Jack Kennedy’s dominance of the Quattro Group British Supersport Championship continued at Brands Hatch on Sunday afternoon as he comfortably claimed his second win of the weekend – and eighth in ten race – bringing the Mar-Train Racing Yamaha home almost five seconds clear of Luke Stapleford (Gearlink Kawasaki) and Harry Truelove (Appleyard Macadam Yamaha).
Truelove grabbed the lead on the opening lap to lead Kennedy by half a second with team-mate Perie, Stapleford, Jack Scott and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Yamaha) following but at the beginning of lap three Kennedy dived up the inside at Paddock Hill Bend to take over at the head of the field.
At the end of the lap, Kennedy had pulled half a second clear and Perie moved ahead of his team-mate on the way into Clearways but Johnston’s race was over as he crashed out at Druids.
As expected, Kennedy immediately got the hammer down and utilised the clear track ahead of him, lapping at least half a second quicker than the rest of the field but behind him Perie, Stapleford – who moved up to third on lap four – and Truelove were nose to tail.
After five laps, Kennedy’s lead was already up to 1.8s but behind there was plenty of change with Stapleford getting up to second and then Truelove relegating Perie back another spot to fourth. Scott (Kovara Projects/RS Racing) was still in fifth and it was the returning Mason Law (Astro JJR Triumph) who was now running in sixth.
By the end of the ninth lap, half race distance, Kennedy’s advantage over Stapleford was 3.4s with the Kawasaki man continuing to have his hands full with Truelove. Behind them, the top six remained the same but Eugene McManus (Completely Motorbikes/Affinity Kawasaki) and Korie McGreevy Go Racing/SGR) were putting Law under extreme pressure.
Consistently lapping in the 1’28’s, the only rider to do so in the second half of the race, Kennedy continued to pull away and duly took his eighth win of the season by 4.8s with Stapleford just edging Truelove out for second.
Perie and Scott had lonely rides into fourth and fifth, Scott again the leading GP2 rider, with Law just holding off McManus and McGreevy, the latter the second placed GP2 machine past the chequered flag. Damon Rees (Ashcourt Racing Yamaha) and Luke Jones (Highsparks Ducati) rounded out the top ten.