The British Supersport Championship never fails to deliver. Round three delivered thrills, heartbreak, and hard-earned points at Snetterton — and once again, Randalstown’s own McManus brothers were right in the thick of it.
Friday’s free practice sessions gave the MMB Racing squad a solid platform to build on. Eugene McManus showed good pace, finishing 7th in FP1, while younger brother James McManus clocked in at 15th. Their Lincolnshire teammate, Harry Truelove, who joined the team this year, edged ahead of both of them in 5th. The trio stayed consistent in FP2, with Eugene 9th, Truelove 11th, and James in 17th — all three safely securing their places in Saturday’s Q2 session and avoiding the risks of having to pass Q1.
But Saturday brought a dramatic turn of events in qualifying. With 27 riders chasing grid positions, the McManus name was at the centre of the story.
James, having only just returned from a previous injury, suffered a nasty crash early in the session, breaking his left ankle. A crushing blow to the 21-year-old who had hopes of a far happier return to racing.
The anguish didn’t end there. Eugene suffered a high-side later in the session, parting company with his Ducati Panigale V2 in spectacular style.
Thankfully, the Randalstown rider walked away bruised and relatively uninjured. Truelove kept things clean and earned 10th on the grid, while Eugene’s early pace was just enough to claim 7th spot despite the fall.
Later that afternoon, under blazing sunshine, the 10-lap Sprint Race brought both promise and frustration. Eugene made a good start to jump to 5th, with Truelove launching from the grid and close behind in 6th. The teammates diced for position on the openig lap before a technical fault on Eugene’s Ducati ended his race prematurely on lap two. Truelove, meanwhile, held firm under pressure from top-level rivals, crossing the line in a season-best 6th place.
Sunday’s 14-lap Feature Race saw grid changes based on Sprint Race lap times. Truelove was promoted to 7th, while Eugene — unable to post a flying lap before Saturday’s DNF — was bumped to 13th. Both riders made electric starts, with Truelove rocketing to 5th and Eugene charging into 9th.
The race unfolded with typical Supersport intensity. Truelove dropped to 11th after a mid-race moment but battled back, setting his fastest lap on the final lap of the race to ensure he secured a top ten finish at the flag. Eugene fought through the pack, climbing as high as 6th. In the final few laps he struggled for pace suffering neck and shoulder pain from the fall earlier in the weekend and had to settle for a har-fought 7th — a strong result after the turmoil of the day before.
After three rounds, Eugene sits 5th in the championship standings on 66 points. Truelove moves into 10th after his double-points weekend. James, meanwhile, remains in good spirits and is set for surgery this week at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre. His return date remains uncertain, but the team and his fans will be wishing him a full and swift recovery.
Next up for MMB Racing: Knockhill, Scotland, from 4–6 July — and with home soil not far away, the McManus faithful will be watching closely.
