Snetterton beckons for region's BSB riders and teams

The teenage racer, from Eccleshall, in Staffordshire, also claimed an 11th last time out at Cadwell Park and had been running in seventh in the final race before crashing out.

Stacey, 18, who bagged a best-ever finish of sixth at Donington Park the week before, now heads to Snetterton this weekend sitting 19th in the championship standings.

Cannock-based OMG Racing also took a four-rider team to Cadwell Park, as Brad Ray and Kyle Ryde returned to BSB action – along with Isle of Man TT winner, James Hillier – as well as National Superstock championship contender Billy McConnell.

After the success of Donington Park, Ray qualified further town than he had hoped in 14th for the opening race and had to settle for P13 at the flag.

A rocket start from P14 in the second race saw Ray into the mix for a top 10 finish, and after a long battle with the Irwin brothers and Ryan Vickers, he claimed a solid eighth-placed finish.

During the third and final BSB race, Ray passed Vickers but could not find a way past Josh Brookes or Glenn Irwin, taking another eighth at the chequered flag, which saw him slip out of the top-eight Showdown places, sitting two points behind Lee Jackson in ninth.

For Ryde, it was his first experience of Cadwell Park on a superbike and after taking his BMW M1000RR out onto a wet track, courtesy of a downpour immediately before the action got underway, he crashed in the first session and suffered a fractured heel, which ended his weekend.

Hillier was at the circuit as son, Monty, was racing in the MiniGP series – and, fortunately for the team, he had his leathers in his van, too.

Despite having not riding a superbike for two years – and not having raced at Cadwell for eight years – he accepted the offer to ride Ryde’s BMW for the weekend, and brought the bike home for three finishes, much to the delight of his team.

Meanwhile, McConnell was back on the front row for the only National Superstock race of the weekend.

After the race was red-flagged as rain started fall, McConnell took another podium with a third-placed finish, which leaves him third in the standings, 15 points off leader Tom Neave.

Michael Rutter and his Black Country-based Bathams Racing team suffered a setback in their National Superstock championship push as a technical fault on the warm up lap of the race meant Mackenzie was not even able to take to the grid, much to the frustration of the entire team.

The setback saw Mackenzie slip to sixth in the championship, 26 points off the lead.

Rutter said: "Obviously we are all massively disappointed about what happened.

"We had been at the circuit since the Wednesday before, working flat out to get the M1000RR dialled in, so to not be able to even start the race is tough for everyone.

"We've just got to put Cadwell behind us now and focus on the next round."

Shane Richardson, of Brownhills-based Astro JJR, had a much better weekend in the same superstock series after finishing in the top 10 for the time this year.

Starting 12th on the grid, he had worked his way up to eighth before the rain started coming down.

Following the restart of the shortened 10-lap race, he lost two places but held on for a 10th-placed finish.

Richardson said: "I didn't have the best of times at the end of 2019 and this wasn't a track I was looking forward to coming to the most, so I'm really happy.

"We're coming away with the best result of the year so far and I'm really pleased with our first top 10.

"We got points, improved and just got better and better every session. Thanks to the team and all the effort they put in."

Astro JJR team-mate David Allingham, however, suffered his own a mechanical troubles on the warm-up lap and crashed, which ended his weekend prematurely.