Saturday at Thruxton Circuit saw intense action in the Quattro Group British Supersport & GP2 / HEL Supersport Cup, with Luke Stapleford emerging as the day’s standout performer.

Qualifying: Stapleford Secures Pole

The qualifying session showcased the competitive nature of the field, with Luke Stapleford (Macadam Triumph Racing) claiming pole position with a blistering lap of 1:16.302. Jack Kennedy (Honda Racing UK) secured second place, just 0.480 seconds behind, while Carter Brown (Josh Davis Motorsport Yamaha) rounded out the front row.

The top 10 qualifiers were:

1. Luke Stapleford (Triumph) – 1:16.302
2. Jack Kennedy (Honda) – 1:16.782
3. Carter Brown (Yamaha) – 1:16.844
4. Benjamin Currie (Ducati) – 1:16.954
5. Dean Harrison (Honda) – 1:17.013
6. Eugene McManus (Ducati) – 1:17.033
7. Alastair Seeley (Yamaha) – 1:17.052
8. Luke Jones (Ducati) – 1:17.240
9. Cameron Dawson (Kawasaki) – 1:17.262
10. Rhys Irwin (Kawasaki) – 1:17.384

Sprint Race: Stapleford Converts Pole to Victory

The afternoon’s Sprint Race, run over a short distance of 5 laps, provided thrilling action for spectators. Luke Stapleford converted his pole position into a race win, but not without a fight from his rivals.

Race Results:

1. Luke Stapleford (Triumph) – 6:26.870
2. Jack Kennedy (Honda) – +0.229
3. Alastair Seeley (Yamaha) – +2.247
4. Benjamin Currie (Ducati) – +3.590
5. Eugene McManus (Ducati) – +4.064

Stapleford’s victory was hard-fought, with Jack Kennedy finishing just 0.229 seconds behind after 5 laps of intense racing. Alastair Seeley made an impressive charge from 7th on the grid to claim the final podium position.

Class Performances

In the GP2 class, Owen Jenner (Kramer Racing) took top honours, finishing 16th overall. Jack Nixon and Keo Walker rounded out the GP2 podium.

Mikey Hardie (ROKiT Rookies Kawasaki) claimed victory in the Supersport Cup category, finishing an impressive 14th overall.

Notable Performances and Incidents

• Carter Brown, who qualified 3rd, dropped to 9th in the race, suggesting possible setup issues or a poor start.

• TJ Toms made significant progress, moving from 12th on the grid to finish 7th.
• James McManus and Adon Davie both received 2-second time penalties for course-cutting and unsafe re-joining, respectively.
• The short race format led to close racing throughout the field, with many battles going down to the wire.

Looking Ahead

With Sunday’s feature race still to come, the riders and teams will be analysing data and making final adjustments overnight. The longer race distance will test both man and machine, particularly with Thruxton’s reputation for being tough on tires.

Luke Stapleford will be looking to repeat his Saturday success, while Jack Kennedy and the chasing pack will be determined to overturn the results. With such close competition evident in the Sprint Race, Sunday’s feature race promises to be an exciting spectacle for British Supersport fans.