Byrne Victorious At Silverstone
The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team enjoyed a positive day’s racing at Silverstone this weekend with Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne taking a first and second place to maintain his lead in the race for the 2014 MCE British Superbike Championship and team-mate Stuart Easton securing two top six finishes to do the same in the MCE BSB Riders’ Cup.
Triple MCE BSB champion Byrne, from Sittingbourne, qualified in second place on the grid in changeable conditions aboard the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, but today’s opening race was befitting of its Showdown billing with Shakey, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Brookes wheel to wheel throughout.
There was nothing between the trio as they left the rest of the field behind and, in a race that saw the lead change hands seven times on the final lap alone, it was 37-year-old Byrne who ultimately came out on top to record his 59th MCE BSB career win to up his points advantage to 17 over main title rival Kiyonari.
The second race saw the same three riders go head to head until Brookes crashed out leaving Shakey and Kiyonari to contest the lead all the way until the end. Shakey sat behind the Japanese rider until the closing stages, looking to make his move, but he was unable to make it stick and Kiyonari took the narrow win to claw back the five points he’d earlier lost and to maintain the 12 point gap between the two riders going into the final round at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.
Meanwhile, 30-year-old Easton had another strong weekend to edge one step closer to securing the MCE BSB Riders’ Cup, awarded to the rider who finishes in seventh overall. The reigning British Supersport Champion from Hawick started the first 14-lap race from 11th on the grid and as the race wore on, with a series of overtaking manoeuvres, he was able to move through the pack. Dicing for fourth place, he missed out on that position to fellow Kawasaki rider Dan Linfoot; meaning fifth place was an excellent result.
Despite the strong result, he still found himself on the fourth row for the second race but it ultimately followed a similar pattern. Another strong start saw him leap up the order to eighth by the end of the first lap and by half race distance he was up to sixth, holding onto the position all the way to the chequered flag.
On his debut for the Penrith-based team, multiple TT winner Ian Hutchinson was in action aboard the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship where he finished in a battling 20th position. The Bingley rider qualified in 27th place following a weather-affected qualifying session and will hope to improve at the final round at Brands Hatch.
Shane Byrne: “The first race was so much fun but it was hard work battling with Kiyo and Josh and exactly what we needed after Assen. Kiyo’s been incredibly strong this weekend and with Josh in the mix too, there was a lot of overtaking going on. I had a slight moment on the final lap, and then Kiyo had one too, but I braked slightly later at the end of the straight and held on for the win. The second race was equally good fun and to get first and second in races like that is no bad thing. We were both on the limit and I had a plan but the race was quicker than the first one and the margins of reserve not as great so when I had a little slide on the last lap, I just couldn’t quite make the move I wanted. Fair play to Kiyo, he held on for the win and we now go to the final round at Brands Hatch where I’m sure there’ll be more of the same.”
Stuart Easton: “With fifth and sixth places from the two races, it’s been a solid weekend and I’m happy enough with the outcome. The grid positions in both races really hindered me as I think I had the pace to potentially challenge for a podium but when you start on the fourth row, you simply lose too much time in the early laps. I was really pleased with how I came through the field and I ended up with two strong finishes and maintained my seventh place in the championship. We’ve three races at Brands Hatch so it will be a tough weekend but I’ll be looking to secure the Riders’ Cup to end the year positively.”
Ian Hutchinson: “It’s been a tough weekend as we’ve not had much time on the bike and losing a session to the weather was the last thing we needed, especially when most others had the round at the MotoGP round here also. The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is a great bike and we’ll look for an improvement at Brands Hatch.”
Paul Bird, Team Owner: “It was a great weekend for us and I’m happy with the results. We knew it was going to be tough and it was exactly that but our bike was good and Shakey did what he needed to in order to protect his lead. We have 12 points more that Kiyo meaning we are in a better position than his team so the pressure is on them to beat us. Brands Hatch is our best track and Shakey’s local track so we are very confident whatever the conditions throw at us. Stuart continued his end of season form and had we had more track time, Hutchy’s result would have been much better.”
MCE British Superbike Championship Race One – 14 laps
1 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
3 Josh Brookes (Yamaha)
4 Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki)
5 Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
6 Julien Da Costa (Honda)
MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two – 14 laps
1 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
2 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
3 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
4 Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha)
5 Josh Waters (Kawasaki)
6 Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after eleven rounds)
1 Byrne 632pts
2 Kiyonari 620
3 Brookes 552
4 Bridewell 550
5 Linfoot 546
6 Walker 513
7 Easton 197
The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki MCE British Superbike Championship Team is running alongside the PBM MotoGP Team with riders Michael Laverty and Broc Parkes. Additionally, Paul Bird is running a full campaign in the REIS BTRDA Rally Series as well as selected International events in his Ford Focus WRC07. Both bike racing teams are sporting the colours of British Racing Green in deference to the team’s proud British heritage.
