It was something of a mixed weekend for ILR Kawasaki at the latest round of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship at Brands Hatch.

Victor Cox's fifth place finish was another excellent result but the Trowbridge star was frustrated during the race by a lack of front grip which hampered his push for yet another podium.

Qualifying had again gone well. With the team working hard Cox was again one of the pace setters and he finished the first session in fifth place, just 0.72s off the fastest time and fastest through the Sector One speed trap. His team-mate Ash Beech had also rode well to finish the session an excellent 12th.

And Victor was on it again in the second session. Quickest through the second course sector, he finished the session in second place to again qualify on the front row of the grid. Beech meanwhile had slipped to 20th overall but still well placed on Row 5 of the grid.

Expectations were understandably high for the race and they were soon justified as Cox flashed across the start/finish line at the end of the opening lap of the race in the lead and he still led as the riders completed their second circuit. Beech meanwhile was down in 21st and in the middle of a typically congested midfield pack of riders all separated by fractions of a second. On the third lap, Adam Jenkinson took the lead but Cox was still battling hard in second.


However on the next lap Cox was starting to struggle with grip and had slipped to fourth behind Jenkinson, Jason O'Halloran and Keith Farmer with Steve Brogan almost a further second in arrears. Beech was still battling away in 19th place just over a second off the final points position. By the sixth lap Cox was circulating in a safe fourth from Howie Mainwaring but on the next lap Brogan crashed out which in turn introduced the safety car to proceedings. Ash unfortunately had retired at this point of the race with an over-heating engine.

The safety car went in on the eleventh lap leaving just four laps of the race to run and despite his front end grip problems, Cox was determined to bring the bike home for a solid points score. He soon slipped to fifth behind Howie Mainwaring and was now coming under serious pressure from PJ Jacobsen. But riding calmly and measurably for the remainder of the race, Victor managed to keep the American at bay to score 11 hard earned points which deservedly moves him into third place in the championship.

Victor Cox:

'I was a bit gutted with the result to be honest as I felt we could have had a good race. I just kept losing the front so easily but I was determined to finish and reward all our hard work by putting some more points on the board. To be third in the championship is very pleasing.'

It's a well earned break now for the team before preparations begin for Dundrod. The Ulster Grand Prix Bike Week which runs from August 6th-11th, once again sees ILR Kawasaki team owner/rider Ian Lougher in action on one of his favourite circuits.

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