MOTORSPORT: TALENTED teenage motorcycle racer Liam Delves travelled across the North Sea to Assen for the latest round of the HEL Performance Motostar Championships.
Poor conditions welcomed riders on Saturday as heavy rain left the track saturated in places.
And Delves fell victim to the rain as the 17-year-old crashed out of the first race of the weekend on Saturday.
Despite lining up on the front row of the grid, Delves hit a puddle on turn 12 – ending hopes of a podium finish.
Better fortunes helped Delves pick up ninth place on Sunday though as the Solihull racer came from behind to claim a top ten spot.
Delves was bundled back to 19th in a compact first corner, but he soon started to fight his way through the pack.
He became embroiled in a 15-way battle for position, with all riders chasing sixth place.
He picked off the riders ahead until he reached eighth position but was beaten back to ninth in the latter stages of the race to cross the finish line in a creditable ninth place to earn seven championship points.
The haul brings his season total to 113, leaving him in 11th place with two two races remaining.
Delves said: “I was unfortunate to hit the deep puddle and crashed during the first race.
“I had a good pace and was feeling comfortable before that but that’s the problem racing in the rain, you can get caught out very easily.
“The second race was better. I was beaten up into the first corner and ended up back down in P19.
“I managed to get my head down and pull in the group ahead and made a few passes but ninth was the best I could make from it.”
The final round is at Brands Hatch on October 15.
Picture: Dave Yeomans.
