Luke Mossey wins Brands Hatch BSB and moves to within five-points of Leon Haslam
Images by Jon Jessop
The MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship returned to Brands Hatch on the Easter weekend as riders contested round two of the 2017 BSB season at the frantic 1.2-mile Indy circuit.
Luke Mossey has waited for his debut win in the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship and this past weekend the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider made it a dream double at Brands Hatch as he followed up his impressive race one performance by celebrating victory in race two.
Qualifying – James Ellison took pole for McAMS Yamaha at Brands Hatch
James Ellison claimed pole position for the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch as the McAMS Yamaha rider obliterated the lap record, holding off Luke Mossey by 0.203s with Leon Haslam completing the front row.
Jason O’Halloran fired the Honda Racing Fireblade into the top six as he pushed Christian Iddon back onto row three ahead of Josh Brookes and Michael Laverty.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, Datatag Qualifying
- James Ellison (McAMS Yamaha) 44.728s
- Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.203s
- Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.205s
- Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) +0.302s
- John Hopkins (Moto Rapido Ducati) +0.316s
- Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +0.392s
- Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.454s
- Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +0.656s
- Michael Laverty (McAMS Yamaha) +0.755s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, Race One
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In the opening race of the day Leon Haslam had led the pack on the opening lap ahead of his JG Speedfit Kawasaki team-mate Mossey and pole-sitter James Ellison, but two laps later the McAMS Yamaha rider had hit the front as Haslam ran wide at Druids. The leading trio were closely followed by Christian Iddon, but Ellison was trying to break the pack.
Ellison had edged out a small advantage, however his hard work ended with a crash at Druids as he slid out of contention on the twelfth lap. That left Mossey leading Haslam and Iddon with the scrap for second place intensifying – they traded blows before Iddon made a move at Paddock Hill Bend that kept Haslam in third.
Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne though was closing in on Iddon and Haslam and with four laps to go he was within striking distance. Haslam knew the defending champion was gaining and he then made a move on Iddon at Paddock Hill Bend to move second. It was short lived when the Tyco BMW rider returned the move at Druids, but as they exited Graham Hill Bend, Haslam was back ahead.
At the front Mossey went on to claim the victory with Haslam just having the edge over Iddon and Byrne at the line. The Be Wiser Ducati rider had broken through the pack behind him that featured Dan Linfoot in fifth as the Honda Racing team made big steps forward with Glenn Irwin separating him from the second Fireblade of Jason O’Halloran.
Michael Laverty, Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes completed the top ten with Sylvain Guintoli retiring from the race with a technical problem.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race one result
- Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki)
- Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +3.529s
- Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +3.802s
- Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) +3.920s
- Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +6.352s
- Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +7.544s
- Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +7.588s
- Michael Laverty (McAMS Yamaha) +8.775s
- Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +8.775s
- Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +10.853s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, Race Two
There was more drama for Ellison in race two as the pole sitter didn’t take the start of the race after his race one crash. He had headed out onto the grid, but retired after the warm up lap.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Haslam had again taken the lead on the opening lap, but Mossey, Iddon and O’Halloran were ready to try and make a move. Mossey didn’t wait long and a lap later made a dive down the inside at Paddock Hill Bend, however Haslam instantly fought back to regain the position into Druids.
Three laps later and Mossey went for a repeat move on the brakes into Paddock Hill Bend with Haslam again forcing his way back into the lead as the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team-mates approached Druids for the fifth time.
A lap later and Mossey made the move and defended hard and then Haslam was coming under attack from Iddon onboard the Tyco BMW, who made a move into Paddock Hill Bend a few laps later and was keeping Haslam at bay.
The leading four though were being closed again by Byrne and he made a move on Haslam to move into third, however it was a double disappointment for the Be Wiser Ducati team as both the defending champion and Irwin crashed out unhurt at Clearways within just laps of each other.
Mossey had more in the final laps and he began easing ahead of Iddon with Haslam taking evasive action when Byrne had crashed ahead of him to drop off the leading pair, but a double podium means he retained his position at the top of the standings.
Josh Brookes won the battle of the Australians by mugging O’Halloran for fourth place at the line as the Honda Racing rider achieved their best position of the season so far in fifth ahead of his team-mate Dan Linfoot who emerged ahead after an epic scrap with Smiths Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman.
Rookie Bradley Ray claimed his first top ten finish of the season in eighth place with John Hopkins and Sylvain Guintoli in ninth and tenth respectively.
