HOPKINS DEFIES THE PAIN TO DOUBLE UP IN DRAMATIC START TO SHOWDOWN Results: Race one, 20 laps: 1.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 30m 17.023s 2.Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.480s 3.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.781s 4.Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +3.920s 5.Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +6.345s 6.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.281s Race two, 20 laps: 1.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 2.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +1.986s 3.Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +3.315s 4.Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +5.978s 5.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +8.324s 6.Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +12.236s Championship standings: 1.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 568 2.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 565 3.Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 543 4.Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 532 5.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 530 6.Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 518 Report: John Hopkins moved into the lead in the chase for the MCE Insurance British Superbike crown in a dramatic start to the Showdown at Donington Park. The Samsung Crescent Suzuki rider shrugged aside the pain of the broken fingers on his right hand to double up on wins as some of his Title Fighter riders faltered, giving him a slender three point advantage going into the penultimate round at Silverstone in two weeks time. Hopkins, bidding to become the first American to win the British crown, had to work hard as he doubled his winning tally in the series. In the opening race at the Leicestershire circuit he was running fourth of the opening lap adrift of fellow Title Fighters Michael Laverty, Shane Byrne and Tommy Hill, but next time around he was third. HM Plant Honda’s Byrne was making the running from Swan Yamaha’s Laverty while Hopkins duelled with Hill and by half distance the pack re-shuffled at Goddards as Hill tried to lunge into the lead. Laverty and Hopkins were the beneficiaries, running at the front of the pack and with four laps to go Hopkins barged in front to take the victory by half a second. Hopkins reflected: “The adrenalin kicks in and backs off the pain and that was one heck of a race, a lot of fun and it was a case of biding my time as I knew that I could be strong on the brakes at the end.” Laverty held off his team-mate Hill with Byrne fourth ahead of Samsung Crescent’s second rider Jon Kirkham with Relentless Suzuki’s Josh Brookes scoring vital points as Title Fighters packed five of the top six finishing positions. The one to miss out was reigning champion Ryuichi Kiyonari who pulled in with a technical problem which the HM Plant Honda team solved by an engine change ahead of the second race. Laverty made a determined start to the second race, taking the inside line into Redgate Corner on the opening lap, only to collide with Byrne, both crashed but managed to rejoin at the back of the pack. Hill, who has also had an engine change to his bike in between race, had the lead from Hopkins but not for long as the American charged ahead on the fifth lap before taking the victory, his fourth of the season, by a little under two seconds from Hill. “I had the pace and put the hammer down and was able to pull a bit of a gap on Tommy,” said Hopkins. “The pain in my hand was severe as the race progresses and I was please when I came round and saw only one lap to go on my pit-board. I have to thank the doctor for getting my fingers ready in three weeks. “These victories are very special as we remember the 9/11 tragedy, a special day of rememberance, it has been a fantastic day for me,” he added. Kirkham took third place ahead of Martin Jessopp aboard the Riders Solicitors Bathams Ducati with Brookes fifth from Kiyonari. Byrne salvaged eighth, six places ahead of Laverty. Graeme Gowland, riding the WFR Honda,won both races in the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO class ahead of his team-mate James Westmoreland while Glen Richards aboard the team’s third bike took third and fourth place finishes to move nearer to taking the title. For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: PODIUM FINISHES FOR SWAN YAMAHA AT DONINGTON PARK The Swan Yamaha team had mixed start to the Showdown as Tommy Hill claimed a double podium finish whilst Michael Laverty secured a second place before a crash left him out of the points in race two at Donington Park. The opening race of the day saw both Swan Yamaha riders in an epic dice for the first victory of the Showdown. Laverty had taken the early lead in the first race before Shane Byrne stole the position on the third lap. Laverty then dropped to third as Hill moved ahead but with four riders switching places after Hill made a move on Byrne at Goddards it gave Laverty the chance to take the lead. Laverty then maintained his position until the final threea laps when John Hopkins edged ahead and Laverty and