Strong weekend for Nutt at Knockhill Marty Nutt enjoyed his best weekend of racing so far this season when he took two top eight finishes at the latest round of the 2011 British Supersport Championship. Competing at Knockhill in Scotland, the Castlerock rider took 8th place on his Nuttravel.com/Dawn/T&G Suzuki in each of the two races to claim 16 well deserved points and move himself closer to the top ten in the overall standings. With wet conditions throughout the weekend, Marty was strong throughout free practice and a solid qualifying session saw him line up in 12th and on the third row of the grid for Saturday’s 18-lap race. Keeping out of trouble, Marty completed the first lap in 14th place but by lap 3 he was up to 12th, having overhauled Christian Iddon and Pauli Pekkanen, and was closing in on the top ten. He then overtook Billy McConnell and David Paton on laps 4 and 6 respectively to climb up to 10th and this soon became 9th when Jesse Trayler, who was half a second ahead of him, fell on lap 11. Comfortably ahead of McConnell, it looked like Marty would finish in 9th but he was promoted up the order when 8th placed Lee Johnston also crashed out and here he finished for another excellent 8 Championship points. With the 9th fastest lap of the race, Marty started from the advanced position of 9th for Sunday’s 20-lap dry race and although he lost places off the line, a determined first few corners saw him soon back up to ninth, a position that became 8th a lap later as he overtook TT winner Gary Johnson at the hairpin. For the next few laps, Marty battled for 7th place with Luke Mossey, eventually getting the better of him at half race distance and there was just 1.5s separating the five riders battling for 4th to 8th places. In the closing stages, Marty lost a bit of pace due to arm pump and was re-taken by Mossey but with Johnston crashing out on the final lap he was able to claim his second 8th place finish of the weekend. The results mean that Marty has now moved up to 14th place in the Championship table and well within reach of the top ten. Speaking after the second race, a pleased Marty said: “I’m very happy with how the weekend’s gone and we’ve been on the pace throughout. Since Thruxton, we’ve made a few changes to the bike, developing the engine some more and using some different electronics and it’s definitely been a step forward. Andy, my mechanic, made a good call on the chassis set-up this weekend too and the combination of it all allowed us make a significant step in the right direction. Obviously, conditions were pretty terrible for the first two days but we had a good pace and, more importantly, stayed upright so we were in a good frame of mind going into the two races. The bike was a match for anything else out there in both the wet and dry and the only issue I had was in the second half of the second race when I started to get really bad arm pump. My arms were solid and I was having to take it really steady in the first and last corners so I couldn’t do much when Mossey came by, I just had to let him go. I’ve picked up a good haul of points from the two races and the aim at the beginning of the season was to finish consistently inside the top ten so we’re a lot closer to achieveing that now and can go to the next round feeling confident for more of the same.” The next round of the British Supersport Championship will be held at Snetterton, Norfolk on July 1-3. More, from a press release issued by sorrymate.com Honda Tough weekend for Linfoot and sorrymate.com Honda Dan Linfoot and the sorrymate.com Honda team had a weekend to forget at Knockhill where they were competing in the latest round of the British Superbike Championship. Having shone so brightly at the previous round at Thruxton, everyone was hoping for more of the same at the Scottish venue but a lowly qualifying performance resulted in them only picking up one point from the two races. With Friday and Saturday being wet, Dan showed well in all three of the practice sessions placing 12th, 12th and 10th but conditions were more intermediate for qualifying and they stayed out with a wet tyre for too long on the drying track and tultimately ran out of time to come into the pits to change to an intermediate. Subsequently, Dan went out at the first stage of qualifying and lined up in a lowly 27th on the grid. Although race day was dry, starting from the seventh row of the grid around the tight, twisty circuit was always going to be a tough proposition and so it proved. A good start though saw Dan up to 22nd at the end of the first lap and when he’d moved up to 20th two laps later, the possibility of points was very much on the cards with just 2.5s splitting the group battling for 14th to 20th positions. However, with a third of the race still remaining, Dan was forced to retire although he had lapped slightly faster than a few other riders and so started the second race later in the day from the slightly more advanced spot of 22nd. A good start saw Dan immediately move up to 18th and by lap 3 he was up inisde the points in 14th. A number of spills brought the safety car out and when the racing resumed on lap 12 and the confusion settled down, Dan was running in a strong 10th place and with a good chance of salvaging something from the weekend. As the race wore on though, it was clear he didn’t have as good a set-up as those riders around him and with traction and grip minimal he was powerless to do anything in the closing stages of the race, eventually crossing the line in 15th spot for one solitary Championship point. Speaking afterwards, a disappointed team manager Robin Croft commented: “It’s definitely been a weekend to forget. It started quite positively and we found the perfect wet set-up for Dan and the bike and were never out of the top 12 but qualifying saw slightly more intermediate conditions and we simply got caught out by the clock. We stayed out for too long on the wet tyre and by the time we made the move to change, we ran out of time. That meant we were way back on the grid and although race day was dry, the short morning warm-up didn’t give us enough time to get the bike set up properly for the conditions. It was obviously the same for everyone else out there but we just seemed to struggle that bit more than the opposition and this could be seen in the second race when riders were queuing up behind Dan after about 20 laps. To only get one point is hugely disappointing but we’re still in one piece so all we can do is put the weekend behind us, learn from it and move on to the next round at Snetterton with renewed enthusiasm.” The next round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Snetterton on July 1-3. More, from a press release issued by Supersonic Racing Team: Three points and a crash for Maxime Berger in Motorland Aragon The seventh round of the World Championship Superbike brings the Supersonic Racing Team at Motorland Aragon. Maxime will start from the fifteenth position, fourth row and on a sunny and warm track. Unfortunately, Maxime could