Luke Stapleford got the better of his Supersport rivals at Thruxton this morning as he took control in the opening free practice session of the weekend.
Both defending champion Jack Kennedy and championship leader Rhys Irwin took their turn at the top of the timesheets during the session but it was the Macadam Triumph Racing rider who ended up on top with a best lap of 1min 17.501s.
Stapleford’s lap was 0.185s clear of Honda Racing UK’s Kennedy, as Irwin rounded out the top three ahead of Ben Currie and TJ Toms.
Joe Farragher, who had a strong round last time out, quickly found his way to the top of the Cup class, with Stephen Thomas second and Josh Bannister third.
Quattro Group British Supersport Championship, FP1:
1. Luke Stapleford (Macadam Triumph Racing) 1min 17.501s
2. Jack Kennedy (Honda Racing UK) +0.185s
3. Rhys Irwin (Gearlink Bike Performance 15) +0.318s
4. Ben Currie (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +0.417s
5. TJ Toms (G&S Racing Kawasaki) +0.574s