Clarke clinches third overall at Brands Hatch finale after set-up gamble backfires

Kirton’s Aaron Clarke has finished the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship in a fantastic third place.

Clarke, who went in to the season finale at Brands Hatch with a chance of securing second spot, could only manage 11th position – allowing Joe Sheldon-Shaw to take second overall.

That shouldn’t take anything away from Clarke’s amazing achievement riding for Draper Racing.

He’s been a revelation this year, recording an impressive three second places on his way to the final round.

Going into the race at Brands Hatch, Clarke was just six points away from the runners-up spot and had everything to race for.

But the weather was against him as it had been raining heavily prior to his race on Sunday.

There was a dry line beginning to form, but it was still too wet for dry weather tyres and the track was very greasy.

Clarke began the race from the middle of the front row and held second place for a while before dropping back and he eventually crossed the finish line at the end of the 12 laps in 11th place.

A REVELATION: Aaron Clarke impressed many on his way to third place in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship.

But his rival for the runner up spot, Sheldon-Shaw completed the race ahead of him and Clarke had to be content with third place in the championship.

He said: “We gambled on a dry setting with the wet weather tyres, but it turned out to be the wrong choice and I had no grip at all.

“But although it was hard work I managed to keep it upright and finished the race. I am a bit disappointed I couldn’t get that runner-up spot but I managed to hang on to my third place in the championship, which is good.

“It’s a nice way to end my time with Draper Racing with a top three finish in the championship.”

Team-mate Tommy Philp began his campaign in the British Supersport sprint race on Saturday from the fifth row. But, after just two laps, the race was red flagged and the restart was to run over the shortened distance of eight laps.

Philp began his move forward to 13th place and on the final lap passed Richard Kerr to take the chequered flag in 12th position.

Starting the final race of the 2018 championship from the sixth row in the wet on Sunday Philp was 14th on the opening lap but began to make progress through the field to 12th.

He was elevated to tenth when two of the front runners crashed and he crossed the finish line in tenth at the end of 18 gruelling and difficult laps.

But one rider ahead was in the GP2 class and didn’t score points in the main championship, so Philp was awarded the seven points for ninth place. He ends his season in 15th place on 78 points.

• Ben Luxton rounded off his campaign in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship with a solid seventh place – but G&S Racing Kawasaki team-mate Tom Fisher retired from his Superstock 1000 race.

With Milo Ward having an operation on his broken thumb, the Wyberton-based team were down to just two for the final round.

Luxton began the final round of the Stock 600 championship from the middle of the third row and quickly moved up into fifth position at the start.

But he began to drop back in the damp conditions and was running in ninth position on lap four. He overtook Aaron Clarke on lap six to move into eighth position and on the final lap he passed Joe Sheldon-Shaw to complete his race in seventh place.

It was not the position he had hoped for, but on a drying track with a wet set up it was the best he could do.

He joined the team a third of the way through the season and completed every race in the points, his best result being a fine second place at Oulton Park and he ends the season in eighth place overall on 87 points.

SOLID FINISH: Ben Luxton. Photo by DAVE YEOMANS

Team-mate Ward crashed in practice at Darley Moor last week and broke his thumb, so had to sit out the final round.

But he had done enough to secure fifth place in the Stock 600 championship on 116 points – with his best result being a second place at Thruxton standing proud on the podium beside team-mate Luxton, who finished third that day.

Fisher started his final race of the season in the Stock 1000 class from the ninth row. But the weather was against him as the spray from the heavy rain made visibility almost non-existent.

And, when a rider crashed right in front of him, he realised it was too dangerous to continue and retired into the pits.

He made the right decision as another 14 riders either crashed or pulled in due to the slippery conditions.

Team manager Mark Fisher said: “Ben did well in the difficult conditions, and has finished every race for us in the points. Tom did the right thing pulling in.

“He could hardly see where he was going as the spray from the bikes around him was causing a lot of problems.”