Plater takes British Supersport title in style

Steve Plater clinched the British Supersport title the best way possible on Sunday at Oulton Park – by taking an emphatic win in the final race of the championship.

For Plater it was the end to a fantastic season that also saw him win the Senior TT at a record-breaking pace.

HM Plant Honda star Plater went into the final round 11 points ahead of Billy McConnell so the pressure was on him just to finish the race no lower than third while the MAP raceways Yamaha rider had to go out and win.

Throwing caution to the wind, McConnell went for the softest ‘0’ Pirelli tyre option while Plater played a more conservative hand going for the harder ‘1’ tyre.

McConnell set the pace from the third lap but when his ‘zero’ compound tyre lost grip, Plater’s harder tyre choice paid off and he won the race by over three seconds from Triumph rider James Westmorland as McConnell faded to third, then ran off the track and finished 19th.

Plater said: “I so wanted to win the last race of the year – there’s no better way to wrap up a championship.

“HM Plant Honda haven’t had the best of luck in BSB so it’s nice to give them a championship to celebrate.”