MCE British Superbike Championship with Pirelli Brands Hatch Indy Circuit Kent, England April 9, 2012 Race One Results (wet conditions, all on Pirelli tires): 1. Jon Kirkham, UK (Honda), 30 laps, 28:48.680 2. Alastair Seeley, UK (Suzuki), -0.136 second 3. Michael Rutter, UK (Kawasaki), -0.750 4. Ian Lowry, UK (Honda), -3.023 seconds 5. Gary Mason, UK (Kawasaki), -5.191 6. Tommy Bridewell, UK (BMW), -6.155 7. Shane Byrne, UK (Kawasaki), -6.284 8. James Westmoreland, UK (Honda), -8.813 9. Freddy Foray, France (Kawasaki), -9.145 10. Josh Brookes, Australia (Suzuki), -9.411, ran off track 11. Alex Polita, Italy (Ducati), -9.627 12. Chris Walker, UK (Kawasaki), -10.192 13. Noriyuki Haga, Japan (Yamaha), -11.636 14. Scott Smart, UK (Ducati), -12.169 15. James Hillier, UK (Kawasaki), -15.514 16. Peter Hickman, UK (Kawasaki), -18.511 17. Alex Lowes, UK (Honda), -20.271 18. John Laverty, UK (Aprilia), -29.925 19. Barry Burrell, UK (BMW), -31.928 20. Tom Tunstall, UK (Ducati), -32.213 21. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Suzuki), -54.151 22. Tommy Hill, UK (Yamaha), -3 laps, DNF, crash 23. Luke Quigley, UK (Honda), -6 laps, DNF 24. Abdulaziz Binladin, Saudi Arabia (Ducati), -14 laps, DNF 25. Dan Linfoot, UK (BMW), -17 laps, DNF, crash 26. Luca Scassa, Italy (Honda), -19 laps, DNF, crash 27. Tristan Palmer, UK (Honda), -21 laps, DNF 28. Stuart Easton, UK (Kawasaki), -22 laps, DNF, retired 29. Michael Laverty, UK (Honda), -30 laps, DNF, crash 30. Jenny Tinmouth, UK (Honda), -30 laps, DNF 31. Florian Marino, France (Aprilia), -30 laps, DNF, crash 32. Patric Muff, Switzerland (BMW), -30 laps, DNF, crash 33. Graeme Gowland, UK (Honda), -30 laps, DNF, crash More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision: MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1 Brands Hatch Indy Circuit 9 April KIRKHAM TAKES FIRST VICTORY OF 2012 SEASON Results Race one top six finishers: 1: Jon Kirkham (Samsung Honda) 28m 48.680s 2: Alastair Seeley (Tyco Suzuki) +0.136s 3: Michael Rutter (MSS Bathams Kawasaki) +0.750s 4: Ian Lowry (Padgetts Honda) +3.023s 5: Gary Mason (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +5.191s 6: Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) +6.155s Race two: Postponed track conditions Championship standings after round one: 1: Jon Kirkham (Samsung Honda) 25 2: Alastair Seeley (Tyco Suzuki) 20 3: Michael Rutter (MSS Bathams Kawasaki) 16 4: Ian Lowry (Padgetts Honda) 13 5: Gary Mason (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) 11 6: Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) 10 Report Jon Kirkham enjoyed a winning debut with the Samsung Honda team in the opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch but the Derby rider was denied the opportunity of challenging for a double victory by deteriorating conditions. Kirkham snatched the advantage back from Alastair Seeley on the final corner of the last lap and then won the dash to the line by 0.136secs at the end of a race of attrition that had seen a dozen riders slide out in the wet and cold. Pole starter Josh Brookes riding the Tyco Suzuki was outgunned at the start by Shane Byrne who forced his Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki into the lead from Kirkham on an opening lap that saw the Nissan GTR Safety Car quickly brought into action as first Graeme Gowland and Florian Marino and then Michael Laverty and Patric Muff tumbled in separate incidents. Kirkham took over out front on the sixth lap soon after the withdrawal of the Safety Car with Michael Rutter moving second on his Bathams MSS Kawasaki at the expense of Byrne. Gary Mason was strong in fifth on the Quattro Plant Kawasaki ahead of Tristan Palmer riding the GBmoto Honda and then Brookes. Seeley meanwhile was making up positions fast aboard the Tyco Suzuki and at one thirds distance he was up to fourth and attacking Byrne, taking third next time around and then challenging Rutter as the Safety Car again intervened as Dan Linfoot slid off, without injury. Kirkham, who had been six seconds clear, saw his lead radically reduced over Rutter and Seeley and once racing resumed Seeley was soon running in second place to set up a thrilling final end to the race. Kirkham was riding hard but Seeley was even more determined and going into Druids for the 22nd time he found a way through on the inside line to take the lead. Rutter was strong in third but Brookes lost ground as he ran wide across the grass after saving a near crash. Ian Lowry moved fourth on the Padgetts Honda ahead of Byrne and Supersonic BMW rider Tommy Bridewell, Mason and James Westmoreland on the WFR Honda. Seeley had the advantage but Kirkham was giving nothing away, trying to find a way back in front at Paddock