Airwaves Yamaha rider James Ellison scored his maiden British Superbike victory at Donington Park today. His win followed a second place finish in race one, and sees him move into 2nd in the Championship table. His teammate Leon Camier extended his lead in the Championship to 28 points after taking victory in race one and 12th in race two. From 3rd on the grid, James took the lead at the start of race one, with pole man Leon slotting into 5th. As James worked hard to defend his lead up front, Leon picked off a rider a lap to quickly move up to 2nd. After posting the fastest lap of the race, 1:31.313, Leon overtook James for the lead as they went through the Foggy Esses at the end of lap 5. The Airwaves Yamaha pair then remained unchallenged, eventually crossing the line to take the team’s first one-two of 2009 by almost 7 seconds. In a re-started race two, James once again took the lead early on, whilst Leon dropped down to 4th. Having made his way up to 3rd, a technical issue temporarily stopped Leon at the Melbourne Hairpin, dropping him down to 25th. For the remaining 16 laps, Leon managed a series of impressive passes to finish 12th and secure 4 valuable Championship points. Meanwhile at the front, James had broken away from the rest of the field to comfortably take his first British Superbike victory. Clearly delighted with his results, James said, “Today has been awesome. It felt fantastic to be on the podium in the first race and to get a one-two for Airwaves Yamaha, but of course the win topped it off. I knew I didn’t have the pace to beat Leon in race one, and I’m sure that if he hadn’t had technical problems he would have been joining me up the front in race two. Having not won in a while, I wasn’t quite sure what to do towards the end, it was really quite hard to keep focused and the adrenalin is still going now. I have to say a massive thank you to everyone at Airwaves Yamaha for all the hard work they have put in. I can’t wait to get to Thruxton for more of the same!” After race two Leon commented, “I’ve been suffering from a cold this weekend and not been 100% so the races were tough. I didn’t get great starts in either so I knew I had to really push to get to the front. In race one it all went pretty much to plan and so I was really pleased to get another win for Airwaves Yamaha. The second race seemed to be going the same way until the bike stopped. At the moment we’re not too sure what happened so we’ll have to look into it, but it’s onwards and upwards from here.” Race One Results: 1 Leon Camier Airwaves Yamaha 2 James Ellison Airwaves Yamaha 3 Stuart Easton Hydrex Honda Race Two Results: 1 James Ellison Airwaves Yamaha 2 Stuart Easton Hydrex Honda 3 Chris Walker Motorpoint / Henderson Yamaha 4 Simon Andrews MSS Colchester Kawasaki 5 Glen Richards HM Plant Honda 6 Ian Lowry Relentless Suzuki by TAS 7 Gary Mason Quay Garage Honda 8 Tristan Palmer Buildbase Kawasaki 9 John Laverty Buildbase Kawasaki 10 Graeme Gowland Motorpoint / Henderson Yamaha 11 Julien Da Costa MSS Colchester Kawasaki 12 Leon Camier Airwaves Yamaha Championship Positions: 1 Leon Camier Airwaves Yamaha 117 points 2 James Ellison Airwaves Yamaha 89 points More, from a press release issued by British Superbike Championship organizers: Camier and Ellison win but Guintoli sustains broken leg Round three Holiday Monday 25 May Donington Park ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli Leon Camier took his fourth victory, to tighten his grip on the chase for the ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli, in an incident packed third round, at Donington Park, in which his Airwaves Yamaha team-mate James Ellison enjoyed his maiden victory in the top flight. That win moved Ellison into second place in the rankings, 28 points down on Camier, at the expense of the unfortunate Sylvain Guintoli whose race was over before it started. The Worx Crescent Suzuki rider crashed at the Melbourne Hairpin on the sighting lap ahead of the opening race in a collision with the HM Plant Honda of Josh Brookes that had suffered a brake problem. Guintoli suffered a broken fibula and tibia in his right leg, an injury that will sideline him for some eight weeks. Camier, using the team’s uprated engine for the first time, had claimed his second pole start, but he made a sluggish get-away to the first race to be running fourth on a first lap led by Ellison from Chris Walker and Stuart Easton. By the fifth lap, Camier had taken the lead and there was no way he was going to be beaten, taking the victory by 3.6secs from Ellison, and that despite suffering a cold. “I’m feeling pretty weak and made a few little mistakes out there as it was hard to keep my concentration up,” explained Camier. “We have the new engine but have struggled a bit with the set-up, but there is time for improvement, the big thing is that I have to improve on my race starts.” Easton took third for Hydrex Honda, ahead of Walker and Glen Richards. Next time out, in a race re-started after the demise of Karl Harris, tumbling from his oil dropping bikes, Richards made the running on his HM Plant Honda ahead of the Motorpoint Henderson Yamaha in the hands of Walker. Camier was third but on the third lap, he stopped with a technical blip at the Melbourne Hairpin, but was able to rejoin the action