British Talent Cup: Bourne Takes the Title with Two Wins at Brands Hatch

Franco Bourne won the 2020 British Talent Cup title at the final round of the season at Brands Hatch.

Bourne clinched the crown in style with two dominant victories. Charlie Farrer, Evan Belford and Harvey Claridge were the other podium finishers of the weekend.

The final races saw Bourne finish on a total of 166 points. Farrer secured runner-up with a 19 points disadvantage while Eddie O’Shea ends the campaign in third, 22 points short of the lead.

Race 1

Franco Bourne (Franco Bourne Racing/SP125 Racing) stole the holeshot from second on the grid and led the field into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. Casey O’Gorman (Microlise Cresswell Racing) and Harvey Claridge (City Lifting/SP125 Racing) were in close pursuit and exchanged punches through the first sector – the latter coming out top.

Claridge swiftly went on to take the lead off Bourne on the opening lap and headed a breakaway duo over the line for the first time. O’Gorman was still on their case in third with Charlie Farrer (Victoria House Racing Academy/Mortimer) close behind in fourth.

Bourne reclaimed the lead on Lap 2 and started to put clear air between himself and his chaser. O’Gorman was meanwhile challenged by Farrer but held firm to remain in a podium spot.

Further behind, Eddie O’Shea (WAM) and Corey Tinker (Stauff Fluid Power Academy) engaged in a feisty scrap for fifth that allowed Evan Belford (City Lifting by RS Racing) to close in on them. Belford claimed both his rivals in one move going into Paddock Hill Bend on Lap 7, but the trio stuck close together.

Bourne had extended his advantage to more than seven seconds by Lap 8 and left the opposition for dust. O’Gorman had squeezed into second past Claridge but remained shadowed by the #16. Both their races came to a premature end on the final lap when O’Gorman dived down Claridge’s inside and the riders made contact. Both went down and were out of contention.

Unfazed by the drama, Bourne took the chequered flag with more than 25 seconds of an advantage. Farrer inherited a lonely second place, but the fight for third was not decided until the line. Paint was being swapped and Belford, O’Shea and Tinker were separated by less than two tenths at the finish.

Jamie Lyons (Jamie Lyons Racing) was sixth ahead of Rossi Dobson (Rossi Dobson) and Sullivan Mounsey (Lloyd & Jones PR Racing). James Cook (Wilson Racing) came home in ninth while Bailey Stuart-Campbell (151s S-C Racing) rounded out the top 10.

The result left Farrer leading the championship on 147 points. O’Shea was three points adrift in second while Bourne had a six points disadvantage in third.

Race 2

Bourne had a blistering start from pole and shot into the lead at Paddock Hill Bend. O’Gorman was hot on his case followed by Farrer and Claridge. Drama struck early on the opening lap as multiple riders went down at Druids – one of them championship contender O’Shea who was left without a chance to fight.

O’Gorman had meanwhile hit the front but could not shake off Bourne. A story of duels developed with Farrer and Claridge as well as Belford and Tinker fighting it out behind the leading duo.

The front four riders made a breakaway and were soon running in a close group. Positions kept swapping and changing, but the quartet was reduced to a duo on Lap 7. O’Gorman highsided at the exit of Graham Hill Bend. Farrer had nowhere to go and also went down as a result of O’Gorman’s crash.

With both O’Shea and Farrer out, the championship was effectively decided in favour of Bourne, but the #17 kept battling at the front.

Claridge and Bourne exchanged punches but the latter got through for good on Lap 8 and pulled the pin. With clear track ahead of him, Bourne stormed away from the field and took the chequered flag with eight and a half seconds on his side – taking the cup title in style.

Claridge was unchallenged in second while Belford beat Tinker by just 0.057 seconds for the final podium spot. Lyons finished fifth ahead of Cook and Jonathan Garness (Microlise Cresswell Racing). Mounsey crossed the line in 8^th from Elliott Dufton (D&D Racing) while Ryan Hitchcock (Wilson Racing) rounded out the top 10.