After a superb weekend’s performance Tommy Hill has taken the lead in the British Superbike Championship Showdown at Croft impressively winning the first race and taking second place in race two.
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| Setting the pace in the Showdown |
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The Adaptaflex sponsored rider tucked in behind Michael Laverty from the start and the two were to become almost inseparable over the weekend. As the race settled the pair swapped over the lead until eventually, on lap 4, Tommy made the decisive move at the hairpin holding out to take the chequered flag on his Worx Crescent Suzuki.
“It was a great start to the Showdown for me, that’s for sure,” said an exhilarated Tommy Hill. “I felt really comfortable during the race and I just chipped away and tried to keep Michael behind me. I was protecting my lines and just tried to keep my cool.
Earlier in the morning we made some drastic changes to the set-up, but then reverted back to the original setting so more of the same would be good for me.”
Race two at Croft was even closer between the duelling Suzukis of Hill and Laverty with the lead constantly switching as the two battled for maximum points in the Showdown. It was a race that kept the crowd enthralled as the riders swapped and changed constantly looking for the best line to gain the advantage. In the end it was Laverty who crossed the line just ahead of Hill.
Looking back on race two Tommy Hill explained, “When I got through on Michael I thought I would have a good chance to hold him off and tried to pull a gap, but he was riding really well and he came back strong to take the lead which he defended hard so there was little I could do.
“I am just over the moon with how the Showdown has started for me. It has been a fantastic day for me and the team and this puts us in a good position ahead of Silverstone.”
Tommy achieved the fastest lap in both races and notched a lap time of 1.20.484 in the second race giving an impressive average speed of 95.05mph.
Worx Crescent Suzuki Team Manager Jack Valentine said, "Another brilliant job by Tommy and the team today. The hard work we put in over recent months is certainly paying off. It was great to see another Suzuki in contention, too. We've now got two GSX-R1000s at the top of the table – a great outcome for the day.
"We're going directly to Silverstone now for some testing on the new track. As ever we can't be complacent. I'm sure the opposition will be fierce as ever and clearly we have to watch for attacks coming from all directions!”
In the National Superstock 600 Championship Jimmy Hill, also sponsored by Adaptaflex, returned to his early season form to win a place on the podium. Riding his MAP Group Triumph he finished in second place emulating the earlier performance of his brother Tommy.
The penultimate round of the British Superbike Championship and the second round of the Showdown is at Silverstone on 24/25/26 September.
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