Owens takes deserved eighth at Mondello.

Mondello Park in Southern Ireland was the setting for the fifth round of the British Super Sport Championship.

Friday and Saturday saw gusting winds that also affected the riders with dirt and dust blowing around the circuit making the dirty areas of the track move into the clean racing lines.

Mondello Park in Southern Ireland was the setting for the fifth round of the British Super Sport Championship.

Friday and Saturday saw gusting winds that also affected the riders with dirt and dust blowing around the circuit making the dirty areas of the track move into the clean racing lines.

However Fridays free practice was fairly routine with lap timings placing privateer Sam Owens on the Premier Motorsport Ten Kate Honda in 12th position, he reported the bike was running well except for a slight problem with the rear snaking into corners and the rear wheel spinning up on exit.

After a few minor adjustments Owens was happy with his machine and set for qualifying. Starting off with sixth position, pushed back to 19th he finally regained a number of Grid positions and settled for a combined qualifying time that put him 13th on the grid, fourth row just behind Craig Jones and Stuart Easton.

Race day saw the best weather this season, the sun blazed down and the wind had subsided.

A new race tyre for the rear and Owens was set for the racing.

Owens did not get the best of starts but he held his grid position and by the end of lap one he was in 12th position leading Matt Llewellyn who had started in 11th.

Lap six and Leon Camier went down, which saw Owens moved up to tenth, the pack had broken away and Sam was in a three way fight behind Keiran Murhpy but leading Matt Llewellyn, this would keep the pit crew on their toes for the whole of the race.

A mistake by Jay Vincent on the Padgett's motorcycle sent him sliding in to the gravel trap and placed Owens up to ninth. It appeared LLwellyn was closing on Owens and being stood next to the Buildbase team on the pit wall made the adrenalin rush as they shouted at Llewellyn to catch Owens.

+0 on the pit board and Owens upped the pace, 2/10ths of a second made all the difference and with his focus on Kieran Murphy 3/10ths of a second in front, Owens composed himself entering the last lap, 1/10th of a second lap slower than Murphy.

A late braking manoeuvre on almost the last corner and as the riders exited the last bend on the home straight Owens led Murphy by 7/10ths of a second, a well deserved eighth place.

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