Well it was a disappointing end to what looked like being a very positive weekend for the STP Motorsport MV Agusta British Superbike Team. After qualifying on the third row of the grid the team expected at least two podiums in the Superbike Cup as reward for some extremely hard work in the pit garage. In morning free practice on race day Chris Burns posted the fastest time out of the Superbike Cup riders and was 13th overall, adding to the team's optimism. As the first race got underway this optimism looked as if it would become reality, with Chris quickly catching and passing Gary Mason to establish a lead in the Cup standings.