Impressive KTM Super Dukes

The KTM 990 Super Duke Battle made a big impression on BSB fans at Snetterton with some bar-to-bar racing deciding Sunday’s thriller.

Darren Fry came out on top of a thrilling nine-bike, handlebar-rattling KTM 990 Super Duke Battle race on Sunday.

Fry, Francis Williamson and Davey Wood went into the Esses three abreast on the final lap with Fry winning the out-braking contest to claim the win. 

Kelvin Reilly won Saturday’s evening’s opening race by over three seconds from Finn Pauli Pekkanen. Fry leads the series by 22 points from Reilly.

Senior MCN road tester Michael Neeves crashed in Saturday’s race but was 12th on Sunday.

For Saturday’ evening’s race Ed Smith was on pole position and looking like the man to beat over the weekend.

However shortly after setting the fastest lap time in qualifying he crashed at the infamous Bombhole section, meaning some frantic repairs were required in time for the first race just four hours later.
 
Unfortunately it was the same section which was to prove his undoing in race one after he lost the front end, ruling him out for the race and the rest of the weekend.

Dave Wood was the pace-setter and looked to be comfortably running away from the other riders when he crashed at Russell Bend while making an ambitious passing move on a back marker.

This left Kelvin Reilly with a solid lead and five other riders fighting it out for the remaining podium places. Reilly was the victor by three seconds, followed by the “Flying Finn” Pauli Pekkanen and veteran former British Supersport Champion Dave Heal.

Sunday’s weather was glorious sunshine and there was a real buzz with a nine-bike freightt train at the front of the field for most of the race.

Positions were changing right up to the final corner and it was Darren Fry who took the win from Francis Williamson by just 0.09 seconds with Wood in third place. The first nine riders were separated by an astonishing three and a half seconds in a fantastic advertisement for the series.

The next round of the Battle is at the British MotoGP round next month at Donington, with a further four rounds at BSB as follows:

Results

Race 1 – Saturday June 19
1. Kelvin Reilly
2. Pauli Pekkanen
3. Dave Heal
4. Darren Fry
5. Francis Williamson

Race 2 – Sunday June 20
1. Darren Fry
2. Francis Williamson
3. Dave Wood
4. Pauli Pekkanen
5. Kelvin Reilly

Championship standings after round 4
Darren Fry 88
Kelvin Reilly 66
Pauli Pekkanen 66
Francis Williamson 49
Dave Heal 48 

Remaining rounds:
5. Donington June 24 (MotoGP)
6. Mallory Park July 22
7. Mallory Park July 22
8. Cadwell Park August 27
9. Donington September 23
10. Brands Hatch October 14

It is still not too late to join in the fun.

Interested riders must have a full Clubman license or above and can purchase a race bike from any authorised KTM dealer.

The price of a bike is £6,500 plus a compulsory race kit for £1,300 plus an optional spare wheel kit including discs for £700. Entry fees are £180 per round and you can pre-order the Continental ContiRace Attack control tyres for £166 per set.

The overall series winner gets one of the fantastic recently launched 690 Supermotos.

Second place in the series wins 10 sets of tyres courtesy of Continental and third place wins a KTM Minibike.

Continental will provide trophies for the first three riders at each round with the race winner receiving a set of tyres, second place gets a rear tyre and third place gets a front tyre.

For more information contact Race Co-ordinator, Iain Hutton on 07917 358599 or iain.hutton@hotmail.co.uk