Wilson’s six-sessful start at Donington Park despite bike issues

Ben Wilson bagged a brace of sixth places on his return to the British Supersport Championship at Donington Park over the Easter weekend.

Although the Kirton ace was targeting better, his haul of 20 championship points sees him leave the Leicestershire circuit in sixth place overall in the rider standings.

After a difficult year in the British Superbike Championship, Wilson was keen to return to the class he prefers – but things didn’t go quite to plan as the Gearlink Kawasaki suffered a few technical issues throughout the weekend.

He qualified down in ninth position and began the sprint race from a third row grid position.

But Wilson made a fantastic start and was soon up to fourth place on the first lap. He was running in a strong third place when the race was red flagged for a crash further down field.

At the restart, which was a six-lap dash to the flag, Wilson climbed up to second on the first lap. But the racing was close and he was demoted to sixth place by the chequered flag.

He began the feature race from the second row and was second on the first lap.

But Wilson was soon relegated to third and then fourth, before his Gearlink Kawasaki team-mate Glenn Irwin overtook him on lap five leaving to leave him in fifth place.

The Lincolnshire pace ace held station in fifth for much of the race, but dropped back into the clutches of Andy Reid who finally made his pass stick on the penultimate lap.

Wilson wasn’t finished and on the run to the flag he very nearly regained the position, crossing the finish line alongside Reid. But the timing screens showed that he was given sixth place, just 200th of a second adrift.

Wilson said: “That (the first one) was a really exciting and close race and anyone of the top six could have won it.

“Riders were diving under each other and places exchanged every corner.

“It is disappointing, though, because in the first bit of the race I was running well and was in a position where I could have finished in at least second place.

“The red flag put paid to that unfortunately and at the restart we were all bunched together which made it more difficult to make a break.

“I am so gutted that we had the problems we had this weekend.

“Donington Park has never been kind to me and this weekend was no different.

“But the guys in the garage are on to it and I am sure we can turn things around at Brands Hatch next time out.”

The next round is on the short and twisty Brands Hatch Indy circuit over the weekend of April 17-19.