Double podium for Cooper at Brands Hatch
Riding the Louth based PHR Performance Triumph Daytona 660, Hucknall’s Richard Cooper rode to a close second place in the fifth round of the Pirelli National Sportbike championship at Brands Hatch on Sunday.
He also had an outing on the Russell Racing Yamaha R7 in the British Supersport Championship where he finished fifth in the Sprint race and secured a podium finish in third place in Sunday’s Feature race.
In the Sportbike championship, Cooper qualified in a close second place and started the race from the front row alongside series leader Edoardo Colombi. As the race got underway Cooper got the hole shot into Paddock Hill Bend but he was quickly having to defend his line as Colombi tried to make a pass at Druids.
The young Italian eventually took the lead at Hawthorne but Cooper fought back and as they came around Clearways Cooper snatched the lead crossing the line in first place.
Again Colombi regained the lead at Paddock Hill and the pair fought it out over the first half of the 12 lap affair. They began to stretch an advantage over the rest of the field with Colombi leading most of the way and Cooper right in his tyre tracks in second position.
It all came to a head on the final lap when Cooper managed to get ahead at Paddock Hill. But Colombi fought back and the pair exchanged positions throughout the lap. Colombi crossed the finish line for the win with Cooper right alongside, just 0.253s away in second place.
Cooper said: “I am enjoying racing with Edoardo, its great to see him stepping up to the BSB circuits and learning them as quickly as he has. The other guys have to step up and try to back me up otherwise he is going to walk away with this championship.”
There are only six and a half points between Colombi and Cooper and with five rounds and seven races left, the championship is far from over.
The next round is at Thruxton over the weekend of August 9/11.