Tough time for Thomas at Thruxton.
Dean Thomas and his Samsung Suzuki had a tough time on track at high speed Thruxton in Hampshire.
The Australian rider’s problems all started in qualifying when the mechanical gremlins decided to come out in force. Thomas suffered an engine failure and then an electrical problem, although he still qualified in fourteenth place. “I couldn’t believe it, my engine blew in qualifying and then my spare bike developed an electrical fault so I only managed five laps! I just had time to put in one qualifier and set my time,” he said.
Thomas finished race one in sixteenth position but it was a struggle due to tyre choice, “I picked the wrong tyre and ended up sixteenth. There were two options and I chose the one that I tested and felt most consistent on but it just wasn’t fast enough, I was comfy on it but not fast.”
Race two turned out to be a non starter and this time it was due to the clutch, “My clutch went, the bike just started to spin up on the second lap.
We now know that each clutch only does two starts, but to be honest it has been a tough weekend on all the Suzukis. Chris Walker on the Rizla machine had similar problems.”
The team are hoping to test before the next round at Silverstone as Thomas explains, “We are hoping to make some progress before Silverstone. The plan is to test at Oulton Park but the guys need to rebuild the bikes, so we will see where we are at and take it from there,” he concluded.
The next round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and the Metzeler National Superstock will take place on the 27th - 29th April at Silverstone in Northants.