not find the good feeling anymore with the bike that brought him to the eight position during the qualifying. The French rider struggled and finished on the thirteenth place. Rider and team had expected something more and the expectations for the second race were high. Unfortunately, in the first round, when all riders are still in a group, Maxime Berger came in contact with Troy Corser and both riders fell. Thankfully Maxime was not hurt, while Troy Corser was brought to the Clinica Mobile for a suspected fractured arm. The weekend ended after a rather smoothly start. The team from Danilo Soncini is now already thinking about the next trip to Brno to achieve better results than those from today in Spain. Maxime Berger: “In race one, we probably did not made “‹”‹the right choice about the tires and I had some difficulty during the first laps with the full tank, so I lost some time. Once the tank was not full anymore, the bike improved and I was able to increase my pace but I had to settle for thirteenth place. In the second race, I found myself caught up in a group of riders who came in contact in the same curve. I tried to avoid falling and moved out of the track, but unfortunately my bike touched Troy Corser and we have fallen. I am very sorry for Corser, but I hade no responsibility for what happened. Apart from the results today, we came back from Spain knowing that we have taken a good step forward and that we have chosen the right path in finding the best setup for my Ducati. Now we need to repeat the excellent performances in the races that we achieve in practice. Thanks to my team for their hard work and all the sponsors who are supporting us.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Relentless Suzuki by TAS rider Josh Brookes started Sunday’s British Superbike Championship first race at Knockhill in Fife on a positive note, carving his GSX-R1000 through into fifth place. But luck deserted him in race two when he was forced to demonstrate his off-road motocross skills twice while avoiding incidents involving other riders. Although the Australian miraculously stayed on two wheels, he had to fight from the back of the pack to scrape in some points with 13th position on his mud-caked GSX-R1000 Superbike. Josh Brookes: “I have to be honest and say I’m coming away from Knockhill very frustrated after we looked to be making progress throughout practice and even into race one. We are still making minor adjustments to get the Suzuki to suit my style, but I’m beginning to rediscover my confidence and was looking for a stronger result in race two. Unfortunately a stop-start race two with a number of incidents forced me to the back of the pack and I had to fight through to score just a few points. Someone said I was lucky to stay upright, but I don’t see much luck in finishing so far back.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “It’s been a frustrating weekend all round for us. Josh has seen his run of bad luck continue at Knockhill where in all honesty, we did expect to see a turnaround. He was not far off the pace but again a couple of crashes made our weekend more difficult than it should have been. Race one was a solid result and in race two nothing went his way. It’s clear to see we have not yet found the pace we are looking for from Josh so it’s time to hit the test track and find a solution.” BSB Race 1 [30 laps]: 1 Tommy Hill [Yamaha]; 2 John Hopkins [Suzuki] +8.907sec; 3 Shane Byrne [Honda] +9.123; 4 Gary Mason [Kawasaki] +15.354; 5 Josh Brookes [Relentless Suzuki by TAS] +21.816; 6 Michael Laverty [Yamaha] +21.823. BSB Race 2 [30 laps]: 1 Tommy Hill [Yamaha]; 2 Shane Byrne [Honda] +2.464sec; 3 Michael Laverty [Yamaha] +2.728; 4 Ryuichi Kiyonari [Honda] +10.983; 5 James Westmoreland [Yamaha] +17.370; 6 Gary Mason [Kawasaki] +18.557. 13 Josh Brookes [Relentless Suzuki by TAS]. More, from another press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Alastair Seeley continued his rich vein of form on Sunday at Knockhill in Scotland taking his second podium of the weekend in the British Championship Supersport class and putting his Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing GSX-R600 on the second step of the podium. The 20-lap Supersport encounter was undoubtedly the ‘race of the day’ at round five of the BSB Championship with Seeley giving maximum effort in very difficult conditions after a brief shower of rain made the 1.2-mile circuit treacherous is places. He fought right to the end with series leader Ben Wilson, losing out by just 0.222 of a second at the chequered flag. Alastair Seeley: “Ben rode hard and tried to pull the pin after just a few laps, but my pace has been pretty consistent on the GSX-R600 so I was confident of pegging him back. I was catching him all the time but I could also see about five back markers in front of us. I knew I needed to be on his bumper and I closed right up; then when he got held up I got through to take the lead. He’s so aggressive and got back in front, but when he made a mistake into the last corner on the last lap I wasn’t quite close enough to capitalise. It’s solid points again and it only takes a DNF over the next lot of races from him and I’m right back in it. I’ll go home now and make a game-plan for the next round but I’m happy enough.” Philip Neill – Team Manager “It was great to see Alastair keep his consistent run going, especially as it was a difficult weekend weather-wise for everyone. He has proved wet or dry that he has the pace and his lap times were exceptional today, which are testament to the quality of rider/ bike combination on the GSX-R600. It’s still early days for the new bike. We are not half-way through the season yet and will be expecting more updates in the coming weeks, so with a bit of hard work I’m confident we will see more Alastair Seeley wins this season. British Supersport Race 2 [20 laps]: 1 Ben Wilson [Kawasaki]; 2 Alastair Seeley [Relentless Suzuki by TAS] +0.222sec; 3 Christian Iddon [Triumph] +14.189; 4 Luke Stapleford [Kawasaki] +17.773; 5 Paul Young [Triumph] +20.079; 6 Jesse Trayler [Kawasaki] +20.667. More, from a press release issued by Moto Rapido Ducati: DOUBLE PODIUM FOR MOTO RAPIDO DUCATI IN SCOTLAND Moto Rapido Ducati’s Scott Smart scored a double British Superbike Evo podium at Knockhill yesterday, taking third place in the opening race and then going one better in the afternoon’s second outing. Smart showed good pace during free practice and qualifying, which were all in wet conditions, but come Sunday the heavens remained shut and both races were held on a dry track. Race one saw the 36-year-old Maidstone rider get a good start and give the full-spec Superbike men a hard time but a small error dropped him down the order at the end. He was still over the moon with third place as there was no dry weather data to use for the race so he and the team were using best guesses. In the second leg, Smart fought his way into the Evo class lead, and close to the overall top ten, but lost his rhythm mid-race and couldn’t find a way