Hill Bend but Seeley held him off. It was close and fierce but going through Clearways on the final lap Seeley momentarily slid out of line. Kirkham seized the moment, charging through to take the victory, his second in the championship. “He got into a big slide and I just held my breath and squirted the bike through,” said Kirkham. “I’m ecstatic my first race with the team, my second win in the championship, this is just perfect. ” Seeley, who had earned graduation back into the top flight on the back of winning the Supersport title last year, was relieved to hold on to his bike and finish second as he explained: “My tyres were moving about a bit as I tried to defend my lead but then the bike just broke away from me. I thought it was going to catapult me off but I held on, though I didn’t have the grip to get back at Kirkham.” Rutter took fourth ahead of Lowry, Mason and Bridewell. The second race was postponed following track contamination at the circuit. The previous Motorpoint British Supersport Championship was declared a result after several riders crashed unhurt and was subsequently red flagged. The Racesafe marshals and officials worked hard for an extensive period of time to clear the contamination which extended around the whole 1.2 mile circuit. The MCE BSB riders then were given an eight minute free practice session to evaluate the track conditions. However following a unanimous agreement the race will now be postponed to a later round. The Monster Energy Motostar British Championship will also be rescheduled. MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Series Director Stuart Higgs said: “We have worked very hard to clean the track after the contamination, the second such situation over the weekend, but it has been a unanimous decision by the riders, teams and officials to reschedule this race to another event. It is a terribly frustrating situation but safety remains paramount.” For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com More, from a press release issued by Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki: Solid points for Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki at BSB opener Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki got their 2012 British Superbike Championship season underway at Brands Hatch on Easter Monday and although one one race was held, due to heavy rain and fluid being spilled onto the circuit, both Chris Walker and James Hillier opened their campaign with points scoring finishes, the duo finishing in 12th and 15th place. Strong in the damp conditions during practice, Chris was looking good for a top ten position in qualifying and comfortably made it through to the second knockout stage. However, changes to the set-up meant he missed half of the second session and although he was getting quicker with each and every lap, he had to settle for 16th on the grid for the first race. Meanwhile, James was lying in 8th place in the first stage when he pitted for a change in rear tyre but having been shuffled back outside the top 20 whilst he was in the pits, a sudden rain shower meant he was unable to better his time. Subsequently, he started the first race in 24th place. Easter Monday dawned wet and meant the races were going to be extremely challenging with Chris’ cause in the first race not being aided by problems with the mapping, which made the bike very difficult to ride in the onditions. He was able to use his experience and move forward though, running as high as tenth at one stage, before becoming part of a five-rider group battling for 8th, eventually finishing in 12th. James was right on his back wheel in the first half of the race, and got as high as 12th, but a misting visor reduced both his visibility and pace in the closing stages and he crossed the line in 15th for a Championship point. The second race was due to be held later in the day but a crash in one of the supporting races resulted in oil and fuel being deposited on the circuit and this, combined with the rain, meant conditions were extremely dangerous. After a few sighting laps by a number of riders took place, consultation with the organisers led to the sensible decision being made to cancel the race and re-schedule for later in the year. Speaking afterwards, Walker said; “Overall, it’s been a very positive weekend. The team’s been impeccable and we’ve been on the pace all weekend, both in the dry and the wet, whilst the bike is certainly a match for everything else out there, from what we’ve seen so far, We’ve been chipping away at the set-up, making changes between each session and it’s improved the bike every time so we think we’ve now got a good base setting from where we can make minor adjustments. I was slightly