Cooper Commands Thruxton as Sportbike Class Heats Up

Richard Cooper (PHR Performance Triumph) dominated Friday’s practice sessions at Thruxton Circuit, as the Pirelli National Sportbike with Moneybarn Vehicle Finance series kicked off its seventh round of the 2024 season. The riders faced challenging conditions with high temperatures and Thruxton’s notoriously abrasive surface, providing a stern test of both skill and machine management in this diverse class.

Practice Sessions Breakdown

Free Practice 1

The morning session saw Richard Cooper set the early pace with a lap time of 1:20.780 on his Triumph Daytona 660. Thomas Strudwick (TS Racing Triumph) and Edoardo Colombi (Gradara Corse Asd Aprilia) rounded out the top three, showcasing the competitiveness of different manufacturers in the class.

Free Practice 2

As track conditions evolved in the afternoon, lap times improved marginally. Cooper further cemented his dominance by lowering his time to 1:20.653. Ash Barnes (Raceways Yamaha) made a significant jump to second, while Edoardo Colombi maintained his strong form in third, highlighting the tight competition and the riders’ adaptability to the challenging circuit.

Combined Practice Results

The combined classification from both sessions confirmed Richard Cooper’s supremacy, followed closely by Ash Barnes and Edoardo Colombi. Aaron Silvester (MIH Solutions / Macadam Racing Triumph) and Zak Shelton (XMT Racing Aprilia) completed the top five, underscoring the diverse manufacturer representation in the series.

Adapting to Thruxton’s Unique Challenges

Thruxton’s distinctive characteristics – its abrasive surface and long, high-speed sections – presented a significant challenge for riders and teams. The sessions saw them working diligently to find the optimal balance between outright speed and tyre preservation, crucial for success in the longer race distances.

Notable Performances

• Zak Shelton showed remarkable improvement, jumping from 9th in FP1 to 5th in the combined standings, demonstrating the potential of the Aprilia RS660.
• Finn Smart-Weeden (Definnitive Racing Aprilia) made significant progress, moving up from 12th in FP1 to 10th overall, highlighting ongoing development work.
• Lennon Docherty (Symcirrus Motorsport Kawasaki) maintained consistent pace, finishing 11th overall and showcasing the competitiveness of the Kawasaki Ninja 650 package.
• Jayden Martin (MIH Solutions / Macadam Racing Triumph) represented the international contingent well, finishing 16th overall as the sole Australian in the field.

Manufacturer Variety

The Sportbike class continues to showcase impressive manufacturer diversity, with Triumph, Yamaha, Aprilia, and Kawasaki all represented in the top 15. This variety adds an extra layer of intrigue to the competition, as each bike brings different strengths to the unique Thruxton layout.

Looking Ahead

With temperatures expected to remain high throughout the weekend, Saturday’s qualifying session and the subsequent races will test the riders’ ability to manage their machines and tyres over longer distances. The stage is set for an exciting battle for pole position, with Richard Cooper looking to convert his Friday dominance into a strong grid position for Sunday’s races.

As teams and riders analyse data and fine-tune their setups overnight, the Thruxton crowd can anticipate more thrilling Sportbike action as these skilled competitors tackle the challenges of this fast and flowing Hampshire circuit under the scorching sun.