Aussie youngster Brendan Roberts took out the third round of the Virgin Yamaha R6 Cup at Mallory Park last weekend.  Brendan scored pole position at the Leicestershire circuit and then went on to back that up with a convincing win.  The competition was fierce with the top twenty riders all qualifying under the lap record set last year at the high speed 1.39 mile layout.

Roberts got away well off the line with British teenager Jimmy Rose tucked in behind him and the pair pulled out a four second lead on their pursuers before Rose went down hard on lap eight which dragged debris onto the circuit and thus the safety car came out. 

Rose was thankfully uninjured and Roberts had the pack telescope up behind him as they followed the safety car before planning his breakaway at Devil's Elbow for the run onto the main straight to recommence the racing.  Roberts then managed to pull out more than two seconds over the rest of the field in the remaining laps.

“You need to nail those starts, I didn’t want a repeat of Thruxton and have to be making up all the time. It was awesome to take pole, but this win has an even better feeling. I knew I could do it, but my riding was a bit shaky when I came over to the UK. I feel I’m on the pace now”, said Roberts after the race.

Joining Roberts on the podium at Mallory was fellow Australian Billy McConnell who scored a great 3rd place.

Roberts and McConnell were both top runners in the Australian C & D Grade Superstock Series last year and they took the brave step of heading to the UK at this very early stage of their careers to try and further themselves against new competition and on new tracks.

Our photographer, Chris Martin, managed to get a few snaps of the boys celebrating their early success on British soil and we present them for you here.  Well done boys!