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Silverstone BSB: Stapleford crowned Supersport champion

Profile Triumph’s Luke Stapleford has finally been crowned Motorpoint British Supersport Champion, wrapping up the title in style with his twelfth win of the year.

Stapleford hadn’t even won a middleweight race at the start of the season but has dominated all year, finishing on the podium an unbelievable 18 times out of a possible 21.

The race went as many have this year, once the diminutive rider hit the front he was able to pull away and take the chequered flag with ease, upwards of two seconds clear, as the others battled behind.

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Traction Control’s James Rispoli bagged second place after a monumental battle with Gearlink Kawasaki’s Glenn Irwin. The Floridian edged out the Northern Irishman by 0.012 of a second.

An emotional Stapleford afterwards admitted the title was a “dream come true” and that his next challenge may come in British Superbikes or in World Supersport.

“I can’t quite sum it up into words at the moment. I’ve been waiting a very long time for this. It’s taken four or five years to get where I am today and to finally get it wrapped up is unbelievable,” said Stapleford, speaking to bikesportnews.com after today’s race.

“I can relax tomorrow now and enjoy my racing because this is a massive weight lifted from my shoulders. That race was without doubt the longest one I’ve ever ridden in, with five laps to go my pit board never seemed to change. They weren’t catching me but I couldn’t seem to get away from them. 

“I was trying not to make mistakes and focus but you can’t help thinking about the situation I’m in. I was having to control all my emotions but I’m glad it’s over so I can finally enjoy this moment. 

“We’ve put a lot of hard work in over the past two years. We should’ve won a couple of races at last year but it never quite happened. This year, we’ve come in with confidence and once I got the monkey off my back with that first win at the start of the year, it set us up nicely for us. 

“To be honest, since then we’ve got win after win and I feel comfortable sitting at the front. I try get that gap and get into my rhythm. This has been my goal for sometime now so to finally get it is a dream come true. 

“I don’t know what that next goal is just yet. Maybe Superbikes, maybe World Supersport, we’ll sit down on Monday and make a decision.”

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