Biker Neary snatches a win and a second place

LYMM motor cyclist Sean Neary recorded a win and a second place in round five of the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup at Snetterton, in Norfolk.
As a result, the SMC Racing rider moved up to third in the overall rider standings.
After a five week break in the action Neary was eager to get back underway and was on the pace during free practice and qualifying, being second in both sessions. He began the first race from a front row grid position but didn’t make the most of his position and was in fourth place at the first corner. But by the time he completed the first lap he was up into third and chasing down the leaders who had made a break from the pursuing pack. On lap four Neary slipped past Rob Guiver and began to catch Josh Day who was less than a 10th of a second away from him.
As they began to pass the back markers on lap eight Neary took his chance and hit the front. He began to pull away but when Sam Middlemas’ Ducati blew an engine the race was brought to an early end with fluid on the track making it unsafe to continue and Neary was declared the victor with a 1.43s advantage over Guiver with Day just a fraction behind in third place.
Neary said: “That will do nicely! Absolutely made up to get the win for the SMC Racing Team, the lads deserve that. We changed the wheelbase and gearing quite drastically after qualifying but it really helped me pull the gears down the straights. It is never easy to beat both Josh and Rob as we are all riding the wheels off the bikes. You know it is always going to be a battle so to get the win is mega.”
Starting the second race from pole position Neary was third on the opening lap but made a move up to second at Riches on lap two. The three leading riders began to pull away from the pack and Neary took the lead on lap three. But his lead was short lived as he ran onto the grass and dropped back to third.
But he was not to be denied and spent the next few laps playing catchup again. On the penultimate lap he passed Josh Day for second place and got within a tenth of a second of Guiver before running wide at Wilson’s hairpin on the final lap. He hung on to his second place but his chance of the win had gone.
He said: “I made a massive mistake on the last lap and that put paid to challenging for the win.”