past Dan Linfoot’s non-Evo machine. Simon Andrews found a passing place at McIntyre’s and got past them. Smart eventually passed the young Yorkshireman but ran out of laps to chase down Andrews, who took the win. “It was easily the best weekend we have had so far and I should have won the second race. I just lost my way mid-race and then I just could not find a way past Dan Linfoot. The only place it was close was where his full Superbike had the advantage over our Evo bike but I got past eventually,” said Smart. “By then, Simon had gone. I’m kind of ruing that mistake but two trophies and big bag of points is a great result for the whole team and me. It makes the long drive here and back worth it.” Team manager Steve Moore summed up: “Knockhill has always been a good track for Scott but we weren’t expecting two big trophies. We had to gamble with setup for the first race as we only had a few laps in warm-up to gather any data but it paid off. “Scott rode well in both races, the bike didn’t miss a beat and we are over the moon to be going home with a brace of podiums. It’s a great reward for all the hard work put in by the team and the faith shown by our sponsors.” More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport: High Fives For Kawasaki At Aragon The Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team recorded their strongest finish of the season when round seven of the World Superbike Championship took place at Aragon in Spain at the weekend. Aboard the Paul Bird Motorsport Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10Rs, Joan Lascorz celebrated the first race meeting at his home circuit with a seventh and a fifth place, his best combined points score of the season so far, whereas British rider Tom Sykes, who started from fifth place on the grid, took fifth position in race one before sliding off in the second race. Aussie Chris Vermeulen also found his first race meeting at the impressive new facility of Motorland Aragon a game of two contrasting halves. He scored 12th in race one despite losing many places in the early laps before battling to 14th and more important points in race two. In the championship going into the next round at Brno in three weeks’ time, Sykes is 13th, Lascorz 14th and only three points behind, with Vermeulen holding 19th. Tom Sykes: “Again there are some positives in that I have been in the top five all weekend. In race one, I came home fifth and in race two I went down but we were still racing in a good position. We came away with good levels of performance during a dry weekend which is another big positive. We will do the test in Aragon now to be ready for the Brno race and we have a lot to test. Brno is a fantastic circuit that I love and hopefully the new Ninja ZX-10R will work well there as well.” Joan Lascorz: “I was fifth in race two and it was the same position I took at Donington but I was much closer to the top positions here. We had some laps of testing before but not many so this was really a new circuit for me in qualifying, so we did a good job. My crew chief gave me a good setting for the second race, and persuaded me not to go for the softer rear tyre, so I used the same B tyre in each race. It was a good decision in race two. We were only five seconds from the podium in race two, and it was not only me, Tom was also very fast this weekend.” Chris Vermeulen: “In race one, I got quite a good start but then was boxed in on the first lap and I actually went back to last place. But I passed quite a few of them and our pace was quite good in the middle of the race, the same as that of the fifth to seventh place guys. I managed to get up to 12th in the last couple of laps but in race two our set-up and tyre choice was exactly the same and didn’t work as well in the hot conditions.” Paul Bird: “That’s the second weekend running we have had a couple of decent results so it feels at long last like we are making progress. All of the riders rode well and the team did a great job so it’s important we kick on from here and continue this momentum into Brno next month.” Results – Race One 1, M Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) 2, M Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 3, L Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 4, E Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) 5, T Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 6, N Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) 7, J Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 8, A Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) 9, L Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 10, T Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)} 12, C Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) Results – Race Two 1, M Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 2, M Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) 3, C Checa (Althea Racing) 4, M Fabrizio (Team Suzuki Alstare) 5, J Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) 6, E Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) 7, N Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) 8, L Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 9, L Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 10, A Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) 14, C Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) DNF T Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Championship Standings (After round 7) 1, C Checa 261pts 2, M Biaggi 218 3, M Melandri 195 4, E Laverty 146 5, L Camier 125 6, L Haslam 120 7, M Fabrizio 108 8, J Rea 94 9, N Haga 89 10, A Badovini 86 13, T Sykes 76 14, J Lascorz 73 19, C Vermeulen 14 More, from a press release issued by Gino Rea’s publicist: Gino 6th in Aragon World Supersport Race Gino Rea improved from 12th on the grid to finish Sundays World Supersport race in 6th, almost clinching 5th on the final lap. ‘Speedy G’ made a clean pass into the hairpin for 5th but was hit into on the corner exit by Italian rider Tamburini. Gino made his trademark ‘Speedy G’ start from 12th on the grid but struggled in the first few laps, having to adapt to the bikes settings. At midway point Gino overtook Hanspree Ten Kate’s Foret for 5th but Yamaha’s Tamburini came past both riders. Gino sat behind until the final lap where he made a pass on the brakes into the 1st gear hairpin, unfortunately Tamburini made an aggressive attack back making contact with Rea leaving him nowhere to go. Gino had no option but to settle for 6th, the 2nd Honda rider across the finish line with two Yamaha’s and two Kawasaki’s in front. Gino’s comments: “I’m still sat here quite frustrated to be honest, yea it’s points on board but for one; I should have been 5th and two; I want to be on podium. I know I can be on the podium but at the moment there’s a few things we need to improve to be able to get there. This time last year I would have been happy with a 5th or 6th place but now I feel and know I’m capable of more so I expectmore. The weekend was going well until a couple of issues in qualifying