BSB: Twice Second For Harris At Oulton Park
Harris so close to maiden win at Oulton Park BSB round
Leon Camier overhauled Sylvain Guintoli in the early season chase for the ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli as he took his first winning double in the top flight in a dramatic second round at Oulton Park.
The changeable conditions caused problems, with light rain at times, during the day, but the opening Superbike race began in the dry with Stuart Easton setting the pace from Harris and Camier, though the action was stopped on the second lap to speed aid to John Laverty who had crashed heavily, though fortunately without serious injury, at Hilltop.
Camier had an anxious moment ahead of the re-start, pulling off the grid momentarily to check a fluid leak, which turned out to be coolant from an overheating engine – he was able to continue without problem and again had to scrap with Easton and Harris, taking the lead on the seventh lap.
Harris, chasing maiden glory in the series chased hard, but had to settle for second best as Camier took the victory by a little over a second, reflecting: “The race was really hard at the begnning but then I settled into something of a rhythm and was able to pick ‘em off in front of me.”
Easton made a great start to the second race, but Harris was equal to that, taking over out front, but not for long before Camier was piling on the pressure and snatching the lead at Lodge on the third lap and then romping into the distance to take the victory by some seven seconds.
Harris took second ahead of Guintoli who had overcome a poor start to carve through the pack from tenth on the opening lap to take third ahead of Ellison, Richards and Ian Lowry aboard the Relentless Suzuki.
Gary Mason, tenth and sixth overall, celebrated his 30th birthday with a winning double in the Mirror.co.uk Cup with Martin Jessopp twice second ahead of Pete Hickman and Tom Tunstall.
ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli
Round 2
Race 1 – 18 laps
1 L Camier Airwaves Yamaha 29m 14.802s av.sp. 99.40mph
2 K Harris Hydrex Honda +1.062s
3 S Guintoli (FR) Worx Suzuki +5.378s
4 S Easton Hydrex Honda +5.485s
5 J Ellison Airwaves Yamaha +14.763s
6 G Richards (AUS) HM Plant Honda +15.145s
7 I Lowry Relentless Suzuki +19.939s
8 J O’Halloran (AUS) SMT Honda +20.261s
9 G Mason Quay Garage Honda +25.040s
10 J Brookes (AUS) HM Plant Honda +25.494s
Race 2 – 18 laps
1 L Camier Airwaves Yamaha 29m 07.389s av.sp. 99.83mph
2 K Harris Hydrex Honda +7.326s
3 S Guintoli (FR) Worx Suzuki +11.792s
4 J Ellison Airwaves Yamaha +11.908s
5 G Richards (AUS) HM Plant Honda +12.295s
6 I Lowry Relentless Suzuki +15.447s
7 G Mason Quay Garage Honda +17.702s
8 S Andrews MSS Colchester Kawasaki +19.420s
9 C Walker Motorpoint Henderson Yamaha +19.535s
10 J O’Halloran SMT Honda +25.749s
All riders GB except where stated
Championship standings
1 L Camier 88
2 S Guintoli 77
3 G Richards 52
4 K Harris 50
5 J Ellison 44
6 S Easton 42
7 G Mason 33
8 J O’Halloran 26
9= C Walker 22
9=S Andrews 22
9=I Lowry
Next round – Donington Park 23-24-25 May