News 23 May 2013

Additional Aussies on World Supersport grid for Donington Park

Defending British champion Glen Richards and his fellow Australian Billy McConnell confirmed as wildcard entries.

Glen Richards will line-up in World Supersport this weekend.

Glen Richards will line-up in World Supersport this weekend.

Reigning Motorpoint British Supersport Champions, Smiths Triumph Racing Team, will be heading for Donington Park to take part in the World Supersport Championship race this weekend.

The Gloucester-based squad will field defending British champion Glen Richards and his fellow Australian Billy McConnell as wildcard entries aboard the brand new Smiths Triumph Daytona 675R machines on which they are contesting this year’s British series.

Richards and McConnell currently hold sixth and third places respectively in the BSS series.

At the corresponding meeting last year, it was a successful outing for all three Smiths riders with Richards finishing in fifth, McConnell in ninth and Luke Mossey in 15th to mark a hugely successful world championship debut for the team.

So far this year, 25-year-old McConnell has racked up four podium finishes out of the six races to date in the British Championship with 39-year-old Richards claiming top five finishes in all but one of the six races.

The pair hope to continue that consistency at the first of the two World Supersport Championship rounds to be held in the UK this season.

“Smiths Triumph Racing Team has made the decision to enter the World Supersport round at Donington Park this weekend purely because of the enjoyment we got out of doing it last year,” said Rebecca Smith, team manager.

“Since leaving Oulton Park we have been working extremely hard on the development of the new Smiths Triumph Daytona and we have been improving the competitiveness of the bike. We have completed extensive engine development work as well as tweaking to improve other minor issues that we had been having so far this season.

“Another benefit of entering is that it allows for Glen and Billy to ride competitively without any big pressure on them as we haven’t had a chance to get out on the bike since Oulton Park.

“Most of all we are hoping to just have some fun whilst being competitive on the world stage with the brand new Smiths Triumph Daytona 675R.”

Richards and McConnell will join Aussie WSS regulars Mitchell Carr and Matt Davies on the grid this weekend.

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