Craig Fitzpatrick secured the Fuchs Silkolene British Supersport Cup at Silverstone this weekend sitting 49 points ahead of second place runner Andy Weymouth.
On a total of 235 points with only one round to go Fitzpatrick become the Cup Champion in only his second year in the category.  Commenting on his achievement he said: “Yeah brilliant, I was torn at first, I didn’t know whether to go out for a championship position or the cup.”
“I got a bit beat up on the first lap and started to think hmm, then decided to do a couple of laps and see how I went.  I started to catch the guys and crack on, but then it started to go wrong.  The bike didn’t feel that good and I was losing grip on the rear so decided not to get in any unnecessary scraps.”
Until last weekend the Alfreton rider has been racing on last years bike, he has now moved onto a 2008 model, which is no where near where it should be in regards to setup.  Fitzpatrick said: “I qualified ninth, but I am not happy with the setup.  I still keep thinking I am going to jump on my number one bike and go faster.”
“We’ve tried a few bits and bobs on a track day, but we were swapping between bikes so we had to bite the bullet and stick to one.  It can be a lot better.  I am not sure why I didn’t stick with the 07 bike to take the cup, but I am looking at the whole championship regarding positions.”
“I want to be getting back up to the top, start preparing for next year and the 08 bike is what I will be on.  My aim has always been to do well within the championship and the bi-product of that was also to do the cup.”
Fitzpatrick started racing in 2002 at club level winning the championship title in the New Ear FRM Novice Championship, in 2003 he was part of the team that won the KRC British Endurance title as well as the 2003 champion of the New Era Super Club category. 
In 2004 he moved up to the National Superstock Championship as well as taking part in the AMA Daytona 200 finishing 12th in his first year following it up with a fourth the year after.  Trying to forget his 06 season he then debuted into Supersport in 2007 in which he finished second overall before returning to take the title today.
Reviewing his season he said: “It was brilliant at the beginning of the year everything was going really.  Basically it was the same bike we had last year, winter and pre-season testing went really well.  At start of season I ended up fourth on the grid in the first round which got snowed off.”
“I carried on like that and was inside the top ten at beginning of season then it went pair shape, don’t know why.  Don’t think it was me, just think everybody had upped their game.  They had already had their new 2008 bikes and they were coming together with it as we came into the season already the best we could be, but on an 07 bike.”
Fitzpatrick is without a doubt a hands on man as not only does he ride with success he is his own driver and mechanic just for starters.  In amongst it all his adrenalin for results never stops.  He thoroughly enjoys the little sports bikes and intends to return to the main championship next year. 
He said: “Next year it will be down to money to see how well we can do.  We are now getting the parts that we need for the bike to be able to compete at the higher level, we just need to find out how to use them, then we will have to see.  We need to be up near the top five or six.  I know I can do it.”
 “I would like to say a huge thankyou to James my mechanic and Jayne my girlfriend for all their hard work throughout the year.  Also to Bill at BLDS Couriers, Baz at Close Print Finance and Tim at Race Development, they have been a brilliant.  I would also like to thank my many other sponsors, but I can't list them all, each one has given me a lot of help and has been really great to me."
His talent has been recognised and there is a possibility of Fitzpatrick riding for a factory team in Supersport at the final round at Brands Hatch.  Failing that he will continue to battle on his striking yellow and black Yamaha as the 2008 Supersport Cup Champion.