Bennetts Suzuki’s Christian Iddon saw two potential top-six finishes cruelly snatched-away at Thruxton and round seven of the MCE British Superbike Championship on Sunday as team-mate Josh Waters raced to a positive top-10 position.
After qualifying in ninth place, Iddon was battling for a top-six in race one when another machine’s engine blew-up in front of him. Raising his hand in anticipation of a red flag, Iddon's visor was suddenly covered in oil from the stricken machine and he couldn't see in front of him, running onto the grass and being forced to lay his GSX-R1000 down before running into the air fence.
While he was allowed to line-up for the restart, the team couldn't quite get the bike rebuilt in time and he had to start from the back of the grid. Then after an impressive start - which saw him up to 17th on the opening lap - he had to pull back into the pits to make some more adjustments to his GSX-R1000. Despite being down on laps, he managed to put-in the ninth-fastest lap of the race, ensuring a third-row grid spot for race two.
Unfortunately more problems plagued the team when John Hopkins fell at the chicane – as Iddon was again battling for the top-six in the closing stages of the race – and was forced to scrub-off speed to avoid the crashed machine; and was then hit from behind by another rider. He was able to remain upright but the impact bent his Yoshimura exhaust system and down on power, he struggled home to 20th place; his first non-point-scoring round of the season.
Christian Iddon:
“I don't know what I did wrong in a previous life but I must have done something! The good thing is the team has been brilliant all weekend and we've been up there and on the pace in every single session, plus we've been able to run good lap-times. First race I couldn't see where I was going so had to lay it down. I felt I was on the grass and I was going fast and didn't know which direction I was going in. So I had to put it down. In the restart I made a good start but unfortunately the bike wasn't quite ready enough so I had to pull in, but I got back out to get a lap in.
“It was all going really nicely in race two also. I was trying to be careful and save some tyre for the end of the race so we could have a go. I got through Hopper's crash but someone else couldn't get stopped behind me and rear-ended me and bent the exhaust. I didn't know what was bent at the time and felt something scraping at the next corner. Some people came past and gestured at me so I pulled off the racing-line and had a look. I kicked it as straight as I could but I was just down on power, but I just finished the race as you never know what's going to happen in front of you.”
In contrast, team-mate Josh Waters enjoyed a positive weekend on his Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000, making progress with the set-up of his machine and big improvements in his lap-times.
Despite the team's gamble not paying off in qualifying, Waters progressed from his 21st place grid-spot and fought through to finish in 14th place in race one. Things improved further in race two when he kept pushing forwards and was battling well inside the top-10. Starting the last lap, Waters held eighth and made a move for seventh. However, he made a small mistake with his pass and dropped back to 10th at the chequered flag, but was buoyed with his and the team's progress throughout the weekend.
Josh Waters:
“It's a shame that the gamble in qualifying didn't pay off as we had to start from further down the field, and with lap times so close, passing is difficult around here. We had a decent race one and made-up some positions. Race two was good and I really enjoyed riding the bike and the battles on track. I was looking to get a really good top-10 finish but I just made a small mistake on the last lap trying to make a pass and in the end it cost me. But the team has worked really hard and the progress is now evident for people to see. We'll keep working with the aim of getting even further-up the results.”
Martin Halsall - Team Owner:
“You couldn't write it; it just seems like we can't get a break at the minute. Christian's had illness, injury, got unlucky with rain in qualifying, been run off track, and now this… so we're disappointed not to come away with any points on his side of the garage this weekend. But we're taking the positives from the pace we've shown. Two top-six finishes were definitely within our reach today.
“On Josh's side of the garage we've seen a big improvement. The bike's getting better all the time and there's a definite direction we're going in with the set-up. Everyone knows he has the pace and we've seen a much happier Josh this weekend. He too was on course for a very good result in race two, and while it didn't end-up quite as it could have, he's still come away with some solid points."
Race One Result:
1. Josh Brookes, 2. Dan Linfoot, 3. James Westmoreland, 4. Shane Byrne, 5. Howie Mainwaring-Smart. 14. Josh Waters (Bennetts Suzuki). DNF: Christian Iddon (Bennetts Suzuki).
Race Two Result:
1. Josh Brookes, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Luke Mossey, 4. Tommy Bridewell, 5. Dan Linfoot. 10. Josh Waters (Bennetts Suzuki). 20. Christian Iddon (Bennetts Suzuki).
BITTERSWEET THRUXTON BSB FOR BENNETTS SUZUKI
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