Dan fails to stamp name on race
BARWELL’S Dan Stamper went into the ninth round of the British Superbike season during the bank holiday weekend with a podium finish in his sights after two previously successful outings at Thruxton and Brands Hatch GP.
Competing in the Pirelli Superstock 600 championship at Cadwell Park, his weekend got off to a strong start, with Stamper coming in sixth fastest in free practice.
His bike was then set up for what promised to be a fast qualifying session, until the heavens opened leaving riders competing in very wet conditions.
Unfamiliar with such weather conditions on this year’s machine, Dan finished 16th but remained positive that a dry qualifying session the next day would be more successful.
Again, it started well with a fast time posted on his first lap.
But on the second lap he clipped a kerb entering a turn and was thrown from his Yamaha, leaving him back in 26th place for Sunday’s race.
Despite starting from his lowest ever grid position, he was determined to move through the pack on race day.
A brilliant first lap saw him immediately gain eight places and by lap six - halfway through the race - he was up to 14th place and putting in lap times to rival the top six riders.
But when another rider fell, the race was red-flagged, cut short by five laps, leaving Stamper still in 14th.
He said: “It has been a very disappointing weekend.
“I was confident of a podium finish going into this weekend but the crash really made things difficult.
“I just need to take this as a minor set back and continue my previous form at Oulton Park in two weeks.”
Stamper is due to be back on the track at Oulton Park in Cheshire on September 9 to 11.