Plater Caps Dream Year With British Supersport Title
Steve Plater roared through the field at the undulating circuit of Oulton Park on Sunday to clinch the 2009 British Supersport Championship from his closest rival Billy McConnell, a title that had eluded him for so long.
The 37-year-old racer battled heroically against the charge of his younger adversaries around the tricky Cheshire circuit, which had been besieged by a mixture of autumnal conditions throughout the day, causing a number of problems for riders in the earlier Superbike and Superstock races.
Entering the final round of the championship with a seemingly handy 11-point lead, Plater had decided not to opt for the safe option and instead hounded his Championship rival and race leader, Billy McConnell, around the track whilst keeping a watching brief on the close attentions of James Westmoreland, placed 3rd on the Triumph.
Keen not to get dragged into a slugging match in the tricky conditions that could see his grip on the title slip away, Plater made a move on McConnell crossing the start/finish straight just after half distance, with a move that typified the vigour in which the series has been contested as the two foes elbows bashed and no inch nor quarter was given.
After that Plater managed to pull away at the front, while McConnell – who had managed to battle valiantly all season – was forced to drop off the pace with tyre issues. Plater eventually crossed the line securely in front of Westmoreland, who completed his debut season in the class with another impressive podium and is certainly one to watch in the future.
The win secured Plater his first Championship on the track since winning the British Powerbike Championship back in 1998 and helped to complete the perfect year for the Lincolnshire-based rider after managing to win the Senior TT at the Isle of Man earlier in the year.
Speaking after the event Plater said: “It was a mega race and I knew I wanted to win it. Me and Billy had taken three each until this round, and I wanted to win in style, and I could only do that by winning the race. It is all credit to the HM Plant Honda team and it has been a great season-long battle between myself and Billy. I am just so happy to be the new champion.”
When asked about his plans for 2010, Plater replied that he hadn’t made any plans yet, but there was the possibility of renewing his battle with McConnell in the Supersport class, which would certainly be a fantastic prospect to look forward to.
