Caister’s Cornish sees his supermoto luck run out

Nameplate Services-MWR supermoto racer Lewis Cornish finished a busy fortnight of top level racing at home and abroad – although it did not go the way he had hoped.

The 17-year-old Caister-on-Sea student was chosen to represent Team Great Britain Juniors (under-21) for the Supermoto of Nations at Cahors, southwest France – but before that, Cornish took on a British Championship round at Bylton Raceway, Lincolnshire.

By his own high standards, Cornish did not have a good meeting and crashed out of race one in the open elite class. Rather than risk any further damage to man or machine Cornish and his family returned to Norfolk for repairs to the heavily damaged bike before the trip to Cahors.

It was a last minute rush to get the machine back in shape and head off on the long trip south but the work was completed in the nick of time.

With the best racers in the world competing in the Olympics of supermoto Team GB Junior were confident of making the Nations final. However, Lewis and his team-mates Lee Williams and Ben Robb all suffered from a series of mechanical problems and crashes that saw them pipped to a spot in the final by Italy.

On the fast Tarmac and extremely tough off-road sections, Cornish finished a creditable 14th overall in the Cahors heat.

'I'm really disappointed that we didn't make the final due to some serious bad luck, but the French Championship races did show how fast we can be when we don't have any problems,' said Cornish.

Next up was the Circuit Mettet, Belgium, but the mixture of a qualifying mix-up from organisers and a slide as Cornish pushed put paid to an encouraging finish for the luckless rider.

He now awaits the final round of the British Championship at Cadwell Park.