Title-chasing David Allingham second fastest in opening Superstock 1000 practice ahead of big weekend at Brands Hatch
David Allingham was second fastest on Friday at Brands Hatch as the Northern Ireland rider gears up for a huge weekend when he could become a mainstream British champion for the first time.
The SMS-Nicholl Oils BMW rider was second fastest in free practice at the Kent circuit behind chief Superstock 1000 title rival Luke Mossey on the Milenco by Padgett’s Honda.
Allingham was only 0.223s adrift of Mossey, with qualifying to come on Saturday morning ahead of the opening race (14:35 BST).
Ulsterman Allingham leads the championship by 42 points at the final round and will be hoping to finish the job in Saturday’s race.
Allingham finished as the title runner-up in 2025 to Ukrainian Ilya Mikhalchik, who made the step up to the British Superbike class this season.
The Eglinton rider has excelled on the M1000RR, winning nine out of 14 races and never finishing off the podium.
Dublin’s Jack Kennedy, who has signed a new contract to continue riding for Honda Racing in the British Supersport Championship in 2027, topped the free practice times on Friday.
The Dubliner held sway by just 0.017s from Aussie Oli Bayliss (Triumph Macadam Factory Racing), with Kennedy’s Honda team-mate Dean Harrison in third.
Luke Stapleford – the red-hot title favourite with a 45-point advantage over Kennedy with two races remaining – was fourth fastest on the Scars Racing Ducati.
Teenager Jack Burrows from Dungannon was 27th on the combined free practice times as he makes his British Supersport debut.
Burrows was offered the chance to ride for the Scars Racing Ducati team at the final round alongside Stapleford.
The 16-year-old finished third in the Moto4 British Cup series, which concluded at Donington Park two weeks ago.