HATTRICK OF PODIUM APPEARANCES ON TWO AND THREE WHEELS FOR OUR RICH ENGERY AMBASSADORS
RICH Energy ambassadors were in action over the weekend with top results and two and three wheels while the four-wheeled ambassadors are working hard to close the gap on their rivals. With the action taking place at Knockhill in Scotland for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Donington Park for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, as well as the World Sidecar Championship combatants taking to the hallowed asphalt at Assen in the Netherlands, it was motorsport all the way for the ambassadors.
Kicking things off over the North Sea at the Cathedral of Speed, Tim Reeves and passenger Kevin Rousseau looked to avenge the results and gremlins of late with a strong showing at the Cathedral of Speed. The recent tough times for the Anglo-French duo were immediately forgotten as the experienced pair swept to victory in the first race of the weekend on Saturday. Sunday brought what seems to be the tone for the year as an issue on the grid meant a quick push to pit lane to remedy the fault. All set and ready to go, albeit from pit lane, the former World and British Champion carved through the field in typical Reeves style to take second place at the flag. All things considered, it was a successful weekend for the sidecar boys.
Up at Knockhill in the kingdom of Fife, the Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing team were keen to put both cars as far back into the top ten as possible after a lacklustre couple of rounds in the team’s Vauxhall Astras. Qualifying placed Jason in P15 but an encouraging session for Dan Lloyd saw the young driver take P12 ahead of Sunday’s three races. Unfortunately, a DNF for Lloyd undid the great work of Saturday as Plato took the sole PMR result with a P14 finish. Race 2 was a better time for both as Lloyd took the chequered flag in P26 and Plato charging through from P15 to P8 at the flag. The final race of the day saw Plato back up his top ten in race two with a strong P9 and Lloyd returning his best result of the weekend in P18.
At Donington Park, the RICH Energy OMG Racing team was in action at Round 4 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. With all three riders having a history of strong results at the former GP circuit, confidence was high going into the weekend. The speed has been there for all to see across the season but the race results haven’t been reflective of that speed and everyone concerned was focused on the first superbike podium of the season. Race two at Donington Park was one of the most intense races in recent memory with incidents all around the circuit and some of the hardest battling so far this season at the front of the race. A late Safety Car brought the pack back together setting up two of the finest laps of racing seen at the circuit with Brad Ray late on the brakes into the final chicane to snatch a deserved 2nd place and a taste of champagne for his troubles.
In the support classes, RICH Energy was a man down in the Junior Supersport class as Lewis Jones had to sit out the event after testing positive for covid; we send our best wishes to Lewis, who was upset to miss his home round and the support it brings. The True Heroes team fielded Salty Sellars and Scrawn Mackay in National Superstock, Ben Falla and Mike Long in the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup, and Harrison Mackay in the Honda British Talent Cup. Two DNFs for Salty wasn’t the weekend the former Navy man wanted but Dave Mackay flew the flag for THR and the Army as he brought his Suzuki home in the second race.
It was a difficult weekend for the True Heroes pair of Mike Long and Ben Falla with a finish and non-finish each, although for Falla it was a DNS for Race 2 as a crash in Warm Up left his mechanics with too much to do and sat out the rest of the weekend. A point-scoring finish for Ben in the opening race was something positive for the team and with Long taking the flag on Sunday the pair move on to Cadwell Park this weekend. Honda British Talent Cup rookie, Harrison Mackay, took more experience onboard after three races over the weekend as the Lincolnshire schoolboy took a creditable set of results despite a DNF in the opening race of the three and improved lap times as the weekend progressed.
It’s a quick turnaround for the two-wheel ambassadors as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship makes its way east and returns to Cadwell Park after a two-year absence.