Rizla Suzuki’s Tom Sykes finished free practice in a solid fifth place at Silverstone in Northamptonshire ahead of the 11th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as team-mate Atsushi Watanabe claimed 11th place. Sykes spent his two 50-minute free practice sessions dialling his Rizla Suzuki into the fast 2.212-mile circuit. Dry weather meant he was able to fully utilise the sessions working on front end feel and chassis set-up to give him maximum confidence through the high speed turns as well as the tight slow corners. His Rizla Suzuki technicians used the set-up from Croft as a base to work from and improved gradually over the duration of the sessions allowing his lap times to drop. Double Japanese Superbike Champion Watanabe grabbed an improving 11th place as he learned his way round the challenging track. Like Sykes, he worked through various settings and posted his fastest time just as the second session of the day was red-flagged due to fluid on track. He looked set to break into the top 10 as his first sector had improved but the session was cut short and he was denied the chance to improve further. Qualifying takes place tomorrow at 1400 – 1500. Race one takes to the track at 1315 with race two at 1625 on Sunday. Jack Valentine – Team Rizla Suzuki Manager: “I think the term for today is ‘steady away’ as both riders worked hard on set-up and maximised on the dry track time which we have had so little of this year. Tom hasn’t been pushing it today and he is only 0.294secs off Haslam who was fastest. Getting his Rizla Suzuki set-up is the key and once he gets it where he wants it I know he will be right at the sharp end. “Atsu is making a good improvement and the lap he put in at the end was exactly what I wanted to see. It is a shame the session ended prematurely as he was on a hot lap. He is still learning the track and will be putting in plenty more laps in free practice tomorrow ahead of qualifying. I think this circuit will suit him and he will do a good job.” Free practice results: 1: Leon Haslam (Honda) 1:26.715 2: Cal Crutchlow (Honda) +0.023 3: Shane Byrne (Ducati) +0.212 4: Karl Harris (Yamaha) +0.273 5: Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +0.294 6: Leon Camier (Ducati) +0.424 7: Michael Laverty (Suzuki) +0.910 8: Gary Mason (Honda) +1.207 9: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +1.499 10: Jason O’Halloran (Honda) +1.560 11: Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) +1.785 More, from a press release issued by GSE Racing/Airwaves Ducati: POSITIVE FIRST DAY AT SILVERSTONE FOR AIRWAVES DUCATI Airwaves Ducati riders Shane Byrne and Leon Camier made a promising start to round 11 of the British Superbike Championship at Silverstone today. Shane, who needs just a top 10 finish this Sunday to be crowned 2008 Champion, finished both of the day’s practice sessions 3rd. Teammate Leon topped the timesheets in the morning and was 6th fastest in the afternoon. Fresh from his second British Superbike victory a fortnight ago, Leon was immediately on the pace today. His best time of 1:26.927 came on lap 18 of 24 and was the fastest in first practice. “I’m pretty happy with how today has gone. The practice session this morning really helped me to get into the flow of riding the Airwaves Ducati around here and then this afternoon allowed us to try some changes. Just before the second session was red flagged I had gone out to try something new, but unfortunately that will now have to wait until tomorrow. It’s looking really positive and we still have some adjustments to try tomorrow.” Shane completed a total of 50 laps over the two sessions and recorded his best time of the day early on in second practice, matching Leon’s fastest lap of 1:26.927 from this morning. “You can normally make assumptions before a race weekend as to which circuits the Airwaves Ducati will suit and which it won’t as much, but to be honest we weren’t too sure about Silverstone. Fortunately the Airwaves Ducati has worked really well straight away. I did a fairly long run in the morning session and then in the afternoon we went further than a full race distance with some good consistent times. I’ll look over the data with my Airwaves Ducati engineer this evening to identify ways in which we can make improvements for tomorrow and hopefully kick up a gear and go even quicker.” Qualifying for round 11 of the Bennetts British Superbike championship commences tomorrow, Saturday September 27th 2008 at 1400. More, from a press release issued by British Superbike Championship organizers: Haslam fastest, just, from Crutchlow and Byrne BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Penultimate round 26/27/28 September Silverstone Leon Haslam headed off the challenge of his HM Plant Honda team-mate Cal Crutchlow to top the free practice leaderboard at Silverstone ahead of the penultimate round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in which Shane Byrne can regain the crown with a top nine finish. Byrne, riding the Airwaves Ducati, was third fastest, having lapped consistently in both sessions, with a best time around his 2.213 mile Northamptonshire circuit coming in 1m 26.927secs, less that a quarter of a second down on Haslam. The Honda rider is the form-man of the series, having won four of the previous five races, and he is intent on more of the same in his efforts to secure the runner-up position in the title stakes, in which he is currently 94 points down on Byrne. “I really want to keep up the momentum by winning these races, and then those at Brands Hatch,” said Haslam. “That’s what it’s about and if I do that then I can be sure of taking second in the championship.” Haslam has bitter sweet memories however of racing this circuit: “Over the last few years Honda have had some pretty good results and I do enjoy riding here, even though I effectively lost the championship two years ago when I slipped off on the last left-hander!” Haslam ran with a time of 1m 26.715secs, an average speed of 91.87mph, to be just 0.023secs up on Crutchlow who is also keen on a winning flourish to the campaign prior to his graduation into World Supersports next term. Karl Harris, riding Yamaha, ran fourth best, ahead of Rizla Suzuki rider Tom Sykes with Leon Camier, a winner last time out Croft setting sixth best time underlining the competitiveness of the sessions, the top six riders were separated by only 0.424secs. Michael Laverty, riding Relentless Suzuki, ran seventh, a third of a second up on the leading Daily Star Cup qualifier Gary Mason aboard the Quay Garage Honda. “I’m focussed on good results here and in the final at Brands Hatch as I’m determined to be in Superbikes next season on a competitive bike,” said Mason who had a best lap of 1m 27.922secs. “The team I’m with is fantastic and I am really enjoying my racing with them,” he added as he prepared to head off the challenge of Martin Jessopp aboard the Riders Honda who is a couple of points ahead of him in the standings. “I’ve not really had a fair crack of the whip in terms of the title as I didn’t come into the series until the fourth round I’d missed the points in six races, and then we had an engine problem. “That meant the title was always out of my reach, and that has been frustrating for us,” said Mason who since his arrival in the Cup has tasted the winner’s champagne seven times as John Laverty, riding the Buildbase NW200 Ducati who that crown in the previous round at Croft. Simon Andrews, riding the Lloyds British Jentin Yamaha and Aussie Jason O’Halloran aboard the SMT Honda completed the top ten runners. Top ten free practice times: 1. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) 1m:26.715s 2. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) +0.023s 3. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) +0.212s 4. Karl Harris (Rob Mac Racing Yamaha) +0.273s 5. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +0.294s 6. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +0.421s 7. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.910s 8. Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +1.207s 9. Simon Andrews (Lloyds British Yamaha) +1.499s 10. Jason O’Halloran (SMT Honda) +1.560s