SWAN HONDA CELEBRATE SUPERBIKE PODIUM FINISH AT NW200 Swan Honda’s Stuart Easton is celebrating after securing his best ever finish at the International North West 200 this afternoon, finishing second in the feature Superbike class race of the day after a race-long duel with fellow BSB rival Alastair Seeley and John McGuinness. On his return to the event Easton got off to a flying start, setting the fastest time through the speed traps between Station Corner and University in practice (Tuesday) with a top speed of 204mph. On raceday (Saturday) he started the day with a consistent fifth place in the opening Superbike race and was eleventh in the Superstock class, despite only completing one flying lap in practice earlier in the week and having to fight through from the second wave of riders. Easton started from fourth on the Superbike grid and got off to one of his customary lightening starts to lead the four-lap feature race, before he dropped to third. Easton was determined to fight back and on the next lap the Swan Honda rider was back in the lead. Seeley later took the advantage at the front and despite Easton attacking back he finished the race second to score his best ever finish at the event. Easton said: “It has been a good event for the Swan Honda team; I hadn’t really set myself any expectations before we arrived so to finish second was a good result. It is the best finish I have ever had at the event it is great to give the team their first podium with Swan. The Superstock race was always going to be tough with the lack of time in practice as I only really had one flying lap due to the conditions but despite being in the second group I came through to eleventh. “In the first Superbike race fifth wasn’t what I wanted so to finish second in race two was a much better result for me. Alastair Seeley was really strong along certain parts of the track and rode a great race so I was happy to be second. I now only have one place to improve when I come back again and that is to win.” North West 200, Superbike race one result: 1. John McGuinness (Honda) 17m:58.937s 2. Connor Cummins (Kawasaki) +0.217s 3. Alastair Seeley (Suzuki) +0.553s 4. Keith Amor (Honda) +7.520s 5. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +16.668s North West 200, Superbike race two result: 1. Alastair Seeley (Suzuki) 17m:41.186s 2. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +1.143s 3. John McGuinness (Honda) +1.294s 4. Guy Martin (Honda) +7.214s 5. Ian Hutchinson (Honda) +9.809s More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: McGuinness takes Superbike glory at North West 200 Morecambe’s John McGuinness enjoyed another highly successful day of racing at the International North West 200 road races on Saturday when he took his fifth win around the high speed 8.9-mile circuit. Riding HM Plant and Padgetts Honda’s once more, John was in with a chance of victory in all five of his races and took a superb victory in the opening Superbike race to get his day underway in perfect style. In addition to the win, he took third in the feature NW200 Superbike race and top nine finishes in the Supersport and Superstock races to make it a highly satisfactory day. Both Tuesday and Thursday’s practice sessions were held in far from ideal conditions, a mixture of sun, wind and rain causing problems throughout but John put in the lap times when it mattered most and lined up on the front three rows for all of his races. Having qualified second in the Superbike class, this became pole position when HM Plant Honda team-mate Steve Plater was ruled out with a broken arm whilst he was a solid 4th in the Superstock class and 8th in the Supersport on the Padgetts Honda’s thus confirming he’d be in contention in all five of his outings come race day. A rain shower on race morning delayed the start of the opening Superbike race and when it did get underway, conditions were still a bit tricky but with the surface drying rapidly, John’s confidence grew and he hit the front on the second lap, taking the lead from Conor Cummins. He was able to open up a gap on the third and although Cummins closed back in on the fourth and final lap, John wasn’t to be denied and he swept to his fifth NW200 victory, three years after winning the corresponding race. There was no respite though and it was straight on to the first 600cc race which can only be described as frenetic. In contention throughout the five laps, John was looking good for another podium until a final lap sort-out saw all of the positions change and he had to settle for fifth at the chequered flag just 1.7 seconds off the win. After a brief break, John then took his usual British Championship Superstock machine to a hard fought ninth in the Superstock encounter and was then back in HM Plant colours for the feature NW200 Superbike race. There was nothing between John, Stuart Easton and Alastair Seeley during the whole race but on the final lap, British Superbike regulars Seeley and Easton edged clear and John finished in third place only 1.2 seconds adrift of race winner and home favourite Seeley. John then completed a highly successful day with another close sixth in the second Supersport race. Speaking afterwards, a pleased John said: “I’m over the moon to get another North West victory and it’s great to get a ‘proper’ Superbike win. I didn’t know what to expect as conditions were a bit iffy to begin with and I didn’t get the greatest of starts but I had a look at the track on the first lap and once I saw it was dry I pushed hard on the second and got by Conor. He was on my case throughout but the HM Plant Honda was awesomely fast and stable so I defended my lines into the chicanes and held him off for the win, probably one of my best wins ever. In the first Supersport race, it could only be described as hectic and although it was only fifth, it was a good fifth and it was nice for me to be in the mix for the entire race. These last couple of years I’ve been in the 6th-10th bracket in the 600cc races but I was able to run at the front all race and the result could have gone