More, from a press release issued by Milwaukee Yamaha:
MILWAUKEE YAMAHA RETURN TO THE PODIUM AT SILVERSTONE
The Milwaukee Yamaha team fought to overcome the challenges of Silverstone for the penultimate round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, with Josh Brookes claiming a hard-fought third place in the opening race of the day.
In race one Brookes got off to a flying start to break the pack with Shane Byrne and Ryuichi Kiyonari. The trio were embroiled in a fierce contest for the podium places with Brookes pushing to second on several occasions before holding third at the finish. Tommy Bridewell ended race one in tenth position.
In the second race Brookes again was fighting with the leading pair, but a crash on lap six at Brooklands saw his hopes of a double podium shattered. Bridewell was fighting for the third place but was eventually pushed to fourth over the closing laps.
Brookes and Bridewell hold third and fourth places in the standings ahead of the triple-header final round at Brands Hatch in two weeks time.
Brookes said: “I knew we had a chance of the podium but as usual we pushed on hard and made changes right up until the first race. We found something that meant I could be a part of that amazing race and it was pleasing to be back on the podium rather than parc ferme after the race. I wished I had a little bit more to put into it and have a chance for the win, but pushing for second was a great improvement. Being back on the podium and in the fight felt as good as a win to me and I would have paid for a ticket to watch that one!
“In the second race I really wanted to stay with Shakey and Kiyo again and try and push to try and go better than we did in race one. Unfortunately what happened was pretty simple – I braked too late and I crashed out. I was trying even harder on the brakes as that was where I was able to make some time up on them as that area was where I had been stronger. Physics mean you can only brake so late and that lap was just too late and I was out.”
Bridewell said: “Today has been far from what we expected. We have not had an ideal weekend as the setting was out in Race 1 when I had no pace and was stuck with a group of riders. We made drastic changes for Race 2 and they made a lot of difference. It is a shame because we were a race behind. We are in a bit of a see-saw at the moment – we have one good race and one bad race. I could have got ahead of Josh here and now it looks like I will have to try again at Brands Hatch.”
For more information visit www.milwaukeeyamaha.com
More, from a press release issued by Buildbase BMW Motorrad:
Kiyonari takes a phenomenal 50th career BSB victory at Silverstone and maintains gap on Byrne.
Ryuichi Kiyonari delivered two incredible rides at Silverstone, taking a second-place finish in a three-way scrap with Shakey Byrne and Josh Brookes, followed by an outstanding win – his 50th BSB victory – after a one-on-one 14-lap duel with Byrne. James Westmoreland took two top-ten finishes with a seventh and a 10th.
Race one was a three-man race, with Kiyo, Brookes and Byrne trading places and paint, with the lead changing an incredible six times on the final lap. Byrne held the final drag to the chequered flag and won by just 0.084s ahead of Kiyonari on his BMW S 1000 R and Brookes close behind in third on the Yamaha R1.
Race two saw Byrne start from Pole Position and initially appeared to be a repeat of the first race. However, Kiyo had clearly figured out Byrne’s plan and instead rode a defensive race from the front of the pack, preventing the Kawasaki rider from getting past him and earning the maximum 25 points to claw back the five points he lost to Byrne just hours earlier.
The victory marks 50 British Superbike wins for Ryuichi Kiyonari, a significant milestone for the 32-year-old Japanese rider. Seven of those wins have been this year on the BMW S 1000 RR.
These two results mean that Kiyonari has maintained the 12-point gap on Byrne that he started the weekend with, piling the pressure on and ensuring that he has a serious opportunity to try and claim his fourth MCE British Superbike title at the Brands Hatch finale in two weeks’ time.
Ryuichi Kiyonari said: “I am very, very, very happy! At first I thought ‘ahh no, another Assen!’ after race one, where I lost out on the win at the end. And then race two started very similar and then on the last lap Shakey got past and I thought ‘nooo! I will do anything to stop him winning’ and I give it full gas, not worried about tyre life or anything! But it worked. I had a sleep between the races and I woke up just before the second one feeling better and ready to go and fight. I like to nap, but I make sure I set an alarm!
“Now we are going to Brands Hatch and I like it there. But there is more pressure now! If there was a 17-point gap or 20 points maybe, you say I cannot really hope to win championship, but now it is very possible. At the start of the year our target was top six, then we hope maybe we can win a race in 2014… And now we are very close to the title! Also today was my 50th win which makes me think maybe I am old! Haha.”
