The team was hoping to build on Tim’s top ten finish at Croft and knew he had previously gone well at Thruxton, but once again Tim exceeded all expectations, and was top of the timing sheets from lap one of the first practice session.
Tim was understandably confident for Q1, and with a new set of tyres fitted to the Team Green ZX6R, it showed immediately. As in the practice session, Tim went straight to the top of the timing sheets and improved his lap time with every circuit to take provisional pole by 0.4 seconds.
A few minor changes to Tim's bike were made overnight in preparation for the final qualifying session on Sunday afternoon. For the first half of the session Tim circulated on "scrubbed" tyres, still posting competitive lap times, before pitting for new tyres mid session. The final ten minutes of the session saw him put in an impressive series of fast laps, improving his time and securing his first ever front row start in P3, with a lap time of 1.20.090.
Monday's race day forecast was for rain, although it was still dry when Tim went out for his warm up session, bedding in some new brake pads before putting in two fast laps to finish the session in P2. The predicted rain set in at about lunchtime and continued right through until the superstock 600 race at the end of the day.
Tim was slightly concerned considering this was going to be only his second ever wet race on a 600, and as the race got under way his fingers slipped off the clutch lever resulting in an unwanted wheelie. Nonetheless he still got away well and completed the first lap in P4. Staying in touch with the battle for 2nd place, Tim gained valuable wet weather experience with every lap completed. Although he had dropped back to 7th by lap five, his pace continued to improve lap by lap and he took back 6th place on lap nine and rode brilliantly to soak up the pressure and defend his position to the chequered flag - completing the 12 lap race in 6th place and by so doing achieving his best ever finish in the class!
It was a fantastic end to a great weekend and the team will now head to their “home†round at Knockhill in three weeks time to try to build on what has been learned and put Tim and the Kawasaki ZX6R up at the front of the field.
None of Team Twister’s success could or would be possible without the all the help received from so many people – so a huge thank you to all of you that have helped and continue to help Tim. Thank you also for the cash incentives received from Alan Sharkey and John Higham, and from the David Jefferies Memorial Fund. The team’s "Twister......Powered by Fans" funding campaign has been instrumental in helping achieve success thus far, so thank you to everyone who has donated to the fund.
Michael and Norma from the Gearlink Kawasaki Supersport Team continue to help and advise Tim with his development and the results are now beginning to show, so thanks to the whole Gearlink squad. The team was especially pleased too to have Ross Burridge from Kawasaki UK in the pit lane keeping an eye on the Team Green riders. Continued thanks also to our sponsors, Shark Helmets, Rock Oil and Knox.
See you all at Knockhill.
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