disappointed not to have finished in the top ten in the first race as I didn’t make the most of our pace but we scored some solid points and it bodes well for the rest of the year. Regarding the second race cancellation, we’ve got some great people running BSB and they know when it’s right to race and when it’s not. They made the sensible, correct decision so we can all head to Thruxton in one piece.” Team-mate Hillier commented; “I’m pleased to have got some points and I was happy with my pace, especially running with Chris for much of the race. Conditions were really tough but I felt comfortable and was confident of finishing higher up the order. In the final third of the race though I was really struggling with my visibility; the visor misted up and there was water running down the inside so I only had a small area that I could see clearly through. I was pleased to get to the end of the race, stay upright and get some points. Safety has to come first in racing and the organisers made the right call cancelling the second race so I’m looking forward to the next round at my local circuit, Thruxton, and getting back in the points again.” Team manager/owner Pete Extance added; “I’m really pleased to get some decent points on the board this weekend in what can only be described as treacherous conditions. Staying upright was a feat in itself and although Chris had issues with the mapping of the bike in the first race, which we ran out of time to rectify after the sighting lap, he was fighting it out for 8th for the majority of the race. I was delighted with James’ ride especially as he kept the reigning Champion Tommy Hill at bay, the latter eventually crashing out so he was obviously trying hard. One of the major aims we set at the beginning of the year was to get him consistently in the points so it’s started exactly as we hoped. A lot of riders crashed out this weekend so when all the oil and fuel went down as well, cancelling the second race was the only option so we’re glad to have both riders home safely.” The next round of the Championship takes place at Hampshire, Thruxton with the meeting being held this weekend, April 13-15. More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: DIFFICULT START TO THE SEASON FOR SWAN YAMAHA AT BRANDS HATCH The Swan Yamaha team had a challenging start to their 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship campaign at Brands Hatch with just a single race taking place after conditions postponed race two at the Kent circuit. In the opening race of the season defending champion Tommy Hill struggled with a lack of rear grip and he slid off with three laps remaining at Graham Hill Bend unhurt. Noriyuki Haga also had a similar issue however he was able to score points in thirteenth position from his second row start. The second race was postponed to another round later in the season after an earlier incident contaminated the track. The Swan Yamaha team and both riders are now preparing for the next round of the championship at Thruxton in a few days time. Hill said: “It is a disappointing start to the season and I am gutted that we didn’t have a chance to try and make amends in the second race for myself, the team and the fans but the right decision was made as the conditions were bad. In the first race I had a bit of a problem with the rear and I knew something wasn’t right. I just struggled with rear grip and was trying to score some points and that isn’t what we wanted to do here. I crashed and it was unlucky but we had a problem with the rear shock and we then worked hard to resolve it for the second race but never got the chance to try it out in the end. We will now regroup and move on to Thruxton where we will be aiming for the podium again as I know we have the pace.” Haga said: “I am just super disappointed with the result and I wanted a better finish to the race for sure. I was having a problem with the rear grip and it was very slippery so it made it difficult to push hard and I wanted to get points and not crash. It did feel like a long race and it is a shame because if we had better feeling then we could have pushed more and then maybe had a better finish. The cold conditions didn’t help, but maybe we found a solution for the second race, but I was pleased that it was postponed as I think it was the best result in those conditions. I now look forward to Thruxton as I haven’t seen the circuit before.” Team manager Gary Ekerold concluded: “We had a difficult race one here at Brands Hatch and both Tommy and Noriyuki suffered with rear grip issues. It would appear that they were separate issues though as we believe Noriyuki’s was down to his tyre whereas Tommy had a rear shock problem. The Swan Yamaha team worked hard though and we believed we had solved it for the second race and were looking forward to making amends but we just didn’t get the opportunity. It was the right decision so now the team will move on to Thruxton where we intend to get our championship back on track.