Mixed bag of results as BSB and sidecars return

Alveley racer Harris Beech, 15, took his solid Thundersport GB form into the British Junior Supersport series, putting in some seriously quick lap times.

Meanwhile, passenger Tom Bryant was back in British Sidecar action over the same weekend at Cadwell Park, again competing with the front runners throughout.

However, the weekend ended badly for Bridgnorth’s Michael Rutter and the rest of the Bathams Racing team as their star rider, reigning superstock 1000 title holder, Richard Cooper, crashed out and suffered a broken leg.

Cooper was making his debut for Bathams Racing on the new BMW S1000RR, with team principle Rutter deciding to sit the opening superstock 1000 round out.

Cooper made good progress adapting to the BMW during practice, eventually qualifying seventh for the first of two races on Saturday.

After finishing seventh in race one, he lined up on the second row for race two. However, it was at the end of the opening lap disaster struck for Cooper.

After clipping the rear tyre of a competitor in front of him, whose bike had missed a gearshift, Cooper crashed heavily and suffered a broken leg.

He was transferred to The Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham for treatment.

In contrast, teenager Beech had a very positive weekend in the highly competitive class, qualifying just over one second from pole position, and finishing race one in a very credible 11th position, just four seconds from the race win.

He rounded off with a hard fought 14th position in race two to complete a good weekend of the 15-year-old rider.

Rutter said: “It goes without saying that everyone at the team and at Bathams wish Richard a speedy recovery.

“I would also like to pay tribute to all the medical staff at the circuit and at QMC. We are all obviously gutted with the outcome of the weekend, but the welfare and recovery of our rider is our immediate priority.

“We were playing catch up from the start of the weekend due to Richard not being allowed to take part in the official test at Donington the week before. It really affected our preparation for the season and Richard’s adaptation to the bike.

“We will obviously re-group now and figure out the best way for Bathams Racing to complete the season as competitively as possible”.

Bryant, 30, was paired up again with driver Tommy Philp on board the Philp Racing F1 sidecar for opening British Sidecar round.

Qualifying went well for the duo who are making Philp's first full attack on the championship while it was Bryant's first time back to Cadwell since breaking his back in 2018.

The Shrewsbury ace admitted being nervous before racing but it certainly did not show as they took sixth place on the grid ahead of some formidable opposition including the 2018 world champions Ben and Tom Birchall.

When the lights went out for the 14-lap race they held sixth place into Coppice before moving ahead of John Holden and Jake Lowther, setting about trying to catch regular Grand Prix contenders Adam and Tom Christie.

By now they had come under attack from Holden and Lowther and were only just able to hold them at bay but going down the Park Straight on the fourth lap the 600cc Yamaha engine decided to call it a day and they were forced to sit the remainder of the race out as spectators, as were Holden and Lowther a lap later with similar problems.

With a fresh engine installed into the sidecar they were ready to go again for race two on Sunday, however, the sunshine had given way to Cadwell Park’s infamous mist and drizzle, and it was looking like it could be a wet race.

Fortunately, by the time the shortened 12-lap race started, the track was dry and they made a great start from sixth place on the grid again.

They were passed by the Christie Brothers and very soon having to fight off the attentions of Rob Biggs and Jeroen Schmitz to hold on to that sixth place.

With a fastest lap of 1:35.797 they crossed the line a comfortable 1.641 seconds ahead of Biggs and Schmitz.

With a DNF in the first race they left the circuit 11th place in the championship and will be looking for better things at Snetterton in just over a week’s time.