The tricky conditions continued to play havoc when the Superstock 600 competitors rolled into the pit lane garages before their opening race today. With a dry line clearly visible, the race was declared as a dry race, however the black clouds surrounding the circuit made a few of the riders very nervous. The result of which, a number of setup options and tyre combinations headed out onto circuit.
With 2 laps gone, Liam Shellcock lost control of his machine heading into the Hairpin, his wet tyres just not suitable for the conditions. Heading into the third lap, the rain finally came and the race was red flagged. Shellcock, to his credit, dusted himself down and reappeared for the restart, again on wet tyres.
As other riders frantically changed their tyres to wets, Bryan Duncanson the current Superstock 600 Championship leader admitted:
“I just don’t know what to do now.”
Thankfully for Duncanson, his pit crew quickly swapped his tyres and sent him out onto Circuit for a 7 lap restart. After a cautious start, Duncanson then started to make inroads into the leading pack before eventually taking the lead and subsequently the win. Cathal Laverty pulled together a strong race and secured his first podium of the year with a fine 2nd place. And, it was that man Shellcock, who brought his bike home in third place, despite the bumps and bruises he secured in the opening race.
In the SuperTwin race, Paul McClung was just too good in the rain for his fellow competitors. McClung impressing the commentary team with his drive and determination to perform lap after lap on his Suzuki racing machine. Knockhill based Eddie Stone crossed the line in 2nd place, just ahead of F400 rider Tom Robinson.
Another youngster, Andrew Tasker enjoyed success in the Scottish Superbike Championship race. Taking a lights to flag win ahead of Bruce Birnie and Donald MacFadyen. Tasker who has continued to develop in only his 2nd season onboard his Kawasaki ZX10R was obviously delighted with the win.
“I had a few moments out there, big moments, but l’m delighted to get over the line. It’s been a long wait but we are finally there. A huge thanks to all my sponsors,” commented Tasker.
Racing continues throughout the rest of the afternoon and again tomorrow, where another 18 races are scheduled to take place. Tickets can be booked via our website or will also be available on the day.