The KTM 990 Super Duke Battle made another big impression on BSB fans at Snetterton this past weekend. In good conditions there was even more bar-to-bar racing with some impressive lap times by the leading riders and close fought racing all through the field. Saturday afternoons race was the first of the meeting with 22 riders on the start grid. The conditions were slightly overcast and at one point it looked like there may have been the first wet race of the series but the dark clouds were soon swept away by the fairly strong winds.
Ed Smith was on pole position and looking like the man to beat over the weekend. However shortly after setting the fastest lap time in qualifying he crashed at the infamous Bomb Hole section, meaning some frantic repairs were required in time for the first race just four hours later! Unfortunately it was the same section that was to prove his undoing in race one after he lost the front end, ruling him out for the race and the rest of the weekend.
Dave Wood was the pace-setter and looked to be comfortably running away from the other riders when he crashed at Russell Bend while making an ambitious passing move on a back marker. This left Kelvin Reilly with a solid lead and five other riders fighting it out for the remaining podium places. Reilly was the victor by three seconds, followed by the “Flying Finn” Pauli Pekkanen and veteran former British Supersport Champion Dave Heal.
Sunday’s weather was glorious sunshine and there was a real buzz coming from the KTM paddock and KTM Austria Race Truck and Hospitality Unit. This was undoubtedly the best race of the series so far, with six riders jostling for the lead for most of the race. Positions were changing right up to the final corner and it was Darren Fry who took the win from Francis Williamson by just 0.09 seconds with Wood in third place. The first nine riders were separated by an astonishing three and a half seconds in a fantastic advertisement for one make racing.
The next round of the Battle is at the British MotoGP round next month at Donington, with a further four rounds at BSB as follows:
5. Donington June 24 (MotoGP)
6. Mallory Park July 22
7. Mallory Park July 22
8. Cadwell Park August 27
9. Donington September 23
10. Brands Hatch October 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 will 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 June 19: 1. Kelvin Reilly
2. Pauli Pekkanen
3. Dave Heal
4. Darren Fry
5. Francis Williamson
Race 2 - Sunday June 20: 1. Darren Fry
2. Francis Williamson
3. Dave Wood
4. Pauli Pekkanen
5. Kelvin Reilly
Championship standings after round 4: Darren Fry 88
Kelvin Reilly 66
Pauli Pekkanen 66
Francis Williamson 49
Dave Heal 48
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