On a stormy day with heavy rain, Storm Stacey surprised everyone by winning the first race of the British Superbike Championship (BSB) at Snetterton this Saturday.
The tyre choice was crucial, with full wet tyres proving to be the best option in the early laps after the initial rain. Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) started from pole position and stayed in front, with Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) chasing him.
Stacey’s choice was different: the LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki rider opted for a rain tyre in the front and an intermediate tyre in the rear, and as conditions improved, he gradually gained positions until taking the lead on the eighth lap. At that point, Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) was in front.
In the following lap, a severe crash involving Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings BMW Motorrad) brought out the red flag. The rider may have fractured his right leg. The race was restarted for five more laps.
With the rain returning, all the riders opted for rain tyres. The battle for the win came down to Stacey and Lewis Rollo (IN Competition SENCAT Aprilia), who pulled away from the rest of the field.
Rollo was leading at the start of the last lap, but Stacey overtook him at Brundle corner and crossed the finish line just 0.222s ahead to win for the first time in the Superbike class. Rollo had to settle for second place, while Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) completed the podium after overtaking O’Halloran on the third lap after the restart. Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) completed the top five.
