RACER Luke Hedger found some consistent form which boosted him back amongst the points round four of the Bennetts British Superbikes.
After the disappointment of the previous round Hereford-based Hedger and the Kawasaki Team returned to form at Cheshire’s Oulton Park, writes Camilla Davina Temple-Court.
Qualifying was on Saturday morning and the team were more than ready with the bike having perfect settings.
Hedger completed the qualifying session in 13 laps with a fastest lap of 1:38.095.
He was 1.080 off the pace.
The grid saw Hedger sit on row three- his best position to start a race from this season.
Eager to get going on race one Hedger was positioned seventh, in between Tim Neave and the famous TT rider Ian Hutchinson.
Hedger got off to a great start on the way up to Old Hall Bend, the first corner, where he managed to gain another place and this is where he stayed for the remainder of the 14 lap race as he lost touch with the pack both behind and in front of him.
Hedger consistently improved on his times throughout the weekend completing the race with a fastest lap time of 1:38.023.
On Sunday morning the weather was good but the temperature had certainly dropped, probably the first time in the season so far.
This meant that the team and Hedger had to keep as much heat in the tyres as possible whilst waiting on the grid.
Race two got underway and true to form Hedger was consistent in keeping his grid position collecting 10 points for sixth position.
He also gained his fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:37.53, he was pushing as much as he could but again the front runners just slipped out of reach.
“This weekend has been a really good round for me and the team,” said Hedger.
“We got back to the sharp end of the grid and I was pushing on for a podium finish. I can’t thank the team enough for their hard work and getting me back where I need to be and where we belong as a team.
“This has given me my confidence back now and I’m really looking forward to the last two rounds of the year.”
Collecting 20 points from the weekend Hedger is now placed seventh from 14th in the championship with 37 points.
The penultimate round will be held at Donington Park GP where the Pirelli SuperStock 1000 will have two races.
The series then moves on to the finale being held at Brands Hatch where there will be one race on Sunday only, with a total of 75 points to play for.
You can watch the race live on Eurosport, watch the live timings on TSL Timings or catch up on ITV 4.
Team owner Chris Cunnington added: “It is great to see Luke and the team back where we should be at the competitive end.
“We have worked so hard to get to this point and it is great to see Luke’s confidence come back out.
“We all look forward to the last two rounds of the British Superbikes, then we will start to look at plans for the 2021 season, so watch this space.”