Hill completed a double podium performance in second and third respectively. The second race almost ended prematurely for Laverty when he collided with Byrne at Redgate on the opening lap and as the pair ended in the gravel he then had to pick up the Swan Yamaha to try and salvage some points. He was able to finish in 14th position and set the fastest lap of the race in the process. Hill had taken the lead on the opening laps but was passed by Hopkins and despite his best efforts finished in second place to put him three points behind in the overall standings. Hill said: “I was gutted with the first race result today despite finishing on the podium as we just didn’t have the speed. The Swan Yamaha team changed the engine between races to see exactly what the problem was and how we could fix it for race two. We got into a rhythm over the opening laps and then the pace dropped off and I knew the guys behind us were closing in. I knew we had to do something so I made a lunge from about six bike lengths back and I didn’t quite make it. In the second race I saw Michael make a brave move when he dived for the apex. I just let them carry on as I knew what would happen. I settled down into a rhythm and John Hopkins came passed me and there wasn’t much I could do. It hasn’t been the worst weekend for me with two podiums but we needed wins and we need to change that at Silverstone.” Laverty said: “I was happy to be on the podium again in the first race. I got to the front but to be honest I was surprised when Shakey came passed me as I wasn’t sure he would have the pace after the way the weekend had gone for him. I let him run the pace and then I knew I had to get my finger out and make a move to get back in the lead. I passed Shakey with the melee at Goddards but then it was all a bit busy as we went into Redgate! I was on the outside but then I saw John Hopkins went for the same line so I took a chance on the inside and it paid off. I held John off for a few laps but I didn’t want to do something risky and end up in the gravel; there will be fairing bashing to come but I didn’t want to risk it in the first Showdown race! I was feeling confident for the second race and I wanted to get to the front as soon as possible. Shakey had done the same move in race one and we went for the apex but he hadn’t seen me. It is frustrating but it was a racing incident. It will be an uphill task now but we knew we had the pace which makes it even more disappointing. The pressure is slightly off me now as I can just try for wins rather than being too conservative but anything can still happen and I will fight until the bitter end for the title.” Team Manager Gary Ekerold said: “Coming off the three wins at Cadwell Park it was always going to be hard to manage expectations of the Swan Yamaha team but for Tommy it has been a great weekend with two podium finishes. Michael obviously had a disappointing second race but we have banked points for the championship and now we look ahead to Silverstone where we know we can be strong.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: John Hopkins and his GSX-R1000 Suzuki stormed to a dominant double victory today at the 10th round of the 2011 British Superbike Championship at Donington Park, putting him in the lead of the BSB Championship with just two rounds to go. Hopkins’ Samsung Crescent Racing team-mate Jon Kirkham was also in great form, fighting for podium finishes and placing 5-3 to strengthen his position as leader in the Rider’s Cup – the competition to be the best rider outside of the Showdown’s Title Fighters. John Hopkins: “This is a very special double-win for me. It’s good to come back from injury and to immediately win and to take over the Championship lead. But as well, this is a day of remembrance back at home for the victims of 9/11, so I’m thinking of those people and their families. This is my tribute to them. “We enjoyed some great racing today. I was careful to conserve my tyres in the first race and I let the opportunities come to me. Tommy Hill’s mistake when passing Shane Byrne played to my advantage and then it was just a matter of planning and waiting for the chance to pass Michael Laverty and that came four laps from home. I had plenty of pace left in the bike and in the tyres to take it from there. “The second race was actually harder: I got most of the racing done early. I was in the lead by the fourth lap, but the lack of distractions meant the pain in my fingers was very obvious. The bike was awesome though and from half-distance I was able to pull four-tenths a lap on Tommy and once we got to a two-second buffer, I just controlled it from there.” Jon Kirkham: “I’m really pleased. I was looking for two top-fives this weekend, so a fifth and a third is more than job-done. I got caught behind Ryuichi Kiyonari early in the first race and this let the leaders get away; it was only a matter of a couple of seconds, but it’s so hard to pull that back given the pace at the front. “The second race was brilliant fun. I could see from my pit board that I was being chased hard and when Kiyo slowed I had to pass quickly and make something of a break if it wasn’t going to get messy. I got my head down and from there to the end of the race I wouldn’t let my speed drop. So the gap grew quite comfortably and I was surprised at the end to see Tommy’s bike coming into view. To share the podium with John today was fantastic.