Richard Kerr opens Superstock season in style

Richard Kerr got his 2023 Pirelli National Superstock Championship campaign underway in fine style at Silverstone at the weekend.

The Kilmacrennan rider claimed a brace of fifth place finishes to slot into fourth place overall in the early championship points table.

The 22-year-old AMD Motorsport man started his weekend with the second fastest time in his first free practice session on Friday and he improved his time by two tenths of a second later in the day – meaning he was eighth fastest overall, with two groups competing.

Saturday’s solitary qualifying session saw Kerr post a similar lap time which meant he lined up for the 22-lap race later in the day in 11th place and on the fourth row of the grid.

Donegal Pool Junior County Championships produces some brilliant cue action

At these inaugural events for U-12, U-15 and U-18 players, spectators were treated to some outstanding displays from the precocious talents on display

A superb start though elevated him to sixth place at the completion of the opening lap and he then overhauled Joe Franics for fifth four laps later. This was where he remained to the chequered flag to get his season up and running in a strong manner.

With the sixth fastest lap of the race, he started Sunday’s race, held over 22 laps, from the second row and although he slipped back to seventh on the opening lap, he was quickly back up to sixth. By lap seven, he was up to fifth and hopeful of more, but Billy McConnell pushed him back to sixth two laps later and from there it was a relatively uneventful race.

The race was red flagged on the final lap and with McConnell having fallen on debris left from a crash on the previous lap, he was removed from the results, which meant Kerr was promoted to fifth ending the weekend in fourth overall in the championship.

“It’s good to get the season underway with two strong results and to leave Silverstone with a good points haul is exactly what I wanted,” Kerr said.

“I was missing a bit in qualifying but improved my best lap time by four tenths of a second in Saturday’s race and with a good start, I was able to make a good leap forward on the first lap, gaining three places at the first corner alone.

“By the time I’d worked my way by Joe Francis, the front four had made a break but I was happy enough with fifth.

“It meant I started Sunday’s race two rows further forward, but I wasn’t quite able to make the impression I’d hoped. The race pace was strong, and I did what I could whilst the overall results were a significant improvement on this time last year so that’s what I’ll take away the most.”

The next round of the championship takes place at Oulton Park, Cheshire on April 29-May 1.