last, and then put together a determined damage limitation ride, taking twelfth and with it four points. Ellison meanwhile was on the charge, taking the lead on the eighth lap and then heading off all challenges to record that elusive first victory. “That was awesome, though very hectic. It was nerve wracking over the last couple of laps as I had to set the pace, but I felt confident. “I said after taking second place in the first race that this was the start for real of my season this victory underlines that,” said Ellison. Easton was second from Walker and Simon Andrews with Richards fifth. Gary Mason made it ‘six of the best’ in the Mirror.co.uk Cup as he continued his clean sweep in the race within a race for independent teams. The Quay Garage Honda rider ran twelfth overall in the opening race. “It was hard as we had a real struggle over the weekend with set-up problems and didn’t qualify as well as I wanted to. Then I missed a gear so it was a bit frustrating though I still took the victory,” explained Mason who upped his game next time out, taking seventh place overall. Behind Mason in the Cup stakes, Tom Tunstall took second place in the opener ahead of Martin Jessopp while next time out Peter Hickman was in second place, with Jessopp again third. These latest victories leave Mason 150-112 ahead of Jessopp in the chase for the Cup crown. Results: Round 3 – ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli Race one 20 laps Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 30m 45.324secs, av.sp. 97.54mph James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +3.644s Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +10.490s Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) +13.459s Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +15.146s Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +15.865s Julien Da Costa (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +31.782s Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +34.781s John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +35.362s Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +35.654s Race two 20 laps James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) 30m 45.324secs Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +2.582s Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +5.740s Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +9.517s Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) +9.729s Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +18.247s Julien Da Costa (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +26.512s Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +27.330s Tristan Palmer (Buildbase Kawasaki) +28.626s John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +31.155s Championship standings Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 117 James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) 89 Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) 78 Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 77 Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) 76 Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) 60 Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) 49 Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) 46 Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 40 Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) 35 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: Worx Crescent Suzuki’s Sylvain Guintoli was the victim of a freak two-bike crash during the sighting lap for the first British Superbike Championship race at Donington Park today and sustained compound fractures to his right fibula and tibia. At the time of writing, it has been confirmed that Guintoli’s injuries are confined to his right leg: He is still receiving treatment to his fractures but an early prognosis suggests he will be out of racing for the next 10 weeks. The accident happened at the end of the sighting lap as the riders were turning into the Melbourne Hairpin. It is evident that HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes arrived at the entry into the corner too fast and consequently crashed into Guintoli. The initial impact was responsible for Guintoli’s injury. Brookes was uninjured in the collision. MotorSport Vision Racing, the organisers of the BSB series, conducted an immediate investigation into the incident and have reported the following: “Having interviewed Josh Brookes and team manager Havier Beltran, and after reviewing the incident with video, photographic and timing data evidence, it is concluded that it was caused by a failure in the operation of the braking system of Brookes’ machine, the exact cause of which is unknown.” Jack Valentine – Worx Crescent Suzuki Team Manager: “This has come as a terrible blow to us. Sylvain has been brilliant throughout testing and the early season races. He’s done a first class professional job, proving just how fast and how smooth he can be. He’s made such an impression – he’s quite probably the best rider I’ve ever worked with. “We’re obviously upset, incidents like this shouldn’t happen any time, but they’re particularly hard to accept on sighting laps. However, we must now anticipate Sylvain’s recovery. We’re looking forward to his return, but by no means will we rush him back. It’s important that