Beech fights back to finish in 10th

ASHLEY Beech takes to the air at Cadwell Park

MOORSIDE'S Ashley Beech was a happy man after finishing 10th in round nine of the National Superstock 1000 Championship at Cadwell Park.

The Lincolnshire circuit is notoriously difficult to get the set up right, with long, fast straights akin to Brands Hatch and tight and twisty sections similar to Snetterton. Finding a compromise between the two tracks is the aim.

It was only the fourth time that Beech had raced his new BMW S1000RR machine and handling had been a major problem.

After the previous round at Brands Hatch, the Jones Dorling Racing Team completed a test at Snetterton to sort out the issue.

More weight was put on the front of the bike to improve handing and allow Beech to push harder.

He improved his lap times throughout qualifying to claim 16th on the grid.

After losing a few places at the end of the first lap, Beech quickly started to fight his way through the field until an incident brought out the pace car while debris was cleared from the track.

With no overtaking allowed while the pace car is out, riders bunched up.

The leading group of six riders pulled away as the race resumed and Beech was embroiled in a battle behind, but he continued to make good progress to cross the line in 10th.

"I am really happy and if I had started a few more places further up the grid, I could have been battling with the leading bunch," reflected Beech.

Round 10 is at Oulton Park on September 11.