Stuart Easton secured a double top ten finish at
Oulton Park to lead the MSS Discovery Kawasaki challenge in the latest rounds of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
With challenging conditions for the opening race after rain started to fall at the Cheshire venue, the teams were faced with a dilemma over what compound of wet tyres were best suited to the conditions and having elected to go with soft rubber, Easton was rewarded with a tenth place finish.
"I got a fairly good start and felt confident from the off," he said. "I was on pretty soft full wets and with the grip I had and the power delivery of the Ninja ZX-10R I felt I could mix it up in the front half of the field.
"I was happy with tenth place and six points even though the dry line by the end of the race chewed the rear tyre to bits."
Easton the picked up a fine fifth place in the second race and was joined in the top ten by team-mate Billy McConnell who had endured a tough start to race day when he was one five riders to fall at Old Hall on the first start to race one – and was forced to miss the restart.
"I was already thinking this would be a tricky start and that after a few laps we would be in for wets but, as I reached the apex of Old Hall, Guy Martin fell of right in front of me and I couldn't avoid his bike as it span out of control on the track," he said "I came down with a bump and was lucky to get away with a sprain as I could have so easily broken my arm. The bike, I am sad to say, was more broken than me.
"I could have just let the red mist get the better of me in race two, but I think I have learnt to be more calculating now. I got stuck behind another rider who was really quick down the straights and then cautious in the corners. It was lonely and frustrating but to get six points for a tenth place finish, was a reward for me and the boys who screwed the bike back together."