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “It’s been a fantastic performance this weekend; from Hopper, JK and the whole team. Hopper went fastest in warm-up this morning and JK was fifth again and that told us we were well-set. In the races both riders seriously-impressed us. Hopper’s race craft in race one was brilliant; it was a masterful performance – patient when he needed to be, then so strong and decisive in his attacks. JK might have missed the jump with the leaders but his pace throughout the race was almost identical. “In the second race Hopper did his work early and settled in for the ride to the flag. JK had his hands full with some tough rivals but brilliantly came out on top; his lap times were within a tenth or two-tenths of Hopper’s and on occasion faster. Impressively, he maintained that right through to the last lap and given a couple more laps he’d have given Tommy Hill something of a surprise! “In all it’s been a brilliant weekend: To have Hopper leading the Championship and JK the Riders’ Cup is the best possible outcome. Now we look forward to Silverstone in a fortnight’s time. That’s a great track for us; Hopper set the fastest ever Superbike lap-time there earlier this year when we did the British WSB round, so we can expect more of what we saw this weekend from him. And with JK so resurgent, there’s every reason to be excited about our prospects.” MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Round Ten, Donington Park: Race one result: 1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) 2 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.480s 3 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.781s 4 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +3.920s 5 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +6.345s 6 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.281s 7 Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) +13.141s 8 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +18.578s 9 Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +22.154s 10 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +22.543s Race two result: 1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) 2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +1.986s 3 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +3.315s 4 Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +5.978s 5 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +8.324s 6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +12.236s 7 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +12.541s 8 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +22.445s 9 Chris Walker (Pr1mo Racing Kawasaki) +16.308s 10 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +26.746s MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings: 1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) 568 2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 565 3 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 543 4 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 532 5 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 530 6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 518 7 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) 172 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing’s Josh Brookes had a frustrating weekend at the Donington Park British Superbike Championship 10th round today, having to dig deep and fight hard for two top-six finishes in the Superbike Showdown. The GSX-R1000-mounted Australian will now look to re-group and come out fighting for podium-finishes at Silverstone in two weeks’ time Josh Brookes: “There’s not a lot to say really. I rode my backside off this weekend for fifth and sixth places. Everyone congratulated me at Brands when I won there, but that was easy: This weekend we rode really hard and got nothing for it. It just didn’t come good for us. All we can do now is prepare-well for Silverstone.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “Josh is obviously disappointed, as we all are, after fighting so hard to make the top-six for the Showdown. It’s frustrating to come away from Donington not having challenged the leaders, but Josh just couldn’t find a comfortable-enough set-up to give him the confidence to push that little bit extra. A crash on Friday was not the perfect way to start any weekend, but we’ll get some testing under our belt and come out firing on all cylinders at Silverstone.” British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, race one result: 1: John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Suzuki) 2: Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.480s 3: Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.781s 4: Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +3.920s 5: Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +6.345s 6: Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.281s 