The Rokit Haslam Racing brothers faced a challenging race weekend at Brands Hatch in the British Supersport Championship. It was marked by technical issues and penalties but showcased resilience and potential. Eugene McManus, despite a strong start in the Sprint Race, was hindered by a red flag in qualifying and a double long lap penalty in the Feature Race, ultimately finishing 12th in both races. James McManus made steady progress, posting consistent lap times and finishing 21st in the Sprint Race and 23rd in the British Supersport class for the Feature Race. Both riders remain optimistic and look forward to improvements in the next round at Thruxton.
Qualification
Following a promising start in Friday’s free practice sessions, the Rokit Haslam Racing brothers entered Saturday’s qualifying with high hopes. James McManus navigated through Q1 with ease, securing a spot alongside his brother Eugene in Q2.
James showcased impressive form by shaving nearly half a second off his Q1 time, finishing 23rd in the qualifying round for the afternoon’s Sprint Race. Eugene, however, faced a more eventful Q2. A technical issue forced him to pit, and just as he was building speed upon returning to the track, a red flag incident involving another rider cut his session short. Despite clocking the fifth-best lap time in Free Practice on Friday, Eugene had to settle for a 22nd place start.
Sprint Race (10 laps)
Despite the disappointment of qualifying Eugene knew he had the pace to run near the front. The Sprint Race was about reclaiming as many positions as possible and setting a good lap time for the Feature Race on Sunday.
Undeterred by his qualifying setback, Eugene aimed to reclaim positions during the Sprint Race. He made a strong start on his Ducati Panigale V2, skillfully manoeuvring through the pack. By lap three, he had climbed seven spots despite the crowded field. Although he was held up mid-race, he surged forward on lap seven, gaining three more positions to reach 12th. In the final laps, Eugene closed a significant gap on the riders ahead but narrowly missed breaking into the top ten, finishing 12th.
James McManus faced a tougher Sprint Race. Starting beside Eugene, he lost several places early on. Despite this, he posted a fastest lap time almost matching his qualifying effort and maintained a consistent pace throughout, finishing in 21st.
Feature Race (16 laps)
Eugene’s Sprint Race performance earned him a 6th-place start for the 16-lap Feature Race. However, a jump start earned him a double-long lap penalty. An error on his first penalty attempt dropped him from 6th to 11th. After serving in effect three penalties, Eugene found himself in 17th after six laps. Demonstrating resilience, he swiftly began regaining positions, finishing 12th, just shy of the top ten once again.
James, starting 21st, lost several places in the early laps but managed to recover. Despite slipping to 26th, he climbed back to 24th before being edged out on the final lap, finishing 26th overall and 23rd in the British Supersport class. His best lap was nearly a second faster than his time at the same circuit last year, showing notable improvement.
Post-Race Reflections
Eugene expressed his frustration but remained optimistic: “This was a frustrating weekend. We showed we had the pace all weekend. A problem in qualifying meant we had to start way back on the grid for the Sprint Race. A great race lap meant we started 6th in the Feature Race. However, my mistake on the grid, slightly jumping the start, meant we lost the chance to run at the front. The only thing I could do was put my head down and try and recover as many places as possible. We know the pace is there and when everything clicks we will be battling much higher up. These setbacks happen in racing. The main thing is it will come good and I remain very positive for the next round at Thruxton.”
James also took positives from the weekend: “We continue to make good progress. Two race finishes and our lap times are improving. Over the last few races I am gaining confidence on the Ducati, and I am looking forward to the round at Thruxton.”
