BTC: O’Gorman dominates Snetterton race 1 as Garness crashes out

This weekend the British Talent Cup takes place at Snetterton, for round seven of the 2021 season. Johnny Garness started from pole position for the first race of the weekend. 

It was the lightweight Garness who made the holeshot, reaching the fast first corner of Snetterton ahead of his rivals. Casey O’Gorman was second into the first corner, ahead of championship leader Evan Belford in third.

Garness went on to lead the opening lap, and indeed in the first laps of the race he looked relatively comfortable at the front, leading from O’Gorman. However, a crash for the #57 ended his victory chances on lap three, and handed the lead to O’Gorman. 

O’Gorman’s pace was unmatched by his rivals behind, and the #67 was aided in extending his lead by the commencement of the battle between Evan Belford, Carter Brown and Ollie Walker behind him. 

The trio in second, third and fourth were all determined to find the podium, and all three were in the hunt until the final lap. Walker sensed his chance to get to the front of the three-rider group at turn two on the last lap, as he passed both Brown and Belford into the Montreal Hairpin. It looked as though the #48 had been able to pull it down to the apex, but just as he reached it he lost the front, and his race was run. It was an unfortunate moment for Walker, whose race up to that point had been fantastic, as he sat behind the two Ryan Saxelby-prepared bikes of Belford and Brown for most of the 12 laps, staying in contention for the podium until that final critical error. 

Walker’s crash left just Belford and Brown to decide the podium order. Brown was able to slipstream past Belford down the Bentley Straight, and that left the #52 with few options to retaliate. The championship leader’s best chance was to get a good run out of the final corner and slipstream Brown to the line, but the #74 of Brown was just able to hold on to second place. 

With O’Gorman once again winning comfortably out front, and Brown finishing in second ahead of third-placed Belford, the championship points tightened further still in the British Talent Cup after this first race in Snetterton. Coming into the weekend, both O’Gorman and Brown were 23 points adrift of Belford in the championship, but with the results of the first race of this weekend, O’Gorman is now 14 points behind the #52, and Carter Brown misses 19 points to his teammate and championship leader. For Belford, tomorrow’s race will be important to regain some momentum in this three-way championship battle. 

Behind the podium battle, Harrison Crosby finished fourth, beating out Rhys Stephenson, who completed the top five. James Cook, complete with a new bike after his big get-off in Silverstone, finished sixth, ahead of Jamie Lyons, Kiyano Veijer, Corey Tinker and Harrison Dessoy who completed the top 10. 

Mason Johnson was 11th, ahead of JJ Cunningham, Julian Correa, Josh Bannister and Alexander Rowan, who took the final point in 15th place. 

Harley McCabe was 16th, ahead of Rhys Coates, Rossi Dobson, Anthony Eagle and Lucas Hill who completed the top 20. In 21st place was Peter Willis, while Holly Harris was the final classified rider in 22nd.