Francis leads damp FP1 to start BSB finale at Brands Hatch
Full BSB FP1 results at Brands Hatch
Joe Francis has used his last lap in drying conditions to be a surprise topper of the opening practice session at the Bennetts British Superbike championship finale at Brands Hatch.
Full BSB FP1 results at Brands Hatch
Joe Francis has used his last lap in drying conditions to be a surprise topper of the opening practice session at the Bennetts British Superbike championship finale at Brands Hatch.
The PR Racing Lloyd & Jones BMW rider has often impressed in wet and mixed conditions this year and with rain threatening throughout FP1 following heavy thunderstorms overnight Francis duly produced a 1m 35.483s on a slippery surface to top the session.
That lap saw Francis beat Peter Hickman’s own final lap effort by just under two-tenths of the second to push the Smiths Racing BMW rider into second place as he looks to end his BSB campaign on a high despite being mathematically ruled out of the title showdown.
With Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Ben Curries surging up to third place late on, Josh Brookes led the BSB title contenders with fourth place on the Be Wiser Ducati.
Needing to overturn a 28-point deficit to team-mate Scott Redding to win the title, Brookes saw Honda’s Andrew Irwin and McAMS Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran split him to the ex-MotoGP rider who claimed seventh place on the FP1 times.
Fellow BSB Showdown member Tarran Mackenzie, who is also out of title contention, claimed eighth place for McAMS Yamaha ahead of Racedays Yamaha’s Matt Truelove and CDH Racing Kawasaki’s Josh Owens.
That left final BSB title fighter Tommy Bridewell in 11th place in FP1 for Oxford Racing Ducati.
The opening practice session was briefly suspended by a red flag after Dan Linfoot suffered a suspected engine issue with his Santander Salt TAG Yamaha.
