Charlie Nesbitt claimed his first overall victory in the Quattro Group British Supersport & British GP2 Cup as he dominated the Sprint race at Thruxton on Saturday afternoon.

The RS Racing Kalex rider was more than four seconds clear of runner-up Bradley Perie but the Appleyard Macadam Yamaha man was the first Supersport machine past the flag and he retook the championship lead after Jack Kennedy was forced to retire the HEL Performance/Bournemouth Kawasaki early.

Nesbitt grabbed the early initiative from Jack Scott (JJ Racing Harris) but the race ended soon after for the latter as he crashed out on lap two but drama had occurred by then with championship leader Kennedy forced out with a technical issue at the end of the first lap.

Scott’s demise enabled Nesbitt to break away slightly and after five laps, his lead over fellow GP2 Cup rider Jamie Perrin (Spirit Motocorsa) was up to 1.6s with Perie a further three tenths back. There was then another second gap to Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Yamaha), Ben Currie (Gearlink Kawasaki), and Korie McGreevy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha).

Lap six saw another front runner fall by the wayside with Perie’s team-mate Rhys Irwin crashing out of a top ten position at Cobb but at the head of the field, Nesbitt was surging clear and lapping more than half a second quicker than the second place man. His lead was up to 2.5s at half race distance.

Perie had by now moved ahead of Perrin with Johnston giving chase and he’d left behind Currie and McGreevy who were continuing to dispute fifth, the Australian runner continuing to hold sway as Kyle Smith (Dynavolt Triumph) did his best to hold onto them.

At two thirds race distance, Nesbitt’s lead was a commanding 3.5s but the battle for second was continuing to rage and it was now a three-horse affair with Johnston having successfully bridged the gap.

Smith had done similar to Currie and McGreevy and overhauled the pair of them on lap eight. Meanwhile, the battle for eighth was even more fraught with no less than six riders disputing the position.

That was of little concern to Nesbitt though and he continued to forge ahead but after approaching the final chicane three abreast, Johnston took over second from Perrin and Perie on the tenth lap.

Nesbitt had a slight moment on the same lap which saw his lead cut by more than a second but he quickly regrouped and ran out victor by 4.2s from Perie, Johnston and Perrin.

Smith was the third Supersport machine to finish in fifth overall ahead of McGreevy and Currie whilst eighth placed Mason Law, on the second Spirit Motocorsa machine, completed the GP2 Cup rostrum. Eunan McGlinchey (Gearlink Kawasaki) and James Hind (Bass Tyre Services Yamaha) completed the top ten.

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