MAX Cook extended his lead at the top of the National Junior Superstock championship following a peerless performance during round seven at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire last weekend.

The Swindon-based rider was never beaten by another bike all weekend and as a result moves 43 points clear with four rounds remaining.

Cook – aboard his Binch Racing 600cc Yamaha R6 – was on song from the off and topped both free practice sessions on Saturday.

The 19-year-old then set about laying down fearsome times in qualifying – a feat he managed thanks to his sixth lap of 10. A 1:31.11 on fresh tyres was enough to put him on pole for Sunday’s race.

While Sunday’s warm-up session was run in bright and mild conditions, light showers which blew in prior to the main race caused a technical headache for each team in terms of set-up.

Cook’s Binch Racing opted to stay on dry tyres as they did not feel there was enough rain on the track surface for a wet tyre to work effectively.

As the grid formed for a reduced race distance of 10 laps instead of 12, a mixture of tyre compounds among the riders added a sense of added excitement and mystery as to how the race would unfold.

But Cook was fully committed to his team’s strategy and made a strong start as he cautiously led the pack around the 2.18mile circuit, aiming to drag the tyres up to temperature while navigating a few damp patches.

During the second lap, Cook’s nearest championship rival Louis Valleley lost the front of his bike into the Mansfield section of the circuit and crashed out. With third-place Franco Bourne not taking part due to an injury sustained in the previous round, Cook knew he had to stay upright in order to take advantage of his rivals’ lack of luck.

And stay upright he did, building a lead of almost four seconds by the end of lap three. That advantage stretched to almost five seconds two laps later as Cook maintained his pace and rhythm.

Despite setting the fastest lap of the race, young Irish prospect Sam Laffins was simply unable to bridge the gap to Cook, and the Swindon talent took the chequered flag with a lead of 3.34 seconds, with Dan Brooks finishing third.

Round eight of the National Junior Superstock Championship is set to take place at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk over the weekend of September 9-11.