Team AHR Yamaha's Jordan Simpkin finally sealed his first Pirelli National Superstock 600 victory of the season with ease this afternoon at Oulton Park, after a controversial penalty at Thruxton cost him the victory two weeks ago.
The Cambridgeshire lad took advantage of E-Lites Kawasaki's Tim Hastings running on to the grass at the exit of Cascades on lap two and then he didn't look back, going 1.5 seconds under the lap record on his way to victory. Simpkin now holds a handsome seventeen point advantage over the rest of the field at this early stage in the championship.
The battle for the remaining podium places was far more excitable, however, with four riders having their share at leading the battle for second place throughout the race. Haribo Triumph's Joe Collier recovered from a poor start to battle his way through and cross the line in second place but he was handed a five second penalty for re-entering the track in an illegal manner, after he ran on at the Hizzy's chicane.
As a result, the reigning Motostar Champion, Luke Hedger, took second as he moved past Moto-Breaker's James Lodge on the last lap, at the ironically named last corner of Lodge after the Huddersfield rider, Lodge, out-breaked himself under the pressure of Hedger. Collier was demoted to fourth, ahead of Australian Levi Day and early front-runner Tim Hastings, who suffered from a deteriorating rear tyre.
Matt Ogden was able to hold off the challenges of Michael Robertson to take seventh with Appleyard Macadam Yamaha's Matt Paulo moving through from eighteenth on the first lap after a poor start to take ninth place. Rounding out the top ten was Seton Yamaha's Mark Wilkinson.