AFTER a disappointing Round 2 of the Ducati TriOptions Cup at Brands Hatch, Mount Gambier motorcycle racer Levi Day bounced back in Round 3 at Oulton Park in England.
However, this was not without its difficulties, as Day’s team replaced the complete electrical system from the previous round to ensure no problems, but instead came across another issue that put an end to a possible good result in the first race of the meeting.
After qualifying on pole position, Day was keen for a solid result, but after just a few corners the front brakes began to grab and forced him into the pits for repairs.
With little time to make any major adjustments, the team bled some fluid from the master cylinder, which rectified the problem somewhat, but provided little braking capability.
However, after pulling into the pits on the first lap, Day would have been relegated to last place on the grid for the second race.
By heading back out he was able to set a fast enough lap to qualify in fourth place for the next race, providing a chance to improve if the problem could be sorted out.
The team chose to replace the complete front brake assembly between races and discovered an oversize part, which had expanded in the heat and caused the front brake to bind up.
“I was buzzing for Race 1,” Day said.
“Everything was working great, I felt like I was really working well with the Ducati and we’d be in a strong position to take the win.
“It was a frustrating way to end the race.
“After all the electrical problems at Brands Hatch, to have a completely new issue arise was certainly character building.”
With the issue sorted, Day headed out for the second race on Monday and was immediately on the pace.
He took the hole shot and led the race from turn one.
From there he put in some solid laps with no mistakes and began to gap the field.
That margin proved advantageous when lapped traffic became a factor, with Day able to hold the lead and cross the line for a race win.
“What a way to turn the weekend around and the last few race results due to the technical gremlins we had,” he said.
“I cannot thank my team enough for continuing to work harder than they should have to each weekend, to overcome these problems and give me a bike that is capable of winning races.
“We have shown we have the pace to be championship contenders.
“I will continue to do my best in every session, every weekend and remain positive that we can come away with strong results each weekend.”
While Day’s misfortunes in recent rounds have made it tough in the championship, he still remains in touch in seventh place overall.
The championship will make its way to Snetterton for Round 4 from June 15-17.
