BSB RND 3 - Donington Park

[wull]

Kyle Ryde topped the Bennetts British Superbike Championship free practice times at Donington Park today for the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha team, setting a new fastest ever Bennetts BSB lap time of the Grand Prix circuit by a stunning 0.480s following the recent resurfacing of the Leicestershire track.

The pace had been rapid from the start of the action earlier in the day, but in the afternoon session the times continued to tumble and whilst Ryde set a new benchmark for the fastest ever recorded BSB time, the top 11 riders lapped under the existing race lap record.

Ryde’s pace-setting lap came in the final five minutes of the session, despite an earlier light shower as he managed to edge ahead of fellow local contender Leon Haslam, who had been leading the way for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team until the closing stages.

Jason O'Halloran had been the rider who topped the times in the opening session for McAMS Yamaha and he ended the day third fastest, improving his time in the afternoon session to be 0.123s adrift of his Yamaha rival.

There was nothing separating the BeerMonster Ducati teammates with championship leader Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell setting an identical lap time in the second session to climb the order to complete the top five.

Josh Brookes led the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team charge in sixth place as the double Champion moved ahead of Ryan Vickers on the second of the LAMI OMG Racing Yamahas, whilst Lee Jackson fired Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki into the top eight in the final phase of the second session.

Danny Kent narrowly remained ahead of Honda Racing UK rival Andrew Irwin as they completed the top ten after the opening two free practice sessions whilst the returning Danny Buchan and Peter Hickman were the final riders in the top 12 who progress directly into tomorrow’s Omologato Superpole to decide the grid for the Bennetts BikeSocial Sprint race.

The remaining riders will take part in the eBay Qualifying session, with the top three completing the 15 riders who will take part in the one-lap shootout for pole position.

[Skub]

I caught up with yesterday's racing this morning. Good craic in all the classes. Good to see Sam Laffins sporting the legendary Ray McCullough helmet,it fairly stands out from the crowd. A good result from the lad too.

[wull]

Just finished watching the first race today(race 2), fook me! That was frantic after the safety car had went in, cracking stuff.

[Bigyin]

Managed to watch all the weekends racing and some good scraps amongst the classes

Supersport was a weird one this weekend with Booth-Amos a second a lap quicker than anyone else right up till the point he crashed in race one ….. the bollocking from the team worked as race 2 was an 8 second clear win and the most boring race I have ever seen in a class that’s normally cut throat

Superbikes were good close combat however Andy Irwin seems to have reverted back to his riding from a couple of years ago taking out both Christian Iddon and Storm Stacey on the same corner, by the same move of diving into an obviously closing gap in 2 separate races. Iddon was seriously pissed of as Irwin done the same thing to him at last years Donington meeting

[wull]

He’s been given 3 points on his licence and 3 Place grid penalty at Knockers

[Bigyin]

He’s been given 3 points on his licence and 3 Place grid penalty at Knockers

Strange though that the taking out of Iddon in race 1 was ruled a racing incident by the stewards and no penalty yet the identical thing in the final race on Stacey gets him a slap on the wrist and points on his race license.

I couldn’t see any difference between the 2 incidents even when shown from a couple of different angles

[wull]

I think the incident with Iddon they deemed that there was a bigger gap initially when Iddon went wide, but with Storm there wasn’t a gap at all, if any it was a baw hair at most.

[Skub]

Only finished watching today. The good weather interferes with tv,as I hate sitting in the house on sunny days.

Some odd things going on with Brookes and O'Halloran,one minute they are on the pace,then dropping,then back on...

[wull]

Only finished watching today. The good weather interferes with tv,as I hate sitting in the house on sunny days.

Some odd things going on with Brookes and O'Halloran,one minute they are on the pace,then dropping,then back on...

Tyre problems I believe due to the resurfaced track.

[Skub]

Only finished watching today. The good weather interferes with tv,as I hate sitting in the house on sunny days.

Some odd things going on with Brookes and O'Halloran,one minute they are on the pace,then dropping,then back on...

Tyre problems I believe due to the resurfaced track.

Ah. I bet it's class to ride around now. I did a Ron Haslam school 20 odd years ago and it was great craic.

[Yorick]

Only finished watching today. The good weather interferes with tv,as I hate sitting in the house on sunny days.

Some odd things going on with Brookes and O'Halloran,one minute they are on the pace,then dropping,then back on...

Tyre problems I believe due to the resurfaced track.

Ah. I bet it's class to ride around now. I did a Ron Haslam school 20 odd years ago and it was great craic.

I think I was there as well

[Skub]

Tyre problems I believe due to the resurfaced track.

Ah. I bet it's class to ride around now. I did a Ron Haslam school 20 odd years ago and it was great craic.

I think I was there as well

I had Matt Llewellyn for the day one to one,because another punter didn't turn up. Simon Beck (killed at the TT in 1999) was another instructor. A great bunch of lads.