Stuart Hicken, Team Owner, said: “I’m very happy with today’s results. Kiyo rode his heart out and took a win and a second. He’s now going into Brands Hatch with a very small gap on Shakey and, basically, nothing to lose. The pressure is all on Byrne and it is Kiyo’s favourite circuit.”
Lee Jackson qualified on the front row of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 grid but stalled as the race started, luckily being missed by the other riders. Jackson got his bike started and began a steady assault on the pack, clawing back an incredible number of places and finishing seventh. Danny Buchan won the race and was crowned the 2014 Superstock 1000 Champion. Jackson has guaranteed himself third place in the championship and now looks to Brands Hatch to try and steal a final win from the season on his BMW HP4.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, race one result:
1.Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2.Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) +0.084s
3.Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.368
4.Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +17.952s
5.Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +18.524s
6.Julien Da Costa (Honda Racing UK) +18.572s
8.James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) +19.454s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, race two result:
1.Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW Motorrad)
2.Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.074s
3.James Ellison (Lloyds British GBmoto Racing Kawasaki) +10.008s
4.Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +10.101s
5.Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki) +13.766s
6.Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +15.719s
10.James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) +21.791s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings ahead of Brands Hatch finale:
1.Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 632
2.Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 620
3.Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) 552
4.Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) 550
5.Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) 546
6.Chris Walker (Lloyds British GBmoto Racing Kawasaki) 513
The final title-deciding round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship takes place on the Brands Hatch GP circuit on 17/18/19 October.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, Datatag Extreme Qualifying:
1.Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 2m:10.141s
2.Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.799s
3.Gary Mason (Tsingtao Kawasaki) +1.390s
4.Jon Kirkham (Halsall Biker Gear Kawasaki) +2.465s
5.Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +2.755s
6.James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) +3.056s
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Solid Silverstone meeting for Quattro Plant Kawasaki
The Quattro Plant Kawasaki team were back in MCE British Superbike Championship action at the weekend with the Silverstone GP circuit playing host to the penultimate round of the series, and it proved to be a solid weekend for Dan Linfoot as he consolidated his fifth place in the title standings to close to within six points of third overall.
Yorkshire’s Linfoot found himself back on the third row of the grid for the opening 14-lap race after placing ninth in Saturday’s damp qualifying session but a good start saw him immediately jump up the order to seventh place. The front three riders in the race and championship – Shane Byrne, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Brookes – soon made a break at the front of the field to leave no less than ten riders battling it out for fourth place. However, some determined riding and overtaking manoeuvres by Dan meant he moved to the head of the pack and he duly crossed the line for an excellent fourth place.
With alterations to the gearing of the Kawasaki ZX-10R, the 26-year old found it hard going with the unfamiliar bike in the first half of the second race but as he got more used to the new gearing pattern, he was able to move forward and, with the fourth fastest lap of the race, he secured seventh place at the chequered flag. The results mean he’s edged closer to third placed Josh Brookes in the Championship table and maintained his standing as the only rider to score points in all of the races held thus far.
For team-mate Howie Mainwaring it was another problematical weekend though with a series of technical problems holding him back and preventing him from getting the track time he needed. After placing 17th in qualifying, the Aylesford-based rider was running on the edge of the points during the first race before retiring at half race distance but he dug deep for the second encounter later in the day and was rewarded for his efforts with 14th place and two more Championship points.
Dan Linfoot: “Even though I took fourth place in the first race, I wasn’t totally comfortable with the bike going into the corners so I made some massive changes to the gearing in between the races and it completely changed the pattern of the bike. It took too long to get used to everything, practically the first half of the race, but I eventually felt happier with the bike and was at least able to move forward in the closing stages.”
“Fourth and seventh place finishes aren’t quite what I was hoping for but I’ve again made up some points on the two Yamahas so my consistency is paying off. We’ve three races at Brands so we’ll see if this tortoise can out run the hares and move up to third overall!”
Howie Mainwaring: “It’s been a tough three days and we’ve been changing engines all weekend to try and get to the bottom of our problems. We thought we’d cured it on Saturday night but the bike still wasn’t right in Sunday’s first race and I had to pull in. The team did a great job to put another spare engine in the bike in time for the second race and although it was good to get some points and a finish, the lack of track time meant we had to run a standard set-up and so the bike wasn’t quite how I’d have liked. With the injury at the beginning of the year, it’s been a difficult year but we’ve three bites of the cherry at Brands so I’ll be firmly aiming at scoring three good finishes.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “We were disappointed with qualifying on the third row after Dan had been in the top three in both of Friday’s free practice sessions but that didn’t stop him securing a superb fourth place in race one. In the second race he had to battle from the fourth row but rode another solid race to finish in a good seventh place and is now well within striking distance of third place in the Championship with just three races to go.”
