Australian Motorcycle News - June 21, 2018

Elliottgoesitalone

BRITISH SUPERSTOCK 1000

rider Braydon Elliott has

launchedaself-managedNo

Bull Racing squad to continue

his2018campaign.After

partingwayswithhisteam

afterjusttworoundsofthe

season his future in the series

looked bleak, and opted to fund

hisownentryusingSuzuki

GSX-R1000R machinery.

“I have been lucky enough

to be able to make the decision

to take my racing career into

my own hands, and start this

team,”Elliottsaid.“Ineededto

do something that was going

toputmebackincontrolof

my own future, and I definitely

thinkthatrunningmyown

race team will give me the best

opportunity to succeed. I have

runmyownteaminthepast,

andhadgreatsuccess,but

doingthisontheothersideof

theworldisn’teasy.Ihavebeen

fortunate enough to meet some

kind people that have helped

memakethisareality.”

JG SPEEDFIT KAWASAKI’S

Leon Haslam picked up his

fi fth consecutive victory

in round four of the British

Superbike Championship at

Snetterton over 15-17 June.

The opening race of the

Bennett’s British Superbike’s

looked to be wrapped up by

Buildbase Suzuki’s Bradley

Ray, who had been showing

great form securing pole

position in the previous day’s

qualifying, but an abrupt

crash at the half-way point of

the race put an end to that.

Closing the gap each lap

to then-leader Be Wiser

Ducati’s Glen Irwin, Haslam

eventually forced his way

through to the front with just

two laps remaining to seal

thevictory.Irwin,andyoung

R AF Regular and Reserve’s

Jake Dixon fi ghting McAms

Yamaha’s Josh Brookes for the

remaining podium position,

with Dixon pipping Brookesy

to the line by just over a tenth

of a second.

A gripping race two saw

Bradley Ray again forge ahead

of the Superbike fi eld, and

once again crash out, this

time taking Irwin with him,

playing into Haslam and

Brookes’ hands who were left

to fi ght for the victory.

Brookesy and Haslam

were side-by-side, elbow-to-

elbow on the last lap of the

race, with Jake Dixon lurking

behind. The pair collided

down the start-fi nish straight

whichgaveDixonawindowof

opportunity to make a lunge

for the win. Haslam reached

the line fi rst, by just 0.040

seconds from Dixon, while

Josh Brookes claimed third,

just over a tenth behind the

championship leader.

The highly competitive

British Superstock 1000

Championship class

didn’t disappoint as their

one 14-lap race played

out at Snetterton Circuit.

Australia’s Billy McConnell

(Buildbase Suzuki) retains

his championship lead after

another strong showing of

second place. The next-best

Aussie on the day was Sam

Clarke in 23rd, who now sits

13th in the overall standings.

Benjamin Currie (Gearlink

Kawasaki) once again made

a podium appearance with

a strong second-place fi nish

in the opening Supersport

race, though ended Race

2 with a DNF after 11 laps.

Currie is still very much in

championship contention

only 19 points behind series

leader Jack Kennedy (Intergro

Ya ma ha).

It was a disappointing

weekend for Levi Day in

the Ducati TriOptions Cup,

injuring his collarbone

after an incident in front

forced him off the track.

He’s currently ninth in the

standings. The series heads to

Scotland’s Knockhill over 6-8

July. ELIZA BERRY

120 amcn.com.au

sport

BSB

LeonHaslamsnatchesBSBdoublebyfourhundredthsofasecond

Main: Haslam (91) now sits

64 points clear of the fast but

crash-happy Bradley Ray

Inset: Aussie Billy McConnell

leads the Superstock standings

Five on the trot for Haslam

RESULTS AFTER 4 OF 12 ROUNDS

SBK

1 L HASLAM KAW 165

2 B RAY SUZ 101

3 S BYRNE DUC 98

4 J DIXON KAW 91

6 J BROOKES YAM 72

7 J O’HALLORAN HON 63

SSP

2 B CURRIE KAW 146

STK1000

1 B MCCONNELL SUZ 113

13 S CLARKE KAW 27

DTOC

9 L DAY DUC 51