DONINGTON PARK CLASSICS: Hodgson and Walker are wildcard wonders in Race 2, 2000
From a second back on the last lap to a first WorldSBK win, it was a memorable day for Neil Hodgson
The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is gearing up for the Prosecco DOC UK Round at the start of July, and what better way to get hyped for it than re-watching some classic races from Donington Park? Heading back to where it all began, the historic British circuit has hosted some incredible races throughout its history and Race 2 in 2000 sticks out as a magical moment. Neil Hodgson claimed victory for Ducati ahead of Chris Walker as the two wildcards battled it out at the front of the field in front of a packed partisan crowd for glory.
Summer was on the horizon and Great Britain was searching for its next WorldSBK ‘King’ in 2000, following the career-ending crash of four-time World Champion Carl Fogarty earlier in the year at Phillip Island. By the time the paddock had reached the United Kingdom and Donington Park, all eyes were on the wildcards – particularly GSE Racing’s Neil Hodgson and Crescent Suzuki’s Chris Walker. Little did they know that on Sunday evening, they’d be national heroes as they did the unthinkable.
Whilst Race 1 saw Colin Edwards ease to victory, Race 2 was an entirely different affair; Edwards crashed early on, leaving Pierfrancesco Chili to work his way to the front of the field on his Dunlop-shod Suzuki – Donington Park was historically a circuit where Dunlop runners would come good. However, despite having a lead of over two seconds at one stage, his tyres began to fade. Coming onto the final lap of the race, he had a gap of 0.996s over the chasing Hodgson, who had been closing in all the time. As they came through Coppice for the final time, Chili had a huge moment, allowing Hodgson to get right alongside him down towards the ‘Foggy Esses’. Hodgson swept majestically around the outside of the Italian to the roar of a capacity Donington Park crowd, whilst on the exit, Chris Walker got through too. Hodgson took victory ahead of Walker in what was his first win in WorldSBK and Walker’s first podium; the first 1-2 for the United Kingdom in WorldSBK.
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