“Luck again deserted Howie with a wrong tyre choice in Q2 and then a blown head gasket in the opening race. Race two saw him in a four-rider battle and he eventually gained a few more Championship points with a fighting 14th place. Thanks again to all of the sponsors and we now look forward to the finale at Brands Hatch.”
The final round of the series takes place in two weeks time at Brands Hatch, Kent.
For further information about the team, visit www.quattroplantkawasaki.co.uk and follow us on Facebook at www.quattroplantkawasaki.co.uk
MCE British Superbike Championship Race One – 14 laps
1 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
2 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
3 Josh Brookes (Yamaha)
4 Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
5 Stuart Easton (Kawasaki)
6 Julien Da Costa (Honda)
DNF Howie Mainwaring (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two – 14 laps
1 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
2 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
3 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
4 Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha)
5 Josh Waters (Suzuki)
6 Stuart Easton (Kawasaki)
7 Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
14 Howie Mainwaring (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after eleven rounds)
1 Byrne 632pts
2 Kiyonari 620
3 Brookes 552
4 Bridewell 550
5 Linfoot 546
6 Walker 513
18 Mainwaring 41
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing Triumph:
Challenging Silverstone Weekend But Smiths Remain On Top
The Gloucester-based Smiths Triumph team endured one of their toughest meetings of the season at Silverstone over the weekend with riders Billy McConnell and Graeme Gowland struggling to replicate their strong form of previous rounds.
For the first time this season, the factory-backed Triumph Daytona 675R duo couldn’t manage a podium at the meeting which comprised the penultimate round of the 2014 Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, but still remained first and second in the title race.
A wet qualifying session saw the duo line up in the unfamiliar positions of seventh and 10th for Saturday’s ‘Sprint’ race, although conditions had dried up considerably when the race got underway. It proved to be a race of mixed fortunes for the pairing with Hexham’s Gowland retiring on the fourth lap and Australian ace McConnell slipping back from fifth to eighth on the final lap.
The results meant they found themselves back on the fourth row of the grid for the 12-lap Feature race and although they circulated together in the early stages, it was Gowland who was able to lap quicker as the race wore on. Indeed, he was able to fight his way into the top five, eventually finishing fifth, to take some points back off McConnell, who could only manage seventh.
With rival Alastair Seeley, victor on Saturday, taking 38 points from the two races, there’s now just 34 points between the leading three riders with Billy still leading on 349, 18 ahead of Gowland with Seeley a further 16 points adrift in third.
The final two races, with a maximum of 50 points up for grabs, take place at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.
Billy McConnell: “It’s been one of those meetings and a tough one for sure but the positive thing is that I’ve come away with a bigger lead in the championship. I saw that Graeme had pulled in during Saturday’s race and then it was a battle to bring the bike home but I got duffed up on the last lap and got pushed back to eighth, which obviously lost me some good points. It put us on the fourth row for today’s race and although the bike felt strong, the front group just disappeared and their pace was phenomenal. If you’re not with that front train, it’s tough but I’ve extended my lead so I’ll go to Brands Hatch which is a strong circuit for me, and look to seal everything with some podiums.”
Graeme Gowland: “It’s been a hard weekend and with not having tested here, it made Friday a hectic day in terms of set-up and the wet track on Saturday put us even further on the back foot. The technical problem in Saturday’s race was a massive disappointment for all of us and although I salvaged the weekend with fifth on Sunday, I really struggled with the set-up of the bike and just couldn’t perform as I’d have liked. I’ve lost a few more points to Billy but I’m still in the title race and with Brands Hatch being one of my best tracks, I’ll go there, come out fighting and give it everything I’ve got.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “We never saw this weekend coming and, after a strong free practice session on Friday, we were all feeling confident that we could compete strongly. We always knew it was going to rain on Saturday but we certainly didn’t expect it to have the impact it did although Graeme’s mechanical problem was just one of those things. Billy saw that Graeme was out and with him putting a lot of pressure on himself to win the title, it proved to be a difficult race for all of us. Although not the results that we wanted, we at least got two solid finishes in today’s race and, at the end of the day, we shouldn’t be too disheartened as we’re still lying first and second in the championship. We all knew it would come down to the final round so we’ll just go there and look to end the year in style.”