7: Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) +13.141s 8: James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +18.578s 9: Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +22.154s 10: Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +22.543s British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, race two result: 1: John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Suzuki) 2: Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +1.986s 3: Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +3.315s 4: Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +5.978s 5: Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +8.324s 6: Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +12.236s 7: James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +12.541s 8: Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +22.445s 9: Chris Walker (Pr1mo Racing Kawasaki) +16.308s 10: Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +26.746s British Superbike Championship standings after Donington Park: 1: John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Suzuki) 568 2: Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 565 3: Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 543 4: Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 532 5: Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 530 6: Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 518 More, from a press release issued by sorrymate.com Honda: Strong day at Donington for Ellison James Ellison enjoyed his best meeting to date since joining the sorrymate.com team for the British Superbike Championship and the Kendal ace took 7th and 8th in the two races held at Donington Park on Sunday. A strong qualifying performance was more than backed up with the two excellent top eight finishes and he was racing at the sharp end in both, just reward for some hard work by the entire squad. After qualifying in 10th, a good start to race 1 saw James go through the first Redgate Corner in 7th place but he lost out to Josh Brookes, Chris Walker and Peter Hickman through the Old Hairpin and McLeans section and so completed the lap in tenth place. However, he quickly regrouped and got past Walker on lap 3 and although the front pack had already opened up a good sized gap, a succession of quick laps saw James reel in reigning champion Ryuichi Kiyonari at the rate of six tenths of a second per lap. Sure enough, he swept by on lap 13 to move up into a strong 8th, a position he held until the chequered flag at the end of the 20 laps. Race 2 saw James make an even better start and sixth at the end of the opening lap bode well for the rest of the race. Although he was pushed back to 7th a lap later by Martin Jessopp, strong lap times saw him keep in touch with the group battling for third and he gradually reeled in the factory HM Plant Honda of reigning champion Kiyonari. Try as he might though, there was no way by the Japanese rider who was able to keep James at bay but he nevertheless came home in 7th for his best result with the team to date. Speaking afterwards, a pleased James said: “We’ve made good, steady progress again this weekend and it’s again been a case of chipping away with everything. Just like Cadwell last time out, we’ve improved the bike in each session and gone quicker each time we’ve gone out and that’s allowed me to run with the riders that I feel I should be running with. Everyone else has had practically a full season with their bike whilst we’re still trying to get everything dialled in but the lads in the team keep delivering the goods and it’s simply a great team to be with. The atmosphere is brilliant and it’s a really fun garage to be part of and with everything improving all the time, we’ll be looking for the same progress again next time out and do all we can to finish on the podium, which is what everyone connected to the team deserves.” Team owner Robin Croft added: “I’m really happy with how the weekend has gone and with James being on a high after his World Supersport result a week ago, he’s brought that confidence with him. We left Cadwell with the bike where we wanted it to be although a different circuit brings new challenges but James was in the top ten pretty much all weekend and was rewarded with two strong top eight finishes. The whole team are happy with the performances and results this weekend so it’s very much a case of onwards and upwards. It’s only James’ fourth meeting with us, which is easy to forget, but we’re making excellent progress and it’s great to have him in the team and we’re now edging ever closer to where we want to be.” The penultimate round of the championship takes place at Silverstone in two week’s time. More, from a press release issued by Splitlath Motorsport: SPLITLATH TAKES THE ROUGH WITH THE SMOOTH AT DONINGTON SPLITLATH Motorsport’s Karl Harris had a mixed weekend as the team made its Donington Park debut in the Mirror.co.uk BSB-Evo Championship. The Sheffield rider was flying solo this weekend as team-mate John Simpson decided to sit the meeting out due to injuries sustained in a crash at Cadwell Park last month, and instead concentrated on extending his lead in