Eugene showed great character in the Feature Race on Sunday coming home seventh. This was after being tipped off so early in race one by another rider. Despite the disappointment, he worked hard and got just rewards and 12 championship points.
Qualifying
Eugene McManus had qualified directly into Q2 on his Completely Motorbikes Triumph machine. He flirted with a top-five position for most of the session finally settling for a very respectable sixth on the grid. He was less than half a second from a front-row start.
Sprint Race (12-laps)
On Saturday a bright but breezy Donington Park greeted a large crowd.
An issue for one rider meant they did not make the starting grid so Eugene McManus started the race from fifth position on the grid.
.
At the end of the first lap, Eugene was running in seventh position, and looking to stay with the front-runners of the race. Not for the first time this season Eugene McManus’s race was cut short by another rider. Coming through the Melbourne loop, on just the second lap, another rider took him out of the race.
A frustrating end after such a good qualifying session. The disappointment was further compounded by having to start from 11th for the Feature Race on Sunday.
Feature Race ( 18-laps)
Eugene McManus started the 18-lap Feature Race from 11th after his Sprint yesterday had been cut short by another rider. Initially, he dropped a place but by the end of the second lap, he was running in 10th spot.
The Number 15 rider continued to show great pace in the opening laps moving up to 7th and battling for 5th position by the end of lap four. A lap later and Eugene was running fifth and began setting his quickest laps of the race.
In the closing stages, he lost some of his speed and whilst caught by two other riders went on to cross the line in a very respectable 7th position.
Eugene McManus said,” We had a hard weekend but a lot of positives to take away with us. We made some great steps with the bike and unfortunately race 1 I got taken out. Race 2 I started well and felt comfortable but started to fall back at the end, unfortunately. I still have to improve in some areas but things are starting to get better for me. “.
The fourth round of the British Supersport championship is from 16 – 18 June at Knockhill in Scotland.