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race One – 9 laps
1 Alastair Seeley (Yamaha)
2 Taylor Mackenzie (Suzuki)
3 James Rispoli (Yamaha)
4 Luke Mossey (Triumph)
5 Sam Hornsey (Triumph)
6 Luke Jones (Triumph)
8 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
DNF Graeme Gowland (Smiths Racing Triumph)
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race Two – 12 laps
1 Glenn Irwin (Kawasaki)
2 Luke Stapleford (Triumph)
3 Luke Mossey (Triumph)
4 Alastair Seeley (Yamaha)
5 Graeme Gowland (Smiths Racing Triumph)
6 James Rispoli (Yamaha)
7 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
Championship Points (after eleven rounds)
1 McConnell 349pts
2 Gowland 331
3 Seeley 315
4 Irwin 270
5 Stapleford 250
6 Jones 247
More, from a press release issued by Luke Mossey Racing:
Luke Mossey
Podium at Silverstone
www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
It was another solid weekend for Luke Mossey and the Teccare Profile Triumph team at round 11 of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Silverstone Circuit. Luke gained a fourth and third place respectively in the two Supersport races.
Luke has always had good results at the GP circuit and was keen to continue his form here this weekend. He was fourth in the first free practice and first in second practice on Friday but with an overnight weather change Luke struggled during the wet qualifying session on Saturday and had to start the first sprint race from 18th place on the grid. He got a fantastic start and was up to 11th after lap one, he worked hard and rode one of his best races of the season to come through and finish in a stunning fourth position.
He started from seventh place for the main race on Sunday and was through to third by the end of the opening lap. By lap two he was in second position and fought hard to catch the leader Glenn Irwin, he brought the gap down from lap two of 1.4 seconds to 0.2 on lap eight. His team-mate Luke Stapleford and Alastair Seeley all began to catch the leader and soon it was a four bike battle for the win. Luke briefly took the lead and was soon being pushing by Stapleford for second place. The trio fought it out until the end and Luke crossed the line only 0.8 behind race winner Irwin.
Luke Mossey – “I was looking forward to coming to Silverstone and leaving with some good results. Once again the weather played its part and all my serious injuries have occurred in the wet so I always try and ensure I bring the bike home, my confidence is re building now and despite being so low on the grid I was able to work my way through the pack and was happy with fourth place after that.
I knew the conditions were set to be dry on Sunday and I was eager to try and take another win here. It just wasn’t to be Glenn (Irwin) really did ride well and hats off to him as I did try and make a few moves but each time he fought back. My team-mate was also locked in the battle and there were a couple of occasions where I had to brake suddenly to avoid any collision. It was a great race and I secured another podium, it’s such a shame I suffered a dislocated shoulder at the opening round of the Championship. I am looking forward to Brands and hope to end the season with a couple of podiums.
Personal Sponsors 2014
Sidi, Shoei, GB Racing, SMV, Teccare, Motul, Hel, Samco, Brembo, Gi-Moto, Doodson, Sabre Sport, K Tech, JMC, Krombacher
Twitter – LukeMossey12
Facebook – www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
More, from a press release issued by Gearlink Kawasaki:
Gearlink Kawasaki
Win for Irwin
www.facebook.com/GearlinkRacing
Motorpoint British Supersport
The weekend ended on a high for the Gearlink Kawasaki team in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at round 11 at Silverstone Circuit. Glenn Irwin was battling for the win in the first sprint race on Saturday when a technical problem forced him to retire; he made amends on Sunday taking a fantastic hard fought win. His team-mate Luke Hedger made huge progress this weekend and finished in 10th and eighth place respectively in the two races.
Glenn was consistently near the top of the time sheets throughout the weekend and went on to qualify on pole in shocking weather conditions. The heavens drowned the Silverstone Circuit on Saturday and proceedings were delayed by hours whilst the track was swept and made safe. Glenn had a huge moment in qualifying but was able to save it and went on to gain pole. He was looking strong for the opening race on Saturday afternoon, got a fantastic start and was locked in a tight battle with fellow Irishman and Championship rival Alastair Seeley. Glenn led for the opening four laps and then proceeded to swap paint work with Seeley until Glenn’s bike suffered a mechanical problem on lap seven forcing him out of the race.
Glenn was eager to change the situation on Sunday, starting from second place the young Irishman got a fantastic start and was straight to the front. He pulled an advantage of 1.4 seconds by lap two, he worked hard and his lap times were consistently within lap record pace. Glenn led the race from start to finish but by lap seven the gap was down to 0.4 from Luke Mossey, it became a four way battle with Glenn, Luke Mossey, Luke Stapleford and Alastair Seeley. Glenn kept his cool, dug deep and worked hard to win the race from Stapleford by 0.3.
Luke Hedger finally found his form this weekend at Silverstone and spent Friday trying to find a good set-up for the Gearlink Kawasaki. Despite this the qualifying on Saturday was wet and the 2013 Superstock 600 Champion struggled during the wet session and could only put the bike in 17th place on the grid. He got a brilliant start and was 13th after lap one, he progressed through to a strong 10th place finish. His lap time in race one secured his first front row position of third place for the main feature race on Sunday. The 18-year-old rode exceptionally well, gained a superb start and was second after lap one. He was fighting amongst some of the best British Supersport riders in the country and slipped to seventh at one point, only to lose out on the last lap to Championship leader Billy McConnell.
