MOTORCYCLE RACING
Kevin Coyne achieved his target of a top 20 finish on first HEL Performance Supersport races – a feeder series of the British Superbike Championship – at Donington Park, Leicestershire on Sunday August 9.
Coyne took 19th place in his first race and 20th position in race two bettering his pre-race hopes of a least one top 20 result.
Following Kevin’s recent Thundersport event two weeks ago, his first overseas outing, the 18-year-old admitted that he was still nervous about lining up on the British SuperBike grid.
His weekend began with a 25-minute practice session on Friday.
“I had had a lot to learn. And no time to learn it,” he said. “We picked a setting and just hoped for the best.”
On Saturday he faced a new level of competition and despite shaving two seconds off his previous best time at Donington Park, set two weeks ago during his Thundersports debut, he qualified 25th on the grid. But he was still only 2.5 seconds off the pole position time.
Thanks to help from K-tech Suspension his Kawasaki race bike was perfectly set up for his two races on Sunday.
The opening race was run in a sweltering 39-degrees, but Coyne got off to a blinding start and finished a better than expected 19th place.
“We were ecstatic with that result,” his father and team manager Mark said.
He started 22nd on the grid for race two but repeated his demon start off the line and climbed to 18th position.
With four laps to go as he missed a gear as he exited the last chicane and, as a result of the close and competitive field, he dropped to 24th in a split second.
Angered by his own mistake he worked his way back to 20th, picking his rivals off one-by-one, lap-by-lap.
“As a father, I couldn’t be prouder of what this young boy has achieved this weekend. To be only 1.6secs off the race winner’s pace, in only his second race season, shows this kid has some natural talent. And I hope he gets the chance to achieve it,” added Mark.
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