Richards Wins British Supersport Championship

The Smiths Racing Triumph team ended their season in dramatic style with Glen Richards clinching the 2012 Motorpoint British Supersport Championship and team-mate Billy McConnell taking a superb double victory to end up third in the series for the Gloucester team.

But that only tells half the story as both Australians were involved in what's best described as one of the biggest cliffhangers ever seen in British motorcycle racing!
Saturday's 10-lap Sprint race was arguably one of the best races of the season with no quarter asked or given between the leading seven riders. McConnell led in the early stages before Richards and Christian Iddon overhauled him and when Glen hit the front on lap six, the championship situation was looking promising with Kennedy back in fourth. That meant the gap would have been 24.5pts with just 25 available on Sunday but Billy had other ideas as he still needed to secure third overall in the table from Iddon.

Glen Richards- Champion!

 The final two laps saw it get a little physical and as Billy crossed the line for his fifth win of the year, Kennedy squeezed by Richards on the run in to the line to claim second place resulting in Glen's lead being reduced down to 8.5pts with just the final race to go.

Sunday's 18-lap race started with Billy in third, Kennedy in sixth and Glen in seventh but it all went wrong for Richards on only the second lap when he missed a gear at Hawthorn and crashed out, seemingly handing the title to Kennedy. However, the Irishman's bike hit problems on lap eight and he retired to the pits, thus handing the title back to Glen and the Smiths team. Meanwhile, Billy was embroiled in a race long battle with Iddon and Richard Cooper which saw him get the win over Cooper as he secured third place in the overall title table.

Meanwhile, having qualified on the fourth row, Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship rider Johnny Blackshaw put in a solid ride to claim his eighth top-ten finish of the year. The Stretton youngster took a fighting ninth place to end the year in eighth place overall.

Glen Richards: "I really don't know how to describe this weekend, it's just been crazy and it's certainly been a rollercoaster. Both Jack and I have had bad luck during the course of the year and I wanted to win the championship in style so it's not the way I wanted to win it and I really feel for Jack but that's racing I guess. One minute you're up, the next down, and then back up again. I missed a gear in the second race and ran into the gravel so it was purely my fault and the title had gone so I think someone upstairs was looking after me today. To end the year as British Champion is superb and the team have done an awesome job all year so hats off to them."

Billy McConnell: "It's been a tough weekend and both races were incredibly hard with lots of close racing and wheel to wheel action. I had a bit of a coming together with Christian on more than one occasion so it's a shame he crashed but I'm very happy to have ended with another win. Both Glen and Jack deserved the championship and it's been a fantastic year in Supersport and whilst it would have been nice to have ended with the number 1 plate, it's great to end with a double victory. The team have been awesome so hopefully it will be my year in 2013."

Billy McConnell in action at Brands

 Rebecca Smith: "To be standing here as British Champions is a really fantastic feeling but it's fair to say it was a nerve-racking weekend from start to finish! We said all season that there were no team orders and that could be seen on Saturday although it wasn't exactly how we would have liked it as there were certainly a few heart-stopping moments. Adrenaline does a lot of things to people but we got two podiums from the first race and we were still leading into the final race so we still held the upper hand. What happened today is simply too hard to put into words and there were tears, both good and bad, but the eventual result saw the team take both wins and the championship. It means so much to everyone concerned with the team and we're all absolutely over the moon so a big thank you to every single person that's been part of Smiths Racing Triumph in 2012."

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Smiths of Gloucester racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

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Richards Reduces Gap At Assen

Smiths Racing Team's Glen Richards moved to within 4.5 points of the championship lead following a dramatic weekend of action in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at the Dutch circuit of Assen. The Australian could only manage sixth position in Saturday's Sprint race and in doing so conceded more points to rival Jack Kennedy but it was in Sunday's feature race at the historic circuit that Richards bounced back.

Richards- only 4.5 points behind championship lead

 Knowing he had to beat Kennedy to maintain his championship challenge, Richards was lying in second place behind the Irishman when Kennedy crashed out meaning he didn't add to his points tally. The resulting battle saw Richards challenging for the victory but eventually had to settle for a safe third position behind American PJ Jacobsen and fellow Triumph rider Christian Iddon.

For team mate Luke Mossey the weekend started well when he qualified on pole position and in the early stages of Saturday's Sprint race led for the early laps but in the end had to settle for fourth position which he followed up with ninth place in Sunday's feature race for the Gloucester-based team.

However Billy McConnell had a weekend to forget when he could only muster ten points in total from the two races. A 12th position in the opening race was marginally bettered with a tenth in race two and with rival Christian Iddon scoring well McConnell now faces a battle if he is to finish third in the title race.

Rebecca Smith, Team Manager:  "It was a really mixed weekend for the team. We had the pace but we were really struggling with preserving the tyres for the duration of the races. We are obviously thrilled that Glen has reduced Jack's lead but as a team we didn't get quite the results we wanted so are really looking forward to moving on to Silverstone."

For more information on Smiths Triumph please visit www.smithsracing.co.uk

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Smiths of Gloucester racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..

