Jon Kirkham claimed the inaugural Henderson Yamaha R1 Cup victory after crossing the finish line 6.569s ahead of the chasing field.
Earlier practice and qualification sessions had been held under cold, wet conditions and it looked as if the race would be hindered by poor weather for the second meeting in a row. However, race day (Sunday) warmed up and the track dried allowing the riders to run on slick Metzeler tyres for the very first time.
Maximising on his pole position a determined and comfortable looking Kirkham headed the field on lap one. The Derbyshire rider steadily eked out and maintained a five second advantage for the duration of the fourteen lap race. Kirkham's early pace claimed the fastest time on lap four (1m 18.063s).
Marty Nutt, Adrian Coates, Ben Wilson, Sean Emmett and Gary Mason vied for the remaining podium positions. Wilson was forced to retire as a result of a technical problem mid-race, after which cautionary oil flags were deployed. The remaining four swapped positions for the second spot until Emmett managed to claim it as his own on the sixth lap.
Mason had upped his pace by mid-race, challenging for the final place on the rostrum but it was Ulsterman, Marty Nutt who piped him to the flag with less than three tenths of a second between them. Adrian Coates completed the six-wheeler to finish a comfortable fifth, ahead of road racing rookie and current British Supermoto Champion Sam Warren.
Rob McElnea, Series Organiser:
"It's fantastic to finally see the show on the road, it seems to have been a long time coming since the planning stage back in October. Jon Kirkham has been confident since he signed his form in the winter, he knew he'd be strong. A lot of the guys out there will be working out their set-ups now that they have had a chance to see how the bikes behave in the dry, it will give a chance for them to catch up the leading pack who have had some dry track time in other classes. So far the weather has been a nightmare, for a few of the grid today it is the first time they have ever ridden on slicks! It is definitely going to be a close championship, offering some thrilling racing."
Jon Kirkham: "I knew that I had to get a good start and get away Œcause they'd be hunting me down. I could see what kind of gap I had as the laps went by but then the oil flag came out which slowed my times down a bit till I worked out where exactly the problem was. I'm pleased to take the first win, I think the bike is fantastic but a few tweaks with my set-up can make it even better, bring on the next one!"
Sean Emmett: "What fantastic racing, I thoroughly enjoyed that race, the bike is superb, for a bike pretty much straight out the crate the performance is fantastic. All credit to Jon who rode a great race, I know what kind of pace we can all carry at the front and am looking forward to the next one."
Marty Nutt: "That was good fun, good clean racing at a really competitive pace. The bike worked really well and the tyres felt good all race. It's the first time we've ridden them on slicks and they are impressive bits of kit. I'm confident to stay up at the front end of the championship and obviously happy to be on the first podium."
Race Result:1) Kirkham
2) Emmett
3) Nutt
4) Mason
5) Coates
6) Warren
7) J.Kennedy
8) Cox
9) Etheridge
10) Bevan
Championship Standings:1) Kirkham - 25
2) Emmett - 20
3) Nutt - 16
4) Mason - 13
5) Coates - 11
