Relentless Suzuki’s Michael Laverty is looking forward to round 2 of the BSB Championship this coming weekend at Thruxton. After a mixed start to the season at Brands Hatch over the Easter weekend Michael looks to revive his fortunes at the fast and bumpy Hampshire circuit. Thruxton is a unique circuit due to it’s high speed nature and undulations. These factors make bike set-up quite different to the other circuits on the BSB calendar, although they do lend themselves to the strengths of the GSXR1000. Michael scored his debut Supersport victory at Thruxton back in 2002, a maiden Superbike win would be both fitting and a welcome addition to his palmarès. Michael “Thruxton is the fastest circuit in BSB and I’m lucky that the Relentless Suzuki is one of the fastest bikes out there! Tyre life could be the key this weekend, as Thruxton has quite an abrasive surface. Getting our set-up for 20 laps will be a lot more important this weekend than getting the set-up to do one fast lap in qualifying. Thruxton is always a challenge on a Superbike, but I’m confident in both my bike and my team coming into this weekend. I look forward to a good battle come Sunday, and to showing our true potential for the 2010 Season!” More, from a press release issued by Honda: MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Round two: Thruxton April 16/17/18. Honda rider Ellison intends to consolidate his bid for the crown with winning rides James Ellison goes into the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Thruxton intent on continuing where he left off in the seasonal opener at Brands Hatch. Then, he powered his Swan Honda CBR1000RR to victory in a second race thriller, heading off the first race winner Tommy Hill to close within four points of him at the top of the standings. “The bike is mega and there is no reason why I cannot be out front again, especially as this is a circuit that I love and where I have had good results in previous seasons,” said Ellison, who last season finished second in each of the corresponding races. “I also only just missed out on the podium when I won the Privateers Cup back in 2004. There is something about this circuit it is wicked to ride, ‘balls-out’ fast.” The Hampshire airfield circuit is the fastest on the calendar and Swan Honda team owner Shaun Muir believes that its characteristics will suit his riders and their machines. “It will be good for us, it is a power circuit, and we have that. “I am feeling very optimistic after the opening races at Brands Hatch and am really happy with the determination and that Ellison showed. He was confident and prepared to run out at the front, and, with everyone else running at such a hot pace, it underlined how important the start is. Both James and Stuart Easton were quick off the line, and that is so important.” Easton, riding the team’s second bike is still not back to full fitness after his pre-season tumble at Cadwell Park in which he sustained a deep gash to be the back of his left leg, but the young Scot is full of purpose. “I will looking to score strong points, to be in the top six at least and believe that I can achieve that as this is a circuit where I have always gone well, including a Superbike podium last year, and before that holding the Supersport lap record. “The circuit is fast and flowing, you can maintain momentum on it, and it is awesome to ride,” added Easton who is currently in fourth place overall in the early season standings. Muir is looking for Easton to do the job he did in the opening round. “He is not back to fitness and he took a real knock, before that his confidence was sky high, but he is looking to continue as he did at Brands Hatch, and hopefully picking up a couple more placings.” The championship is already flagging up the likely contenders with Suzuki rider Hill, the winner of the opening race of the season, looking particularly strong, but in this second round it is expected that the two HM Plant Honda riders, former two times champion Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Brookes will show their real potential. Kiyonari made a strong start to his British return from the World Championship, taking second place, ahead of Ellison, only to be sidelined by an electrical problem early in the second. He knows that his team have worked hard to check all systems on his machine, and he is ready to battle for a repeat of his double victory at the circuit of five years ago. “For me it is a good circuit, fast, not easy, but good for our bike,” said Kiyonari. “I was disappointed with the problem in the second race at Brands Hatch as I think I would have been in the top three again and fighting for the win, which is what I will be doing at Thruxton.” Brookes also goes into these races hoping to put the record straight. He took fifth place in the opening race but tipped off while fighting for the lead next time out, blaming himself. “The crash at Brands is behind me now, and I am concentrating on Thruxton, which is special for me as it is not only close to my home in Wimborne, but last year I scored by first BSB podium finish there. It is an open, fast circuit to ride which is good for our bikes so I am going there aiming for winning rides,” said Brookes. HM Plant Honda team-manager Havier Beltran described the Brands Hatch round as “frustrating” but he goes to Thruxton confident and positive. “We know that we have the form and the pace to be up front. It