left us in 12th, so to come through the pack to 5th and beat two Hanspree Ten Kate Honda’s are positive points to take on board. The team done a great job this weekend so thanks to everyone for their work. “My team is Czech based so the next one at Brno is their home race, last year I just missed the podium there so I’ll be going all out to get on the box. My elbows better get even wider!” The next World Supersport race takes place at Brno, Czech republic in three weeks time on 10th july. More, from a press release issued by Conor Cummins’ publicist: Job done for Cummins at TT; no luck at Knockhill It’s been a busy part of the season for Conor Cummins with two weeks of action at the Isle of Man TT Races immediately followed by round 5 of the Metzeler National 1000cc Superstock Championship and the Manxman was well to the fore at both, his return to the TT both pleasing and positive given the injuries sustained there 12 months ago. His Island comeback was impressive, to say the least, and although he suffered mechanical problems during both practice week and in three of the five races, his pace was certainly quick and he was almost ever present in the top ten when he was circulating. An opening lap of 126.662mph in the Superbike race was a superb effort and he was up into 9th on lap 4 when the engine went sick and he was forced to retire. Monday afternoon’s Supersport race saw another retirement, this time on the final lap when in 9th once more, but he got his first finish of the week in the 4-lap Superstock race later that day. With a succession of 123mph+ laps, Conor took a fine 12th place for another silver replica and things went better still in the second Supersport race when he finished in an excellent 6th place, something no one would have thought possible 12 months previous. His TT did finish on a low note, sadly, when he suffered his third retirement in the Senior race but it was most definitely a case of ‘job done’ around the Mountain Circuit this year. “My goal all along was to get to the first night of practice at the TT and by completing my first lap on the opening night, I’d achieved it and anything else was going to be a bonus – and as it turned out, I achieved far more than I thought possible. We suffered a lot during practice week with mechanical problems and I was stuck out on the course a couple of times, which was obviously no-one’s fault, just one of those things. We were up against it but once we got to race week, I just got on with the job and was chuffed to bits with how I performed. If anyone had said beforehand that I’d finish 6th in one of the Supersport races, I’d have chuckled! I was running inside the top ten in nearly of all my races and whilst the DNFs were disappointing, that’s how the TT can be, it’s tough on everything! I got faster and faster throughout the fortnight though and, like I say, I was really pleased with the results I did get.” At the end of the fortnight, Conor was also awarded the 2011 Spirit of TT Award, following in the footsteps of the 2010 winner Paul Owen, in light of his comeback from injuries and desire and commitment to return to racing on the Mountain Circuit. Commenting on the award, and his battle back to fitness, Conor said: “It’s meant everything to me to be back on the bike racing at the TT. I’ve worked really hard since the accident and it means a lot to me to win this award, especially as it’s sponsored by Pokerstars, one of my personal sponsors. I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of all my friends and family and all of my sponsors who stood by me during my recovery.” It was then back to short circuit action for Conor as he linked up with the Blackhorse Kawasaki team once more for round 5 of the Metzeler National 1000cc Superstock Championship. Held at Knockhill in Scotland, the vast amount of riding Conor had done at the TT had certainly paid dividends for his short circuit aspirations and he was immediately running in the top 15. Indeed, riding smoothly in the wet conditions, Conor qualified in an excellent 11th place and was hopeful of scoring his first points of the season in the 24-lap race. However, it all went wrong on the first lap when he was the innocent victim of a seven man pile up that also included TT legend John McGuinness. Battered and bruised in the spill, Conor had to make a trip to the medical centre for a check up and although nothing was broken, he had to sit out the re-start. “All the mileage at the TT really helped me so when I got to Knockhill, everything clicked straightaway. Obviously the conditions made it more of a level playing field as I’m still nowhere near fully fit but it was without doubt my best weekend on the short circuits so far. I felt really good on the bike and it was nice to be running inside the top 12 with the riders I’m usually running with. My luck ran out in the race though when Jason O’Halloran crashed and his bike collected me and about 5 other riders and it’s fair to say I’m a bit sore from the crash as I got caught up with the bike and hit the deck fairly hard. The medics at the circuit looked after me really well and nothing’s broken so I’ll just rest up now before the next round. It was a very positive weekend though in terms of how I was performing so there’s a lot to be encouraged by and I can now just press on at the next round and look to get the result I feel I’m now capable of.” The next round of the Superstock series is on July 1-3 at Snetterton, Norfolk. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS CELEBRATES A PODIUM FINISH AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK Birmingham, AL The Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) team celebrated a podium finish for rider Ben Bostrom, while his teammate, Roger Lee Hayden, joined Bostrom in front-of-the-pack racing during a hot and steamy weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, the fifth stop of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship. Bostrom’s second place was the MJM team’s best result of the season and was part of a Suzuki sweep of the podium in Saturday’s race, underlining the team’s significant progress in setting up their potent Suzuki GSX-R1000s. After a red flag was thrown for a brief rain shower, Saturday’s race was restarted and Jordan Suzuki’s Ben Bostrom quickly moved into the lead pack. With eight laps remaining, Bostrom took over second place. On Sunday, Bostrom followed teammate Hayden up to the lead pack and finished in a solid fifth place, which also moved him up to fifth place in the championship. “A huge thanks to the Jordan Motorsports boys,” commented Bostrom. “The results were not what I hoped, but the bike has really come together and now the rider has to step it up. We’ve struggled for a few events for sure and it’s nice to have fun riding again. We’ve got a few weeks off to ready ourselves for Mid-Ohio, where I’m sure the Jordan bike should be at the front. The bike is ready, the rider needs a little work and we will have a winner. I like Mid-Ohio and so do the Suzukis, so