TEAM TRACTION CONTROL SCORE DEBUT VICTORY AT OULTON PARK
Team Traction Control celebrated their first race victory in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Oulton Park last weekend as Andy Reid scored his maiden win in the class whilst team-mate James Rispoli chalked up another podium finish.
In two of the most incredible Supersport races so far this season the Team Traction Control pairing were right in the mix in both races, setting the pace at the front of the pack and embroiled in the battle for the wins in both races.
Reid claimed a sensational win in the opening Sprint race whilst Rispoli scored a consistent points hail in fifth position. However in the Feature race the pair were dicing for the win and Reid had the edge at the final corner before a huge high-side saw him crash out and break his wrist with the finish line in sight. Rispoli continued to fly the flag for the team scoring a strong second place.
In the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship Joe Francis had been building momentum throughout the weekend, but in the race had a moment with another rider which curtailed his quest to fight for a podium finish.
Rispoli said: “The weekend went really well and we were fast from the get go and we had real good pace and we then had two brilliant races. In the Sprint race I had a few moments and then the pack were swarming all over me! I managed to get back up there but with three laps to go it wasn’t quite enough time. In the second race I had a bad start but managed to carve my way back up there and myself and Andy were getting a gap before the safety car. After that it all got a bit dicey – we were all trying every move in the book and more! I feel for Andy as he deserved the win. It was great for me to get another podium and I am really looking forward to Assen now where hopefully we can get on the top step!”
Reid said: “I scored my first Supersport win which was an absolutely wicked feeling, especially as it was such a hard race and we were all going for it. We got a new lap record and my first win, which is what we have wanted all season. In the Feature race we had another good scrap and we were so close to making it a double but I had a monster crash and went from hero to zero and now I have a broken wrist which is so disappointing. Although I have the injury, I’m going to take in all the positives and not the negatives from Oulton, and we will be back faster and stronger.”
Francis said: “The weekend was good. We were consistently in the top four throughout the weekend. Qualifying one went well and we made some changes for Q2 but the conditions were wet so we couldn’t improve. We tried these changes in warm up and went faster than qualifying. The race was up and down, the engine was making a bad noise on the grid so we nearly got pulled off the grid but after the warm up lap it stopped making a noise so we were able to start the race. I got to fourth and was feeling good until another rider’s brakes failed into turn one and he hit me and I nearly crashed. I dropped back to seventh. Then I got my rhythm back and managed to close the group ahead down and get back up to fourth so that was another solid result.”
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