TRANSMEC KTM junior team rider Trystan Finocchiaro picked up second place in an enthralling final race in round seven of the Dickies Junior Supersport Championship at the British Superbike event at Donington Park.
Starting from third spot on the grid, Fracino-backed Finocchiaro was eager to make his way to the lead of the race and by the end of lap two he had already made his way up to second place and was closing down leader Elliot Pinson.
“I could see the rider in front of me was quickly losing time to Elliot and a gap was beginning to form, so I was eager to get past and have a go at closing down the lead,” Finocchiaro explained.
A series of fastest laps then followed as Finocchiaro edged his KTM RC390R closer and closer to Pinson, closing the gap right down to his rear wheel.
“I was planning to follow for a bit longer, I was weighing up in my head whether to try and show him a wheel to put pressure on him or just sit back until the last lap and make a move for the lead at the end.
“I made a mistake under braking on about lap six going into turn nine and lost a bit of ground. After that I honestly just panicked a little bit, I kept making mistakes which let Elliot get away. Luckily I’d already made a big enough gap to the guys behind to safely bring it home in second.
“It was awesome to get such a strong podium at my home track. Not only does it mean a lot to me, but it was great to do it in front everyone who came to support us. I had a lot of sponsors like Transmec and Fracino who had come to support, so it was truly special to be able to put on a good show for them.”
With a bit more fortune, Redditch racer Finocchiaro could well have been on the verge of winning this championship, but nonetheless he stands on the verge of securing a richly deserved third-placed overall finish in the series.
Finocchiaro has raced consistently well this year and managed to bring his KTM – the only one amongst a sea of Kawasaki – into the top five places at every single round.
After a terrific home round performance, he is now set to pick up third place in the overall standings at the season finale at Brands Hatch, but Finocchiaro is looking for more than just a third-placed trophy at the final round.
He added: “Obviously our main ambition is to secure third place in the championship. It would be a great thank you to the team as they’ve worked really hard all year, but I do think we are in a very safe position to do that, so I will be trying everything to pick up a race win at Brands.
“I think the team, my family, sponsors and supporters all deserve it and I will be prepared to risk a little to achieve this.”
