Things didn’t look good for Glen and the Embassy Moto outfit at Oulton Park on Sunday. Having missed Saturday’s dry qualifying session for round 4 of the BSB Superstock series due to his Phase 1 World Endurance commitments, all our hopes were pinned to a good second session. With closest rivals Hudson Kennaugh and Steve Brogan already on the front row, Glen really needed to get amongst them to maintain the Embassy lead at the head of the Championship.
So at a little after 3pm on Sunday afternoon, tired from his six hour race the night before and a hurried flight back into the UK, Glen went out on the R1 to qualify it. Before he could post a time, it began to rain. In fact it poured. The circuit was awash. By the time he’d returned to the pits and fitted wets he had time for two laps. Glen Richards, Championship leader had qualified 39th out of 40.
The chances of making up enough places to score points in just a 15 lap race were low - and so was the team.
Nonetheless, the bike performed well in the wet and a damage limitation programme was deployed.
Monday was brighter. Following a good nights sleep, Glen and the team felt good, the weather was blustery, changeable though bright. In warm up, Glen was second quickest but the worrying thing was that Kennaugh was the man in front. However fast Glen went, he had 30 odd bikes between himself and good points with even low points so far away as to be almost unthinkable.
Lining up on the grid for the race, there was an air of optimism with the team, but it was based primarily on the fact that circumstances had given us no chance so we nothing to lose. As the red lights went out and the bikes took off, thick dark clouds rolled in. Glen had made up places after one lap, more after two, he was on it big style. After five laps he was up to 18th and the rain came. One more lap and he was 16th when another rider went too quickly into a wet corner and tumbled off - red flag.
Kennaugh in second, 20 points, Glen in 16th, no points. If the result stood we were going to lose our lead in the series. The lead riders came round doing burn outs and doughnuts to celebrate their shortened race win. The circuit commentators announced the result, the circuit gates opened for the public to cross and the next Superbike race lined up to run. Were we going to be short changed by a stopped race a la Silverstone a week earlier? Well no. The race had not run the required two thirds to call a result and immediately after the Superbikes, the Superstocks were lined up on the grid once again for an 8 lap drag race to the finish. No combined times, no aggregate points, just a simple 8 lap race with Glen on row 4. Brilliant!
Immediately on the grid there was drama. Kennaugh had an oil leak and had to leave the grid to start his race from pit lane. So glen had only 14 riders in front. The race started and all the weekends circumstances had played right into Glen’s hands - he was on a mission. Passing riders all the way, aggressive but fair he managed to secure second place with a lap to go. With XXXX up front on a good bike and on his home circuit and considering where he had started the race and the fact that Kennaugh and Brogan had both suffered from bad luck, Glen settled for the 20 points.
A remarkable weekend for Embassy Moto taking us 29 points clear at the top of the Championship, you wouldn’t have believed it if you’d read it!
Just to finish, it would be a good time now to spare a thought for the Embassy LMS team - if you read the report of their simultaneous weekend in Valencia, you’ll get a good idea of just what can happen if things don’t quite go your way. Undoubtedly a weekend of Ying and Yang for the respective Embassy teams, let’s up for more Ying next time out, or is it Yang?
Embassy Moto will be back at Snetterton on 20th May - see you then and thanks for all the support.
