Smiths Triumph’s Billy McConnell eased to Motorpoint British Supersport victory after pole setter Alastair Seeley and teammate Graeme Gowland crashed out of contention at half race distance.
Gowland claimed the holeshot from the front row of the grid before getting squeezed out by McConnell at Lodge corner. Mar-Train Yamaha’s Alastair Seeley followed suit a lap later at Old Hall before challenging McConnell for the lead of the race.
Making up the breakaway five riders were Profile Triumph’s Luke Stapleford and Luke Mossey before Mossey crashed out on lap four, tucking the front at Shell Oils hairpin. Seeley got the better of McConnell at the first corner of Old Hall before McConnell bravely stuffed it under the inside of Seeley at the fast left hander of Island Bend.
The trio began to pull away from Stapleford and the race looked to be settled in the closing stages between the three front runners before both Seeley and then Gowland crashed out in symmetry. Ulsterman Seeley high sided on the exit of Druids causing Gowland to either lose his concentration or instinctively pull his Smiths Triumph out of the way. The result being the Northumbrian crashed out too, leaving McConnell to cruise to the chequered flag by over seven seconds.
Stapleford came through to take his first-ever British Supersport podium finish by three seconds and Gearlink Kawasaki’s Glenn Irwin held off late pressure from Luke Jones and Jake Dixon to take third place. Irwin now leads the championship after three races by one point, ahead of Aussie Billy McConnell.
Tyco Suzuki’s Taylor Mackenzie clinched sixth place, coming across the line ahead of Callan Cooper and Dean Hipwell. Rounding out the top ten was Traction Control’s James Rispoli and the EVO winner Sam Coventry.
