for the
teams hard work all weekend”.
“Eunan rode an incredible race one on
Saturday, coming from seventh on the grid, to closing a three second gap to the
leader and then pass the more experienced Hart on the KTM UK backed machine to
win was superb. He rode a shrewd race two and did have a look at Pinson for the
win at lodge corner on the last lap, but took a sensible podium for more
championship points. The whole team are now looking forward to the final round
at Brands Hatch next month.”
Riding the second Team #109 Kawasaki
Ninja 400 under the McManus racing banner, fifteen-year-old Eoghan James
McManus unfortunately had a difficult weekend at the Tarporley track in what
were incredibly difficult conditions, suffering two crashes in the two Dickies
Junior Supersport races.
Commenting on the teenagers progress
Team #109 team manager Paul Tobin said; “James had a tough weekend running off
track in both races, but Oulton Park is a hard place to go and learn,
especially when it’s mixed conditions all weekend. He had never ridden the bike
in the wet before so did really well to learn so much with little track time,
more pennies in the learning bank as they say and he can look forward to
Brands.”
Team #109 Kawasaki would like to thank
our sponsors for their continued support; TTS Surfacing, MMD Construction, EMS
Copiers, Cork Motorcycle Racing and Vintage Club, LiftRite Ltd, Spears Racing,
Fuchs - Silkolene, R&G Racing, Kawasaki UK, Ohlins Racing, HEL Performance,
Glenn Irwin GI2, J-Tec Sports, SBS Brakes, JOG
Tuning, Shoei Helmets UK, Feridax, James McCann Photography, Gorman Crash Repairs, Jim
McCann & Sons Family Butchers, Unlimited Industries, MSS Performance, and
Ross Motorcycles Cork.
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