Byrne edges Brookes in red-flagged FP2
Full BSB FP2 results from Oulton Park here
Shane Byrne has returned to the top of the times for Be Wiser Ducati in a red-flagged second free practice session at Oulton Park.
Full BSB FP2 results from Oulton Park here
Shane Byrne has returned to the top of the times for Be Wiser Ducati in a red-flagged second free practice session at Oulton Park.
The defending BSB champion produced the early leading pace by becoming the first rider to dip into the 1m 34s bracket before his progress was stalled by the first red flag of the FP2 session triggered by Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon crashing out at Brittens in which he sustained a left hand fracture which is expected to rule him out of the race weekend.
Byrne then saw his provisional top time equalled down to the thousandth of a second by Josh Brookes on the McAMS Yamaha who has enjoyed a recent breakthrough since last week’s Oulton Park test.
But it was the six-time BSB champion who picked up the pace again with a 1m 34.868s to edge ahead as the outright leader before the late time attacks were halted by a second red flag which ended the session early.
As a result five minutes of practice will be added to FP3 tomorrow at the Cheshire track to compensate with the second stoppage reported to be due to a crash by Team WD-40 Kawasaki’s Mason Law who tipped off at the Brittens chicane.
With Byrne leading from Brookes, Leon Haslam kept up his fight at the front for JG Speedfit Kawasaki in third place as less than a quarter of a second split the top three.
Jake Dixon ended the cut-short FP2 in fourth for RAF Regulars & Reserves Kawasaki ahead of Moto Rapido Ducati’s Taylor Mackenzie with BSB championship leader Bradley Ray in sixth place.
Oulton Park test timesheet topper Glenn Irwin was unable to replicate his dominant pace in FP2 for Be Wiser Ducati having been shuffled down to seventh place but stays ahead of JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey as Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) and Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) rounded out the top 10.
FP1’s fastest rider Jason O’Halloran dropped down to 12th after losing his shot at a late quick lap to the red flag with three-time BSB champion Ryuichi Kiyonari completing the session in 23rd for Honda as Dan Linfoot’s stand-in.
