Although we look forward to every race weekend, there is a certain something about Brands Hatch that adds an extra layer of excitement. Our race weekend on July 19th, 20th and 21st was no different.
The long term weather forecast had been consistently strong and after the precipitation we endured at Snetterton, we were delighted to be back on dry settings.
Free Practice One :
Alastair Seeley has a wealth of experience around the Kent rollercoaster and that certainly showed from the very first session! He established good pace to sit within the top 5 lap times. Russell Racing were wildcarding at this round with seasoned 600cc rider Richard Cooper, also on an R6, which gave us a new measure and focus.
Brands Hatch is also a favourite of Oliver Barr’s, and although it had been a long time since he rode it, it certainly did not show. He had a great first session of familiarisation to sit in a more than respectable 26th.
Free Practice Two :
A few subtle tweaks were made after Alastair Seeley’s first session. These proved to be effective as his lap time improved, albeit only slightly. Still with more to come we chose to examine the data that evening to see what we could learn or improve on for Saturday.
Oliver Barr on the other hand just wanted to use his second session to work on himself and his confidence in key areas of the track. When reviewing his first session he knew where he wanted to be quicker and where he would try to be braver and more comitted. This approach gained him 0.4 of a second improvement from session one to session two.
Combined Free Practice :
Alastair Seeley P6
Oliver Barr P27
Qualifying Session One :
Based on Oliver’s lap times on Friday, he was required to participate in the Q1 session on Saturday morning. The fastest nine riders from Q1 then progress to Q2 with the faster riders from Friday. Oliver measured his Q1 session to perfection. It can be quite the gamble to know when to push in these short 15 minute sessions, You dont want to go too early and waste the tyre, but you cant leave it too late. If you stay out too long you lose garage turnaround time for Q2. Oliver zipped across the line in P7, a job well done !! But even more importantly, his lap time had come forward by another 0.6 seconds, he was now into the 1.30’s.
Qualifying Session Two :
In the glorious morning sunshine, watching our superbly striking bikes circulate the historic Brands Hatch GP circuit was simply quite fantastic.
Alastair managed to find some space on track which gave him the head space to focus on the circuit, sector by sector. Only a few minutes into the session he had lit up a few purple (fastest) sectors and he topped the time sheets early doors. As the clock wound down, with brand new tyres, some of our closest competitors got quicker and the lap times plummeted.
Once again, Oliver Barr, as he continues to do, worked really hard on himself and his confidence. He pushed himself mentally so he could be quicker, bolder and braver. He sat behind some riders with a little more experience so he could see and understand their approach and lines to some faster sections. Oliver ended the session with his fastest lap of the weekend a further 0.6 seconds quicker than his Q1 time, superb !!
Alastair Seeley P4 (1.28.51secs)
Oliver Barr P24 (1.30.19secs)
Sprint Race 10 laps :
In the now baking sunshine the grid had formed for our first race of the weekend. When the lights went out both Alastair Seeley and Oliver Barr got away really cleanly and they managed to get around the first few hectic corners safely. As the field spread out on the opening couple of laps both riders settled into their race nicely. With no quarters given there was a healthy blend of attacking the track and defending positions.
Once more, Alastair’s precise metronomic style came into play as he crossed the line to hold his 4th place start position. We consider this to be a fine result as the only rider and bike to beat him were new generation supersports that are the larger capacity homoligated machines. Satisfied with more championship points, back to base to cool down and debrief.
Oliver Barr was nestled in the middle of a group that were ‘lively’ to say the least. As the on track activity was fierce around him he did what we needed to do and got to the front of his group; he held his one place improved position to cross the line in 23rd. Slightly disapointed that he could not get to the front of the group and break them earlier, he was still very pleased with his overall race. He had bench marked a few competitors he would liked to have beaten and he managed to achieve his objective. Leathers off, hydration in, a solid day at the office.
Feature Race 16 laps :
Both riders had used the morning warm up sessions to wake up. Just a little short session to open the eyes, enagage the racing brain and get the juices flowing.
As we lined up on the grid in front of the huge bumper crowds there was a buzz in the Binch Racing camp. The crescendo to our racing weekend always sets the tone of our racing break and it helps maintain our energy and passion for everyone involved.
Alastair Seeley got away from the line very well and immediatly got involved at the sharp end. Unusally for Alastair he found himself right in the mix from the off and it was extremely exciting to watch. As the race progressed and the laps get chalked off there was the traditional break away at the front and that pace was exceptional. Alastair held on for as long as he could but a group behind found their rythmn and drew him in. Knowing he would need to fight hard in the closing stages of the race there was some activity around he had to evade to stay upright and this cost him vital places. Strong moves, false neutrals and some very late breaking can all too often result in DNF’s for any rider anywhere near the melee; Alastair just managed to keep shiny side up but he crossed the line in a frustrated 8th.
Ever diplomatic and professional, after a short cooling off session it was hand shakes and high fives. He wanted more, he went for more but it was not to be. More championship points secured and another strong showing on track.
Oliver Barr took his Sprint race frustrations and changed his approach to his Feature race. Elbows out, head down, strong on the throttle and holding every line. Based on his Sprint race lap times he started further back on the grid in 27th; you could see he wanted to be further up, he had an unusual look in his eye. Oliver is a fighter, there is a seriously talented racer under his cool and laid back exterior, and ‘race’ he did. Lap after lap he clearly mapped who he wanted to pass and where. There were a handful of fortuitious retirements uphead but that can take nothing away from how hard Oliver worked. He passed the chequered flag in 14th place, a 13 position gain. When he came back into Parc Ferme you could see how hard he had tried. Very very well done !!
Championship Placement :
Alastair Seeley P5 – 141 points
Oliver Barr P19 – 30 points
All in all a very satisfactory weekend for both riders and the team. This is only our second year with our Supersport project and our first year with two machines in the same class. We are very pleased and proud of what we are achieving both on and off the track.
The whole team would like to thank you for your continued backing and support, we are all extremely grateful. We could not do what we do without you, so a massive thank you !!
Our Thruxton race report will follow shortly.
This weekend we will be back at Cadwell Park for round 8, August 24th, 25th and Bank Holiday Monday 26th.
