Top local bike champion John McGuinness snatched a brilliant victory on the final lap of Sunday’s Metzeler National 1000cc Superstock Championship race at Croft on Sunday, taking full advantage of a coming together between team-mate Steve Brogan and Alastair Seeley on the last corner.
Less than a second separated the leading four riders throughout the 15-lap race and John was able to grab the win and take his first British Championship win since Brands Hatch in 2001, also moving up to third place overall in the championship in the process.
Having shown strong form all year on the Padgetts Honda, John was keen to continue his excellent run of podium positions.
“I’m totally and utterly over the moon with the win and, to be honest, a bit emotional too!” John said after the race. “It’s eight years since I last won a British Championship race and it feels so good to have won one again, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen again.
“It was a brilliant race to be part of and with positions changing all the time, the race was so much fun and it was over in a flash. Any one of us could have won but the two boys in front of me had a bit of a coming together and so I was more than happy to dive up the inside and take the win.
“I’ve been on the pace all year and it’s a terrific reward for all of the Padgetts team that we’ve stood on the top step today. Moving up to third in the Championship is an added bonus and, overall, the job’s a dream!”
• The next round of the National Superstock 1000cc Championship takes place at Silverstone in two weeks time but, prior to that, John will be having his annual outing at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough with the International Gold Cup meeting taking place on 19th- 20th September.
• Picture by Glynne Lewis