The inaugural round of the KTM 990 Super Duke Battle made a booming start at Silverstone this past weekend. Supporting the third round of the British Superbike championship (BSB), crowds at the historic grand prix circuit couldn’t miss the presence of this brand new one-make series - the resonating sound of 22 thundering 990cc V-twins blasting away from the grid was simply intoxicating.
The Battle uses the strong V-twin engine and high-specification chassis of KTM’s much-acclaimed street bike to become a worthy race weapon, with little in the way of modification. To keep a level playing field, stringent tuning rules are enforced and tyres are closely monitored, allowing riders to just two pairs of Continental ContiRace Attacks per round. This mixture makes for close-fought racing; compelling for the spectators and financially easier for the competitor.
The riders, including former British Supersport champion Dave Heal, had two practice sessions to get acquainted to their machines and around the 2.2 mile International circuit. A 25-minute qualifying heat then determined the grid, with just over one second separating the top five riders.
Saturday afternoons first race was the first of the meeting and saw many riders and teams from the top classes take to the pit wall, eager to see what these machines were capable of. With the sun blazing down, the riders got off to a flying start and were soon scrapping six-abreast into the corners. A collision at Abbey brought down two riders unhurt, splitting the charging pack until a faller on lap six brought out the pace car. With the riders back in close formation the last half of the racing proved to be extremely exciting with the top three crossing the chequered flag within 0.6 seconds of each other, Darren Fry the victor.
Though Sunday’s weather may have been overcast, the huge presence of KTM orange in the paddock and on the grid certainly brightened the proceedings. Race two was another close fought affair, the riders using the wide bars of the Super Duke to jostle and change positions. Eventually it was race one winner, Darren Fry, and young Finnish rider Pauli Pekkanen who edged ahead of the pack to battle it out. Though at one stage Pekkanen looked like he may break clear, Fry dug very deep and took the win by just over a second.
KTM UK Managing Director, Shaun Sisterson commented: “Wow, what a weekend! Congratulations to all the riders for some really exciting racing and thanks to all the racing fans who gave us so much support and encouragement. When we set the series up we wanted to provide something different, something exciting and something cost effective for the riders. I think we have more than achieved this and we are delighted to be part of the BSB set-up. We can’t wait for the next round at Snetterton”.
The 990 Super Duke Battle will follow a further five rounds of the BSB championship along with fuelling further entertainment for the crowds at the British MotoGP round at Donington:
3. Snetterton May 19
4. Snetterton May 20
5. Donington June 24 (MotoGP)
6. Mallory Park July 22
7. Mallory Park July 22
8. Cadwell Park Aug 27
9. Donington Sept 23
10. Brands Hatch Oct 14
It is still not too late to join in the fun. Interested riders must have a full Clubman license or above and can purchase a race bike from any authorised KTM dealer. The price of a bike is £6,500 plus a compulsory race kit for £1,300 plus an optional spare wheel kit including discs for £700. Entry fees are £180 per round and you can pre-order the Continental ContiRace Attack control tyres for £166 per set.
The overall series winner gets one of the fantastic recently launched 690 Supermotos. Second place in the series wins 10 sets of tyres courtesy of Continental and third place wins a KTM Minibike. Continental provide trophies for the first three riders at each round with the race winner receiving a set of tyres, second place gets a rear tyre and third place gets a front tyre.
For more information contact Race Co-ordinator, Iain Hutton on 07917 358599 or
iain.hutton@hotmail.co.uk Results Race 1 - Saturday May 28: 1. Darren Fry
2. Kelvin Reilly
3. Ed Smith
4. Pauli Pekkanen
5. Dave Heal Cont.
Race 2 - Sunday May 29: 1. Darren Fry
2. Pauli Pekkanen
3. Ed Smith
4. Patrick McDougall
5. Dave Heal
Championship standings: 1. Darren Fry 50
2. Pauli Pekkanen 33
3. Ed Smith 32
4. Kelvin Reilly 30
5, Patrick McDougall 23.
Related Linkswww.ktm.com
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