It was tough going at Donngton Park for local Superbike aces

​Harry Cook from Guyhirn made progress and qualified for his Quattro Group British Supersport Cup races, but also experienced setbacks, notably a crash in his second race.

Max Hardy from Eye was up against it from the start in Quattro Group British Supersport GP2 Class as he had one fewer practice session compared to his rivals because of school commitments.

He did though race hard and only just missed out on qualifying for the main race action.

Combined Free Practice sessions saw Cook finish 35th overall and 6th in the HEL Supersport Cup with a best lap time of 1:34.434.

Qualifying saw Cook secure 32nd place overall and 5th in the HEL Supersport Cup with a lap time of 1:33.713.

In Race 1, Cook battled through the pack, finishing 29th overall and 6th in the HEL Supersport Cup.

However, he faced challenges with the bike set-up still, losing valuable time in each corner.

Cook said: "We managed to get through to our race which is where I should be in my opinion. I battled through the pack, but the direction we went with geometry and suspension wasn't right and made it worse, getting split seconds of vibration through every corner and we still had slow changes of direction and I couldn't get confident on the brakes.”

Race 2 started with promise, but unfortunately ended in disappointment for Cook. While he felt the bike was performing well, a racing incident on lap 5 resulted in a crash, forcing him to retire from the race.

Cook added: "Unfortunately I tried to make a move and pulled alongside for an inside line overtake, but it wasn't to be and unfortunately we came off."

Despite the setbacks, Cook remains optimistic about his progress and the team's efforts.

He added: "Overall, we made some improvements over the weekend on my lap times. I got my PB at Donington this weekend with a 1.33 and managed to remove the issues we have been suffering with since Oulton Park. We also qualified and we had some good battles.”

Looking ahead to the next round, Cook expressed his gratitude towards his team and personal support crew. "Thanks to all the ROKiT Rookies mechanics team and my personal team Dave Benoy and Stan Gordon mega job this weekend I loved working together to get these issues resolved," he said.

In the combined practice times, Hardy finished 49th overall and 5th in the GP2 class with a best lap time of 1:37.593.

The Last Chance Qualifying race presented him with an opportunity to secure a spot in the main races, but he suffered tyre problems and finished 7th, 5th in the GP2 class, missing out on the top two spots needed to qualify.

Despite his setback, Hardy remained positive and grateful for the support he received.

He said, "I knew this weekend was going to be tough as the WSBK coming across to do wildcards meant the pace was quicker and the grid fuller which meant it was tougher to qualify when I'm on my 675 compared to the top riders.

"However I went out with a positive mindset after having to miss my practice sessions due to taking my exams. I kept improving but unfortunately just missed out in the qualifying."

Hardy also expressed his appreciation for his sponsors, particularly Pioneer Caravans and TC Harrison Ford, as well as the unwavering support from his family. "I would like to thank all my sponsors especially Pioneer and TC Harrison's as well as the support from my family," he added.