Glenn Irwin – “I’m so pleased I was able to take the win on Sunday as I was really disappointed on Saturday to suffer a problem with the bike. It is just one of them things and a real shame as everything felt perfect all weekend. The team worked really hard over night to put the spare engine in and provide me with a bike that was once again perfect for race two on Sunday.
I really wanted to make amends in the main race and I felt really comfortable and knew my times had been good all weekend and I just wanted to turn that into a result. Thank you so much Gearlink Kawasaki for the work they put in this weekend and so pleased I can repay them with a win, also to all the people that have helped and supported me up to now and really hope I can finish the season on a high note at Brands Hatch in a few weeks. That was a hard race and sometimes it is difficult at the front to keep the concentration, I lost my momentum at one point which allowed the other riders to bridge the gap but so glad I led every lap and once again all of us were on lap record pace. It was an enjoyable race and just really happy to take the win.”
Luke Hedger – “If you told me at the start of the weekend that I would have been on the front row for the main race I don’t think I would have believed it. Things just kept improving all weekend and I felt really comfortable in both races on the Gearlink Kawasaki. I tried my best in race two to stay with the front runners but I’ve never ridden in a race with some of those guys and like they say it’s tough at the top! I really enjoyed it though and it was great to be locked in a battle with them. I hope we can carry on moving forward like this to Brands and finish the year with two more solid results. Thanks again to the Gearlink Kawasaki team all my sponsors especially 1st Choice Flooring.”
It was another tough weekend for Ben Wilson in the MCE British Superbike Championship, in the wet practice session on Saturday Ben shut off the gas to avoid a slower rider, as he got back on the throttle it high sided him over the bars. Ben took a bang to the head, after morning warm-up he was taking to hospital for a CT scan, where he was diagnosed with concussion and needs to rest for a few days.
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “I’m so pleased for the two Supersport riders this weekend. Glenn has been strong in all the sessions, practice and qualifying, put it on pole and certainly showed his ability and potential to take the race win. Unfortunately a mechanical/electrical fault occurred which caused Glenn to lose power and be forced to withdraw from the race.
Luke struggled during the practice sessions and lost out in qualifying due to the poor weather conditions which put him in 17th but he rode really well in the race setting a time that secured him a front row position on Sunday. Luke really did ride a fantastic race which was amazing to watch, what Glenn did was just brilliant. He controlled the race from start to finish and his maturity and development this season really shone through. They were both on great form and I’m so pleased with the results they both achieved this weekend. Glenn has proved now he can race well and win in the dry and also wet conditions, we are really proud of the progress he has made this season.
In the Superbike class I really believe this weekend could have been a better weekend for us and Ben would have gone well in the mixed qualifying conditions but he was not 100% after a crash in free practice three. He was not feeling well on Sunday morning so we took him down to the hospital where he underwent a CT scan, he was diagnosed with concussion and slight bruising behind the eye.”
2014 GEARLINK TEAM SPONSORS
AKRAPOVIC – B & C EXPRESS – CN TRADING (GLENN) – DAYTONA (BEN) – DAMEN LEATHERS – DBR – FORCEFIELD – GALFER – GB RACING – GEARLINK LTD – GOODRIDGE – JAMES JAMIESON CONSTRUCTION (GLENN) – JOHNY WILLS PHOTOGRAPHY – K-TECH – KTtapeuk.co.uk – MARK TALBOT (GLENN) – MEGASTORE247 (GLENN) – MET HEALTHCARE (GLENN) – MWR AIR FILTERS – NGK SPARK PLUGS – OCTANORM – PERFORMANCE PARTS – PERFORMANCE FRICTION BRAKES – PRO CLEAN – PRO-BOLT – R & G RACING – RENTHAL – ROCK OIL – SAMCO SPORT – SHARK HELMETS – SHOEI HELMETS (LUKE) – SIDI (LUKE) – SIGMA PERFORMANCE – SINNIS – SKIDMARX – SOLO SIGNS – TIM TODD SURFACING – TSUBAKI – VALE LIVESTOCK – WWW.1STCHOICE-FLOORING.CO.UK (LUKE)
More, from a press release issued by Danny Buchan’s publicist:
BUCHAN CLINCHES 2014 PIRELLI NATIONAL SUPERSTOCK 1000 TITLE
Danny Buchan is the 2014 Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Champion. The 21-year-old clinched this year’s title with his eighth win of the season from pole position at Silverstone earlier today, much to the delight of his family, fans and Tsingtao Kawasaki team.