Double Victory For Smiths Triumph Racing Team

The Performance Parts equipped Gloucester-based Smiths Triumph Racing Team were back in action this weekend contesting the latest rounds of the Motorpoint British Supersport and Metzeler National Superstock Championships and success again came their way as the Australian duo of Billy McConnell and Glen Richards once again shared the race wins in the Supersport category whilst Luke Mossey also scored his first podium of the season.

With all three riders qualifying inside the top six for Saturday's ten-lap race, Glen started on pole once again and hopes were high of some great results as Richards immediately went into the lead. Battling with championship rivals Jack Kennedy and Christian Iddon, there was little to choose between the three riders but when Iddon crashed, it was a straight battle to the end between Glen and Kennedy. However, it all ended in disaster when the two tangled at the last corner of the last lap and the pair ended in the gravel trap.

Their misfortune was Billy and Luke's good fortune though and as Glen and Kennedy picked themselves up, McConnell swept by to take his third win of the season with Mossey just three seconds further back in third for his first podium of 2012.
Sunday went even better for the team with Richards and McConnell taking first and second for the second time this season. It was another tough race though with Kennedy involved once more and there was again little to choose between the trio. However, as the race entered its crucial final third, the two Smiths Triumph riders upped the ante and with Glen setting a new lap record two laps from the end, he was able to take his fourth win of the year.

McConnell was less than half a second adrift in second place and the 1-2 result has brought him right back into the title hunt as well as Richards closing in considerably on Kennedy meaning he is just 9.5 points adrift of the Irishman going into the next round at Brands Hatch in two weeks time. Cambridge rider Mossey, meanwhile, was running just off the back when a slight highside saw him drop back a couple of places. However, he regrouped well and battled back for a good fifth place and his most successful weekend of the year so far.

Fourth team member Johnny Blackshaw also had an excellent ride in the Metzeler National Superstock 600cc Championship, with the Stretton rider coming through the field strongly at his local track for seventh place. Back in 13th in qualifying, a change in clutch springs for the race paid dividends with the nine points moving him up to seventh overall in the championship table.

Glen Richards

Glen Richards: "I've really enjoyed myself this weekend and whilst Saturday obviously ended in a disappointing fashion, it was just a racing incident where neither of us wanted to give in to the other. It was important to bounce back strongly on Sunday and that's exactly what I did, showing I could win. I tried to ride as smoothly and as conservatively as possible to save the tyres for the last third and that's when I upped the pace, setting the lap record in the process. I didn't leave any doors open and rode cleanly for another win and things are getting interesting now as the gap between myself, Billy and Jack closes up."

Billy McConnell

 Billy McConnell: "First of all, I'm glad Glen wasn't injured in Saturday's spill but, from my own point of view, the first and second placed riders of the championship going out was just what I needed! I was a bit annoyed with myself to be a couple of seconds adrift as I had the same pace as them and I just need to be that bit more aggressive in the first few laps. I was gifted the win but you need a bit of luck on your side and this weekend it was my turn to get it. Sunday was another great race to be involved in and the bike's working so well at the moment, it's making my life so much easier. Getting a 1-2 has allowed me to claw back some major points on Glen and Jack so I'm right back in the title hunt now."

Luke Mossey: "Saturday's result was certainly a gift but I'll take it! I didn't get the best of starts and the left grip came loose before coming off completely so I had to do a few running repairs, which created a bit of concern but I didn't lose any time or places, which kept me in the hunt. It would have been nice to have taken a 'proper' third but I'm happy and after struggling a bit in Friday's wet sessions, it all came good in the dry. If it wasn't for a small bobble in Sunday's race, I'm sure I would have been closer to the front but fifth was still good and it's been a good weekend all round."

Johnny Blackshaw: "Qualifying couldn't have been much worse for me and it made it hard in the race for me but the changes we made to the bike helped no end. I got a good start and battled my way through and felt I had the pace to run with the front pack but I got held up slightly and I just couldn't quite close them down after that. It's a solid finish for me though and, after the disappointment of crashing here in May, it's nice to get a good result at my home circuit so a big thanks to the team, especially Pete and Tom, for doing a great job."

Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: "It's been another great weekend for us and although Saturday's race was a bit of a bitter-sweet affair, what happened between Glen and Jack was purely a racing incident and just one of those things. One of the advantages of having more than one rider in a team is that it gives you more opportunities and Billy was able to pick up the pieces, which from his own championship perspective, was brilliant. It also allowed Luke to get his first podium and it was just reward for his riding this weekend.
"Sunday's race saw Glen put in a flawless performance and with Billy right behind him, it's closed the title race up and it's really exciting going into the second half of the season. Luke had another strong ride and the weekend ended well for us with Johnny getting a solid result at his home circuit. Qualifying was tough for him but the changes to the bike worked and he set his fastest lap of the weekend in the race, which shows how well he was riding. We've had a great time again so hope for more of the same at Brands Hatch."

For more information on Smiths Triumph please visit www.smithsracing.co.uk

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Smiths of Gloucester racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..