Billy McConnell claimed 17th and 18th places from the two bouts.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race two result
- Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki)
- Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.758s
- Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +1.851s
- Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +4.032s
- Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +4.188s
- Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +8.205s
- Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +8.735s
- Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +8.982s
- John Hopkins (Moto Rapido Ducati) +9.234s
- Sylvain Guintoli (Bennetts Suzuki) +10.249s
Luke Mossey
“I was over the moon with the first win and then I was going to be happy coming away with a top five in the second race and keep racking up the points, but to have my first two wins of my Superbike career come at once, I’m so happy. I can’t thank the team enough as we really did our homework this weekend, I hope now that we can build on this. I’ve never had such a strong start to a season and that includes my Supersport career, so I’m looking forward to Oulton Park now. We finished second there last time behind Leon, so the Kawasaki works really well there and hopefully we can maintain this speed. I’m at Oulton Park on Thursday for the official test so I can’t do too much celebrating so maybe we will have a couple of beers on Friday night! I’m looking forward to round three – I’ve always enjoyed Oulton Park, so hopefully I can keep bagging these rostrums, and get a few more race wins.”
Shane Byrne
“I’m looking at the weekend with the glass very much being half full as there are a lot of positives to take away. It was a difficult weekend for sure and I’ve got to say the first race was really hard work as I was suffering a lot with wheelspin but the team turned things around and the bike I was riding in the second race was probably the best bike we’ve ever had in terms of set-up. Conditions suited us and I was comfortable with the pace I was running and I felt it was only going to be a matter of time before I hit the front. Once I got by Leon for third, I knew he’d be fighting back straightaway and so defended my line with a tighter line than normal going into Clearways. Unfortunately, I caught the bumps and whilst I tried my utmost to save it I ended up upside down. That’s racing and whilst there’s still a long way to go, we need to start winning races and clawing back some of the podium credits.”
Glenn Irwin
“Sixth place in the first race was a good result given the position I’d started in, but the second race was an awful lot better in terms of my pace and where I was running on track. I felt Glenn Irwinreally comfortable sitting in fifth place behind Shakey and felt confident I’d be able to move forward further still in the closing stages. I didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard nor that I did anything different going into Clearways but I was caught off guard and down I went. It’s really frustrating as I’m really happy with the bike so I’m sorry for the team as they worked so hard but we’re running consistently in the leading pack now and feel like it’s where we belong.”
Peter Hickman
“I was nowhere all weekend but on race day things started to come together and full credit to the team, they worked so hard and the changes we made helped to move me forward. During qualifying, it was really tough and I had to go well out of my comfort zone to do the lap times whereas on race day I was a lot happier. It still wasn’t easy but it was a lot better than it was and to say I’m pleased with the outcome would be an understatement. I’ve done my best ever lap of the Indy circuit and have more points than what I did after two rounds in 2016 so we can go away happy.”
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Brands Hatch
- Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 86
- Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 81
- Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) 65
- Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) 48
- Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) 37
- Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) 36
Dickies British Supersport Championshi 2017 – Brands Hatch Indy
Reigning Champion Tarran Mackenzie continued his dominance in the Dickies British Supersport Championship, claiming his fourth win of the season in the final race at Brands Hatch. The race was initially red flagged on the opening lap, but on the restart it was Mackenzie who grabbed the holeshot, leading the opening lap ahead of Keith Farmer and Alastair Seeley. As the McAMS Yamaha rider controlled the race from the front it was a battle for second as Seeley, Farmer, David Allingham and Ben Currie fought for positions over the opening third of the race.
A mistake from Farmer at Druids saw him slip back and out of the podium challenge, leaving Seeley, Allingham and Currie to fight it out. It was a tense game of follow the leader throughout the remaining ten laps, as Allingham was able to move second – crossing the line 1.5s behind Mackenzie with Seeley third and Ben Currie fourth.
Ross Twyman secured fifth, whilst Keith Farmer was able to fight back from his earlier mistake to take sixth. Andrew Irwin, Jack Kennedy, Bjorn Estment and Jamie Perring completed the top ten.
Sam Clarke had two tenth place finishes in the first bouts but suffered a massive highside in the final race that has left the Western Australian with a fractured ankle.
Mackenzie now enjoys a 40-point lead over David Allingham who sits in second place in the Championship standings, two-points clear of Ben Currie.
