Editorial Notes: American Brandon Paasch, riding his Dynavolt Triumph Street Triple RS 765, was 12th fastest in combined British Supersport practice Friday at Donington Park. Paasch suffered a crash on Friday that set him back, but he escaped without injury.
American Julien Correa, riding his Microlise Cresswell Racing Honda, was 25th in combined British Talent Cup practice times on Friday.
Mackenzie holds off title rivals to top SUPERPICKS Free Practice at Donington Park
Tarran Mackenzie set the benchmark for his Bennetts British Superbike Championship title rivals after the opening SUPERPICKS Free Practice sessions at Donington Park, as the top three riders dipped under the existing lap record.
McAMS Yamaha’s Mackenzie secured the top position as the final ten minutes of the session counted down, surging ahead of Bradley Ray, who was setting the pace before the final flurry of fast laps at the end of the session.
Mackenzie heads into tomorrow’s action bidding to extend his two-point advantage at the top of the standings in the opening BikeSocial Race at his home round.
Christian Iddon held on to second position after the opening day on track; the VisionTrack Ducati rider moving just 0.121s adrift of Mackenzie on his penultimate lap of the day, after the session was briefly red flagged after separate crashes from Andrew Irwin and Gino Rea at Craner Curves.
Danny Buchan was third fastest after topping the earlier session for the SYNETIQ BMW team, just ahead of Jason O’Halloran, who is ready to fight back to overhaul his McAMS Yamaha teammate at the top of the standings.
Ray dropped to fifth place at the chequered flag, with the Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW rider and Lee Jackson splitting the Title Fighters on the times.
Peter Hickman overcame his small crash this morning to finish in seventh position for the FHO Racing BMW team, just ahead of reigning champion Josh Brookes on the second of the VisionTrack Ducatis.
Rory Skinner and Title Fighter Glenn Irwin completed the top ten, marginally ahead of Andrew Irwin and Tommy Bridewell, who complete the riders who will progress directly into tomorrow’s Q2 grid decider.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, SUPERPICKS 12 Free Practice result:
- Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 1m:28.708s
- Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) +0.121s
- Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.180s
- Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.299s
- Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) +0.304s
- Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +0.380s
- Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +0.403s
- Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) +0.461s
- Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +0.475s
- Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) +0.596s
- Andrew Irwin (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.770s
- Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.967s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Tarran Mackenzie – McAMS Yamaha
Fastest in SUPERPICKS Free Practice
“I am usually a slow burner on a Friday and so I didn’t expect to top the sessions!
“I think it’s the first time I’ve probably ever topped a free practice on a Friday this year, so to be in the position we are coming into the weekend, and with how it has gone today is really good.
“The conditions can still change this weekend, but it is important to know that we can be fast in the dry as that could still be what happens, but I feel that we are ready for that and the McAMS Yamaha is feeling good.
“Free Practice doesn’t mean anything for the championship, but it certainly feels good to have ended the day fastest and we are feeling positive ahead of the race tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Dynavolt Triumph:
Progress for Dynavolt Triumph at Donington Park
Danny Webb was seventh quickest for Dynavolt Triumph as round ten of the 2021 Quattro Group British Supersport Championship got underway today with Free Practice at Donington Park in Leicestershire.
Webb sat out the majority of the first half wet-half dry session, only venturing out for a handful of laps, but with the afternoon came full dry but cold conditions for the second thirty-minute session. The 30-year-old from Kent posted his fastest lap of 1’33.758 and ended the day seventh on the combined timesheets.
Danny Webb: “We had a good day today, we made some good progression with the bike in the dry session, the first session was damp so we just tried a few things out. It’s all moving in the right direction, hopefully it’s going to be dry tomorrow and Sunday but I’m getting more of an understanding of the bike and it’s good to be back here at Donington Park.”
Teammate Brandon Paasch also waited until mid-way through FP1 before he went out to assess the damp conditions, completing seven laps of the Donington Park GP circuit. In the afternoon, with just one lap under his belt, Paasch took a minor fall at Goddards, getting back out on track for the final few minutes to post his best lap of 1’34.761 placing him twelfth overall.
Brandon Paasch: “I had a little unfortunate event, I crashed in the last corner on the second lap. It was just an easy little low side. Got the bike back together and got some laps in at the end there. Looking forward to tomorrow, keep building.”
Dynavolt Triumph Team Manager Simon Buckmaster: “The first session was sort of wet but not really and drying. We didn’t gain much out of that so only one dry session. Danny is seventh in Supersport only 1.3s off the pole, you can say that’s not bad. There’s some optimism there, we can make more progress too to just improve the feel. Having spent all his time in Supersport on four-cylinder machines Danny’s adjusting to the riding style necessary for a three-cylinder which he does appreciate and he’s adapting now. Obviously we are looking at more changeable weather conditions with such a high chance of rain tomorrow but a pretty good job by Danny and the team.”
“Brandon slid off at Goddards and although he didn’t injure himself in the crash, he’s a bit tense and the confidence is not there. He likes to run the harder front tyre but I think with the track and weather temperature we are going to have to consider the softer front tyre for him. Tomorrow is another day.”
To pre-empt the potentially disruptive weather conditions tomorrow a revised schedule has been implemented with Supersport Qualifying now at 09:58-10-20, followed by the 12-lap Sprint Race at 14:45 (BST).
