|
Les Shand enjoyed more good fortune at the weekend when he competed in Round 2 of the Scottish National Championship. Riding at Knockhill, Les competed in four races in total and was rewarded with a trio of top class results, including a close second in the second Production 600cc race whilst he was always in contention for the race wins in his other races, the circuit playing host to some excellent, hard-fought action.
Riding the Henderson Racing GSXR 600cc Suzuki, Les got his day underway with a solid 6th place in the opening 600cc Production race and with the third fastest lap of the race, the Suzuki was working well, further increasing confidence as the North West 200 gets ever nearer. A quick switch to the Leeds Parcel Company R1 Yamaha saw Les back out on the grid for the first Superstock race and the crowd were treated to one of the finest races seen at Knockhill as five riders swapped the lead with frequent regularity. It was anyone's race and it was a case of being in the right place at the right time but, sadly, Les found himself bumped to the back of the quintet at the end of the 12 laps and he had to settle for fifth, just 0.84 seconds adrift of the race winner!
However, his day got better in the second of the 600cc Production events and with some excellent riding, Les brought the Suzuki home in a fine 2nd place, only 0.494 seconds away from the win. His day ended on a low note though with a first lap retirement in the second Superstock race, the clutch having expired as the race got underway.
Speaking after his day's racing, Les said:
"It's been another good day's racing and I'm happy with how it's all turned out. It was a bit damp in the first 600cc race so I just had a steady ride but it was a lot drier later in the day and I really enjoyed the second race. There were still a few damp patches and I lost the front on the penultimate lap so rather than risk a crash, I opted to take a strong, and close, second place - if it had have been totally dry, I would have gone for the win but with the North West 200 so close, it was better to excercise caution."
"The R1 Yamaha was again working well and the first Superstock race was a superb race to be involved with. It was anybody's race but near the end I felt that the clutch was beginning to slip and so nursed the bike home although I was still less than a second off the victory! With no spares to repair the clutch I came to the line for the second race with a strong suspicion it wouldn't last and so it turned out - the start was enough to fry the clutch completely so I pulled in at the end of the first lap. Overall though, it was another happy weekend and I've gone away with some more strong results and happy with how everything is progressing and building up. I'm really looking forward to the North West 200 and it will be good to get the International road race season underway."
The International North West 200 takes place next week between the 13th and 17th May on the 8.9-mile road circuit and Les will be out in the Superstock, Supersport and 400cc races.
Phil Wain
Freelance PR
|
