Lap Record Caps Outstanding Brands Hatch Weekend

Luca Hopkins continued his impressive championship challenge with another double podium finish at Brands Hatch, setting a new class lap record as he twice finished runner-up in a thrilling weekend of racing.

Arriving in Kent second in the 1pMobile National Junior Sportbike Championship standings, the Team SBR powered by DKS Direct Drilling rider once again demonstrated race-winning pace as he battled championship leader Marley Mackenzie throughout the weekend.

Friday's only free practice session proved frustrating despite Luca finishing fourth fastest. Unhappy with the feeling from the bike, the team worked late into the evening on a series of setup changes, and those improvements paid dividends when qualifying got underway on Saturday morning, with Luca securing fourth on the grid.

Starting from the second row for race one, Luca endured another difficult launch and dropped to sixth before immediately beginning his recovery. He quickly worked his way back past Lewis Mullen and Ben Jolliffe before moving into the top three.

His charge almost came to an abrupt end exiting Druids when the rear of his Kawasaki stepped violently out of line. Somehow saving the bike, Luca gathered it back underneath him and continued his pursuit of the leaders.

With three laps remaining, he moved into second place and immediately began hunting down race leader Marley Mackenzie. The gap was reduced to less than a tenth of a second heading onto the final lap, but another huge moment exiting Graham Hill Bend briefly dropped Luca behind Ben Jolliffe. Refusing to give up, he reclaimed second at Hawthorn and launched one final attack, crossing the finish line just 0.028 seconds behind Mackenzie after one of the closest finishes of the season.

"It was a good race, and I'm happy with how I rode.

"The starts still aren't where I want them to be, so I made life difficult for myself again, but the pace was there and we managed to fight back. There were a couple of big moments that could easily have ended the race, so to come away with second and miss the win by such a small margin is still a positive result.

"A big thank you to everyone at Team SBR powered by DKS Direct Drilling for all their hard work."

Sunday's second race followed a familiar pattern.

Another slow getaway dropped Luca from third to fifth through the opening corners, but once again his race pace allowed him to fight back into contention. He recovered positions with a series of decisive overtakes before moving into second when Laken Payne ran wide at Surtees.

With clear track ahead, Luca set about chasing Mackenzie. The gap steadily came down as he set the fastest lap of the race on consecutive laps before lowering the Junior Sportbike class lap record to a stunning 1:36.314. Heading into the closing stages, less than a tenth of a second separated the two title rivals.

Luca searched for an opportunity into Paddock Hill Bend and remained glued to Mackenzie's rear wheel throughout the final lap, but a slight mistake at Stirlings denied him one last chance to challenge for victory. Another second-place finish nevertheless completed an outstanding weekend.

"It wasn't the easiest weekend because we weren't completely happy with the bike on Friday, but the team worked incredibly hard to improve it, and by the races we had the pace to fight at the front.

"Again, I made life difficult with the start, but once we settled into the race, I knew we had really good speed. Finishing with another podium, a lap record, and more strong championship points is something we can be really pleased with.

"Thank you to everyone who continues to support me. We'll take the positives from this weekend and look forward to Oulton Park."

Four consecutive runner-up finishes, a new Brands Hatch GP class lap record and another excellent haul of championship points ensured Luca maintained second place in the championship while extending his advantage over third-placed Ben Jolliffe. With four rounds remaining, the title battle remains firmly alive as the championship heads to Oulton Park.