Camier eyes title glory in opening race of penultimate round Round eleven 25/26/27 September Silverstone MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli Leon Camier has the opportunity to seal the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli in the opening race of this Sunday’s penultimate round at Silverstone. The Airwaves Yamaha rider, who has amassed a 99.5 points advantage in the points standings with a string of 16 race victories, needs only to finish ahead of his nearest rival, team-mate James Ellison, in the opening 20 lap race at the Northamptonshire circuit to secure the sport’s premier crown. For the GSE Racing team that runs the Airwaves Yamahas, it is almost a replay of the same situation they found themselves in last year when their lead rider Shane Byrne needed only a top ten finish to take the crown he did just that, coming in third in a race won by his team-mate Camier. Already assured of the team prize, the Airwaves team will be concentrating their efforts on Camier securing the trophy in the first race, though nothing can be taken for granted after two blips in the previous two rounds, with first an exclusion on a machine technicality at Cadwell Park and then an error running wide at Croft. Ellison equally has all to race for. His second place in the overall standings is under threat from Flying Scot Stuart Easton who celebrated a long overdue maiden race win in the top flight in the previous round. Riding the Hydrex Honda, the Hawick rider has show both consistency and quality across the season, racking up 11 other top three finishes, and with five races remaining, he is only 32 points down on Ellison. They have all to fight for, and that is also the case in the duel for fourth place overall, currently held by Relentless Suzuki by TAS rider Ian Lowry. He is feeling the heat from Josh Brookes, riding HM Plant Honda, who closed within three points of him with a brace of thirds at Croft. The Aussie has the stronger finishing record of the two with seven podium results, and is currently showing the class that took him to the fore in World Supersport racing. Brookes will be re-united in the HM Plant team with fellow Australian Glen Richards who has recovered from the serious leg injuries sustained in a tumble at Knockhill back in July. Richards, who won Superstock and Supersport titles in the previous two years, is keen to end this campaign on a positive note. Simon Andrews and Julien da Costa on the MSS Colchester Kawasakis are within a handful of points of Brookes and Lowry and could move ahead in the standings, though they will be mindful of the challenges coming in from Karl Harris, riding the sorrymate.com Honda. Motorpoint Henderson Yamaha rider Chris Walker and former MotoGP rider Sylvain Guintoli aboard the Worx Crescent Suzuki should also be posing questions amid the front-running pack. Gary Mason, already assured of the Mirror.co.uk Cup, will be aiming for another daily double aboard the Quay Garage Honda by way of celebration while Peter Hickman needs strong points if he is to take the runner-up position on his Ultimate Racing Yamaha ahead of Martin Jessop and Tom Tunstall. Silverstone fast facts Lap records – 2.2127 mile International Circuit Superbike: Gregorio Lavilla, Ducati, 1m 25.377s, 93.30mph, 29/04/07 Supersport: Hudson Kennaugh, Yamaha, 1m 28.392secs, 90.13mph 28/09/08 125GP: James Westmoreland, Honda, 1m 32.917s, 85.74mph 21/08/05 1000 Superstock: Hudson Kennaugh, Yamaha, 1m 28.276s, 90.24mph, 29/04/07 600 Superstock: Luke Jones, Yamaha, 1m 30.981secs, 87.56mph, 28/09/08 Flashback 2008 British Superbikes, penultimate round, Sunday 28 September Race one 20 laps 1. L Camier, Ducati, 29m 02.806secs, 91.42mph 2. C Crutchlow, Honda 3. S Byrne, Ducati 4. M Rutter, Ducati 5. S Andrews, Yamaha 6. T Palmer, Honda Race two 20 laps 1. L Haslam, Honda, 28m 59.106secs, 91.62mph 2. S Byrne, Ducati 3. T Sykes, Suzuki 4. L Camier, Ducati 5. K Harris, Yamaha 6. J Ellison, Honda Superbikes on track Friday 25 September 10.20-11.10 and 14.25-15.15 Free practice Saturday 26 September 10.20-11.10 Free practice 14.45-15.49 Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole Sunday 27 September 09.35-09.50 Warm-up practice 13.30 Race one 20 laps 16.35 Race two 20 laps Superbikes on television Sunday 27 September British Eurosport 2 13.15-14.30 and 15.30-18.00 for full television schedule check www.britishsuperbike.com More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: STEVE PLATER SILVERSTONE PREVIEW Steve Plater knows he has to win the remaining two races in the 2009 Fuchs/Silkolene British Supersport championship if he is to lift the trophy that has eluded him throughout his racing career and he approaches the penultimate round of the series at Silverstone on Sunday with the determination that is expected of him to do just that. Plater, who has found success this year with the HM Plant Honda team based at Louth in Lincolnshire has already taken wins at the NW200 and also won the prestigious Senior TT race at the Isle of Man TT festival, would love to end his season by winning the British Supersport title as 11 years ago he missed out on the title after he and John Crawford tied on points and the results were counted back to which rider had the most second places, which was Crawford. “I know what I have to do in the final two rounds at Silverstone and Oulton Park,” said Plater. “Ideally I want to win both races but it is essential I finish them both ahead of McConnell who is lurking just seven points behind me. It is going to be close as I don’t just have Billy to contend with. Ben Wilson and James Westmoreland are both running at the front this year and either of those have the potential to win races. “The HM Plant Honda Supersport bike is one of the fastest machines out there so I will be aiming for a front row start in qualifying and then for a good start to the race at Silverstone to put some distance between myself and the other riders as quickly as possible.” Free practice is on Friday followed by qualifying on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s 18 lap affair starting at 3.45pm when the battle for the title will continue.