News

28th July 2008

Mid-season gathers momentum

The busiest part of the season got into full swing over the end of June and through July, as the MRO Superstocks faced a gruelling 3 rounds on 4 weeks.

The hectic schedule kicked off at Cadwell Park on the weekend of the 28th / 29th June, for the 5th round of the championship. The Superstock grid had again shrunk significantly, with just 15 runners on the grid, and Dupuy qualified an unhappy 14th. The issue wasn't so much with the placing, but Dupuy felt he could have run at a faster pace and was therefore hoping to make amends in the races.

The first race was run in completely dry conditions, and Dupuy struggled from the off the match the times of those in front of him on the grid, finishing a lonely 12th as crashes and break downs moved him up the finishing order.

For the second race however, rainfall as the riders went to the grid played into Dupuy's hands and after a good start, he got ahead of Charles Hodgson, and stayed there as the rain got heavier, with both riders catching and passing Dylan Fox as the rain got heavier. At that point however, conditions became too dangerous and the race was stopped, to be restarted under full conditions. Second time round Dupuy again got the jump on Hodgson on lap one, and the two had a superb fight as the race progressed.

With the last lap starting both were catching series leader Sam Bishop, but Hodgson moved up the inside at Park on the final tour and Dupuy had to settle for a final position of 9th, despite a great fight.

Just one week later the paddock moved to Snetterton, for the second time of the season. At a circuit Dupuy expected to struggle at it was another slightly deflating weekend, as Oli just couldn't match the pace of Hodgson and the other riders just ahead of him.

After qualifying 12th, in the dry first race Dupuy ran as high as 9th early on but couldn't maintain the pace as he dropped off to eventually finish 13th.

Yet again this season the second race was wet, but despite Dupuy's good form in the wet at Cadwell, he couldn't repeat that at Snetterton. Falls and mistakes from other riders moved Dupuy up to a season's best of 6th at the flag, but it was not a position he had fought for on pace and Dupuy went home disappointed.

Two weeks later however, was Brands Hatch and the chance to make amends. Despite not having the outright pace still of Hodgson and Barry Dunstan on his return from injury, Dupuy was determined to give them a good fight.

On a grid of 13 Dupuy qualified 12th - a decent result given the times that he was running in a field with a half a dozen riders breaking the 50 second barrier!

In the first race Dupuy made another good start to move up to 10th, but slowly slipped back as Hodgson, Dunstan and David Gowen moved past, but the group of 4 stayed together and Dupuy got another chance as the red flag came out when Carl Nelson highsided his GSXR on the exit of Druids, and race was run in a two part aggregate timing.

Again Dupuy made a good start, getting back to the front of the group. Dunstan came past first, but Dupuy held of Hodgson in another good fight between the pair, until the GSXR man made it through on the last lap, but Dupuy had enough of an advantage over David Gowan to hold on to 10th.

The second race was a straight fight, with Dupuy having another stonking opening lap, going past Gowan at Paddock Hill, Dunstan at Druids and Hodgson at Graham Hill - all successive corners! Eventually however, Hodgson and Dunstan got by and managed to pull away as Gowan dropped out with mechanical problems.

Dupuy looked set for 11th but moved up to 10th when Hodgson crashed at Druids on the last lap, leaving Dupuy 11th in the overall standings.

The MRO Superstocks are back at Cadwell Park this weekend for the 8th and penultimate round.