British Supersport championship at Oulton Park this past weekend (September 13-15).

Luke Stapleford on the team’s #8 Street Triple 765-based race machine started the weekend with the championship lead by a single point and, after two hard-fought races that were rewarded with podiums, now sits as joint leader. For Max Wadsworth on the other side of the garage, it was another strong showing, picking up further championship points.

Stapleford started the weekend in dominant form, lapping at record pace to top both of Friday’s Free Practice sessions and then go on to set pole position ahead of Saturday’s Sprint Race. The opening encounter of the weekend would be held in stunning conditions and Stapleford lined up for the race with championship rival, Jack Kennedy, next to him on the front row.

When the lights went out for the 12-lap race, it was Stapleford who made a clean start but was pushed back into second by reigning champion Ben Currie into Cascades. It wasn’t long before the Triumph rider asserted authority and took the lead back into Old Hall Corner at the start of lap two. It was soon shaping up to be another straight battle between Stapleford and Kennedy, with the latter moving into first on lap nine. Stapleford retook the lead on the following lap just as the red flag was shown and the race declared a result on the previous lap positions, meaning the Triumph rider had to drop back a place and finished second.

Sunday’s Feature Race was held in damp conditions and Stapleford lined up in the middle of the front row with his championship rivals either side of him. Tyre choice was going to be critical, with the rain having stopped but the track still wet. With an all-wet tyre combination, Stapleford made a great start and retained his position while teammate Wadsworth was up to 10th.

A big moment for Stapleford at Lodge Corner at the end of lap one saw him lose multiple positions. Despite being back in seventh, the experience of the former champion saw him regain his composure, judge the conditions and was soon making up places. With a dry line growing wider, Stapleford used the smooth power of his Triumph to conserve his tyres and by lap nine had moved into second behind Richard Cooper. 

On the penultimate lap, Stapleford was pushed back to third by Rhys Irwin who had selected an intermedia rear tyre, more suitable for the drying track. The #8 rider was able to hang on to the final podium position, crucially finishing ahead of both his championship rivals to become joint championship leader with Kennedy. Wadsworth had another strong showing, setting personal best lap times and finishing in the points despite a lack of confidence in the wet. He moves up to 21st in the standings.

The 2024 British Supersport Championship returns to action at Donington Park on September 27-29.

Luke Stapleford #8: “After a really positive start to the weekend being the fastest in dry conditions we went into the first race with good momentum. It felt really unlucky to come away with a second place in the Sprint Race due to the red flag but still happy with another strong points finish. For the Feature Race, the wet weather made it a tough ask, but passing both Ben and Jack to end up third meant it was another solid weekend all round and a great job by the whole team.”

Max Wadsworth #72: “Another positive weekend for me but the results don’t really demonstrate the improvement I’ve made with a new personal best every time out prior to Sunday’s race, which was really challenging with the damp conditions. But I’m really happy with the progress I’m making and want to build on this for the next round at Donington Park.”

 
Race Results: Round 9 - Oulton Park

Sprint Race

1st Jack Kennedy (Honda)

2nd Luke Stapleford (Triumph) 

3rd Ben Currie (Ducati)

11th Max Wadsworth (Triumph)

 
Feature Race

1st Richard Cooper (Yamaha)

2nd Rhys Irwin (Kawasaki) 

3rd Luke Stapleford (Triumph) 

15th Max Wadsworth (Triumph)

 

British Supersport Championship after 9 of 11 rounds

1st Luke Stapleford - 349

2nd Jack Kennedy - 349

3rd Ben Currie - 333

21st Max Wadsworth - 32