MIST Suzuki Racing

MIST Suzuki Robbed of Podium Finish After Mechanical Failure

For the first time this season it looked like MIST Suzuki were going to be racing in warm, sunny conditions at Cadwell Park. Sitting just three points adrift of the top of the points table expectations were high for fourth round of the Championship despite being another circuit for Dave Anthony to learn on a SuperBike.

First practice went well with the team sitting as top Evo bike until the dying seconds when he was just pipped by another rider who had slipped in another new rear tyre. The reduced grip levels from the increasing temperature for the afternoon session caught Dave out a few laps in and he slid off on a particularly fast part of the circuit. The bike wasn’t badly damaged but it cost valuable track time which is crucial racing at this level.

It took a few laps to rebuild the confidence lost in the crash but a new tyre towards the end of the third practice session going faster and in 17th place and 2nd Evo bike. Things were looking good for qualifying but once again the increased grip levels caused problems thanks to our reduced set up time leaving Dave uncharacteristically down in twenty second and fifth Evo runner.

A good start in race one saw Dave make up a couple of places on the first lap and he soon caught Tom Tunstall on his high spec. SuperBike had a lot more power delaying his progress for a few laps. Soon both riders caught the next group slipping by Aaron Zanotti and then chasing down and passing Hudson Kennaugh, his nearest championship rival. With clear track ahead Dave chased Tom Tunstall and the two riders soon started closing on the leading Evo bike ahead.

Despite posting the second fastest lap of the race and closing in on the Evo class leader it was not meant to be as an engine problem soon put paid to the race and the team’s hopes for the race weekend. Despite having rebuilt the engine before the previous round one of the main bearings in the engine had failed and with no spare it was not possible to start the second race.

In typical fashion had it failed at any other point over the weekend there would probably have been time to rebuild the engine from our spares kit, especially as Dave’s lap times from race one would have given him second place in the second race as well.

Team Manage Mike Edwards commented “Not our finest weekend but as all the teams have to drop their worst two race results we are still in second place in the championship but we really should have been leading the class the way things were going. Given the crash on Friday and the changing grip levels over the weekend we never really got a good race setup so if this is what we can achieve on a bad weekend I am looking forward to the next round when hopefully we will have some more luck.”.

After the race Dave Anthony said “It was a bit of a weekend to forget for us really as we have lost a place in the Evo standings but it was just one of those tough rounds. We struggled a bit with grip and then we had a technical problem whilst running second in the first race which meant we didn’t start the second one. We now have a bit of a break and hopefully we can come back at Mallory Park and be on the podium again.”.

The team is now back on the hunt for further sponsorship to allow them to be on the grid when racing resumes after the Summer break.