National Superstock 1000 title runner-up Richard Kerr mulling options for 2024 but 'no serious talks yet'
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The Donegal man, second in this year’s National Superstock 1000 Championship for the Dumfries-based AMD Motorsport team, was speaking after finishing as the runner-up in the headline 46th Sunflower Trophy race at Bishopscourt in County Down on Sunday.
Kerr won the coveted silverware for the first time in 2022 after beating fellow Northern Ireland man Alastair Seeley.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHowever, he had to settle for second behind British Superbike prospect Charlie Nesbitt on Sunday, who took the lead from Kerr at the start of the third lap and went on to win by 3.9s from the Kilmacrennan man and Danny Kent, who was riding for new team Mar-Train Racing Yamaha for the first time over the weekend.
“I’d love to be back next year, definitely,” said Kerr. “But first I need to get a ride sorted for next year.
“At the minute I haven’t had any serious talks yet so we’ve a lot of work to do to try and get something sorted. I’m sure I’ll definitely be racing but I just don’t know where yet.
“Dan [Linfoot, National Superstock 1000 champion] made it hard work this year and did most of the winning and a lot of times I finished second – I had seven second places and most of them were behind him.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“For two years in a row we’ve finished every race so I’m learning all the time. Dan has been there and done it and he’s still super-quick, as quick as he’s ever been.
“I’m getting quicker each year and it’s disappointing that we didn’t win the championship, but positive that I learnt a lot off Dan and I still believe I’ve a lot left to learn yet in my racing career.
“Hopefully, I can get something sorted for next year and progress forward.”
Reflecting on Sunday’s feature race, held in perfect weather at Bishopscourt, Kerr said an early mistake proved costly.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“Charlie came past me and I kept with him and had the tow rope on, but when I went into turn one I just missed the downshift and missed the apex, and that sort of broke the tow a bit,” said Kerr, who was riding his Superstock-spec Honda Fireblade against his rivals’ BSB machines.
“I still had similar pace but the backmarkers were a big thing and one of them held him up a bit, and I was able to close in.
“But then he got past the next backmarker cleanly and I got held up, so I knew for the last few laps that he had it in the bag and just had to keep it clean.
“I knew Danny was on me because I could hear the R1, so on the last laps I made sure I left no doors open and made sure I got the drive out of the last corner and kept second,” he added.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“Huge thanks to all the team because I’ve really enjoyed this weekend, especially getting good weather, and obviously we had a lot of really good racers over.”
Kerr beat Nesbitt in Saturday’s first race at the two-day meeting after starting from pole.
See Also: