Cal Cooper took a well deserved 5th place on his debut in the 600 Superstock class at the opening BSB round at Brands Hatch on Sunday.
The Manx Sports Aid recipient delighted close friend and mentor Neil Hodgson and sponsor Dean Teversham, both of whom were there to see him.
Neil, the 2003 World Superbike champion, said Cal, 16, rode an ‘immaculate’ race after starting from 10th on the third row of the grid for the 22-lapper on the 1.2 mile Indy circuit.
Said Cal: ‘I decided to run at my own pace and keep things nice and smooth. I tried to get on the front row in qualifying but I never got a clear run after the second session was red flagged.’
Eighth after Q1 on Friday when a lack of setting knowledge left him undergeared in 8th place, Cooper knocked a second of his lap time on Saturday’s Q2 and had a front row place in the offing before a red flag.
He was never able to secure another good lap as the 40-strong field battled to beat the clock but a great start in the race saw him quickly into his stride among the top runners, all of whom had previous experience in the class.
The 8 minute warm-up two-and-a-half hours before the race brought plenty of drama when the JDF Racing Kawasaki ‘s water pump let go and the Isle of Man youngster was black flagged, but swift work by team manager John Davies and spanner man Dave Hewitt quickly retrieved the situation.
Cal expressed his thanks to sponsors Dean Teversham Flooring (of Dorset), Paul Dedman Performance Ltd, Duke Video, Motul and IoM Sport Institute and Maxton Suspension.