anybody’s way at the final chicane on the last lap.” “The Superstock race was equally fraught and I guess I was a little bit disappointed with the end result but we were in the ball park and not a million miles away. The feature Superbike race was simply a pleasure to be involved in and it was a great advertisement for the sport. I was stronger than Alastair and Stuart through the ‘real’ road racing corners but they were a bit sharper on the brakes in to the chicanes whilst they also race their bikes week in week out – nevertheless, I gave them a real good run for their money and I couldn’t be happier with the performance of the big bike. The final Supersport race was another dust up but I again showed I could mix it with them and, overall, it’s been a very good day. The weather held good in the end and a big thanks to everyone at HM Plant and Padgetts for all their hard work and for giving me some great tools for the job.” It’s now back to short circuit duty for John with Round 4 of the Metzeler National 1000cc Superstock Championship taking place at Cadwell Park next weekend, May 21-23. More, from a press release issued by Keith Amor’s publicist: Stunning debut International road race win for Amor at North West 200 Keith Amor put in a stunning display of riding at Saturday’s North West 200 road races and capped it off with his first ever International road race win. The Scots ace was at the forefront of the action in all five of his races but he saved the best for the 5-lap Superstock race which he clinched on the final lap to give the WA Corless/Jackson Racing team a dream win, also giving the BMW S1000R it’s first ever win on the roads. He also finished second in the second Supersport race and finished in the top six in all five of his races on the KBMG Racing machines. Despite riding his array of bikes for the first time, Keith was in superb form in practice and happy with the performance of each machine, being the only rider to qualify on the front row for each race thus confirming his credentials for race day. Despite problems with the quickshifter, second in Superbike qualifying on the standard KBMG Racing BMW was arguably the most impressive performance but this was backed up by a similar result in the Supersport sessions on the similar-liveried Honda and a close third in the Superstock class, this time on the WA Corless/Jackson Racing BMW. With slightly damp conditions in the first Superbike race, Keith looked like he was going to get another International road race podium as he held on to third for three-quarters race distance but on the final lap he was overhauled by a charging Alastair Seeley and he had to settle for 4th – nevertheless, it was superb debut outing for Keith and the BMW. The opening Supersport 600cc race was one of the races of the day and Keith was in the mix from start to finish, dicing it out with Ian Hutchinson at the head of the pack on each lap. One the last lap there were no less than six riders in contention for the win so it was always going to come down to an outbraking contest at the final chicane and in the ensuing dust-up, Keith got pushed back a couple of places for his second fourth place of the day although he was hugely disappointed to miss out on the rostrum. Next up was the 5-lap Superstock race and Keith again lined up on the front row, this time on the WA Corless/Jackson Racing BMW. Keith seized the lead on the opening lap but there was nothing between him, Ryan Farquhar, Alastair Seeley and Ian Hutchinson, the quartet all on different machinery. Farquhar took over at the front on the third lap but Keith immediately fought back and re-took the lead a lap later. The quartet were still nose to tail on the final lap but Keith resisted all challenges and he held on by 0.169s for a superb debut International road race win. Sixth place in the feature NW200 Superbike race followed on the KBMG BMW and he then rounded off a hugely successful day with runner-up spot in the second Supersport race. He had been right in the wheeltracks of Hutchinson but a missed gear on the exit of the new Mather’s Cross chicane allowed Hutchinson to escape although he was comfortably clear of the third placed rider. Speaking at the end of the day, a highly satisfied Keith said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to have taken my first International road race win and for saying I had no bikes or team 4 weeks ago, I haven’t done too badly today! I had to work really hard in the Superstock race and I knew they were right behind me all race long but the bike’s a missile and with the Dunlop tyres, it’s a fantastic package and I couldn’t be more happy with how it worked out there. It was a similar story with the 600 – Gerrit and Ronald and all the boys at Ten Kate have given me a great bike and all we did this week was put some fuel in it and some new tyres, nothing else. If it hadn’t been for the fact that I got mugged at the last chicane in the first Supersport race, I think i’d have been looking at another podium. We had a few teething problems with the other big bike but 4th and 6th on a bog standard bike against all the Superbikes is still pretty good going and it’s been a great day all round.” “I’ve got to say a huge thanks to Guy, Brian, Kojak, Marcus and Bill from PistoneMoto for all their hard work this week and a big thank you to all my sponsors and family for putting the whole team together. I literally had nothing at all at the beginning of April but all my sponsors have chipped in to keep me out there on the track and we’ve proved today that if we’ve got the right bikes beneath us, then we can go out there and get the results. This was my first race of the year and I’ve had no testing so to come away with the results I’ve got is testament to everyone connected to the team and all their hard work has paid off – I’m chuffed to bits and it sets me up brilliantly for the TT so let’s hope for more of the same there!” Keith now has a two-week break before his main event of the year, the Isle of Man TT races, with opening practice getting underway on Saturday May 29th.