Two Triumph Triple Challenge wins and third in Superstock 600 for Chrissy Rouse at Snetterton
Chrissy Rouse jumped straight off a Superstock 600 Haribo Starmix Triumph and back onto his Triumph Triple Challenge bike to take his second win of the weekend. A total of 22 laps and almost an hour on track in 26 degree heat, add in a tough battle with Cup class winner Dan Helyer, and you have a very well deserved victory for championship leader Chrissy Rouse.
Helyer was quicker off the line than Rouse but local boy, Charlie King, was also looking for the win this weekend and soon took the lead. Rouse followed through behind King with Aleix Aulestia, yesterday’s other winner, closing in on Helyer.
On lap three Helyer came off the track but saved it and was able to rejoin the pack without losing any places. King was storming ahead but wasn’t so lucky when he swerved onto the grass the following lap. He saved it and returned to the track but lost three places, putting him in fourth behind Aulestia.
Rouse and Helyer were pulling away from the pack. With the novice TTC rider seeming to catch Rouse on entry to the corners, the Geordie had the drive out of them. On lap five Helyer made his attempt on the leader but it was unsuccessful.
Two battles were going on at the front, King was not going to miss out on a podium at his home circuit and Helyer had already made it clear that today he was looking to win. On lap eight King made his move on Aulestia and was able to make it stick.
Chrissy Rouse on the grid for Superstock 600 with the Haribo Starmix Triumph
Regardless, Aulestia beat King to the lap record. On lap two, King beat the lap record for the TTC at Snetterton but on the final lap the Spaniard smashed it by tenths of a second.
Aulestia commented: “I was just chasing down Charlie and going faster and faster. I didn’t get third but I got the lap record which is great!”
It was on the last lap that Helyer made another attempt on Rouse through the chicane and this time was successful. Rouse was not having any of it though and swiftly retook the position through the right hander of the turn and went on to take the win.
Heyler commented: “I was battling with Chrissy all the way through, unfortunately I made a mistake in the first lap because I had to burn out most of my tyres catch back up with Chrissy. He is so strong, he doesn’t miss any of his braking markers and he is so consistent.”
Rouse was ecstatic with the result: “This weekend, just these two races have been great, another double. And doing it after the stock 600 as well, just alive with it all really! Probably the best weekend of racing of my entire life.”
King was also pleased with what he achieved this weekend: “We got a great start, it was just a shame that the mistakes made meant I had to pull back a bit. To get the lap record on lap two here, even if just for a short time, was fantastic. We’d been doing 1.56s all weekend and to get a 1.55 was just great.”