let’s see if we can sweep another podium in three weeks.” In Saturday’s red flag-interrupted race, National Guard Jordan Suzuki rider Roger Lee Hayden ran with the leaders in the dry, then again moved to the front and led the race on the wet track before sliding back to a sixth-place finish. On Sunday, Hayden used his front row starting position to get away with the leaders, running with them in fourth place until he crashed, unhurt, in turn one at the start of lap 14. Hayden remains in seventh place in the championship points race. “We qualified on the front row and had a pretty good pace going before the red flag,” said Hayden about Saturday’s race. “When the rain came, I just didn’t have a good feeling with the rain tires. In Sunday’s race, I got a decent start and was right there with the top three guys and then I made a huge mistake. I went back an extra gear for turn six and had to run through the grass, and I fell back to sixth. I put my head down and ran the leaders down, caught them with seven laps to go, and made a mistake going into turn one. The back end came around on me and that was the end of my race. Hats off to the team; they’re really working hard and every weekend is getting better.” The Michael Jordan Motorsports team’s next event of the 2011 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship series is at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH on July 8-10, 2011. More, from a press release issued by Bike Interceptor Yamaha: Sam Warren experienced the highs and lows of racing as the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport championship headed north of the border for round five at Knockhill Circuit (17-19 June). With rain forecast for the vast majority of the weekend, Sam utilised all of his vast armoury of Supermoto skills to conquer the ‘Hill’ in Saturday’s Supersport Qualifying and Sprint. His commanding performances secured Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton’s debut pole position and race victory. Saturday morning’s Qualifying session had shown early glimpses of Sam’s true potential as a wet weather specialist, posting his maiden pole position by over seven tenths of a second from Championship leader Ben Wilson. Seeley made the early running from the lights in the 18 lap Sprint, with Sam losing a few places in the opening exchanges. However, this stood the 29 year old in good stead as he cleared his head and got down to business, passing Wilson on lap four, then hunting down the Suzuki rider for the lead. sam_warren_knockhill_r.jpgMaking the move on lap nine, Sam took control of proceedings, displaying an extraordinary ability of balance and control over his Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton R6, as he powered clear of the field to claim his and the team’s maiden British Supersport victory by over 3 seconds. Not only was this Sam’s and Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton’s first win in the class, but also Yamaha’s first Supersport victory of the 2011 campaign. With the win came the fastest lap of 54.590s, and Sam’s second pole position of the weekend. Expectations were high for another strong podium finish for the Derbyshire based rider in the main 25 lap event. However, the sky turned black with large rain clouds heading across the Forth Bridge in the direction of Knockhill in the minutes prior to the start. Race control signaled a delay and reduction in laps to 20 as teams and riders debated tyre selection and weather conditions. Finally, the field set off for the two warm-up laps. As Sam rounded the bottom of the circuit for the first time, his Pirellis kissed the greasy white line before unceremoniously dumping Sam and his machine into the gravel and out of contention before the race had even started, ending his 100% record of point-scoring rides this season. Ben Burke continued his wet weather apprenticeship throughout practice and qualifying for the fifth round of the Metzeler National Superstock 600 championship. ben_burke_knockhill_r.jpgGaining more experience and pace with each session, Ben elevated his Yamaha into a qualifying position of 21st. Greeted with a dry track for race day, Ben made an excellent start from the lights, taking five places on the opening lap before the Safety Car was called into play. As proceedings re-started on lap five, Ben upped the pace, his lap times tumbling as he closed in on the front. Dispatching Usher and Lodge by mid-race to reach tenth, Ben had a mammoth 3.8 second gap to bridge to the tail pipe of Wainwright’s Suzuki. However, the Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton rider was posting the fastest top speeds through both traps and Ben’s lap times were consistent in the mid-53s. Ben dropped into the 52 second bracket on the penultimate circulation before making made the decisive move on the final lap to secure ninth and seven valuable championship points. andy_lawson_knockhill_r.jpgNew Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton signing, Andy Lawson, didn’t quite have the British debut he had hoped for. The 18-year old Australian fell victim to the slippery tarmac during Friday’s Free Practice session, the resulting crash eliminating him from the weekend’s activities. Andy will rest up ahead of making his full debut at Snetterton. Sam Warren: “What a surreal day! By far my best day racing ever. We had really good pace in qualifying in drying conditions and we were able to maintain our gap out front in the changing weather to grab our first pole position. I honestly did’t think we had the pace to win in full wet conditions, as we were quite slow in wet Free Practice. I got a bad start but it did me a favour as I then had to knuckle down to pass my way through into second. Then I managed to bride the gap to Seeley and sat behind him as we pulled clear of the field. About mid-race I made my move and was able to hold on for the win! I really didn’t expect it and can’t say enough about how well the whole team has performed this weekend. Phil has waited a long time for this win and I’m so happy it was me who could give it to him. Thank you to everyone who has helped me get here, the team and all of our sponsors. I want to say get well soon to my new teammate Andy. I saw his crash and I’m glad he’s ok.” Ben Burke: “This weekend was another one where I improved my riding skills in the rain. I am steadily getting much closer to the pace I need to be at and another weekend of wet weather should see me there. As for the race, I was very happy with my result considering I was starting from so far back. It was a good reminder that I can be competitive, with the third fastest overall lap time and fastest through both speed traps. Now I am looking forward to the next round where I can gain more valuable points. Congratulations to Sam and the team for their first Supersport win. I am sorry that Andy didn’t have the weekend that he’d planned but I am sure he will be back next round to show us how it’s done.” Phil Seton, Team Manager: “That was certainly a weekend of two halves! The