Donington heartbreak for Billy McConnell...
IT WAS heartbreak at Donington for Billy McConnell in round three of the Pirelli National Superstock Championship at Donington Park on Sunday.
The Hinckley-based Aussie racing for the C&L Fairburn Properties/Jackson Racing Honda team was in third place when forced to retire with less than two laps to go.
Qualifying saw McConnell in fifth for a second row start and a group of no less than seven riders disputed the lead in the early stages with McConnell moving up to fourth on the third lap and although he’d slipped back to third at half distance, he quickly regrouped and took third from Alastair Seeley on the 12th lap.
However, his race came to a cruel end shortly afterwards when a ruptured fuel line forced him out on the penultimate lap.
Afterwards McConnell said: “It’s been a tough weekend - we were in a much better position ahead of the race with the set-up changes done to help with tyre life towards the end of the race and it was all going to plan when I got Seeley and moved into third. I’d found a few false neutrals but soon got round that and, unfortunately, it was an issue with the fuel line that forced me out with little over a lap to go. The team’s worked mega hard all weekend, so we’ll keep our heads down and move on to the next round.”
Chris Fairburn, Team Owner added: “It’s a tough one to take as Billy had strung together the perfect race, looking after his tyres, and moving into a podium position. It’s what he and the team had deserved so we’re all gutted it ended with a lap and a half to go. We needed the podium, and we needed the points so it’s gutting to get neither.”
The next round of the series takes place at Knockhill, Scotland on June 16-18.