Sylvain only returns when he’s fully fit. “In the meantime we will need to appoint a temporary replacement for him. We will need some time to consider our options and make an appointment – but in saying that, we will look to be making an announcement before Thruxton in a week’s time.” SEELEY TAKES DONINGTON SUPERSTOCK VICTORY: Alastair Seeley continued to demonstrate the pedigree of the 2009 GSX-R1000 at Donington Park – taking his third victory in Relentless Suzuki livery – to lead the National Superstock 1000cc Championship by 28 points after only three races. Seeley was virtually unchallenged all weekend and when the Carrickfergus man hit the front on the opening lap of the 15-lap race, he ruthlessly gapped his rivals at lap record pace. With an eight second lead at half distance, he settled into his super-smooth economic style and cruised to another win for Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing. Superstock rookie BJ Toal was fighting for a top-10 position when he unfortunately slid off unhurt at the Melbourne Loop late in the race. In the British Superbike class, Ian Lowry demonstrated his fighting qualities when he ran out of road on lap two of the opening race at the Foggy Esses. The 22-year-old rejoined race one in 24th place but didn’t give up, recording podium pace in the latter stages to finish in eighth position. In race two he spent the early laps circulating with Karl Harris on the fringes of the top 10, but once the youngster had dispensed with the former multiple British champion, he found his rhythm, scything his way through the field to finish impressively in sixth place. With 18 points from today’s races, Lowry moves into ninth place in the 2009 Visk British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli. Atsu Watanabe had a tough day at Donington Park, and after failing to find a comfortable set-up on his Relentless Suzuki Superbike, the Japanese rider recorded a best result of 19th place in race one. Ian Lowry: “Believe it or not I’m happier with the way I rode in race one coming from 24th to eighth, as in race two I got caught behind Karl Harris for too long; then when I did get past I knew Glen Richards was too far in front. The frustrating thing is, I was running the same lap times as him. My confidence is growing and with the help of the team I’m learning all the time, so I’m really enjoying the Superbike.” Alastair Seeley: “The 2009 GSX-R1000 worked well all weekend. Brogie gave me a bit of trouble at the start of the race but when I got in front I pulled the pin and reeled off a few qualifying type laps to gap them all. I watched my pit board and when it got to +8, I backed off a little and nursed it home as I didn’t want to do anything stupid.” Philip Neill – Team Principal: “It’s been a superb day all round, but I really feel for Atsu. He couldn’t find his comfort zone today, which is more frustrating as we all know how talented he is as a former all Japan champion. Unfortunately he hasn’t yet found the ingredients required to master the UK circuits on the 2009 GSX-R1000. “Whilst we are delighted with Ian’s results today, it is also frustrating as he could run the pace of the top three or four. If he can master his starts he will be up amongst them challenging for a podium very soon, but to come from almost last to eighth in race one was nothing short of phenomenal. In race two Karl Harris was actually holding him up, but his sixth place, again, was encouraging and we can see him growing in confidence every week. “I’ve run out of superlatives for Alastair Seeley, but we must not get complacent. Since jumping on the 2009 GSX-R1000 he hasn’t been headed by anyone in qualifying or in a race situation and today, he was still in his comfort zone.” Results: BSB Race 1: 1 Leon Camier [Yamaha]; 2 James Ellison [Yamaha]; 3 Stuart Easton [Honda]; 4 Glen Richards [Honda]; 5 Chris Walker [Yamaha]; 6 Karl Harris [Honda]. 8 Ian Lowry [Relentless Suzuki]. 19 Atsushi Watanabe [Relentless Suzuki]. BSB Race 2: 1 James Ellison [Yamaha]; 2 Stuart Easton [Honda]; 3 Chris Walker [Yamaha]; 4 Simon Andrews [Kawasaki]; 5 Glen Richards [Honda]; 6 Ian Lowry [Relentless Suzuki]. DNF – Atsu Watanabe [Relentless Suzuki]. National 1000cc Superstock: 1 Alastair Seeley [Relentless Suzuki]; 2 Scott Smart [Ducati]; 3 Richard Cooper [Yamaha]; 4 Adam Jenkinson [Honda]; 5 Steve Brogan [Honda]; 6 James Hillier [Kawasaki]. DNF – BJ Toal [Relentless Suzuki]. More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: Cruel misfortune for McGuinness at Donington John McGuinness was denied another top six finish in round 3 of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship on Monday when he was cruelly forced to retire with a broken gear lever. Competing at Donington Park, the Padgetts Honda rider was again riding strongly and was secure in sixth place until the 11th of 15 laps when the lever broke clean off without warning and the mishap denied him not only a top six finish but also his third place in the Championship, where he now lies in sixth place overall. It was the Morecambe rider’s first time at Donington since 2007 but he was soon on the pace and his lap in final qualifying of 1m36.177s placed him in 8th position, good enough for an all-important second row start. A strong getaway saw John slot into seventh