MCE British Superbike Championship
Oulton Park, England
September 9, 2016
Free Practice Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Shane Byrne, UK (Duc Panigale R), 1:34.685
2. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:34.853
3. Jake Dixon, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:34.860
4. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP), 1:34.934
5. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), 1:34.980
6. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:34.997
7. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:35.019
8. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.102
9. John Hopkins, USA (Yam YZF-R1), 1:35.212
10. Richard Cooper, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.266
11. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:35.278
12. Glenn Irwin, UK (Duc Panigale R), 1:35.313
13. Martin Jessopp, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.816
14. Michael Laverty, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.852
15. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:35.973
16. Peter Hickman, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.095
17. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (BMW S1000RR), 1:36.294
18. Alastair Seeley, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:36.454
19. Broc Parkes, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), 1:36.490
20. Billy McConnell, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.498
21. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (BMW S1000RR), 1:36.588
22. Danny Buchan, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.778
23. James Rispoli, USA (Yam YZF-R1), 1:36.915
24. Stuart Easton, UK (Duc Panigale R), 1:37.026
25. Josh Hook, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:37.464
26. Jack Kennedy, Ireland (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:37.526
27. Filip Backlund, Sweden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:37.837
28. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 1:38.028
29. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 1:38.213
30. Jenny Tinmouth, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), 1:38.261
31. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Italy (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:38.294
32. Josh Wainwright, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:38.467
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Too close to call! Shakey steals it from Haslam with the top 12 covered by just 0.6 seconds!
A frantic final minute of the second MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship free practice session at Oulton Park saw the leading rider change three times at the top; Jake Dixon firstly looked set to hold the top spot before Leon Haslam moved ahead and then Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne set the final benchmark.
It was an intense end to the session as one of the most crucial rounds of the season got underway; Byrne and Haslam already have their positions in the Showdown confirmed, but behind them there were several of the leading contenders already scrapping for the leading positions.
Honda Racing had started the session strongly; Dan Linfoot having a spell at the top as he bids to join his team-mate Jason O’Halloran in the Showdown this weekend, but the Australian leapt ahead of him to take the advantage in the final 20 minutes of the session.
Dixon was showing an impressive pace on the Briggs Equipment BMW though and as the chequered flag fell, the MCE BSB rookie hit the top of the times, however Haslam and Byrne were both on their final flying lap of the session and determined to lay their marker down ahead of tomorrow’s opening race.
Haslam hit the top by just 0.007s to steal the position from Dixon, but it wasn’t enough to keep Byrne behind him and the Be Wiser Ducati ended the opening day with a 0.168s advantage. The trio’s last lap improvements nudged O’Halloran back into fourth position just ahead of his Honda Racing team-mate Linfoot at the chequered flag.
Tommy Bridewell and the Bennetts Suzuki showed they are ready to fight for the Showdown position, the team overcoming a technical issue this morning to fire into the top six and more crucially ahead of the riders that lead them in the standings. Bridewell headed off Luke Mossey and Christian Iddon with John Hopkins proving he could be a Showdown spoiler in ninth place for ePayMe Yamaha making it all six manufacturers inside the top ten.
Richard Cooper held tenth position as he bids to close down on the top six; the Buildbase BMW rider arrives here equal on points with Mossey and the pair are just seven points adrift of James Ellison who holds sixth in the standings.
Ellison was eleventh on the second of the JG Speedfit Kawasakis whilst Michael Laverty who currently occupies fourth in the standings was 14th on the timesheets. Peter Hickman who also has a shot at the Showdown for the first time ended his afternoon with a crash at Knickerbrook although the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider was unhurt.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, free practice one:
Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 1m:34.953s
James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.209s
Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki) +0.285s
Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 0.294s
Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +0.337s
Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.398s
Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +0.568s
Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW) +0.683s
Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +0.691s
Peter Hickman (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.698s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, free practice two:
Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 1m:34.685s
Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.168s
Jake Dixon (Briggs Equipment BMW) +0.175s
Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +0.249s
Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +0.295s
Tommy Bridewell (Bennetts Suzuki) +0.312s
Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki) +0.334s
Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.417s
John Hopkins (ePayMe Yamaha) +0.527s
Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW) +0.581s
For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne
“It was a good run of laps; we went out with a new rear tyre the exit before and I got stuck in traffic and then the second time there was drops of rain and I pulled in.
“I went back out for the last four minutes and did another three or four laps and the last one was quickest, I am enjoying riding the Be Wiser Ducati here – more than earlier in the season.
“There are a few things to chip away with but generally I am pretty happy. It felt like my bike and we need to chip away and refine things ready for qualifying and the first race tomorrow.”