Dickies British Supersport Championship Points Standings
- Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 100
- David Allingham (EHA Racing Yamaha) 60
- Benjamin Currie (Gearlink Kawasaki) 58
- Keith Farmer (Team Appleyard Macadam Racing Yamaha) 57
- Andrew Irwin (Gearlink Kawasaki) 50
Ben Currie
“I’m happy with the weekend to be honest, we worked hard and we gained some good solid results. The team worked hard to get the Gearlink Kawasaki to suit my riding style and I wanted to get a bit closer to the times Andrew was setting. To be up there and able to mix it with the front guys with two 4ths and a 3rd is a real credit to the team, they never give up trying to move forwards. I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the team for supporting me like they do. We have the test at Oulton this week and then onto round three, which I am looking forward to as I secured a win there last season.”
Sam Clarke
“Not the end we were hoping for at round 2. Had an awesome start and made the pass into 8th before having a horrible crash coming out the last turn onto the start finish straight. Hitting my head after a suspected high side, I was knocked out; the riders behind me tried their hardest to avoid me however I got ridden over resulting in a broken ankle and torn ligaments. I will be at a specialist this week and make sure I keep everyone updated with my progress, I couldn’t be more keen to come back stronger than ever thanks to my team,family and friends.”
Superstock 1000 Race One
Richard Cooper has taken his second win on the Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000, claiming victory in the opening KGN Pillinger 50 race. It was the Morello Racing Kawasaki machine of Danny Buchan who grabbed the holeshot in the 38 lap race, with Cooper following in close contention and the Quattro Plant FS-3 Racing Kawasaki of James Rispoli in third.
Cooper made his move into the lead on the fourth lap and together with Buchan the duo were able to pull away from the rest of the field, continuing to circulate separated by just 0.1s throughout the race. Behind them, it was a titanic battle for the third podium place, with Rispoli, rookie Luke Hedger, Chrissy Rouse and Ian Hutchinson all taking their turn to hold third place.
With rain beginning to fall on lap 27 the red flag was deployed and with over two thirds race distance being completed, the result was declared meaning Cooper took the victory, with Buchan second and Hutchinson claiming the final rostrum position. Rookie Hedger claimed fourth with Rogers in fifth. Donington podium man Michael Rutter retired on lap 14.
Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship race one (27 laps)
- Richard Cooper (Suzuki)
- Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
- Ian Hutchinson (BMW)
- Luke Hedger (Aprilia)
- Fraser Rogers (Kawasaki)
- Chrissy Rouse (BMW)
Superstock 1000 Race Two
Tyco BMW’s Ian Hutchinson claimed his first win of the year in the second Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race at Brands Hatch. It was yesterday’s race winner Richard Cooper who grabbed the holeshot, leading Adam Jenkinson and Danny Buchan over the line on the opening lap. Jenkinson took over the lead on lap ten, but some strong passes from Hutchinson saw him to move up to second, before taking over the lead to go on to claim the victory.
Behind him it was a battle for the remaining podium spots as Jenkinson, Cooper, Buchan and rookie rider Luke Hedger swapped places throughout the closing laps, with Jenkinson eventually claiming second and Cooper third. Hedger passed Buchan in the final corner to claim his best result yet with fourth. Michael Rutter was able to bounce back from his retirement yesterday to claim a top ten finish in eighth.
Brayden Elliott took 19th and 16th places across the two races.
Brayden Elliott
“Overall I am happy with our progress and improvement throughout the weekend. It certainly proves just how tough the British Superstock championship really is, as well as the depth of field and the competitiveness of the championship.
“I have never had to ride and fight so hard for every position! I have learnt so much from both of my races over the weekend and have been able to take the progressions we made, and continue to work on them for round three.
“I know that with each day on the bike, and with the continuing development on the Yamaha R1 I can be competitive in the championship, and fight for positions further up the grid as I proved at Donington Park.”
Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship race two (24 laps)
- Ian Hutchinson (BMW)
- Adam Jenkinson (BMW)
- Richard Cooper (Suzuki)
- Luke Hedger (Aprilia)
- Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
- Fraser Rogers (Kawasaki)
Richard Cooper
“It’s been a proper weekend. It would have been nice to have done the double but it was never going to be easy in today’s race. With Brands, it’s hard to get away and it means riders that you’ve probably got a bit more pace on can sometimes hang-in there and have a go at you. But it was an enjoyable race and good to come away with the championship lead. There were some areas where we could improve – both with the bike and also where I could have maybe done things differently. We made some small changes this morning and to be honest there was no real advantage from them, but I’m all for trying things. We’ve got the test at Oulton Park this week and it’s good that it’s so close to this weekend, as everything is still fresh. We’ll sit down tomorrow and make a plan and work-out what we want to achieve, and I’m now looking forward to the next round.”
