Cormac Buchanan put aside a crash in his debut British Honda Talent Cup race with a storming ride in race two, making up 26 positions.
The Invercargill teenager started 31st for the final race of the weekend at Oulton Park after a mechanical gremlin meant his bike wouldn’t start on his way to the grid.
After a crash in race one when a podium was a real possibility, Buchanan lined up for race two with the motivation to show off his potential.
He was flawless in his overtakes to scythe his way from last to the top group of bikes, finishing fifth.
Fourth looked like a real possibility for Buchanan, but his charge was cut short with a red flag.
Buchanan leaves his rookie round in the series eighth in the championship and heads to Knockhill in Scotland next weekend for round two.
It was a less than ideal start to the Pirelli National Superstock championship for Kiwi riders Damon Rees and Shane Richardson over the weekend.
Rees told Velocity News ahead of the weekend that Oulton Park is one of the most challenging circuits to get your head around.
Its frequent elevation changes and narrow confinement tests riders and demands a perfect set-up from teams,
Rees qualified 26th while Richardson was an impressive ninth.
However, Richardson’s day wasn’t without its hurdles as he rolled his Astro JJ Racing BMW in a post-qualifying practice session.
An all-night repair effort followed, and Richardson could take to the grid on Sunday.
In the race, Rees was able to work his way from 26th to 19th, while Richardson battled with brake fade and finished 21st.
“I guess there’s positives to take from it knowing that there is speed there and that we’ve started to unlock it slowly,” Richardson wrote on social media.
“There’s something there to build on but obviously I can’t afford to keep throwing it down the road then not know what we’ve got for the race.”
Rees and Richardson will also head to Knockhill next weekend for the second round of the championship.
Main Image: Dean White
