Death mars BSB Saturday proceedings at Donington
The opening round of the 2017 British Superbike Championship has been marred by the death of a competitor in the Ducati TriOptions Cup. A multiple bike accident during the support race saw Mick Whalley of Kent suffer serious injuries. The race was immediately stopped and the riders involved were treated trackside by the BSB Medical Team.
It is with great regret that we have to announce that, following his transfer from the circuit, Mick Whalley succumbed to his injuries while undergoing further treatment at Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham. Mike Honey, number 34, sustained multiple leg injuries and is receiving treatment and further assessment at the same hospital.
Leon Haslam to start from pole position on combined practice times after qualifying cancelled
Luke Mossey and Josh Brookes also on the front row
Leon Haslam will start from pole position for the opening race of the 2017 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship season at Donington Park tomorrow (Sunday). The Datatag Qualifying session was cancelled at the Leicestershire circuit and the grid was formed by combined free practice session times.
Haslam will head the front row onboard the JG Speedfit Kawasaki at his home round ahead of his team-mate Luke Mossey and returning champion Josh Brookes who fired his Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha into third place.
Row two will be headed by Peter Hickman onboard the Smiths Racing BMW who edged out defending champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne by just 0.091s and James Ellison completes the second row of the grid for McAMS Yamaha.
John Hopkins, despite two crashes will head the third row of the grid onboard the Moto Rapido Ducati ahead of 2014 World champion Sylvain Guintoli who makes his race debut with Bennetts Suzuki and Glenn Irwin.
Christian Iddon completes the top ten for Tyco BMW after he narrowly edged out rookie Bradley Ray.
Jason O’Halloran will start from the fifth row and countryman Billy McConnell will kick off his season from row six.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, grid for race one
- Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 1m:29.323s
- Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.132s
- Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +0.168s
- Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +0.420s
- Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) +0.511s
- James Ellison (McAMS Yamaha) +0.521s
- John Hopkins (Moto Rapido Ducati) +0.603s
- Sylvain Guintoli (Bennetts Suzuki) +0.633s
- Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +0.641s
- Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.689s
British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, Free Practice Three Results
Supersport
Returning Dickies British Supersport racer Alastair Seeley has snatched his first pole of the season, on the final lap of a frantic session ahead of Keith Farmer and Andrew Irwin, who rounds out an all Irish front row.
The first qualifying session of the year for the Dickies British Supersport class would be run on a damp track, after light rain fell from the start of the day. From the off both Farmer and Seeley battled it out at the top of the timesheets, swapping places all session long.
It looked to be the stand in rider Farmer who would take pole, but on his final lap of the circuit the Carrickfergus man snatched it, taking his first pole for the all new Team Quattro Spirit Triumph team, making it an all Northern Irish front row.
Row two will see Jack Kennedy line up in fourth, Gearlink Kawasaki’s Ben Currie in fifth and Joe Francis in sixth.
Defending Champion Tarran MacKenzie qualified in ninth place, 3.362 seconds behind the pole man.
Western Australian debutant in the British Supersport series Sam Clarke qualified 13th in the damp conditions.
Dickies British Supersport Championship, Donington Park, Qualifying
- Alastair Seeley (Team Quattro Spirit)
- Keith Farmer (Team Appleyard Macadam Racing Yamaha) +0.051
- Andrew Irwin (Gearlink Kawasaki) +1.867
- Jack Kennedy (MV Augusta Clienti Corse) +2.054
- Ben Currie (Gearlink Kawasaki) +2.164
- Joe Francis (Movuno.com Halsall Racing Yamaha) +2.250
Superstock 1000
Morello Racing’s Danny Buchan has taken his first win of the 2017 season in the opening two-part race, ahead of Bennetts Suzuki’s Richard Cooper and Michael Rutter.
The opening half of the declared ‘Wet race’ saw Buchan grab the holeshot on a drying track. Many riders including the ex Superstock Champion had to tip toe round on dry tyres. The brave decision makers Tom Tunstall and James Rispoli chose wet tyres started to make their way through the field as it rained, forcing their way into first and second respectively.
The track then started to dry, and then the likes of Buchan, Cooper and Rutter started to make their way back through the field. On the penultimate lap Alex Olsen crashed out of a podium position, leaving Cooper to cross the line in front of Rutter for second with Buchan taking the win.
After a frantic tyre change and refuel in pitlane (with a 10 minute time limit), the riders made their way back to the grid in the positions they ended the first outing. Buchan once again grabbed the holeshot, from Cooper and Rutter in fully dry conditions and they pulled away from the chasing pack.
A three-way battle for the lead then ensued with Cooper and Rutter pushing the Kawasaki rider all the way. Buchan made a slight mistake with a few laps to go, but soon regrouped and reeled in Cooper to take the win by 0.046. Buchan was also awarded the Donington 100 Trophy.
1st Danny Buchan (Morello Racing Kawasaki)
2nd Richard Cooper (Bennetts Suzuki) + 0.046
3rd Michael Rutter (Bathams BMW) + 1.433
Brayden Elliott had qualified on the front row and finished his debut BSB Superstock 1000 weekend with an 11th placed result in the mixed conditions aboard the PacedayZ Yamaha.
Pirelli National Superstock 1000, Race One, Donington Park
- Danny Buchan (Morello Racing Kawasaki)
- Richard Cooper (Bennetts Suzuki) + 0.046
- Michael Rutter (Bathams BMW) + 1.433
- Chrissy Rouse (Mission Racing BMW) + 23.387
- Ian Hutchison (Tyco BMW) + 26.076
- Mason Law (STAUFF Connect Academy Kawasaki) + 29.408
Superstock 600
SGR Racing’s Tom Oliver has taken his first pole of the season in the light rain ahead of Milo Ward and Jordan Gilbert. Ward led for most of the session, however with 14 minutes left Oliver grabbed the top spot by 0.489 from the Kawasaki man.
The red flag then came out after an incident with two minutes remaining, meaning Oliver grabbed his first pole.
Ducati Tri-Options Cup
Joe Collier has taken his first Ducati Cup victory of the season, ahead of Rob Guiver and Atkinson after the race was red flagged.
Collier grabbed the holeshot and controlled the race from the front, Rob Guiver chased him down but then on lap 6 the race was cut short due to a red flag, with half points being awarded to the finishers.
South Australia’s Levi Day finished 11th and was the first 899cc machine home.
The red flag incident came about because of a multiple motorcycle accident during a race for the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup, a support race to this weekend’s round of the MCE British Superbike Championship (April 1/2 2017), the rider of bike number 77, Mick Whalley of Sheppey, Kent suffered serious injuries.
The race was immediately stopped and the riders involved were treated trackside by the BSB Medical Team.
It is with great regret that we have to announce that, following his transfer from the circuit, Mick Whalley succumbed to his injuries while undergoing further treatment at Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham.
Mike Honey, number 34, sustained multiple leg injuries and is receiving treatment and further assessment at the same hospital.
MSVR and the staff at Donington Park, are now working with both the Leicestershire Police and the Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board in order to investigate the full circumstances of this tragic accident.
