Cooper takes thrilling maiden BSB win
Click here for full BSB race two results from Oulton Park
Richard Cooper has taken his first MCE British Superbike race victory after blasting past Christian Iddon in a last corner dash at Oulton Park.
The Buildbase BMW rider had claimed sporadic BSB podiums in the past but in a wet but drying race produced a perfect tyre strategy to storm to the lead in the opening stages. After leading for the majority of the race Nottinghamshire rider was passed by Iddon on the last lap down Cascades which set up a dramatic finale.
At the entry to the final turn Lodge corner, a scene of many classic BSB battles, Iddon ran wide under braking which paved the way for Cooper to blast up the inside and claim the chequered flag by just 0.135s.
Despite appearing on the podium in every race so far this season Iddon will be kicking himself for missing out on his own maiden BSB win but takes a 14-point lead in the riders' championship.
In a thrilling late charge for the final rostrum spot Haslam held on to third place from JG Speedfit Kawasaki team-mate James Ellison with Tyco BMW's Michael Laverty in fifth.
Shane Byrne completed an underwhelming race weekend with sixth place narrowly ahead of Be Wiser Ducati team-mate Glenn Irwin. Honda's Jason O'Halloran held on to eighth from Jack Kennedy as ePayMe Yamaha's Stuart Easton completing the top ten.
A sudden downpour minutes before the sighting lap threw up huge unknowns in the track conditions and despite being declared a wet race the entire grid opted for varying tyre choices on the damp but drying track. Linfoot on the wets got the best drive but after a couple of laps began to be caught by those on intermediates and slicks once they had gained heat in the tyres.
Team WD-40 Kawasaki's Kennedy, who impressed in a wet race one, bolted to the front to lead his first ever BSB race before Cooper strode ahead on the slick rear and intermediate front Pirelli tyres.
The Buildbase BMW rider found a rhythm none of his rivals could match over the opening third of the race to pull out a useful two-second cushion on Iddon. Further back Laverty, Haslam and Ellison were able to find gains by the halfway stage to rise into third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Heading into the final three laps Iddon reeled in Cooper just as the flags indicating drops of rain were pulled out. Each rider held station until the final lap with Iddon taking the lead down the inside at Cascades but with Cooper on his tail entering the final corner the Tyco BMW rider out-braked himself and missed out on the maiden win.