the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Cup. At a new track with no previous data to build on, the squad struggled with set-up and qualified 10th in Evo and 26th overall, with Harris confident he could make amends in the race. As Race One got underway early this afternoon, he got a good start but quickly realised his Aprilia RSV4 machine wasn’t handling well, and opted to pull in and make the necessary changes ahead of this afternoon’s second race. Having not had a chance to get a lap in, he was forced to start from the very back of the grid for Race Two. At the start he got a much cleaner getaway, searing past three other bikes as they charged down to Redgate. By the end of the first lap he had made up nine places and was lying seventh in Evo and 20th overall. He dropped to eighth briefly for a handful of laps but was soon back in seventh and was slowly reeling in the pack ahead. But disaster struck on the final lap. Harris was inching closer to David Anthony and Patric Muff just ahead when he ran out of fuel at Redgate and was unable to make it to the finish line. “It was a gutter that, especially after the good start I had,” he said. “After Race One I knew we had a big job on starting from the back of the grid, but I was up to 20th overall at the end of the first lap and I was confident we could get much further up. “We knew this would be a tough one for us because we’ve not been here before, but the changes the team made between races were a big step in the right direction. There was no way we could stretch another lap out of it so I had to pull off the track. It was just bad luck, one of those things. Team Principal John Dimbylow is already looking ahead to the next round at Silverstone in a fortnight. “We made improvements to the power of the bike but then we suffered set-up problems in the first race,” he said. “In the second he ran out of fuel on the final lap, which is frustrating but that’s racing. “Before the fuel problem hit, Karl was riding a great race. He did really, really well to come from the back of the grid and make up nine places in the first lap, and we’ve made further improvements and steps forward with the Aprilia. “We’ve got to take the best bits and learn from the bad bits and get on with it. We’ve got Silverstone to think about now and we’ll be doing as much work as we can over the next two weeks to get both Karl and John up fighting at the sharp end when we get there.” More, from a release issued by Marty Nutt’s publicist: Frustrating weekend for Nutt Castlerock’s Marty Nutt endured a frustrating weekend at Donington Park where he was competing in the latest round of the British Supersport 600cc Championship and all he had to show for his efforts was a solitary 14th place position. The Suzuki rider had looked on course for two good results but mechanical problems intervened and his results subsequently suffered. A solid performance in practice saw Marty qualify in 18th place for the first race although his pace was more refelective of a top 15 position, a mistake on a flying lap seeing him lose time in the final sector after running into the gravel at the Melbourne Loop. Subsequently, he lined up on the fifth row of the grid for Saturday’s 10-lap ‘Sprint race’ but he was into the points as soon as lap 4 when he overhauled John Simpson for 15th. A lap later he leapt up the order to 12th and although he was pushed back to 13th on lap 7, when Sam Warren retired a lap later, he was back up to 12th and challenging David Paton for 11th. However, any hopes of finishing in that position were dashed when an electrical problem in the closing stages saw him limp home in 14th place. With the 15th fastest lap of the race, Marty started Sunday’s feature 14-lap race on the fourth row of the grid and whilst he didn’t make the greatest of starts, he was soon running in the top 15 and inside the points. Part of a three-man group dicing for 12th, Marty was lying in 14th place when the red flag came out on the 11th lap due to rain falling on parts of the circuit. The race was subsequently restarted over 7 laps but it was only three laps old when Marty was forced to retire, the bike having gone onto three cylinders. Speaking afterwards, a disappointed Marty commented: “After the weekend at Cadwell, everything was looking up and I had high hopes for the weekend especially with Donington being a nice, flowing circuit that suits my style. Sadly though, things haven’t gone right for us and it’s proved to be a frustrating weekend. My own mistake cost me a better qualifying position but the first race was going well and I was looking good for 11th place until the bike started misfiring on the penultimate lap and I was powerless to stop riders from overtaking me. My pace felt good when I was riding on my own but when I was battling with other riders, I was being held up through the corners and it was compromising my race and it was the same again on Sunday. I was battling hard but not able to do the lap times I wanted although it all came to an end when the bike went off on one cylinder and the engine went flat. It was a disapppointing end to the weekend so we’ll head back to the workshop and look to put things