He now has an unassailable 33-point advantage going to Brands Hatch for the final round in a fortnight’s time with his Tsingtao Kawasaki team, but he will be looking to making it nine wins from twelve starts to end the season in style.
Buchan said afterwards: “I’m really happy to get the championship won here at Silverstone. It’s been an awesome year for myself and the Tsingtao Kawasaki team, and to come away with a strong win feels great. Massive thanks to my team, my family, my fans and everyone for believing in me – especially my personal sponsors who have been behind me since the start. It’s an amazing feeling and time to enjoy it.”
Race Results
Winner: Danny Buchan [Tsingtao Kawasaki]; 2nd – Jason O’Halloran [Honda] +3.003sec; 3rd – Hudson Kennaugh [BMW] +7.225sec; 4th – Josh Elliott [Kawasaki] + 7.956sec; 5th – Joe Burns [Kawasaki] +13.186sec
Championship Points
Danny Buchan 240 [champion]
Jason O’Halloran 207
Lee Jackson 158
Adam Jenkinson 103
Hudson Kennaugh 100
Filip Backlund 88
More, from a press release issued by Mar-Train Racing:
SEELEY TOP POINTS’ SCORER AT SILVERSTONE TO KEEP TITLE HOPES ALIVE
Alastair Seeley’s victory yesterday at Silverstone and fourth place today in the British Supersport Championship keeps him in with a fighting chance of retaining the title for Mar-Train Racing despite a 34-point deficit to series leader Billy McConnell.
Seeley was in the mix at the front of the field today, which saw a four-way battle for the win, but a lack of rear grip in the closing stages halted the former champion’s chances of making inroads on his second win of the weekend – although he still came up top points’ scorer over the two races
Alastair Seeley:
“We scored good solid points this weekend and I’ve been the highest points’ scorer for the past two race meetings. Finishing in front of the Smiths Triumph boys was the aim and we’ve achieved that. We had the least amount of track time through practice and struggled with rear grip in race two, so I couldn’t give it all I had. I’m looking forward to Brands Hatch now and with a 34 point gap [which is my favourite number] it might just be an omen! Thanks as always to the team and my sponsors.”
With the season now going down to the final two races at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time, we will have a season overview and preview from team principal Tim Martin this coming week.
British Supersport Championship, Silverstone, Feature race:
1: Glenn Irwin (Gearlink Kawasaki)
2: Luke Stapleford (Techcare Profile Triumph) + 0.330s
3: Luke Mossey (Profile Triumph) +0.882s
4: Alastair Seeley (MarTrain Yamaha) +0.967s
5: Graeme Gowland (Smiths Triumph) +8.021s
British Supersport Championship standings after Silverstone:
1: Billy McConnell (Smiths Triumph) 349 pts
2: Graeme Gowland (Smiths Triumph) 331
3: Alastair Seeley (MarTrain Yamaha) 315
4: Glenn Irwin (Gearlink Kawasaki) 270
5: Luke Stapleford (Techcare Profile Triumph) 250
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters continued his rise into becoming a British Superbike Championship top-six regular with solid finishes in today’s races during the penultimate round of the series at Silverstone as Taylor Mackenzie scored his first-ever podium in yesterday’s opening Supersport race aboard the GSX-R600.
Waters took seventh place from a fourth-row grid spot in the opening race and fought bravely aboard his GSX-R1000 for fifth in race two. His team-mate John Hopkins, unfortunately, had a weekend to forget, crashing out of the opening race and was later forced to sit-out race two, after a crack was discovered on his machine’s oil cooler on the sighting lap, which was the result of his crash in race one.
Mackenzie took his debut British Supersport podium during Saturday’s sprint race, finishing in second place after a nail-biting last-lap battle with American James Rispoli.
The 21-year-old Scottish rider made the most of his second-row grid position, immediately slotting into fourth place in the opening exchanges, but his battle with Rispoli was a race-long affair during the nine-lap encounter.
The American did lead on the final lap and the easy option for Mackenzie would have been to settle for third place, but a strong pass just a few corners from home offered up a deserved second place.
In Sunday’s second Supersport race, Mackenzie followed-up his debut British Supersport podium with a fighting 10th-place in the 12-lap feature race.
Josh Waters:
“If you had offered me a top-five finish in the dry at the start of the season I would have been peaking, but where we are now I want podiums and I could see it right in front of me in that second race. I can’t fault the team or the GSX-R1000 as it was superb today; the boys did a great job and my lap times were more consistent in race two. I’m pleased with top-five but I want to keep making progress and we can hopefully push on again at Brands Hatch for the final round.”
