Richard Cooper took the win in today’s Sportbike race – denying Asher Durham of the championship win a day early.
Durham, who led on points coming into the weekend over Alfie Davidson, had led for most of the race but was pipped to victory and dropped to third after a drag over the line with Cooper and Edmund Best.
The Powerslide Suzuki rider took the lead on the first lap but dropped to second when Cooper dived past into Paddock Hill Bend at the start of Lap Two.
Moments later, Davidson, running in third, tried make the move on title rival Durham into Druids and caught Durham’s back wheel and crashed out. Durham now just needed to win the race to take the title.
He led most of it and controlled a restart after a Safety Car period and it came down to a last lap scrap. Cooper and Best both found a way through and Durham went from first to third – before taking both spots back.
But despite being first out of Clearways for the final time, both Cooper and Best were determined to win and the trio ended up in a drag race to the line, Cooper taking it by just 0.029secs with Best second, Durham third,
Pirelli British Sportbike Championship, Race One result:
1. Richard Cooper (Moto12/CFMOTO)
2. Edmund Best (Symcirrus Motorsport) +0.029s
3. Asher Durham (Powerslide Suzuki Racing) +0.046s
4. Daniel Goodman (Fibre Tec Aprilia by Mlav Racing) +0.232s
5. Cameron Dawson (Powerslide Suzuki Racing) +0.780s