team has again worked really well and Sam was brilliant throughout qualifying and the Sprint race. To beat Alastair Seeley, who is no slouch in the wet, and on a factory bike, is a great achievement. The flip-side was that Sam was so unfortunate to have an accident on the warm-up lap and not to score any points. However, it is a great feeling to be the first team running Yamaha’s this season to win a Supersport race. Andy was very fortunate to escape an horrendous crash with no real injuries. Not the best way for him to start his career on the British scene as the crash put him out for the weekend, but he’ll bounce back for the next round at Snetterton. That was another great round for Ben. He’s learning all the time and his wet riding has improved tremendously. In the dry he was the third fastest man on track and it could have been a different story had the whole weekend been dry. That said, to come through from 21st to 9th was simply amazing. Hopefully Snetterton will be dry, and Ben can make the most of his and the bike’s abilities.” The sixth round of the 2011 MCE British Superbike Championship takes place at the newly revamped Snetterton, Norfolk over the weekend of 1-3 July. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Swan Yamaha Secure Scottish Double Victory at Knockhill The Swan Yamaha team celebrated their first double victory at the fifth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Knockhill on Sunday as Tommy Hill took a clean sweep of wins whilst Michael Laverty scored a podium in the second race of the day. Hill took a commanding lead from the pole position in the first race to lead from start to finish securing his second race victory of the season after fighting back from his shoulder injury sustained at round two. Laverty meanwhile had to claw his way through the field from twelfth on the opening lap to finish sixth in race one. In the second race Hill held off championship leader Shane Byrne to become the first rider to score a winning double this season whilst Laverty took a strong third place for his title bid. The Swan Yamaha team head to Snetterton on July 3rd for round six of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. Tommy Hill is now in third place in the championship standings with 120 points while team-mate Michael Laverty is just behind him in fourth place on 95 points. Hill said: “What a good Father’s Day present for my dad! It has been a hard few rounds and we have been on the pace and then it just hasn’t come together in the race. I thought it could have been a lottery again here this weekend with the weather but we have been lucky it was dry so there were no excuses this weekend. I thought if we could get into the front and get into a rhythm then we could be there and I couldn’t believe it when I crossed the line in the first one. In the second race to win again was unbelievable and I have to thank the Swan Yamaha team for their hard work to get us up there. It has been fantastic to get the clean sweep of pole, fastest lap and two race wins this weekend. We knew we could push but it is just great for our championship; more points and more podium credits was what we needed and that is what we got and that will prove so important later in the season ahead of the Showdown.” Laverty said: “I made life difficult for myself in the first race that’s for sure with qualifying in eleventh place. I don’t know where I was at the end of the first lap as it was quite hectic and I was over the kerb at turn one and that dropped me down the order and I had to fight back. I had a few minor brake issues at the start but it disappeared and I was able to push on. I was happy to be back on the podium in the second race. I was quite strong towards the end but Shakey had that little bit extra on me in the end. I didn’t want to make a stupid mistake and crash out as the points and podium credits are so important. It is great to have a double Swan Yamaha podium in that second race and run close to lap record pace.” More, from a press release issued by M&M Roadracing Team: M&M Roadracing Team debuts Kelsey at Barber The M&M Roadracing Team made its first foray into AMA Pro Racing at Barber Motorsports Park. The Oklahoma based team fielded Danny Kelsey in his first ever AMA Pro National Guard Superbike race on the team’s Honda CBR1000s. The team felt confident that it could continue to build on its regional success it has experienced in CMRA sprint racing with lead rider Danny Kelsey. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, the team felt it could run in the top 15 of the class. The team hoped to get a solid baseline to setup gearing and basic suspension on Friday’s initial practice, but rain hampered this effort and set the team back a bit with no usable data gained from the session. As the first qualifying session began, Kelsey showed that he was up to the task by turning in a 1:31.971 and ensuring a spot on the grid for Saturday and Sunday’s races. The session was not without drama though as the reservoir hose on the CBR1000’s shock was damaged on lap 3 of the session and suspension oil began to slowly mist on the big Honda’s rear tire. Although this slowed the team a bit, the data gained on suspension, gearing, and the Dunlop tires (which the team had never run before) was invaluable. After some adjustments to the CBR1000, the team used Saturday’s second qualifying session to refine the race setup as much as overall speed. Starting to get a grip on the Dunlop tires, the team ran 19 laps and bettered the qualifying time to a 1:31.013 on the race setup. This not only bettered the time ran previously, but solidified the race setup. The team began to gain confidence going into Saturday’s race 1. Race 1 started well for Kelsey as he put the Honda CBR1000 in the top 15 and looked to move up. On lap 4, rain drops started to show on the track and Kelsey held back to see what the weather would do. On lap 7 the rains came down hard and the red flag was shown while AMA put rider safety at the front of the program. The team gambled on the wet restart with a rain front and a slick on the rear with the thought of the track drying within a few laps. On the restart, Kelsey put the Honda into 13th spot and the gamble looked to be paying off. Unfortunately for Kelsey, the track never really dried as the team hoped. Wanting to make sure the bike stayed intact, Kelsey rode the race out conservatively to finish 18th. The team was greatly disappointed as the tire choice really hampered Kelsey and the finish was not reflective of what Kelsey and his crew were capable of. After reviewing data from previous dry sessions and Sunday morning warm-up, the team made a bold move for race 2 when suspension tech Marcus McBain revalved the Penske shock two hours before the start of the race to give Kelsey an extra advantage for the race. Team owner Mitch McGinnis also did a last shakedown of the electronics in an effort to get the maximum advantage for Kelsey. As Race 2 started, the team was all smiles as Kelsey immediately dropped his