The Newcastle rider stormed through Sunday’s qualifying session to line-up 12th on the grid for the Bennetts British Superbike race, and second only in the Cup to the vastly experienced newcomer, Gary Mason.
Race One saw a quick getaway at the green light, and he was quick to hunt down and pass Mason, establishing himself a lead in the Cup. With fast lap following fast lap, the win was in sight.
But disaster struck with just four laps to go when a previous electronics problem reared its ugly head, forcing him into a devastated retirement.
And it seemed bad luck was to be the order of the day, when Race Two got underway some two hours later. On just the third lap, the same trouble came back to haunt him, sending his STP Motorsport MV Agusta F4 1000 into a massive highside at the Esses.
“I’m absolutely gutted, I know I could’ve won both of those races but it just wasn’t meant to be this weekend,” said Burns, who was lucky to walk away with just bruises.
“I think it was one of those rounds best forgotten. We had a drama during free practice when I was coming down the straight and rode straight into some numbers which had been blown off someone’s pitboard in the wind. They were flying about like leaves and I just hit one and it punctured my radiator, sending water all over the back wheel as I went into Redgate, which has to be one of the most unluckiest crashes ever!
“Then to have the DNF in Race One and the highside in the second, I just don’t think luck was on our side. Not only is it devastating for me, but you have to feel for the team who have been working so hard to get this new bike up to a level where it can run at the front.”
Far from licking his wounds, Burns is now taking away the positives from a weekend which had looked set to be the team’s best yet, following on from the one win already this season along with four podiums.
“We still have a long way to go with the bike, we’ve only just got the new parts and we’re in a learn-as-you go sort of situation. The team are doing everything they can to build us the best machine possible, and the results so far this year show that we’ve all got it in us…me, the team, the bike, everyone. We know its only a matter of time before we’re back up there on the top step, and we need to leave this weekend behind us and move on.”
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