The first May bank holiday of 2016 was a big weekend for sport, and the BSB was no exception. The Oulton Park BSB – nestled in the Cheshire countryside – was home to two exciting races, leaving us with an unexpected results list.
Speeding round the 2.69km race circuit, the warm-ups set a competitive tone for the weekend as there was less than a second between the top 16 riders. There was 0.965 seconds separating the top rider and double podium winner – JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider Leon Haslam – and Smiths Racing BMW racer Howie Mainwaring Smart.
The weather wasn’t the rider’s best friend
With inconsistent track conditions the riders struggled to determine their tyre choice. A soggy start for race one meant wet tyres would seem the obvious option, until the ground began to dry. For race two, some riders, Haslam included, switched in slicks. He reflected, “Race one stayed wetter for longer which helped, whilst for the second outing we opted for slicks on the grid.”
It seems slicks were a strong choice for Haslam as he was among the list of unexpected riders finishing in high positions. Leon’s was particularly wonderful, his first win since 2008!, “Oulton Park is a challenging circuit, but leaving here with the results we had is awesome.” What an achievement, and modest outlook on this hurdle he’s jumped.
Dan Linfoot was racing ahead of Haslam at one point giving Leon cause for worry that he might not make it to the top of the race. Until Linfoot sadly crashed out. This gave Haslam the advantage once more but not without pressure from Mr Iddon who joined him on the podium after coming a close second.
A debut win for Richard Cooper added further surprise to the weekend’s results
Second to take winner’s position was Richard Cooper, the dark horse of race two. Jumping from ninth in race one to the top for the second is a rare feat over a weekend, and brand new to Cooper. Though Haslam’s eight year break from the top is impressive and we applaud him, Cooper achieved his first BSB win, ever – well done Richard!
Further news from the Oulton Park BSB…
Japanese rider Kiyonari had a successful start to the event when he completed the warm-up in seventh position. Unfortunately his ending wasn’t as positive as the beginning and he crashed out mid-race one. Fate left him in the same position during race two.
Haslam’s Oulton Park BSB win hasn’t secured him a spot in the top three of the Championship but only two races into the season there’s every reason his fourth place isn’t final. A mere 20 points separate him and Tyco BMW Michael Laverty. Laverty placed in sixth and fifth respectively at Oulton, in addition to riding the fastest lap of the first race!
Now the Oulton Park BSB is finito we hope your calendar’s marked for 20th – 22nd May. This weekend the riders head South to tackle Brands Hatch – please check back here the Monday after for our regular round-up.
If you’re interested in the MotoGP, the MotoGP Jerez race report is here – an enthusiastic write up from a big MotoGP fan and part of the TWC team, Ellie.
A big thank you to British Superbike for letting us use their photos from the Oulton Park BSB
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