The Monster Energy Motostar British Championship boasted its largest entry of the year as 38 competitors visited Oulton Park in Cheshire to contest round seven as the series entered the second half of the season.
Sam and her WNT Burman Racing team made further progress over the weekend resulting in another top twenty finish for the popular Messingham based team.
Damp conditions made the track surface less than ideal for the opening free practice session but by the afternoon it was dry allowing Sam to settle into her rhythm.
Content with her settings from the previous day Sam provisionally qualified in 24th position of the 38 riders and went on to improve her time by over a second during final qualifying, setting a new personal best time of one minute 52.271 seconds which moved her up two places on the grid to 22nd for the 12 lap race. The pace had been hot throughout the two official qualification sessions with Tarren MacKenzie lapping inside the existing lap record on his way to pole position.
Light rain started to fall during morning warm-up with Sam witnessing two fallers ahead of her in the damp conditions, so like many other riders she elected to play safe and pull into the pit lane with a few minutes remaining of the session.
Sam moved up one place on the starting grid to 21st after another rider had to withdraw from the race. Once again she made one of her characteristic good starts and completed lap one in 19th position just off the back of the main pack of riders. As the race went on the pack gradually crept away leaving Sam in a fairly lonely race. Despite being caught in the latter stages of the race she held on to 20th position overall and sixth in the Moto3 class.
Sam and her WNT Burman Racing team are very much looking forward to competing at their home circuit of Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire at the next round of the twelve round series in just over a week’s time.
Due to my commitments at the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix the race reports for rounds eight and nine (Cadwell Park/Donington Park) will be combined into one report following the Donington Park round. I would like to wish the team the best of luck for these two events. By Martin Knighton