right for Silverstone next time out.” The penultimate round of the British Supersport 600cc Championship takes place at Silverstone on September 23-25. More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: Points on the board for McGuinness John McGuinness made his return to the Mezteler National Superstock 1000cc Championship at Donington Park at the weekend and it proved to be a solid return for the Morecambe ace with a 12th place finish the outcome. The Padgetts Honda rider overcame a difficult first lap to move up the field to score points for the sixth time this season and maintain his position in the top 12 of the Championship. The weekend started steadily for John with 15th in the opening qualifying session but he took over half a second off his time in the second and final session and not only did he jump up the order to 12th place, he also closed the gap to pole position from 1.7s to 1.1s. Subsequently, he started the 15-lap race from the third row of the grid and with it being the last race on Sunday’s schedule, it was 5.35pm when it finally got underway. It soon proved to be a tough race for everyone and John’s was made more difficult by a sluggish start seeing him end the first lap back in 15th place, the outcome due to being overhauled by a number of riders in the first two corners. The pace car was soon out due to an incident on track and when it pulled in on lap 4, John found himself shuffled back further to 17th. Another safety car period took place between laps 9 and 12 and when the race resumed John was able to start advancing forward and get back in amongst the points on lap 13. With more incidents taking place in the final two laps, John jumped up the order further still and his hard work and effort was rewarded with 12 place and 4 points at the chequered flag. Speaking afterwards, a reflective John said: “It’s been a tough weekend for me and it took me a while to get dialled in during practice which was why I was further back than I would have liked in first qualifying. I got my head down for Q2 though and moved up inside the top 12 and was only a second off the pole position so I was certainly closer to the ball park. With the race being so late in the day, we all had a long wait and there was a lot of testosterone out there on the grid when the lights went green and I was just too cautious on the first lap. In this class, if you snooze, you lose and I had a poor couple of corners on the opening lap and dropped way back so it left me with a lot of work to do. There was also a lot of carnage out there from start to finish and that could be seen with a third of the grid failing to finish! I settled back into the race after my poor first lap although with all the safety car periods it was hard to get into a decent rhythm but I kept plugging away and moved forward as best I could. Marshall Neill’s bike in front of me looked like it was leaking a bit of oil so I just tried to keep out of trouble and bring the bike home. It was a scrappy race all round but I stayed upright and got some points so we’ll look forward now to the rest of the season. I’ve still got some big meetings coming up so there’s still plenty to aim for.” John’s next meeting though sees him make a return to the public roads with his annual visit to Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough where he’ll be competing once more in the International Gold Cup races. The meeting takes place next weekend, September 17-18. More, from a press release issued by AP Kawasaki: Top Tens For Russo And Booth At Donington As Hunt Misses Out Bad luck and misfortune denied AP Kawasaki the results they deserved at Donington Park this weekend but there were still a number of highs to take from the latest round of the Metzeler National Superstock 600cc and 1000cc Championships. Freddie Russo claimed his and the team’s first ever pole position in the Superstock 600 class and newest team member Michael Booth finished in a brilliant ninth place in the Superstock 1000cc category. Leon Hunt was also running in a strong top ten finish in the 1000cc race before being hit by another rider which caused him to retire. Brentwood rider Russo had been in superb form around the 2.5-mile GP circuit all weekend and duly lined up in pole position for Sunday’s 14-lap race after crashing out of Saturday’s rescheduled race held over from Oulton Park. Sunday gave him a second opportunity and a solid start saw him take third going into the first corner but he was pushed back to fifth by the end of the lap and it soon became apparent he had a problem. Unable to produce the lap times he had done in practice, Freddie gradually slipped back through the pack due to a throttle issue and he eventually finished in a disappointing ninth place. The Superstock 1000cc race saw mixed fortune for the two riders and whilst Brough, East Yorkshire rider Booth was able to fight his way through the pack from 18th to finish in a superb ninth place at the end of the 15 laps, team-mate Hunt from Brighton was denied an even better finish when he was hit from behind on lap nine whilst running strongly inside the top ten once more. Freddie Russo: “Saturday’s race was