is a circuit where Hondas are always very strong, both of our riders are looking forward to the races on a circuit that is so fast and flowing.” Other riders to keep an eye on in these races include the Ulsterman Alastair Seeley, the winner of last year’s National Superstock title who has graduated into the top flight riding Suzuki and who ran third in the second race of the opening round. Dan Linfoot, also in his ‘rookie’ term in BSB, showed speed and quality riding Yamaha, who hope to have former British and World Champion Neil Hodgson back in action after he tumbled in race-day morning warm-up at Brands Hatch aggravating a shoulder injury. Honda BSB rider quotes: James Ellison, Swan Honda: “The bike is mega and there is no reason why I cannot be out front again, especially as this is a circuit that I love and where I have had good results in previous seasons. I also only just missed out on the podium when I won the Privateers Cup back in 2004. There is something about this circuit it is wicked to ride, ‘balls-out’ fast.” Stuart Easton Swan Honda: “I will looking to score strong points, to be in the top six at least and believe that I can achieve that as this is a circuit where I have always gone well, including a Superbike podium last year, and before that holding the Supersport lap record. The circuit is fast and flowing, you can maintain momentum on it, and it is awesome to ride.” Ryuichi Kiyonari, HM Plant Honda: “For me it is a good circuit, fast, not easy, but good for our bike. I was disappointed with the problem in the second race at Brands Hatch as I think I would have been in the top three again and fighting for the win, which is what I will be doing at Thruxton.” Josh Brookes, HM Plant Honda: “The crash at Brands is behind me now, and I am concentrating on Thruxton, which is special for me as it is not only close to my home in Wimborne, but last year I scored by first BSB podium finish there. It is an open, fast circuit to ride which is good for our bikes so I am going there aiming for winning rides.” More, from a press release issued by Swan Honda: SWAN HONDA SET TO FLY AT THRUXTON The Swan Honda team are aiming to maintain their race-winning form this weekend as the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship powers in to Thruxton for the second round at the high-speed Hampshire circuit. James Ellison battled his way to victory in the opening round of the season at Brands Hatch last weekend to give Swan Honda their first win of the year in the second race. He is just four points adrift of championship leader Tommy Hill and is determined to erase the deficit this weekend. Stuart Easton lies fourth in the standings after the opening round; he showed his determination to secure a maiden title with two gritty performances at Brands Hatch, despite still suffering from the leg injury sustained in testing. He has a strong history at the circuit, including a podium finish last season and whilst still not fully fit, he is determined not to let that slow his progress. Ellison said: “We had a great start to the season at Brands Hatch with two podium finishes and it was a great feeling to stand on the top step of the podium on my return to the Swan Honda team. I wasn’t expecting it after qualifying tenth, so a third and a first place was a fantastic result for us. I now can’t wait to get to Thruxton this weekend; we have a good set-up and we know we have the pace. I was happy to leave the first round second in the standings, but I don’t intend to sit back and relax. It is going to be a tough race as there are so many riders capable of running at the front, but consistency is so important and there is no room for error. I was on the podium twice at Thruxton last season, so hopefully we can repeat that and come away in an even stronger position.” Easton said: “I am looking forward to Thruxton this weekend, despite still not being one hundred percent fit. I did have an infection in my leg following the Brands Hatch round, but I have taken a course of antibiotics and it has cleared now. It was just unfortunate really, but I have been lucky that we have had this two week gap for it to clear. I am on the mend now and this weekend I want to do what I did at Brands Hatch and get the best results I can for the Swan Honda team. I don’t think it is going to be any more difficult than it was at the first round as Thruxton is flowing unlike the Indy circuit, so in that respect I am looking for possibly even better finishes. I have always had good results at Thruxton in the past, especially in my Supersport days, so hopefully it will be the same this weekend. I want to have two strong point-scoring finishes on Sunday and then I will be a happy man.” Team Manager Shaun Muir said: “Leaving Brands Hatch in good shape with both riders was a big bonus for us. We now need to maintain that consistency as it will be vital for a sustained challenge for the top six come Cadwell Park. The competition for podium finishes will be as strong at Thruxton and the boys know they will be in for a real battle. The Suzukis seem to be stronger than the Hondas in different parts of the circuit as we saw at Brands Hatch, so it’s going to be interesting to see how that materialises and we expect a few more riders to come to the front who weren’t so fortunate at Brands Hatch. If Stuart can adapt and work around his injuries then we hope to see him in contention alongside James.”