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Splitlath Redmond: SOLID START FOR SPLITLATH REDMOND RIDERS AT BRANDS HATCH THE Splitlath Redmond team return home after a solid start to the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, despite the postponement of the second race. Rider John Laverty scored an 18th place finish in his comeback race, while series newcomer Florian Marino was unlucky to have a coming together with another rider in the opening lap, crashing out of the race. For Laverty it was a big milestone in his comeback trail to complete his first race since his huge crash last July. “It definitely feels good to get that one out of the way and it wasn’t a bad race for me,” he said. “I just wanted to get a full race distance to get some good data and look to which areas we need to work on. “It felt nice being back out there and I think we have learnt a lot from the race. It would’ve been nice to have a second stab of it, but safety always comes first and I think the decision to postpone the second race was absolutely the correct one.” Marino meanwhile, had been keen to make an impression in his BSB debut. Starting from 20th on the grid he made a flying start, making up several places. But he had a collision with the WFR bike of Graeme Gowland in the opening lap, crashing out and hurting his arm. However this did nothing to curb his enthusiasm. “I am okay, it was one of those things I guess. I was upset that my first race ended like this but I am happy with my start and I think it could have been a good race for me had I not had this collision.” Both had been determined to make an even bigger impression in this afternoon’s second race, until it was cancelled due to track contamination following a crash in the earlier Motorpoint British Supersport Championship race. Team co-owner John Dimbylow praised both of his riders. “John has done an incredible job here today,” he said. “His recovery progress is almost unbelievable, and he rode a good, solid race. I’m looking forward to see how far he can progress at Thruxton next weekend. “As for Florian, well it’s been a tough weekend for him but he’s stuck at it and has really improved. He made a fantastic start and was right up to about 13th when he was taken down, and even though his arm was bleeding and clearly very sore, all he wanted to do was bandage it up and go out for the second race.” Co-owner Derek Redmond added: “It’s been an interesting opening round, and I think everyone has done a brilliant job. It’s a new team, the riders are new and everyone is working incredibly hard to make it work. “Florian was unlucky but he’ll bounce back stronger he was desperate to make amends in the second race. John was brilliant. He rode sensibly and kept a cool head when a lot of others crashed out. We’re all happy with how the whole team has performed. Bring on Round Two!” Round Two will get underway at Thruxton, Hampshire this coming Friday, April 13. More, from a press release issued by Honda: MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 01 MONDAY APRIL 9 BRANDS HATCH Weather: Persistent rain Temperature: Ambient 9 degrees C / Track 11 degrees C JON KIRKHAM WINS FIRST TIME OUT FOR SAMSUNG HONDA Jon Kirkham made a winning debut with the Samsung Honda team in the chill and damp of Brands Hatch amid a dramatic, incident packed opening race to the new season of MCE Insurance British Superbike action. The Derbyshire rider was always in contention in a race that saw his team-mate Michael Laverty slide out on the opening lap at the exit of Druids. Kirkham ran second to the former two times title winner and now Kawasaki rider Shane Byrne for the first five laps, run under the control of the Safety Car after four riders had tumbled in two incidents. Kirkham took the lead on the sixth lap at Druids and began to pull clear as Kawasaki’s Michael Rutter took over in second place from Byrne and by half distance was running some six seconds clear, but a further period of intervention by the Safety Car, as marshals dealt with a heavy tumble by Dan Linfoot, bunched the pack. Kirkham had it all to do again, and soon it was Suzuki mounted Alastair Seeley snapping at the exhaust of the Honda and the British Supersport Champion of last season nosed in front with eight laps to go at Druids, but was not able to pull any real advantage on the Honda rider. Kirkham looked for a way ahead at Paddock Hill Bend soon afterwards,but bided his time before capitalising on