Smart takes chequered flag at Mondello

Scott Smart snatched a dramatic maiden victory in the fifth round of the THINK! British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park…

Scott Smart snatched a dramatic maiden victory in the fifth round of the THINK! British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park.

Smart nosed his Hawk Kawasaki ahead of series leader John Reynolds on the final corner of the last lap of a hard-fought race.

The 27-year-old Maidstone rider had always been in contention but the chance seemed to have gone as Reynolds eased his Rizla Suzuki ahead and then inherited the lead as Michael Rutter tumbled out of the action with four laps to go.

But, Reynolds found himself under fire.

READ MORE

"I pulled him back and was trying to hang in there," Smart explained.   "John had swept through the corner a bit wide on the previous lap, I thought I might be able to win this one, went inside him into the corner and got the win."

It was a first-ever victory in the series also for the privately-owned Hawk team, and Smart praised their hard work.

"It has been fantastic for everyone, I am really, really pleased."

Then, Smart, the nephew of twice former world 500cc champion Barry Sheene paid poignant tribute to some of his sport's lost luminaries.

"I am dedicating my first win in the championship to my friends Steve Hislop, David Jefferies and of course Barry, who all died last year - hopefully they were watching from up there."

Reynolds was bitterly disappointed at being relegated to second place, by 0.002 seconds: "I had settled for the win and have never made a mistake like that before - it just shows, you never stop learning."

Rutter, who had shattered the record to take his third pole start, was determined to atone for his earlier disappointment when he was thrown from his HM Plant Honda Fireblade.

He led throughout the second 18-lap race, with Reynolds pressing hard, as he had to settle for a fourth-consecutive second place, but, the twice former champion left the Irish circuit with an increased lead of 33 points over Rutter.

Smart, again running strongly, took third place, finishing ahead of his Hawk team-mate Glen Richards.