The Biker Place

R.I.P JONESY

Britain’s Graeme Gowland scored a world championship point at Brands Hatch in the first of the two rounds of the World Supersport Championship held on the British Isles but this became insignificant as the paddock was rocked as a serious accident involving fellow Brit Craig Jones, a front runner in the competitive Championship, occurred during the race.

Graeme had provisionally qualified in 19th after the first qualifying session on Friday but hopes of improvement in the second session were scuppered by tyre heat issues and rain showers. However others did improve so Gowla was pushed down the order to 27th on the grid for Sunday’s 23 lap race.

Gowla failed to gain any positions when the lights went out for the race but he soon began to make progress and was up to 23rd by lap five and then up to 18th when the red flags came out as rain was falling and two riders, Robin Harms and Russell Holland, had gone down at Graham Hill Bend.

Gowla lined up in the 18th spot for the restart, with the result an aggregate of both races, but at the end of lap one he was 22nd but up to 17th by lap five. Gowla was up to 16th on track, but 15th on the aggregate result, on the seventh lap when Craig Jones crashed on the final turn and the red flags immediately came out.

Tragically Craig passed away in the early hours of Monday morning and Graeme and his family offer their sincere sympathies to Craig’s family.

Graeme Gowland: “I am shocked and saddened by Craig’s death and my thoughts are with Craig’s family, friends and team.”

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