Sylvain Guintoli
“It was always going to be difficult today after qualifying, but we improved a lot. In the first race we had a technical problem that affected us, but in race two we made a lot of progress. It was not going to be easy from 17th on the grid but we kept moving forward and actually we were within 10 seconds of the leader at the end, which, over 30 laps is a few-tenths-a-lap and is not actually a big gap. We’re chipping away but the competition is so strong. We’re still adjusting everything, and still need to keep working on the electronics. But there are positives too and areas where the bike is working well. I’m looking forward to the test at Oulton, and more testing and track time is what we need. The team is very busy and working hard, so we’ll keep trying things at Oulton, evaluate different parts and settings, and keep improving bit-by-bit.”
Danny Buchan
“It was a real shame Sunday’s race got stopped early as I felt really comfortable sitting behind Richard. I could see he was struggling for rear grip and so was biding my time, waiting until the final stages to make my move. I didn’t feel like there was enough rain to stop the race but it’s easy for me to say that sitting in second so I was happy with the twenty points. Monday’s race was extremely tough and the backmarkers certainly played a part in everyone’s race. We probably came off second best and whilst it was the first race this year where I haven’t finished on the podium, I’m only eight points off the Championship lead and we’ve a long season ahead of us.”
Michael Rutter
“After what looked like a promising weekend, we ended up having two challenging, and difficult, races and to come away with just eight points is a tough one to take. The bike was absolutely flying but throughout the weekend I was losing time coming out of Clearways and onto the start and finish straight, arguably the most important part of the Indy circuit. At the start of the race, the bike was excellent but once the tyres started to go off, I just had no grip coming out of Clearways which meant I was losing time. I was trying to make up ground elsewhere but ended up making a couple of mistakes so it was a bit of a vicious circle. The Indy circuit’s always tough but we’re all in one piece so we’ll put it behind us and look forward to the next round at Oulton Park.”
Championship Standings (after two rounds)
- Cooper 89pts
- Buchan 81
- Hutchinson 62.5
- Rouse 43
- Rogers 40.5
- Jenkinson 40
Superstock 600
Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship leader Dan Stamper has taken his second win of the season at Brands Hatch, after taking off at the front from Brad Jones and Jordan Gilbert.
Stamper followed the race leader Tom Oliver for the opening few laps, but then on lap four the Yamaha man grabbed the lead and controlled the race from the front. The battle behind quickly heated up with a four man dice for second place.
It was eventually Brad Jones who kept his cool at the flag to take second place, with Jordan Gilbert third.
Arthur Sissis rounded out the top ten.
Ducati TriOptions Cup
Rob Guiver has taken his first Ducati Tri-Options Cup victory of the season after commanding the race from the start, with Railton second and Atkinson third after Championship leader Joe Collier pulled out.
Guiver grabbed the hole shot and straight away pulled a manageable gap on the chasing pack, with Railton and Atkinson battling it out for second. After a poor start, Collier was forced to pull in after his fairing came apart on lap six. That left Guiver to take his first win in dominant style crossing the line with a 1.8 second gap.
Levi Day took eighth and fifth place finished across thw two 15-lap races.
Levi Day
It’s been a positive weekend at Brands Hatch on the Indy Circuit with a solid improvement and 5th place in today’s race! We managed to get a 959 Panigale through the week, which Katies Dad Steve Brooks worked hard to make ready for the weekend. We transferred most of the parts off the 899 to the 959. We realised after the first session that the chassis is slightly different in a few areas, meaning we had to rethink some of our set up. In qualifying we had a electrical error, which was causing the bike to cut out. The team worked hard and sorted the problem. So our first real run out on the bike was in the first race. We improved from qualifying but still have some big areas to improve upon. Richard from Maxton was a big help with set up and we made some positive changes over night for today’s race. Starting from 10th again I got a good start and was 5th into the first turn. We had a great race battling from 5th to 8th, and I was able to hold off the group to bring home 5th. More work to do to get us closer to the front, but confident we will be there soon 🙂 Thanks to all the boys and girls at BPS Racing for their hard work over the weekend my sponsors and everyone who supports my racing.”
