Two more podiums and a new lap record for Luke Stapleford at Assen.

Scars Racing Ducati are leaving the beautiful Assen Circuit with plenty to smile about after Luke Stapleford secured two second-place finishes in Round 9 of the Quattro Plant British Supersport Championship.

The results also see Luke extend his Championship lead to 69 points, while he set a new lap record on Saturday and then broke the lap record for a second time on Sunday.

It was a weekend of mixed weather and tricky conditions, with Luke finding things a little more difficult in the wet. Qualifying was damp, leaving him to start Saturday’s Sprint race from seventh on the grid.

That didn’t stop him from getting stuck in.

A fantastic start saw Luke quickly move through the field and into the fight at the front. He was soon battling with World Supersport contender Oli Bayliss, with the two riders swapping positions lap after lap.

It was a proper fight all the way to the flag, with Luke narrowly missing out on the win by just 0.2 seconds to take second and another valuable haul of Championship points.

Luke then set a new lap record on the final lap, earning pole position for Sunday’s main feature race.

Starting from the front, Luke was second into Turn 1 behind Oli Bayliss before dropping back to third at the end of the opening lap. He wasn’t hanging around, though, and on lap two he made his move into Turn 1 to take the lead.

From there, four riders battled hard for the victory in another brilliant Supersport race. Luke eventually crossed the line in second once again, securing his second podium of the weekend and extending his Championship advantage.

Luke Stapleford

“I come here to win races, so to get two seconds isn’t what we wanted. However, the bigger picture is much bigger and the Championship lead has now been extended to 69 points.

“Honestly, the Scars Racing Ducati team work so hard in all conditions to make sure the bike is perfect in every session. We’ve been fortunate enough to be very consistent this year, but that doesn’t come by fluke or luck. It comes from dedication, hard work and passion.

“The team are all of the above and I can’t wait for the final two rounds of the year. Thank you to them for working so hard, and to all our personal and team sponsors for allowing us to be in this position going into Round 9.”

Leigh Finlay – Team Owner

“We’re not going to give up on this and we’ll continue to work hard and push as much as we can for Donington and Brands.

“We were tested this weekend with the different track conditions, but we’ve still come away with two second places and have extended our Championship lead.

“Luke is riding exceptionally well and his never-give-up attitude is a real credit to the person he is. He’s also brilliant to work with.

“Dale and I would like to say a massive thank you to all our team partners and to the entire Scars Racing Ducati team for working so hard.”

Next stop: Donington

With just two rounds of the Championship remaining, the fight is well and truly on.