Donington Park BSB: Steve Plater takes Supersport win

Steve Plater put in a barnstorming ride to come through from ninth on the grid to take victory in this afternoon’s Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport race at Donington Park.

A faller in practice at Craner Curves, the HM Plant Honda rider took the lead on the 16th lap and never looked back to claim not only his first win of the season but also the Championship lead.

South African rider Hudson Kennaugh, another victim of the Craner Curves section in practice, appeared to have the race sewn up as he led from the lights to open up a significant lead.

However, on lap 12 he began to slow dramatically, apparently with tyre problems, and slipped through the pack, eventually finishing in a distant 15th place.

Dan Linfoot on the NW200 Coca Cola Zero Yamaha took over at the head of the field but found himself under immediate pressure from both Plater and Paul Young on the TAG Triumph.

Positions changed hands on numerous occasions before Plater consigned his rivals to battle it out for second with three laps to go.

On the penultimate lap, Linfoot relegated Young to second at Goddards but the veteran Australian hit back immediately and held off his younger rival on the run to the chequered flag.

Previous Championship leader Billy McConnell had a sluggish start but pulled through strongly in the second half of the race to take fourth ahead of Ben Wilson, on the first of the Gearlink Kawasaki’s, and James Webb.

1 Steve Plater (HM Plant Honda)
2 Paul Young (TAG Triumph)
3 Dan Linfoot (NW200 Coca Cola Zero Yamaha)
4 Billy McConnell (MAP Raceways Yamaha)
5 Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki)
6 James Webb (Padgetts Honda)
7 Tom Grant (Centurion Racing Honda)
8 Kev Coghlan (Colin Appleyard Racing/Macadam Yamaha)
9 James Westmoreland (JW Racing Triumph)
10 Lee Johnston (MAP Raceways Yamaha)