News 3 Oct 2023

Clinical wet weather performance sees O'Halloran on top

McAMS Yamaha racer concludes Donington BSB with race three win.

Image: Supplied.

A dominant wet weather performance in the third race at Donington Park saw Jason O’Halloran conclude the penultimate round of the 2023 British Superbike Championship (BSB) with a victory.

The McAMS Yamaha rider posted the quickest ever BSB lap of the venue to qualify on pole position for Saturday, but a disastrous race one meant 17th was the best he could manage after suffering for grip with a cold intermediate tyre.

As a result, O’Halloran had to start the dry race two from 21st on the grid, but he rapidly moved his way forward and was inside the top 10 by lap two. In the closing stages, the Australian elevated to fourth and looked set to challenge for a podium spot when the red flags brought a premature end to the race.

With the third quickest lap of the race, O’Halloran was back on the front row for the final outing, which was a wet encounter after a downpour prior. Launching to the holeshot, O’Halloran delivered a clinical wire-to-wire victory, his fifth of the 2023 season.

“It’s been an amazing day,” recalled O’Halloran. I was really happy with the first race to come from 21st to fifth but at the same time I was also a little frustrated as the race got stopped early and a podium was on the cards.”

“Starting on the front row for the last race obviously made things a lot easier the bike felt fantastic in the wet conditions. Even when I was pulling away I didn’t feel like I was riding out of my skin to do it, I felt really comfortable on the bike, trying to hit all my markers and control the lap time.

“I used my dash and my lap timer to break the track into sectors and make sure I wasn’t too far away at any given point and the boys gave me great signals on the board so we could control it to the end. To get another win and bring the gap to the leader down with 35 points per race on offer at Brands certainly means we can head there with a spring in our step.”

Just one round remains in the 2023 British Superbike Championship (BSB), the series coming to its conclusion at Brands Hatch between 13-15 October. O’Halloran is currently sixth in the standings, 50.5 points behind leader Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati).

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