New GSX-R1000 podiums on the British championship debut with Bennetts Suzuki.

New GSX-R1000 podiums on British championship debut with Bennetts Suzuki

Bennetts Suzuki's Richard Cooper raced the all-new GSX-R1000 to a maiden podium finish on its British championship debut today, when he crossed the line in second place in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race at Donington Park.

Cooper, who was fastest in the first free practice session, qualified in second place onboard the brand new Suzuki. He finished the opening half of the new formatted race in second place, before again finishing runner up in the second half, narrowly missing out on the win.

Richard Cooper, "It was tricky today. It was declared a wet race and we could have lost a lot if we'd crashed and I didn't want to push beyond what I needed to, and to finish second in the first part of the race from where we were at the halfway point, I was more than happy with. Conditions still weren't perfect for the second half of the race but I should have won that. I made a mistake into Goddards and in good conditions I'd have got away with it, but running off line cost me about three seconds. I had ground to make up but we were less than a tenth off the win at the line and I think if we'd had another lap we could have been standing on the top step of the podium. We're trying some more with the bike in warm up, going in another direction with the setup, just to try and find a bit more consistency with the bike in all sectors around here. Hopefully it'll be dry; the weather is looking better. We're starting from pole so we'll give it a go again tomorrow."
In the MCE British Superbike class the Bennetts Suzuki team made steady progress throughout the free practice sessions, despite a number of challenges that inevitably arise with a new machine.

Race report and image courtesy of Bennetts Suzuki/ Hawk Racing.