Race 2 served up further thrills on Sunday, with Filip Surowiak charging to his second victory of the weekend – completing the double at Donington. The 75 won by 0.084s after an intense fight with Ethan Sparks, who claimed his first British Talent Cup podium after a stunning ride. Meanwhile, Harrison Mackay took third as further storylines continue to emerge from a blockbuster weekend.
Once the lights went out, Jack Dunabie held firm at Turn 1, maintaining the lead as Surowiak got down to work, charging through the field after starting from P5. The 75 attacked at the Melbourne Hairpin, leading the field over the line at the end of the opening lap. The pace was hot at the front, with the field immediately dipping into the 1:39 bracket as Sparks began to look threatening, entering the podium positions.
There was drama in the early stages, with Scott McPhee (SMP Racing) and Ben Jolliffe (Wilson Racing) crashing on Lap 3, ending hopes of a strong finish on Sunday – riders OK. Meanwhile, Sparks began to close the gap to Surowiak, edging closer every lap and soon setting the new lap record in the process as the rookie searched for his first win. Tension built, with a fierce battle behind as Mackay remained in third, defending from Julian Correa, Dunabie, Peter Willis and Ryan Frost.
In the closing stages, Mackay reeled in the race leaders, soon latching onto the rear of Sparks’ machine. Further back, there was drama for Foster, who suffered a crash at Goddards while Correa was forced to retire with a technical issue. At the front, Sparks continued to look for his opportunity, launching his first attack at the end of the penultimate lap. Surowiak responded on the final lap, passing the 62 at McLeans before an intense final corner allowed Surowiak to make it back to wins at Donington Park.
Surowiak grabbed glory by a mere 0.084s over Sparks, who was able to secure his maiden podium in his debut weekend. It was an incredible day for RS Racing, with Mackay completing the podium rostrum, comfortably beating Dunabie and Frost, who rounded out the top five. After a breathtaking battle, Willis took P6 at the flag, finishing ahead of George Bowes and Clayton Edmunds. Daniel Goodman (Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing) and Jack Burrows (Burows Engineering / RK Racing) took the final spots inside the top 10 as Josh Raymond Jnr (Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing) and Lewis Mullen suffered late falls.
Next up: Silverstone! Make sure you don’t miss a beat as the R&G British Talent Cup returns to action next week. It’s a massive weekend for teams and riders as they go head-to-head at the Grand Prix of the United Kingdom, with a further 50 points up for grabs as they look to impress!is is a text block.
