RAIN STOPS PLAY AT MONDELLO PARK
Persistent heavy rain falling
throughout the day at the Irish Mondello Park circuit forced the unprecedented
cancellation of round five of the 2006 Bennetts British Superbike Championship
on Sunday.
Race officials worked frantically
with circuit staff in efforts to drain surface water off the track, bringing in
additional equipment in an effort to save the event, but at 2pm on Sunday the
decision was made that racing was not possible.
“Due to the constant heavy rain
we have been unable to prepare the circuit in a manner suitable for competition.
We ran ‘warm-up’ sessions for Superbikes, Superstock and Supersport
to assess the circuit, and constantly reviewed the conditions.
At 2pm, in consultation with the Mondello Park circuit and Dorna the
decision was jointly made to cancel the event,” explained Stuart Higgs, the
race director of the organisers, MCRCB Events.
The Superbike races will not be
re-arranged and the championship will now be decided over points scored at 12
rounds instead of 13. The British
125 race will be re-scheduled and run at Mallory Park on June 4 giving
competitors two races at that venue. Race officials will make a decision on the
re-arrangement of both the British Supersport and Metzeler Racetec National
Superstock Championship races in the next few days.
All the riders were in full
agreement of the stewards’ decision and Ben said: “It’s a long way to come
for no return. But although I had gone quite well in the warm up laps on Sunday
morning the weather deteriorated even more and I didn’t relish the thought of
heading out in those conditions.
“Rider safety has to come before
anything else and the worst point would have been the start when everyone is
bunched together, unless you were actually in the lead you would have headed to
the first corner completely blind as the spray chucked up from 30 bikes would
have been dreadful.”
Ben had consistently improved his
lap times throughout the three free practice sessions and went into Saturday’s
solitary qualifying as seventh fastest rider.
Qualifying had gone quite well for
Ben who posted a fastest lap time of 1m 40.187s – 78.21pmh, just a tenth of a
second away from the existing lap record but it was not quick enough to maintain
his seventh place and he dropped down the order to complete the session in 14th
place.
“I am a little disappointed I
didn't finished with a higher grid position, especially as I had near enough
equalled the existing lap record. But unfortunately everyone else improved their
times and the goal posts have been moved once again.
“But none of that matters now
that the races have been cancelled so I have to focus my attention on preparing
for the next round at Mallory on June 4."
Report by Helen Pask
Picture courtesy of Turn One
Photography
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