ALEX Lowes was delighted to "finally get the monkey off my back" after clinching his first race win for Samsung Honda – and surging to the top of the BSB standings.
The Lincolnshire rider kept up his 100 per cent podium record at round three of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park yesterday.
And it was in the first BSB race of the day that the 22-year-old grabbed his maiden victory for the Louth-based team.
Defending champion Shane 'Shakey' Byrne dramatically crashed out on lap 12 whilst getting ready to battle for the lead with his title rival.
"It feels mega to finally get the monkey off my back and take a win, although I was obviously disappointed that Shakey crashed as we probably would have had a good fight," remarked Lowes.
"I am really chuffed, especially to win in front of such a massive crowd.
"It was a great race for me and it couldn't have gone any better."
There was further 'Louth joy' in race one as Peter Hickman guided his Lloyds British GBmoto Honda to its best finish of the season – sixth place.
Lowes leads the championship by just a point though, after Byrne returned to the top step of the podium in race two, finishing ahead of Josh Brookes and the Samsung Honda man.
Byrne took the lead on the opening lap from Brookes and Lowes, but behind them a crash between James Westmoreland and Hickman saw their weekend end at Old Hall on the first lap.
Although the lead changed hands throughout race, Byrne held his nerve to claim his fourth win of the season and close the gap at the top of the overall standings to just a solitary point.
Byrne said: "Winning was a bit of a way of saying sorry to the team for the first race.
"I went down, lost the front and that was a strange one that the front should tuck in.
"One minute I was looking at Lowes' swing arms, then next I thought 'blimey, I am looking at some daisies'.
"But we turned it around in the second race and we pulled it off with the win.
"It was not easy as we had lost out a bit on race settings because of the crash in the first race, but the team did a fine job to get another win."
More reaction, results and pictures from round three of the British Superbike Championship in tomorrow's Telegraph and online at thisisgrimsby/sport
