CHALLENGING TIMES FOR SWAN HONDA AT THRUXTON The Swan Honda team have had a day of mixed emotions at Thruxton today as James Ellison crashed out heavily whilst setting the pace in the final free practice session, sustaining a broken femur. Stuart Easton meanwhile was able to set the third fastest time in the Swan Roll for Pole ahead of tomorrow’s opening race. Ellison had ended the opening day of practice fastest and this morning looked set to remain at the top of the times when he crashed at Goodwood. Easton was then the lone Swan Honda rider on circuit and was challenging for the pole position in the final qualifying session, running second until he was nudged back in the final seconds into third place. Easton said: “I honestly thought I had done enough to finish second in the final qualifying session, so to be third was a bit disappointing for me. I know we have a strong race pace though, so we just need to go out and put on a good show as the line rider for the Swan Honda team. I am obviously flying the flag for the whole team tomorrow so I want to go out there and win for James as he had been so fast until his crash and he was unlucky to be caught out.” Team Manager Shaun Muir said: “The whole of the Swan Honda team are desperately disappointed after James’ crash this morning. He had been working well with the team and alongside crew chief Mick Shanley he was setting the standard on track. The early indications show that he will need to have a further operation to have the bone pinned and plated, but that is looking likely not to happen before Monday. We won’t be making any long term forecast on a replacement rider until after that operation when we have a clearer idea on the situation. James is obviously feeling gutted right now but is in high spirits. We won’t know when to expect him back until early next week but we are hoping for the best possible scenario where it could be as early as after Cadwell Park. The main aim for James is to get back to fitness and then hopefully we can still aim for the top six finish to put us in The Showdown over the final three rounds. “Stuart did a good job to secure a front row start for the team this afternoon, normally I would be happy with third, especially considering the day we have had, but I am still disappointed. I am not wanting to take anything away from Tommy Hill as he has been fast, but he was tagged on to the back of Stuart for a number of laps so I feel he gained an advantage there, which obviously worked against Stuart. We are confident though that tomorrow Stuart can put on a good show for the Swan Honda team at Thruxton.” More, from a press release issued by Worx Crescent Suzuki: Both Worx Crescent Suzukis will start tomorrow’s second round of the British Superbike Championship on the front row. In an exciting and incident-packed qualifying at the Thruxton circuit this afternoon, Tommy Hill pushed his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the limit to smash the lap record by over half a second and claim Pole Position. Meanwhile his team-mate Yukio Kagayama impressively rose to the challenge of relearning a circuit long forgotten and took fourth overall to book-end the front row for the team. The result came after two days of practice that saw Hill set the early pace then crash at high speed out of the final free practice. Kagayama started steadily – 13th in first practice – and got faster and faster as he re-learnt the track. Tommy Hill: “I am so pleased to have beaten the lap record, that’s just fantastic. I knew I could put in a good lap in that last qualifier but I missed reading my dashboard to know what I’d done, then the team put out a pit signal reading ‘pit – in’. I didn’t know what was going on, but they didn’t want me to take any more risks. So I came in and they gave me the news. After the off in final practice it feels so good. “So for tomorrow it’ll be a case of getting my head down and keeping it neat. This morning I had wondered if there was more still to come, it didn’t feel like we were on the limit – but clearly we are! So it’s time to focus now and bring home those points.” Yukio Kagayama: “What a weekend! I’ve come here and it’s a first-time feeling; there was nothing that I could remember and it’s been a case of learning all over again. But my GSX-R is working very well and everything with the team is smooth; each session I go faster and faster. To be on the front row, that is the best.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “What a cracking day! To finish with Pole, smash the lap record; and have both riders on the front row, I’m over the moon; it’s phenomenal. “Obviously Tommy’s crash this morning was a worry, but the way he came back has shown just what a fighter he is. Yukio, too; I’m proud of him. He admitted that he couldn’t remember anything of this circuit and after his years in World Superbikes, the bumps and undulations of this place must have been a real shock. But the way he’s come on has shown his class. It’s been a good job all round from the lads – again. Tommy’s performance today has been simply awesome, so tomorrow the real work begins: turning front row starts into podium finishes.” MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Thruxton Swan Combi Roll for Pole: 1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 1m: 14.366s 2. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.804s 3. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +0.812s 4. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.871s 5. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +1.089s 6. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +1.148s 7. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +1.183s 8. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1.197s 9. Christian Iddon (Sorrymate.com SMT Honda) +2.438s 10. Chris Walker (CW Racing Suzuki) Superbike lap record: Gregorio Lavilla, April 17, 2006: 1m: 14.890s