Reilly Misses Out On Title
Kelvin Reilly saw his KTM RC8 SuperCup championship hopes fade away as he
finished fifth at Cadwell Park. The InMoto Corse rider endured a tough weekend
at the difficult Lincolnshire circuit.
The weekend began with Sunday afternoon's free practice. In glorious sunshine,
Reilly struggled to get to grips with his InMoto Corse KTM over the infamous
undulations. With numerous visits to pit lane, tweaking the settings on his
machine, Reilly searched for the solution to persistent handling problems. The
changes proved to be to no avail as Reilly's best time was only good enough to
leave him 8th fastest.
After overnight rain, the track was still damp for qualifying, first thing
Monday morning. The track was dry over 80 percent of the lap, but remained damp
under the trees, leaving the riders with a difficult decision over which tyres
to use. Many riders, like Reilly, took the conservative choice and opted for
full wets. Reilly again struggled to find his pace this time only managing to
post the 12th fastest time.
Reilly faced a mountain of a task to try and salvage a podium finish from the
trying weekend. His mission was made easier following an eventful opening lap of
the race. Reilly found himself up in eighth by the time he crossed the line for
the first time after a number of riders had crashed out. On lap two, Reilly
moved up to 7th after passing Scott Roper. With the gap growing to the riders in
front, Reilly could only consolidate his position. As the race progressed,
Reilly moved up to fifth after Christian Iddon and Dave Heal were both forced to
retire. Reilly took the flag in fifth place and with rival, Dave Wood, taking
victory, he saw his championship chances end. With just one race left of the
campaign, Wood now has an insurmountable lead and takes the crown.
Reilly's final race of the season will be at Silverstone at the end of September.
Sam Farrington
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