my fault, I was trying to keep a defensive line and was tighter than my usual line and I tucked the front so a big apology to the team. They did an awesome job in getting the bike ready but throughout Sunday’s race I was struggling with the throttle sticking open. It wasn’t wide open but it was enough to prevent me from braking where I wanted to and as a result, I was missing my apexes and running wide. I couldn’t push on as I would have liked and the riders in front just kept pulling away. It’s a really disappointing end to what should have been a great weekend and not at all how I wanted it to turn out.” Michael Booth: “I’m really happy with not only the result but how the whole weekend has gone and to finish inside the top ten is brilliant. We worked really hard all weekend on the set-up of the bike and it’s definitely the best it’s been for me so all I had to do was concentrate on riding it. I didn’t make the greatest of starts and lost a few positions but the safety car periods helped me and I was able to move forward each time and with my confidence increasing all the time I was able to make some good passes. I actually out-braked myself on the last lap and ended up taking people when I hadn’t intended to and ninth is a fantastic result. Each time I ride the bike, I’m making good progress and the team are absolutely brilliant so full credit to them.” Leon Hunt: “Everything had gone really well this weekend up until the race itself and luck just deserted us when it mattered most. I was struggling a bit for grip but felt comfortable inside the top ten only to be hit from behind by Jimmy Storrar. It crumpled all the exhaust and there was simply no way of continuing so it’s a real shame for myself and the whole team. I really like Donington so to come away with nothing from a weekend that promised a lot is very disappointing.” Alan Greig: “We came to Donington full of confidence and felt it would be a track that suited both of the bikes and practice proved that. Freddie was already on the front row for the Oulton race and put in a fantastic performance in qualifying to take his, and our, first ever pole position. Subsequently, we felt really good for the two races but Freddie just pushed that little bit hard and crashed out. He wanted to make up for it in Sunday’s race but suffered a small technical problem which hindered him throughout. I was thrilled that he stayed out there though and salvaged a top ten result and whilst it wasn’t the best result under the circumstances, it was a great effort. “In the 1000cc class, both Michael and Leon qualified well and although Michael’s still getting used to the bike, he rode brilliantly and to finish inside the top ten in only his second outing is a great effort. It should give him great confidence for Silverstone in two weeks time. Leon was all set for the top ten too only to be hit from behind by other riders and that’s the second time he’s been denied a top ten finish due to another rider’s error so luck simply wasn’t with him this weekend.” Metzeler National Superstock 600cc Championship race 1 (10 laps) 1 Keith Farmer (Yamaha) 16m07.584s 2 Glenn Irwin (Kawasaki) +0.295s 3 Deane Brown (Yamaha) +5.642s 4 Connor Behan (Kawasaki) +5.877s 5 Johnny Blackshaw (Triumph) +6.213s 6 Josh Wainwright (Suzuki) +12.480s 7 Jonathan Lodge (Triumph) +15.920s 8 Tom Fisher (Kawasaki) +15.988s 9 Ben Burke (Yamaha) +16.159s 10 Tim Hastings (Kawasaki) +18.671s DNF Freddie Russo (AP Kawasaki) Metzeler National Superstock 600cc Championship race 2 (14 laps) 1 Glenn Irwin (Kawasaki) 22m38.178s 2 Johnny Blackshaw (Triumph) +3.985s 3 Deane Brown (Yamaha) +6.549s 4 Josh Wainwright (Suzuki) +7.949s 5 James East (Yamaha) +8.169s 6 Keith Farmer (Yamaha) +10.233s 7 Ben Burke (Yamaha) +13.201s 8 Tom Fisher (Kawasaki) +13.759s 9 Freddie Russo (AP Kawasaki) +13.994s 10 Alex Olsen (Triumph) +14.214s Championship positions (after 10 rounds) 1 Farmer 177pts 2 Behan 119 3 Irwin 109 4 Brown 102 5 Russo 90 6 East 84 Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship race (15 laps) 1 Richard Cooper (BMW) 24m58.597s 2 Victor Cox (Kawasaki) +3.806s 3 Luke Quigley (BMW) +5.173s 4 David Johnson (BMW) +5.173s 5 Taylor Knapp (Kawasaki) +6.489s 6 Tristan Palmer (Honda) +7.041s 7 Jimmy Storrar (BMW) +9.294s 8 Jonathan Howarth (Kawasaki) +9.794s 9 Michael Booth (AP Kawasaki) +10.404s 10 Daniel Johnson (Kawasaki) +10.901s DNF Leon Hunt (AP Kawasaki) Championship positions (after 10 rounds) 1 Cooper 180.5pts 2 Buchan 135 3 Quigley 105 4 Palmer 96 5 Mainwaring 88 6 Jenkinson 86.5 15 Booth 34 18 Hunt 13 More, from a press release issued by Conor Cummins’ publicist: Donington delight for Cummins Conor Cummins’ determined riding of recent weeks was finally rewarded on Sunday when the Manx ace finished back inside the points at round 10 of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship. The Blackhorse Kawasaki rider put in another strong ride, this time around the Donington GP circuit and his, and the team’s efforts, throughout the three days of action saw them take 14th place and 2 well earned Championship points. With another different circuit to tackle on the new ZX-10R Kawasaki, Conor steadily