BRANDON PAASCH STARTS ON POLE, FINISHES ON PODIUM IN RACE 2 OF 2018 HEL PERFORMANCE BRITISH MOTOSTAR CHAMPIONSHIP AT BRANDS HATCH INDY
After an incredible run in Race 1 on Saturday at Brands Hatch Indy that saw Brandon Paasch set the fastest lap of the race, he was excited to start from Pole in Race 2 on Sunday in the 2018 HEL Performance British Motostar Championship.
At the start of the race, Brandon was held up a bit going into Turn 1 and had to fight through a group of riders to break free and chase down the leaders. With some clear track ahead, Brandon dipped back into his race pace from Saturday and quickly caught the two riders contesting third place. Passing and re-passing lap after lap for the final podium spot, Brandon caught a double-draft down the front straight on the penultimate lap to get in front of the other riders. With a strong move inside some lapped riders at Druids, he was able to create a gap and carry that to the finish line, earning his first podium of the season.
“It is so great to be back on the podium after a year of challenges. I haven’t felt this good on a race bike in a couple years! Big thanks to John and the whole crew at Microlise Cresswell Racing for all the effort they put in prepping the bike the past few weeks. I was pumped to be on Pole for Race 2, but I had a not so good start. Then I was held up in the first few laps with some guys, and every time I made a pass, a rider would stuff me right back. I didn’t want to get taken out, so I put my head down and cleared off from the group. I was able to catch my teammate and one other rider to fight for third. I didn’t have the best drive out of the corners, the bike wasn’t quite the same as Saturday. But I caught a huge double-draft on the front straight and just stuffed it through the guys to run down the hill and up to Druids. I saw four backmarkers in front of me, so I just ran it on the inside line, really late on the brakes. Clearing that group helped me gap the guys behind me, and I just kept it pinned and focused on getting on the podium. It’s been a pretty good weekend, and I’m taking away some good points. There’s still 8 rounds and 16 races to go, so I’ll keep working on getting more points. I plan to stay steady and keep it on two wheels to fight for the win. I really want to be the first US rider to take home a BSB Championship! I want to say thanks also to all the people that helped me get here this year – Allison’s Birdhouse Training Inc., luxeStar VIP, DRH Racing, Spidi, Arai, Evolv GT, Electronic Concepts LLC, and my nutritionist/ trainer that got me in shape over the off-season. And it was great to have my mom here to see me get on the podium – she has sacrificed so much for my racing. Thanks Mom!” (Brandon Paasch)
Follow Brandon’s personal journey all season as he competes in the HEL Performance British Motostar Championship online at:
Facebook (@BrandonPaasch)
Twitter (@PaaschBrandon)
Instagram (brandon_paasch)
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