lap times and his pace was only a few seconds off the leaders now. The race emerged as a 30 minute on-track battle between Gibson, Wacker, and Kelsey. The Honda was down dramatically on top end, but Kelsey made all the right moves in the turns. As the Checkered fell, Kelsey put the team’s Honda in 13th place while staying on the lead lap for the duration of the race. “I am really excited to have accomplished what the team did with such tremendous challenges with the weather and the conditions. I also am very impressed with the AMA and their attitude towards the riders and the series. I didn’t know what to expect and I am leaving ready to get to the next AMA race!”, noted team owner Mitch McGinnis. Danny Kelsey reflected on his weekend, “I just can’t thank the team enough. We didn’t get the weather breaks we needed and having never run on Dunlop tires before, I am very pleased to have finished 13th in my first dry Superbike race and to be able to keep a pace that let me finish on the lead lap”¦I just can’t thank the team and our sponsors enough for their efforts!” M&M roadracing will complete the CMRA sprint racing season. Currently team rider Danny Kelsey is a leading contender for the #1 plate and the Formula 1, A Superbike, and A Superstock championships. More, from a press release issued Team Ridersdiscount.com: Virginie Massing, aka “Frenchie,” comes home from her first race of the year with two trophies at BeaveRun Motorsports Park; one for first place in the WERA Women’s Superstock category and the other for third place in WERA Senior Superbike expert. These achievements are especially notable given that it was her first time racing a RidersDiscount.com-prepared YZF-R6. The weekend didn’t start off good after her first practice of Saturday morning where Frenchie found herself four seconds off her normal pace. Some setup work and a few more laps around the track took care of that and when it came time to head to the grid, Frenchie was feeling confident of her abilities on the new setup. Virginie Massing: “It was awesome to be back at the track and see all my WERA friends. I had a great time racing and in practice, because I pulled seconds off my times as the weekend went along. After my first practice I wasn’t so sure about the bike, so we made some changes to the shock and that really helped with my riding. I’m really excited that I had such a good weekend, especially after I started 23rd in the combined grid for the Women’s class. I got passed a few riders in that event – so it was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see everyone at the Grattan Double Header in July! It’s my favorite track so I’m looking forward to taking more time off my best laps with my RidersDiscount.com Yamaha YZF-R6.” Next up for Virginie and Team RidersDiscount.com is the WERA Pirelli Sporstman Series Double-Header at Grattan Raceway Park over the weekend 9-10 July 2011. Grattan Raceway holds a special liking for Team RidersDiscount.com as the facility is located near the team’s headquarters in Holland, Michigan and is considered their home track. About RidersDiscount.com: RidersDiscount.com is an online retailer of quality powersports gear, apparel and accessories. A company formed and owned by motorcycle racers, RidersDiscount.com ships equipment for every riding style to customers worldwide, backed by a knowledgeable sales team and excellent customer service. More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: Lack of “Dry Time” hinders Tunstall Unsettled weather at the Knockhill round of the British Superbike Championships thwarted Tom Tunstall’s plans of climbing back onto the EVO rostrum, as lack of dry track time played havoc with setting up his BMW machine. The fifth of the twelve round BSB series was staged at Knockhill, located just north of Dunfermline in Fife. The short and undulating 1.27 mile circuit commonly features changeable weather and the 2011 event was no different. With the free practice sessions all held in “full wet” conditions, qualifying was a slightly different challenge as a drying line appeared as the session progressed. Having been caught out on the wrong tyres the Doodson Motorsport rider took 10th in the EVO class. Race day brought brighter conditions and after a damp and patchy warm up session the track was fully dry as the first of the 30 lap outings got underway. Immediately it was clear that Tunstall was struggling and after taking the flag in ninth explained: “That was very hard work! I struggled on corner entry, change of direction, and grip coming out of the corners. After about third race distance I started to get arm pump trying to muscle the bike around which didn’t help either. But at least we’ve got a direction for the bike for race two.” During an incident strewn race two, including two safety car periods, Tunstall’s pace improved by almost a second a lap and despite only finishing one place higher in 8th, was more upbeat about the performance. “The changes we made to both the front and the back end helped a lot and although I still struggled to get the rear hooked up and gripping exiting corners, it was certainly an improvement. With no dry time before the races the situation hit us harder than most, as we’re still understanding the bike. It was pretty much educated guess work with set up and between the races – it’s a difficult call what to change and by how much. In hindsight we could have gone further, but that’s easy to say after the race.” “I’m not over the moon with the results but I’m happy with the direction we went and how we went about it. As a team we did a good job and in racing you never stop learning… On to Snetterton” Round six takes place on the newly revamped Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk in just under two weeks time [1st-3rd July]. More, from a press release issued by Jake Holden Racing: After a string of bad luck the past few race weekends, things are slowly starting to look up for the Jake Holden Racing Team. With a strong 6th in qualifying and some major changes to his #116 Yamaha YZF R6, Cameron Beaubier had high hopes for the weekend. Unfortunately Saturday didn’t go as expected, within 3 laps Cameron lost the front and his race ended. Cameron had to watch the remainder of the Daytona SportBike Race 1 from pitwall with his crew. Sunday was a different story. Saturday evening, Cameron talked with his crew and they figured out how to fix the issues they had in Race 1. Cameron put his head down in Sunday morning’s practice session and was 2nd quickest, giving him the extra drive for Race 2 later in the day. Cameron didn’t get a great start and for the first few laps he was stuck behind another rider. When he finally got past the rider, there was nothing stopping him. He was battling for podium position from that point on. Midway through the race Cameron made a slight mistake and was pushed back to the 5th position. Cameron shook it off and surged on. With one lap to go, he made a risky pass and crossed the finish line in the 3rd position. “I am really excited to