Hard work for Ashley

Ashley Beech at Thruxton

Motorcycles: SPEEDSTER Ashley Beech battled his way to 12th place in round eight of the National Superstock 1000 Championship at Thruxton.

Moorside flyer Beech needed a change of luck after technical issues ruined his chances of top 10 finishe in previous rounds.

Top speed is crucial for the long straights at the 2.4 mile-long Thruxton circuit, and in the free practice session, the racer had changes made to his Kawasaki’s geometry to aid stability.

Lap times improved and he finished qualifying in 11th place, promoted to 10th by a disqualification.

The Oldham racer started well but lost time on the track’s twisty sections, dropping to 15th.

His fight back brought him to 12th place, which he clung on to at the finish.

“That was hard work in the circumstances,” he said afterwards. “I had to slip-stream to get back up to the riders ahead of me, and leave it late on the brakes into corners to hold on to my position.”

The next round is at Cadwell Park in a fortnight.