John Hopkins:
“Going into race one we knew we had our work cut-out for us due to making the wrong tyre choice in qualifying, leaving us to start from 16th on the grid . Either way, I was determined to get the best start possible and make my way to the front in the early laps before the leaders cleared off, which was going to plan up until I lost the front under hard-braking passing Westmoreland. Sadly that ended up being the end to yet another disappointing weekend after a mechanical issue left us unable to start race two. No one was at fault, it was just a very unlucky issue that couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Regardless, I’ve got to say a big thanks to the team and my mechanics for all the hard work and I honestly couldn’t be more determined to finishing-out the year on a high at Brands in just under two weeks’ time.”
Taylor Mackenzie:
“I don’t know what to say really but thanks to everyone at Tyco Suzuki for such a big effort. I’m delighted to get my first British Supersport podium and I had no ‘nose bleeds’ being in a podium position for most of the race.
“I just kept banging-in consistent lap times and even on that last lap I could have settled for third, but I wanted second for both myself and the team and I’m just delighted for everyone involved. The Tyco Suzuki GSX-R600 was brilliant throughout and it was great to finally get a bottle of champagne and a podium at such a top class venue.”
Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“That was another very satisfying pair of races from Josh Waters and he has now established himself as a consistent top-six challenger. For us as a team it is very satisfying to have brought him to this point after a disappointing introduction to the British Superbike Championship last year. His recent performances have also proved the strength of Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 package.
“For John it was another weekend where the potential promised so much and unfortunately we came away with nothing to show from the races.
“Taylor’s podium on Saturday was superb for everyone in the team and testament to the hard work both he and his family put into the sport, and his 10th place today doesn’t reflect the effort from the lad.”
British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, race one result:
1. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW) +0.084s
3. Josh Brookes (Yamaha) +0.368s
4. Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki) +17.952s
5. Stuart Easton (Kawasaki) +18.524s
6. Julien Da Costa (Honda) +18.572s
7. Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki) +18.924s
8. James Westmoreland (BMW) +19.454s
9. Peter Hickman (Honda) +19.490s
10. Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha) +20.387s
British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, race two result:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
2. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) +0.074s
3. James Ellison (Kawasaki) +10.008s
4. Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha) +10.101s
5. Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki) +13.766s
6. Stuart Easton (Kawasaki) +15.719s
7. Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki) +15.765s
8. Julien Da Costa (Honda) +15.967s
9. Peter Hickman (Honda) +18.278s
10. James Westmoreland (BMW) +21.791s
British Supersport Championship, Silverstone, Sprint race:
1: Alastair Seeley (Yamaha) 19m 53.944s
2: Taylor Mackenzie (Tyco Suzuki) +9.286s
3: James Rispoli (Yamaha) +9.683s
4: Luke Mossey (Triumph) +16.980s
5: Sam Hornsey (Triumph) +18.127s
More, from a press release issued by Michael Hill Promotions:
Uribe Seals 3rd Overall In BSB Motostar Championship With Silverstone Podium
A front row qualifying position, the first of his BSB Motostar career followed by a hard fought podium saw FPW Honda’s Jayson Uribe secure 3rd position in the overall championship standings with one round remaining.
Yesterday’s race at the legendary Silverstone circuit was always expected to be close and exciting after the weather played a part in the weekend’s on track action.
From the start Jayson was in contention and despite a tightly bunched group almost touching on several occasions Jayson kept his nerve riding another impressive and mature race to notch up his fifth podium of the season, and with it securing a top 3 finish in the British Championship.
It’s been an impressive season for the American youngster who is really making many people sit up and take note.
The race was however stopped early following a crash involving one of Jayson’s rivals, just as he was gearing up to attack for 2nd. Thankfully there was no serious injury to the rider concerned.
In addition to becoming the first American to finish inside the top 3 of the BSB Motostar end of season standings, Uribe also has the accolade of being the first rider using Pirelli tyres to stand on the podium in the class.
Looking ahead to the season finale at Brands Hatch with his final championship position sealed expect to see the ‘Patriot Pup’ once again giving it his all as he aims to add a final podium to his tally in what has already been a season of outstanding achievement.
Jayson Uribe – 3rd in the BSB Motostar Standings: “I had a great weekend at Silverstone. Everything ran smoothly and I had a blast riding the bike. We got our first ever front row start, and it was definitely awesome to be able to see clear track in front of me at the start. The race was intense from flag to flag and I definitely had fun riding with all of my friends. It was unfortunate that Jerol crashed causing the red flag, as I had been planning to make a last lap dash and pass both of them, but racing is racing and sometimes things don’t work out the way you want them to. I’m glad to be back on the podium and I’m happy to say that I am officially 3rd in the moto3 points! I can’t wait for Brands Hatch, hoping to be on the podium again.”