Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran experienced a huge crash during the MCE British Superbike qualifying session, and was passed fit to take part in the double header. But was on the back-foot for the first race at Oulton Park after having to start from 12th.
In the incident he went under the protective barriers at Old Hall during the second qualifying outing, and was looking on course to make it through to Q3. In the end he was just a little bruised but it meant in the wet conditions he found it tough working his way through the mid-pack in race one.
O’Halloran did bag some vital points, after he finished tenth in race one and eighth in the final event at the Cheshire circuit. In the last race the Australian was lapping times that were on par with the leading group that showed he had the pace on the new Fireblade.
But the podium was to elude him this weekend, but his team-mate Dan Linfoot snatched a victory for the Honda outfit and took some crucial points away from O’Halloran’s fellow showdown rivals. The title fighter remains sixth in the overall standings but is 54 points adrift of series leader, JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam.
“Jason and Dan have worked so hard this year. I am disappointed for Jason I am so gutted for him. He had a bad crash in qualifying in turn one and was 12th on the grid and it was difficult,” said team manager, Havier Beltran speaking to bikesportnews.com.
“In race two he had the pace he was running quicker at some points than the guys at the front, if he got past and edged away he could have been there with them but it wasn’t to be.
“Unfortunately the gap is a bit bigger but we have Assen and Brands and we have five races and Jason picked up points. I honestly believe the winner of the championship is going to be the most consistent on the podium.
“It has been so mixed here with having Dan up there taking 25 crucial points and Bradley Ray in third taking away more crucial points so it has tied it all up and I think it will be a hairy end to the season.”
