Charlie Nesbitt took his first Pirelli National Superstock Championship win at Cadwell Park, with a stunning victory aboard his VisionTrack Suzuki GSX-R1000R, prepared by Hawk Racing.
The youngster - and reigning National GP2 champion - started today's race from the front row after setting the third-fastest time in qualifying. The class rookie made a strong start and settled into second place. From there, he shadowed race leader Davey Todd, but always looked eager to pass, confident of being able to lead from the front and set the pace.
At the halfway point hit the front before immediately setting the fastest lap of the race. His best time some three tenths of a second quicker than anyone else.
In the end he took the win by over two and a half seconds, taking his first victory in the class. Despite a steady start the season, the result highlights the potential of the talented 21-year-old and the progress he has made in his debut year on a 1000cc machine.
Nesbitt said, "We had a good weekend at Thruxton but I came to Cadwell just to enjoy it the best I could, it's obviously a very different track on a big bike compared to the GP2 machine. But from the test we had we knew we could be there or thereabouts, I think me and the Suzuki just clicked around here, and after warm up, when we made a change to the front, we started to think we had a chance.
"I got a good start and just settled into the race. I stayed nice and relaxed and was happy to sit behind Davey [Todd] until there was a chance to pass. I knew I had good pace, and once I was in front I started pushing. But the win means everything and I'm grateful to the team for working so hard and being patient with me. We had some issues at the start of the year but I'm excited about the rest of the season, and hopefully, this snowball effect continues for the remaining rounds."