Friday March 15, 2013 at 12:45pm
The first Thundersport GB Championship round at Brands Hatch was literally busting at the seams and when qualifying turned out to be a damp affair, we all knew just about anything could happen. But no one could have predicted how the resolve of so many were to be tested to their very limits.
Ben Grindrod aboard the Motocoat Kawasaki it was set pole in the Bike Insurer GP1/Superstock 1000's, followed by Neil Gregory and a late charge by Rob McNealy 3rd, the two BMW's of Daryl Dance and Phil Crowe filled 4th and 5th spots.
Race 1 then, Ben Grindrod Rob McNealy really outclassed the rest of the field with what looked like the perfect tyre choice and Battle Royale ensued between them, but Ben it was who took the flag, albeit only 81/1000's (a tyres width) ahead of Rob. Daryl Dance snatched the final podium spot, but where were all the usual suspects?
Waiting for Sundays' weather is your answer, much toil into suspension and tyre choice, brought Thundersport creme de la creme back to the surface and Race 2 of the weekend was won by Phil Crowe with Pete Baker in second and Jon Waghorn on the JW Smart/Park Lane BMW making his first visit to the Bike Insurers Thundersport GB GP1 podium. This was after an hour long clear-up operation following a massive oil spillage from Stefan Cappellas' Motodex Performance Suzuki on lap 1 of the original race start. Huge thanks to the marshals and officials who worked right through their lunch hour to effect this feat.
Jon Waghorn obviously got a taste for the new Thundersport GB podium, winning Race 3 by 3.5secs, in front of #1 Baker and Adrian Clark on the #3 Clarke Racing Honda. Crowe brought home in fourth to secure 2nd place in the overall standings and last years' champ Baker on the Morello Kawasaki in 3rd, but it is Jon Waghorn who leads leaving Brands and he'll be very happy to have pulled it off in difficult conditions. Baker would certainly have led the championship if he'd kept it rubber side down in Race 2, but he likes Donington and will likely go well there.
There is a long way to go in the 2013 Bike Insurer Thundersport GP1 championship, but it's already shaping up to be a corker of a battle!