Bayliss claimed another BSB Supersport Feature race victory at Snetterton, while it was last lap heartbreak for Jack Mahaffy
Oli Bayliss finished the Snetterton round with a 2-1 scoreline after taking second in the Supersport Sprint before delivering a dominant win in the Feature race.
The weekend’s first race saw Luke Stapleford edge Bayliss in a tense 10-lap Sprint, sealing victory by just 0.024secs after a fierce final-lap battle. The result also strengthened Stapleford’s championship advantage, with both of his title challengers Jack Kennedy and Ben Currie crashing out in separate incidents.
Stapleford, starting from pole, launched cleanly and controlled the opening two laps, though Bayliss stayed right with him after his Knockhill success. Bayliss moved into the lead on Lap Three once the field began to spread out, with Currie holding third while Kennedy slipped back to around sixth in the early scramble.
Kennedy responded quickly and began carving through the pack, taking third from Currie on Lap Four. At the front, Bayliss had stretched his advantage to around half a second, but Stapleford reeled him in and was back on his tail from Lap Five.
Kennedy was then closing on the leading pair, making up ground with each lap, but his challenge ended on Lap Seven when he crashed at Turn Two. That lifted Currie back to third and the order remained unchanged for the next few laps.
Everything shifted on the final lap. Stapleford was all over Bayliss and looked set to attack, then Currie, who had been running comfortably in third, crashed out as well. That elevated his team-mate Harry Truelove into the final podium place.
With three corners left, Stapleford made his move stick and took over at the front. Bayliss tried to answer immediately but could not get back ahead before the chequered flag. Truelove completed the podium, while Dean Harrison came home fourth and Lee Johnston finished fifth.
In the Feature race, Bayliss was untouchable, charging to a second straight Feature victory by almost seven seconds. While Bayliss celebrated at the front, fellow Australian Jack Mahaffy was left heartbroken after falling from second place on the last lap.
Stapleford again started from pole and led into Turn One, but Ben Currie, the 2023 champion, soon took over at the front as Mahaffy moved into second. By the start of Lap Two, Bayliss had climbed to second, and he wasted little time before taking control, leading across the line at the start of Lap Three.
From there, Bayliss checked out. He quickly established a comfortable margin and was never headed again, but the fight behind him remained lively.
Currie reclaimed second on Lap Three, only for Mahaffy to snatch it back on Lap Five. A lap later, Currie made an error and ran onto the grass, dropping to ninth. That left Honda Racing UK rider Jack Kennedy in third, though he came under increasing pressure from Lee Johnson as the race wore on. Johnston could not quite get close enough to make a move, and in the closing laps he fell back behind Stapleford.
Mahaffy’s final-lap crash promoted Kennedy to second at the finish, with Stapleford third and Johnston fourth. Currie recovered several positions to salvage fifth.
Hartgrove again topped the Cup class, this time ahead of James Alderson and Cam Swain.
The Sprint top five was Luke Stapleford from Oli Bayliss, Harry Truelove, Dean Harrison and Lee Johnston. In the Feature race, Bayliss led Kennedy, Stapleford, Johnston and Currie.
After Round Four, Stapleford leads the championship on 182 points, ahead of Ben Currie on 146, with Jack Kennedy and Dean Harrison tied on 126 and Oliver Barr fifth on 96.
Oli Bayliss
“Obviously pretty happy with that one! P1 with a quite a good gap. I just felt really comfortable from the get-go. Basically had the same feelings as yesterday’s race, just was able to make a bit of a gap today. So, yeah, a really positive weekend overall. A shame I couldn’t do the double. Missed out by basically an inch yesterday. So, yeah, we look forward to Donington Park this weekend, and then Brands the weekend after. So, yeah, big thanks to everyone and we’ll go again very soon.”
Quattro Group British Supersport Championship, Sprint result:
1. Luke Stapleford (Scars-Racing Ducati)
2. Oli Bayliss (Triumph Macadam Factory Racing) +0.024s
3. Harry Truelove (McAMS Yamaha) +9.576s
4. Dean Harrison (Honda Racing UK) +11.192s
5. Lee Johnston (SENCAT by Swan Racing) +12.040s
Quattro Group British Supersport Championship, Feature Race result:
1. Oli Bayliss (Triumph Macadam Factory Racing)
2. Jack Kennedy (Honda Racing UK) +6.975s
3. Luke Stapleford (Scars-Racing Ducati) +7.356s
4. Lee Johnston (SENCAT by Swan Racing) +8.211a
5. Ben Currie (McAMS Yamaha) +16.001s
