Oxford Tag Triumph dominate at Oulton Park

Pole position and a hard earned race win were just rewards for the Oxford Tag Triumph team following extensive development to improve the Triumph Daytona 675 race machines, successfully keeping the British marque ahead of the competition.

Billy on the Podium

With new, lighter fairings and various revisions to the engine, from the first practice session to the last lap of the race, the Daytona 675Rs of Billy McConnell and Paul Young proved once more that they had the pace to take top honours.
 
With variable weather conditions, qualifying came down to strategy and with just a few laps to make the best of a narrow drying line, both Billy and Youngy demonstrated just why they are both fighting for a top three position in the championship with a display of accuracy and bravery that saw them end the session first and second respectively, with the ever-improving Christian Iddon less than a second behind Youngy on the second row of the grid.

The weather improved throughout Saturday afternoon and the scene was set for a thriller of a race with the front two rows covered by just two seconds.
 
McConnell and Youngy both made great starts, the pair swapping positions before a decisive move by McConnell in his bid to make a break from the determined duo of Seeley and Wilson forced Youngy wide at Shell Oils hairpin and back to fifth during the closing stages of the race.
 
In a race that has been described by commentators and racers alike as arguably the most exciting of the season, in any class, McConnell’s skill and bravery was rewarded with his second win of the season as he swept round the outside of Wilson at Lodge on the last lap before slicing underneath Seeley through Deer’s leap to take the win by a wheel while team-mate Youngy dug in to get back past Warren, narrowly missing out on the podium to take fourth.

Christian Iddon

Christian Iddon finished in 11th position posting lap times within a second of the leaders – once again showing improvement and the potential to run at the front. An impressive feat considering Christian’s lack of experience of racing at this high level and once again proving that his podium at Knockhill was certainly no fluke.
 
In the Cup part of the championship, after a slightly steady start to the weekend, Shaun Winfield pulled out all the stops to make a much-needed return to the podium. Having been hot on the heels of series leader, John Simpson, Sam Hornsey crashed in front of Winfield leaving the 17-year-old nowhere to go except on the wet grass.

Shaun Winfield

Luckily, Winfield remained upright and rejoined the race, working his way back through to a fine second place and setting his fastest lap towards the end of the race as he edged closer to Simpson.
 
These excellent results for the Oxford Tag Triumph team now see McConnell third and Young fourth in the championship with Winfield back up to third in the Cup championship and with every chance of challenging for the title.

Billy McConnell #75

“I couldn’t really ask for anything for more. We got the new spec bikes for this meeting with less weight and a little more power and we were top two all weekend in every session, finishing up with pole position for the race which was just awesome. It was one of the best races I’ve been in for a very long time. I’m really happy with getting back to third in the championship and while it’s a shame we didn’t get a second race the organisers made the right call – no-one wants to race in those conditions. Brands GP should be great for us, it’s a circuit that I enjoy so I can’t see why we can’t go for more wins.”

Paul Young

Paul Young #96

“A weekend of ‘could-have-beens’, I think it’s fair to say. Very pleasing and encouraging to have not been out of the top three in any of the sessions in any condition, wet or dry.
Fourth in the race p***ed me off quite a bit because I feel I did most of the work for the leading bunch, so not too impressed with the race really. I think a few more laps and I could have got back to the front, but it was a great race to be a part and I really enjoyed it right up to the second to last lap! I just feel like the weekend’s biggest loser really as I know I could have been fighting for the win today (Sunday) as we had an excellent wet set-up but quite rightly the race director has abandoned the meeting on safety grounds. If nothing else it’s fired me up for the three races at Brands GP so I’m just really looking forward to August.”

Rob Winfield, Oxford Tag Triumph Team Principal

“We’ve been working day and night to get the bikes lighter and faster after a fairly disappointing Snetterton and to get these fantastic results really is a just reward for all the hard work that’s gone on over the last fortnight. Billy has really got to grips with the bike and Youngy now has the machinery he needs to prove that he’s as fast as anyone out there.
Christian is improving and learning all the time as is Shaun – he’s picked himself up after a run of bad luck and is back on the pace and back on the podium. There’s still more to come from the bikes so we’ll be working hard between now and August to really maximise that potential.”
 
Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship

Round 7
 
Race 1 (10 laps):
 
1 Billy McConnell (Oxford Tag Triumph) +17.738

1 Alastair Seeley (Suzuki) 16:44.494
2 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) +0.035
3 Alastair Seeley (Suzuki) +0.068
4 Paul Young (Oxford Tag Triumph) + 0.767
5 Sam Warren (Yamaha) +0.808
6 Dan Cooper (Triumph) +1.922
7 Luke Mossey (Triumph) +2.017
8 Matthew Whitman (Triumph) +2.217
9 Lee Johnston (Honda) +7.825
10 Luke Stapleford (Kawasaki) +7.895
 
11 Christian Iddon (Oxford Tag Triumph) +8.920
20 Shaun Winfield (Oxford Tag Triumph) +33.467

 
Race 2 (15 laps)


Cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. Race to be re-run at the next round at Brands Hatch over the weekend of the 6th-7th of August.

Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship points after round 7 of 12:
 
1 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki)                                    268
2 Alastair Seeley (Suzuki)                                  215
3 Billy McConnell (Oxford Tag Triumph)            137
4 Paul Young (Oxford Tag Triumph)                  125
5 Sam Warren (Yamaha)                                   124
6 Luke Mossey (Triumph)                                  120
7 Dan Cooper (Triumph)                                   106
8 Jack Kennedy (Yamaha)                                 99
9 Steve Plater (Honda)                                      80        
10 Lee Johnston (Honda)                                  77

14 Christian Iddon (Oxford Tag Triumph)    44
 
Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Cup Championship
Round 6
 
Race 1 (10 laps)

1 John Simpson (Triumph)
2 Shaun Winfield (Oxford Tag Triumph)
3 Paul Curran (Triumph)
 
Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Cup Championship
points after 7 rounds of 12:
 
1 John Simpson (Triumph)                                224
2 David Paton (Yamaha)                                   176
3 Shaun Winfield (Oxford Tag Triumph)            150
4 Ben Padgett (Honda)                                     150
5 Sam Hornsey (Triumph)                                 145
6 Matthew Hoyle (Kawasaki)                            100
7 Jonny Buckley (Yamaha)                                82
8 Adam Blacklock (Yamaha)                              59
9 Jody Lees (Honda)                                         59
10 Anthony Rogers (Yamaha)                           45


The next outing for the Oxford Tag Triumph team will be at Brands Hatch, Kent for the next round of the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship over the weekend of the 6th-7th of August.
 
For more information or for hi-resolution images of the Oxford Tag Triumph team in action, contact tagtriumph@robhoyles.com or log on to www.tagtriumph.co.uk http://www.tagtriumph.co.uk
Photo Credit: Steve Gough