an error by Seeley whose Suzuki slid momentarily out of line at Clearways on the final lap. Kirkham nipped through and won the dash to the line by 0.136secs. Ian Lowry, riding for the Padgetts Honda team, took fourth place while the WFR Honda duo of James Westmoreland and Alex Lowes finished eighth and 17th respectively. Graeme Gowland on the third WFR Honda was a first lap tumbler while both GBmoto Honda riders Tristan Palmer and Luke Quigley slid out as did Padgetts Honda rider Luca Scassa. Jenny Tinmouth tipped off her Hardinge Sorrymate.com Honda on the sighting lap. Conditions deteriorated further with contamination, either fuel or oil, adding to the problems and the British Supersport racewas twice red-flagged before the result was declared after seven laps, giving the victory to Jack Kennedy, with only half points awarded. After a lengthy delay, and further close inspection by race officials, the Superbike riders were given eight minutes of free practice to ascertain their thoughts on the scheduled second race being held. The unanimous verdict was that it would not be wise to continue. Scassa spoke for many with his opinion: “The circuit feels very slippery and I do not think that it is safe to ride, therefore I do not think it is a good idea to race.” Race officials listened and agreed, postponing the race to a date still to be arranged. HONDA RIDER COMMENTS Jon Kirkham (Samsung Honda): Race result: 1st Championship position: 1st “I’m ecstatic to win my first race for the team, my first ride on a Honda in 12 years. I had the pace and decided to just keep it smooth. I knew there would be incidents, but when the Safety Car came out for the second time I’d got a lead of six or seven seconds. That went to nothing, but I thought ride your own race and try to get away again. But, Seeley, who was going well, nipped inside me at Druids and then managed to get away a bit from me. I tried to get him back at the first turn, getting as near as I could and then on the last lap, he got a big slide at the last corner and I held by breath and squirted through. Taking my second ever Superbike win was perfect.” Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda): Race result: DNF Championship position: “In the first race the rear end of the bike came round on me coming out of Druids. I landed back on the bike, but it was a strange one and I lowsided off. There it was treacherous with no grip and it was all rather frustrating. The bike was too damaged for me to go back out and try to get a time in to get a good grid position for the second race so I had to start from 29th. In the end, that did not matter. I went out, but there was no feeling. The circuit has been slippery all day and it has proved difficult to clean it up. To me, to race would be a recipe for disaster. There have been too many crashes today and we do not want to see any more.” RESULTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE RACE1: POS / RIDER / NAT / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / GAP 1 / Jon KIRKHAM / GBR / Honda – Samsung Honda / 28:48.680 / 2 / Alastair SEELEY / GBR / Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki / 28:48.816 / 0.136 3 / Michael RUTTER / GBR / Kawasaki – MSS Bathams Kawasaki / 28:49.430 / 0.750 4 / Ian LOWRY / GBR / Honda – Padgetts Racing / 28:51.703 / 3.023 5 / Gary MASON / GBR / Kawasaki – Quattro Plant Kawasaki Superbike Team / 28:53.871 / 5.191 6 / Tommy BRIDEWELL / GBR / BMW – Supersonic Racing Team / 28:54.835 / 6.155 7 / Shane BYRNE / GBR / Kawasaki – Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki / 28:54.964 / 6.284 8 / James WESTMORELAND / GBR / Honda – Team WFR / 28:57.493 / 8.813 9 / Freddy FORAY / FRA / Kawasaki – Quattro Plant Kawasaki Superbike Team / 28:57.825 / 9.145 10 / Josh BROOKES / AUS / Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki / 28:58.091 / 9.411 11 / Alex POLITA / ITA / Ducati – Jentin Doodson Motorsport / 28:58.307 / 9.627 12 / Chris WALKER / GBR / Kawasaki – Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing / 28:58.872 / 10.192 13 / Noriyuki HAGA / JPN / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 29:00.316 / 11.636 14 / Scott SMART / GBR / Ducati – Moto Rapido Racing / 29:00.849 / 12.169 15 / James HILLIER / GBR / Kawasaki – Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing / 29:04.194 / 15.514 Fastest lap: Alastair SEELEY GBR Suzuki – Tyco Suzuki lap 24 54.233 129.04 Km/h RACE2: Postponed until future date due to track conditions. CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE: 1 KIRKHAM 25, 2 SEELEY 20, 3 RUTTER 16, 4 LOWRY 13, 5 MASON 11, 6 BRIDEWELL 10, 7 BYRNE 9, 8 WESTMORELAND 8, 9 FORAY 7, 10 BROOKES 6, 11 POLITA 5, 12 WALKER 4, 13 HAGA 3, 14 SMART 2, 15 HILLIER 1.