We required 12 points from two races, a fourth place would secure the Championship for Glen and Embassy Racing Moto regardless of how well our closest competition finished.
It sounds easy. It wasn’t.
There were some nervous faces in the Embassy camp as qualifying drew closer. Even Glen, who has seen more than his fair share of motor racing ups and downs over the years admitted to being a little apprehensive.
In the end, all we could do was trust to the formula that had got us into this position in the first place. Every member of the team was in tune with what was required. Hard work, attention to detail, confidence in each others ability, knowledge, concentration and teamwork would see us through. In short we had to be professional.
So that’s what we did – the same as we had been doing all year.
So qualifying got underway, dry, mild and sunny. Things began well and within a few minutes Embassy was shown as P1 and P2, with AJ on provisional pole and Glen second. Of course we knew this position was unlikely to last, and as the session continued other competitors began to post improved times.
Without actually speaking to each other, it was clear by the faces that the mood on the Embassy pit wall had changed as Glen went out to 3rd, then 4th, then 5th, then 6th and then 7th. The safety of a fourth place was looking more and more remote, but then it happened. With just a few moments of qualifying left, Glen went round the Indy circuit just a couple of hundredth of a second quicker than his previous best and elevated himself to P2.
Glen would start the race from the front row. A minimum fourth place was firmly back in his sights.
It was strangely quiet as the time ticked from qualifying to the afternoon’s race. The crew getting on with the job, Glen and AJ sitting contemplatively reading the event programme.
Eventually race time came – along with a few dark clouds. For a moment, the stress of situation got the better of one or two members, with a small panic about tyre choices. This was quickly quashed with a few sensible words and we were on the grid with dry tyres, dry track and dry mouths. The team could do no more, now it was down to Glen.
The lights went out and what a start. Glen straight out into the lead with Laverty and Kirkham following close behind. The racing was manic. Glen leading the way for lap after lap with Laverty and his Ducati all over him. Eventually there was nothing Glen could do and Laverty went past. Now he was under pressure from Raceways Yamaha rider, John Kirkham. It was nip and tuck all the way, then two riders came together, crashed and the race was red flagged. A heart in the mouth moment passed as Glen was seen on the monitor still circulating. Unfortunately, the incident had caught AJ and he had a little off road moment before bringing his 39 bike back into the pits.
With both riders and bikes OK, the restart was set for a straight 10 lap race. Glen again starting from second behind Laverty. Another good start sent Glen into P1. He managed to hold off Laverty for a few laps but then his understanding of the situation meant he would not take any risks. Backing off slightly Laverty came by once again and Glen eventually took the chequered flag in second place – Glen and Embassy had won the Superstock Championship at our very first attempt.
The relief was outweighed only by the joy. It was emotional.
Apparently there was another race on Sunday afternoon and Glen finished P2 again, but you’d be hard pushed to get a member of the Embassy team to tell you how we got from the chequered flag on Saturday to the end of the second race.
What a day, what a weekend, what a Championship, what a year – what a team.
Superstock Championship
Brands Hatch Round 13
Race 1
1. John Laverty – Buildbase Ducati
2. Glen Richards Yamaha – Embassy Racing
3. John Kirkham – Raceways Yamaha
4. Steve Brogan – Tengo Honda Racing
Race 2
1. Steve Brogan – Honda – Tengo Honda Racing
2. Glen Richards Yamaha – Embassy Racing
3. Adam Jenkinson – Suzuki Rocket Centre Racing
4. John Laverty – Ducati – Buildbase Ducati
Final Championship Positions
1. Glen Richards Yamaha – Embassy Racing - 223 points
2. Steve Brogan – Honda – Tengo Honda Racing - 180 points
3. Hudson Kennaugh Yamaha – Raceways Yamaha - 154 points
4. John Laverty – Ducati – Buildbase Ducati - 147 points
5. John Kirkham – Raceways Yamaha - 127 points
AJ Venter Yamaha – Topmac Embassy Racing - 31 points
