Source: Supplied.

Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran capped off a stellar year in the 2016 British Superbike Championship with fifth overall following Brands Hatch’s final round of the season last weekend.

O’Halloran crashed out of the opening encounter on Saturday in a wet affair, but managed to bounce back on Sunday for ninth and 11th-place finishes in more challenging track conditions.

“The season has finished and although it wasn’t quite how I wanted to finish the year, I’m happy enough,” O’Halloran said. “In the final race we started a long way back on the grid and I struggled a little with the track conditions, as it was cold and damp in places, which meant I struggled to get through the field.

“But all in all the season has been good, I managed to get my first BSB win and collected seven podiums along the way, and finished fifth in the championship. Looking back from last year to this year, it’s a massive turn around and is the first year I have completed a Superbike season, so to wrap it up fifth is good.

“A massive thank you to the team and Honda, we’ve built all year and got faster and faster to cement our place in the top group. We’ve proved a lot with the competitiveness of the Fireblade and I’ve enjoyed myself.”

During the Showdown phase, O’Halloran dropped from third to fifth in the final championship standings after they were reset with three rounds remaining, however he did pick up his first victory at Snetterton, as well as seven podiums during the year.