Beech battles to eighth place

Ashley Beech:the Moorside rider suffered from tyre issues in qualifying.

ASHLEY Beech showed plenty of steely determination to finish a respectable eighth in the final round of the National Superstock 1000 Championship at Brands Hatch.

The Moorside rider had qualified 11th after a troubled build up with tyre problems. Beech and his JD Racing team had been hoping to sign off on a positive note after a season of problems and injury.

Beech started qualifying on a used tyre and with 10 minutes to go, he returned to the pits and a new rear tyre was fitted in the hope of shaving off vital seconds.

But after a lap his bike became unstable and he returned to the pits. The new tyre had been completely destroyed, bringing his session to a premature end.

With another new tyre, Beech took to the track for final qualifying, and pushed hard to make 11th.

In the race he climbed to 10th and after hard fighting he gained two more places before taking the chequered flag.

It’s been a challenging year - but a good points-scoring finish is a great way to end the season.”