Mark Cheetham and Josh Wainwright were the two outright winners in the latest rounds of the Triumph Triple Challenge at Oulton Park in Cheshire this weekend. Cheetham cruised to victory in the first of the two races; while Wainwright took full advantage of we weather tyres to win the second.
Cheetham, on home soil around Oulton Park, was on fire during the qualifying sessions, planting his bike firmly on pole for the two races. In the opening race he was able to pull away to a two and a half second lead to claim TDG Cup honours as well as the outright win.
Rhalf Lo Turco and Ben Cater rounded out the TDG podium, as current class leader Jack Sim took fourth place after starting both races from the back of the grid. The urgent matter of becoming a father shortly before the meeting meant he was unable to make the practice sessions!
Behind Cheetham on the road, Mark Cringle took second place and the Michelin Young Guns victory. Scott Rowbottom and David Jones were in close formation behind the Isle of Man rider but they were unable to make a move on him over the course of the seven lap race.
After a number of small showers the riders had to make a call on whether to go for wet or dry tyres for the start of race two. Just three of the field decided to go for broke on wets and by the time the field crossed the line for the start of lap two it appeared to have been a smart move.
As the field got away from the line the heavens opened and as they crossed the line it was Ben Cater who took full advantage of the slippery conditions to lead. As the rest of the grid settled into the track surface it was Cheetham who made a move and briefly put himself back into the lead on lap three.
However, Josh Wainwright was one of the riders who had taken the wet tyre gamble and it was paying dividends as he scythed through the pack and moved into the lead on lap four. Cater managed to get back past Cheetham and take the second TDG Cup victory of the day, a full 18 seconds clear of the race one victor, with Josh a further two second up the road for the Michelin Young Guns win.
“I’m a bit surprised as I’ve never raced here before and I had to learn the circuit really quickly on Friday during practice,” said Wainwright. “I spoke to my dad before the second race and he said we ought to go for wets and I wasn’t sure. I was even less sure when there were only three of us on them in the collecting area before we went out! But, it paid off really well as soon as the heavens opened I was able to push so much harder, it’s a great result,” he added.
Tim Venables and Shane Pearson managed to keep upright in the wet conditions to take second and third in the Young Guns as Cheetham and last years champion Ricky Chadwick rounded out the TDG podium.