improved his pace over the two days of practice and qualifying around the 2.5-mile Leicestershire venue and after placing 26th in the opening qualifying session on Friday, he was able to reduce his time considerably during the second and final session the next day. Indeed, a time of 1m35.175s saw him take almost a second off his time and it promoted him up to 23rd on the grid, good enough for a sixth row start. Sunday’s 15-lap race was the final race on a busy schedule but it finally got underway at 5.35pm and a good opening lap resulted in Conor moving up the order to 21st place. The safety car was soon out though due to an incident and when it pulled in at the end of lap 4, Conor began to put pressure on those riders in front of him. Indeed, on lap 7 he jumped up to 19th and this became 17th two laps later when Leon Hunt and Joe Burns disappeared from the action. In a race of high attrition, the safety car was again deployed from laps 10-12 and that meant it was a three-lap dash to the flag for the remainder of the 40-strong grid. With further incidents taking place out on the circuit, none more so than second and third placed riders Howie Mainwaring and Adam Jenkinson crashing out, Conor was promoted up the order to 14th and it was here where he finished, less than three seconds off a top ten finish. Speaking later, a pleased Conor said: “It started off as a really tough weekend but I really enjoyed the race and to come away with more points is really satisfying. I really struggled to get the bike set up during practice and the suspension was causing me a number of issues, being too soft on the front and too hard on the rear. I was running wide going into the corners and struggling for grip on the exits so it was hard on both counts but we made improvements all the time and after final qualifying we were a lot closer to where we wanted to be. It was quite windy out there but the bike was working well and I wanted to get points on the board again so I’m glad that I’ve been able to achieve that once more. Like I say, we were chasing our tails a but during practice and qualifying but we improved the bike and made progress all the time so I’m really chuffed to have scored points again especially as it was a really hectic race with a lot of the boys being all over the shop! It’s been a constructive weekend, one that’s had a good, happy ending and that means I can head to the next round at Silverstone with that added bit of confidence.” Conor now has a two-week break before his next outing with the penultimate round of the series taking place at Silverstone, Northants on September 23-25. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Alastair Seeley grabbed his third British Supersport double-victory of the season today at Donington Park, rounding out a faultless weekend on his Relentless Suzuki GSX-R600. In doing so he reduced the gap to 36 points on series leader Ben Wilson after his sixth and seventh wins this season in the Supersport class. After taking pole position and a race-one victory on Saturday, the diminutive Ulsterman added a two-part race win today and yet another fastest lap. He now believes the Championship will go all the way to the final race at Brands Hatch next month. Alastair Seeley: “Perfect weekends are hard to find but we ticked all the boxes and the ‘wee Suzuki’ never missed a beat. In today’s race I was contemplating not putting my hand up when it started to rain as I wanted to see it go two-thirds distance and get the result, but I also wanted to be safe and not sorry. All the hard work was undone, as it was re-started in a seven lap ‘dash for cash’ but we got away at the front again. “I was actually happy to hear a Triumph with me as I knew someone else was up there challenging Wilson. Iddon showed me a wheel or two, but I just defended my lines and when the red flag went out with three laps to go we had our second win. We’ve taken quite a good chunk out of Ben’s Championship lead this weekend and with a bit of luck we can take it right down to the last races at Brands, where I feel I’ll have a psychological advantage.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “It was another great weekend for Alastair. To take pole position, both race wins and both fastest laps, whilst also closing the gap in the Championship – you just can’t ask for more than that. Alastair rode faultlessly all weekend and proved he really is the right man for the job. Seven wins now also proves the strength of the GSX-R600 package, which we are constantly improving with time.” British Supersport Championship Race 2: 1: Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 2: Christian Iddon (Oxford TAG Triumph) + 0.128s 3: Paul Young (Oxford TAG Triumph) + 1.148s 4: Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) +3.210s 5: Billy McConnell (Oxford TAG Triumph) British Supersport Championship standings: 1: Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 391pts 2: Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 355pts 3: Billy McConnell (Oxford TAG Triumph) 200pts 4: Paul Young (Oxford TAG Triumph) 181pts 5: Sam Warren (Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton) 151pts