at the end of the opening lap and although he briefly slipped back to eighth on the second, he was back up to seventh a lap later as he overhauled Dan Hegarty. On lap 6 he passed Marshall Neill and he promptly pulled away to sit comfortably in sixth, which would have given him ten more points and consolidated his third place in the title race. However, as he exited the Melbourne Hairpin on the 11th lap, the gear lever broke off and although he continued for another lap, there was simply no way he could continue and he toured into the pits a lap later to retire. Speaking afterwards, John said: “We’ve all worked really hard this weekend and we certainly didn’t deserve that today. It’s my first time at Donington since 2007 as the meeting clashed with the TT last year and I was a bit lost to begin with but the team gave me a great bike that I could go out on and do competitive times. I got more and more dialed in to the circuit and was feeling really comfortable in sixth. The front boys were just that bit too fast today but everything was looking good until I came out of the Loop when I couldn’t change gear. I had a look down along the start and finish and knew straightaway my race was over as the lever had snapped clean off. No one could have done anything to have prevented it and it’s just cruel luck that’s denied us a good result today.” “It’s a shame as it would have been nice to have held on to third overall but that’s racing sometimes and we’ll all move on and fight again next time. I’m really looking forward to the TT now as it’s my favourite event of the year and I feel that I’m riding as well as ever and am feeling fit and sharp so, hopefully, everyone will have a good, safe fortnight.” John now heads off to his main event of the year, the Isle of Man TT races, where he will line up for HM Plant Honda in the Superbike, Supersport and Senior races and his usual Padgetts Honda team for the Superstock. Practice gets underway on Saturday, May 30th with the first race, the 6-lap Superbike, taking place the following Saturday. More, from a press release issued by SMT Honda: Mixed fortunes for SMT Honda at Donington SMT Honda experienced mixed fortunes at Donington Park on Monday where they were competing in round 3 of the British Superbike and Superstock Championships. Whilst Adam Jenkinson took an excellent fourth in the latter for his best result of the year, Australian ace Jason O’Halloran only had a solitary 11th place to show for his, and the team’s, efforts in the two Superbike races. Running the PI Pectel electronics system on the Honda Superbike for the first time this season, the team only finished completing the bike a day before practice got underway and with a whole new methodology of racing to adapt to, they found themselves on a big learning curve throughout the three days of action. Qualifying was also hindered by a problem with the quickshifter but O’Halloran showed his now customary determination to place 16th on the grid. A solid start in the first 20-lap race saw Jason move up a spot but by the third lap he was already up to 12th. By lap 10 he was up to 10th and looked set to advance further as he battled with four other riders for eighth but a major reshuffle on the 16th lap saw him drop to 12th and he remained there until the final lap when he re-took Gary Mason for 11th. In the second race, the 21-year old tangled with fellow Australian David Johnson in the early stages and he crashed out, fortunately without injury, also relinquishing his 100% finishing record. In the Superstock class, Jenkinson had his best meeting of the season so far and, after consistently running in the top six throughout practice and qualifying, he transferred that form into race day. Third on the opening lap, the 24-year old got ‘mugged’ in the space of half a lap to slip back to sixth but he regrouped and soon advanced forward securing a strong, and comfortable, fourth place at the end of the 15 laps. The result also moves him up to 7th place overall in the Championship table. Summing up the weekend, team owner Robin Croft said: “It’s been a mixed bag this weekend from the highs of Adam’s 4th place, the best ever for the team, to the disappointment of the Superbike results. Adam was running top six all weekend and overcame a spill in first qualifying to take an excellent fourth, just what he deserves after all he’s been through. On the flip side, we’ve struggled all weekend to give Jason a good set-up on the Superbike, firstly with the problem with the quickshifter and then with the new electronics system. it’s all new to us and it take a while to get your head round it but it’s the way forward and I’m confident it will benefit us in the long run.” “We also had the wrong first gear on the bike and that made it difficult for Jason to get the bike off the line. He lost a bit of ground as a result and I think that’s what probably caused the crash in the second as he was trying a little bit too hard. We’re still 11th in the Championship though and only a handful of points away from those ahead of us whilst all the riders and bikes are in one piece so we’re looking forward to Thruxton and getting some more strong results.” The team now have little respite before the next round at Thruxton, the meeting taking place this weekend on Sunday May 31st.