Victor Cox brought the curtain down on the 2012 season for himself and ILR Kawasaki when he clinched third place in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship after a solid ride to 5th place in the final race of the season at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

Cox was third in the standings going into the weekend but nothing was guaranteed as both Jimmy Storrar and Lee Costello were within striking distance of the Trowbridge man and it was still mathematically possible for them to snatch the final place on the championship rostrum.

First qualifying went well for Cox. Third quickest and one of only six riders in the 1m:29s bracket, he was also first and second through the Sector 1 and Sector 2 speed traps respectively. His young teammate Ash Beech meanwhile had been off the pace in Free Practice, it was later discovered that a bent frame in his Ninja ZX-10R was the cause. Ash sat out the first qualifying session while the team worked hard to prepare his bike for the second session.

The second session saw Victor finish 7th quickest, good enough for 8th overall, but disappointingly Ash was again left to rue his bad luck when his bike's fuel pump gave up in the session to leave him among the list of non-qualifiers for the only time this season, leaving all the team's hard work in vain.

Race day dawned dry and Victor lined up on the second row of the grid and knew a good start was crucial to avoid being baulked on the inside of the first bend. He did get a good start and at the end of the lap he had settled into 7th, just behind John McGuinness. On the next lap he got ahead of McGuinness as one of his third place rivals Jimmy Storrar crashed out at Druids without injury. Victor then alternated between 6th and 7th for the next few laps but there was no room for error as his other main contender for third in the championship Lee Costello was running consistently in the top four.

On the sixth lap Victor was still sixth but now had Costello just in front of him, but as Costello again moved clear into the top three Victor ran his own race in the top six. On lap nine the safety car came out for a few laps and as the race resumed Victor found himself in fourth, again just behind Costello and ahead of the new champion Keith Farmer.

With three laps to go, Costello moved into second which would be good enough for third in the series should a mishap befall Cox. However, constantly getting signals from his team, Victor was riding a calm, assured race and knew exactly what the situation was and he eased back into sixth as the battle for the race lead intensified in front. Then on the penultimate lap there was drama as Costello and Jonathan Railton crashed out at Druids, again without injury. The pressure was off and the team could finally relax as Victor brought the Ninja ZX-10R home for a great fifth place finish and his championship third place secured.


Victor Cox:

'Its been a good season and I'm really happy to have finished in the top 3 of the championship. I really wanted to finish the season on the podium at Brands and the team have done a mega job all year finishing every race.

Massive thanks to all the team, Kawasaki and my sponsors for making it possible.'

Ash Beech:

'I had bad luck at Brands but these things happen and it was no-one's fault. Andy and the team couldn't have worked any harder on the bike to get it ready. It's been a big learning year for me and I feel I have learned a lot on the big bikes and next year I can come out stronger.

I would like to thank everyone for all their help and support this year.'

So the conclusion of a very successful season for ILR Kawasaki.

Victor Cox has once again established himself as one of the key contenders in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship and a highly rated rider. Third in the standings was a great effort and equally pleasing was the fact that Victor and ILR Kawasaki were the only rider and team to score points at every round in one of the hardest fought championships on the domestic calendar.

The team's new signing Ash Beech has been a credit and acquitted himself superbly throughout his first season in this class with a level of professionalism and ability that at times defied his young age and, like Victor, has been a pleasure to work with.

On the roads, team owner/rider Ian Lougher again kept the team colours to the fore. With his race season curtailed in recent seasons due to managerial commitments, Ian nevertheless proved he is still a rider to be reckoned with.

ILR Kawasaki would like to thank all the team's sponsors and everyone who has helped and supported the team in 2012, and now look forward to another successful 2013 season.

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