be back on the podium again. I want to thank GP Performance for all the help they gave me earlier this season and I am an excited for my new adventure with the JHR Team!” said Beaubier. Cameron would like to thank the following sponsors: Redbull, Top One, Moto Wheels, Leo Vince, Specialized, Oakely, Alpinestars, Penske Racing shocks Teammate Travis Ohge, #40 in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport class fought setup issues the whole weekend. After two crashes in practice he just couldn’t find his groove again. Unfortunately, Travis had a low speed crash in Race 1 and had to retire early. In Race 2 Travis had a good start but found it hard to pass other riders and was stuck mid pack for the entire race. Travis decided his best bet would be to settle in a comfortable position and finish out the race with his bike intact. “This wasn’t the best weekend of racing for me, but it just gives me more motivation heading to Mid-Ohio!” stated Travis. Come check out Jake Holden Racing during Round 6 of the AMA Pro Road Racing series, July 8-10 at Mid-Ohio in Lexington, Ohio. For sponsor inquiries please email Breeann Poland @ [email protected] More, from a press release issued by Sportbiketrackgear.com: TEAM SPORTBIKETRACKGEAR.COM WRAPS UP FIRST AMA EVENT AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK June 21, 2011 – Shelby Twp., MI – Team SportbikeTrackGear.com riders Brian Van and Jake Arch successfully completed their first ever AMA Pro race event this past weekend at the Barber SuperBike Classic held at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Competing in the AMA Pro Supersport class, Brian turned consistent laps in both practice and qualifying to put himself on the grid early in the first session. As race time came, Brian rode well and worked his way up to 16th place before suffering an unfortunate crash late into Saturday’s 17-lap event. Brian rebounded on Sunday however, completing in race two’s grueling heat and finishing 21st out of 36 bikes. Jake Arch, a WERA novice in 2010 jumped into the deep pool of talent at the AMA Pro level and finished 17th in Saturday’s Supersport race and 23rd in Sunday’s second race. Building speed and dropping time throughout the weekend, Jake gained valuable track time at a relatively new facility and now builds experience as he and Brian look to compete in the remaining AMA Pro Supersport East Coast events. Eric Johnston, co-owner of Sportbike Track Gear commented, “Our first AMA Pro event went off extremely well. This is a new business venture for us in fielding an AMA team and going racing. I couldn’t be happier with how professional the entire AMA Pro staff was throughout the course of the weekend and how welcoming and easy they made it for us to be part of the program. We are certainly looking forward to continuing our progress in competing at the AMA Pro level.” A big part of the weekend for the team also included interacting with fans during the AMA Fan Walk. As a Bell-sponsored team, Sportbike Track Gear held a giveaway during the fan walk and gave one lucky customer a Bellstar Cerwinskie helmet. Video of the giveaway can be found on SportbikeTrackGear.com’s YouTube channel. The next AMA Pro Road Racing Championship event is at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 8-10. Team SportbikeTrackGear.com would like to thank Alpinestars, Held, Knox, Bell Helmets, Armour Bodies, Woodcraft, DuPont, Oakley, Pit Bull, Repsol, Spiegler, Puma and Sportbike Track Time. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.: Things Heat Up In The Season Points Chase For Yamaha At Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, AL It was a scorcher of a weekend for the Yamaha Road Racing teams at Barber Motorsports Park, and temperatures in the mid 90s were only part of the reason. AMA Pro Racing continues to be one of the world’s hottest and most exciting series, with riders passing each other back and forth, and swapping victories and season points leads with virtually every race. Monster Energy/Graves/Yamaha rider Josh Herrin displayed brilliant racecraft in Sunday’s Daytona SportBike event. He kept his Number 8 Yamaha YZF-R6® in strategic position throughout the 16-lap contest and made a perfect pass towards the end of the final lap. With just a couple of corners remaining, Josh secured the victory. Ecstatic with his win on Father’s Day, especially after suffering a rare technical problem in Saturday’s DSB race, Josh pulled off the track on his cool-down lap, climbed the fence in celebration, and then tossed his gloves to the appreciative fans who loudly cheered for him along Barber’s picturesque back stretch. It was a sweet victory in “Sweet Home Alabama” for Josh, since Barber is the closest track to his home in Dublin, Georgia. Josh leaves Alabama just four points shy of the Daytona SportBike Championship lead, and the series promises to be ultra-competitive right to the end. Yamaha Extended Service/Pat Clark Motorsports/Graves/Yamaha YZF-R6 rider Tommy Aquino had another solid weekend in Daytona SportBike competition where he, once again, battled with the lead pack in both the Saturday and Sunday races. Tommy had two fourth-place finishes–making it three fourths in a row–and in Sunday’s race, he shadowed Josh Herrin for a number of laps. With only a couple of corners left to complete on the final lap, Tommy was passed by a hard-charging Cameron Beaubier–himself Yamaha YZF-R6-mounted. With Josh Herrin’s win, Cameron Beaubier’s third, and Tommy Aquino’s fourth, Yamaha was well-represented in the top five of Sunday’s DSB race on Barber’s 2.38-mile course. In American SuperBike, Josh Hayes earned another valuable point for winning the pole, which gives him a perfect five-for-five in pole positions and five critical points towards his successful defense of the season championship. “I don’t ride for points,” commented Josh. “It’s going to take race wins to capture the SuperBike title, and winning is why I race.” Josh fought hard for wins aboard his crossplane crankshaft YZF-R1® in both SuperBike races over the past weekend at Barber, finishing fourth in Saturday’s rain-interrupted event and a close second on Sunday. Those results don’t exactly sit well with Josh, but he emerges from the Barber round still leading the SuperBike championship that he won last season. “The competition is fierce in both Daytona SportBike and American SuperBike this season,” said Keith McCarty, Manager for Yamaha’s Racing Division. “That’s just the way we like it,” he added. The Yamaha Extended Service/Pat Clark Motorsports/Graves/Yamaha team’s American SuperBike rider Chris Clark finished eighth in Sunday’s race, for another top-ten finish on his YZF-R1. In Saturday’s race, the ultra-slippery track conditions caused by a rain-soaked Barber course caused Chris to finish in a very uncharacteristic 16th place. The Yamaha road racing teams will return to action in a little more than two weeks’ time at Mid-Ohio, where the thrills and excitement of Barber will undoubtedly be equaled in the Buckeye State.