Zanotti calls time on racing career at Brands Hatch
LOUGHBOROUGH superbike ace, Aaron Zanotti has called an end to his racing career, but not before producing two superb point scoring finishes at the British Superbike finale at Brands Hatch.
The local racer capped 12 years in the premier class with a 14th and a 15th, his best of the season, in dreadful conditions at the Kent circuit.
Once again, the weekend started badly for the local superbike veteran – an engine problem in qualifying forced the team to swap motors in two and a half hours before the first of the weekend’s three races.
Zanotti started the race from the pit lane after a last minute problem, which caused a retirement 12 laps in. Glen Irwin took his Ducati across the line in a comfortable first place, with Dixon second, harried by Tarran Mackenzie in third. Leon Haslam brought his Kawasaki home in a safe sixth place to become the 2018 champion, 51 points ahead of Dixon with only 50 points available to win on Sunday. In torrential conditions for the first of the Sunday races Zanotti got the drop on Winfield and Dean Harrison to move up two places, holding station for five laps until Harrison got past and the trio continued chasing Martin Jessop. Jessop retired and Harrison pulled into the pits for one minute and rejoined, but his race was over. The sodden track was taking a heavy toll throughout the field as Zanotti and Winfield battled endlessly, with Zanotti fastest on the first half of the circuit and Winfield fastest on the straights. Zanotti succumbed on the tenth lap but with four laps to go made his move, holding on all the way to the last lap, but as the duo ran almost neck and neck towards the flag Winfield found just enough grip to take the lead 0.008 seconds ahead across the line, demoting the local ace to 14th. Haslam stormed to victory followed by Bridewell and O’Halloran. Conditions worsened for the final outing of 2018 and it became another competition to see who could stay upright.
Zanotti chased Harrison and Winfield in the early stages but by mid race was slowly losing touch and brought his Kawasaki ZX10 home in a lonely 15th spot.
Richard Cooper took a commanding win from Bridewell and a distant Dixon to round off the year.
Speaking to the Echo, Zanotti said “The last two races were extremely difficult but worked out well.
We managed to find another improvement to the front end but we struggled with the rear, particularly in the wet.
“I thought I had Winfield in the penultimate race. I was half a bike length ahead going down the finish straight, but I could feel the rear spinning despite feathering the throttle and it was enough to let him steal it by the tiniest margin.
“It was a great way to finish my last Superbike round. I’ve been lucky to be able to race at the pinnacle of British motorcycle racing and the third largest series in the world for 12 seasons, but it feels the time is right to bow out.
“I am hoping to continue to run my own British Superbike team next year and we are on the lookout for the right rider to field.
“I have to say a huge thanks to the family, friends and sponsors who have been behind me all this time.”