Tough Weekend for Jentin Racing There was certainly a very mixed weekend for the Lloyds British backed Jentin Racing team and their rider Simon Andrews at the rescheduled Brands Hatch round. After the cancellation of the opening Bennetts British Superbike round back in April due to heavy snow the meeting was rescheduled for a shorter two day event this weekend, 10th and 11th May. In scorching hot conditions Andrews gained a solid ninth place position in race one and was very unlucky to crash out of the second 20-lap race whilst battling for a top placing. Having qualified in seventh place at the opening round he was promoted to sixth on the grid after Karl Harris was missing due to injury. He gained a brilliant start in race one and was third into the first corner and fourth after the opening lap. Michael Laverty crashed out in front of Andrews at Druids seeing him step back up to third position and fighting with the factory riders. He was hounded on lap three by the factory Ducati’s of Leon Camier and Shakey Byrne and dropped back to fifth place. Holding the position for a number of laps he was beginning to struggle with tyre grip and dropped back to ninth, which he held to the chequered flag. The second race saw Andrews in a good position in the opening laps but he lost the front end on the exit to Druids corner on lap 13, an unfortunate end once again for the youngster. The 25-year-old from Evesham said “I’m gutted again as I’ve not managed to finish both races yet in the three rounds that we’ve had. I know the team have been working really hard and I know we will eventually get to where we want to be but I keep having DNF’s and it’s not helping my Championship position. We had a few small problems with the bike this weekend and with the shorter sessions it made it difficult to get it 100% for the races. I know things will improve and I still feel confident that we can get good results and that we are moving in the right direction. I want to be out there and I want to be a serious contender, fingers crossed for us for Donington in a couple of weeks time.” Team Manager Bernie Toleman commented “Overall it has clearly been a disappointing weekend but there is no doubt in my mind that everything is in place to recover from this. Every race we have finished has been inside the top ten and there is a long season still ahead. We are working extremely hard on some development work that should be in place for Donington in two weeks time where our sole aim is for a strong result in both races.” More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: Solid weekend for Tunstall With the opening in April round snowed off, the second attempt to run the British Superbike Championships at Brands Hatch was held in blazing sunshine, and although Hardinge Ice Valley racer Tom Tunstall ended race one in the gravel the performance over the weekend showed he was definitely back on track. With the grids held from the abandoned event, short free practice sessions were provided for the teams and riders to dial into the 2.3 mile Kent circuit. The teams optimism from Oulton park was well founded as Tunstall’s pace and consistency was clear, posting the third quickest time of the Superbike Cup runners; “The bike’s working well with the settings we had from race two at Oulton, the consistency lets me get a better understanding, and gives me the confidence to push the limit of the bike. Looking at the timesheets it’s going to be a tight race & I’m really looking forward to it” Held in glorious sunshine race one saw Tunstall complete the opening lap in sixth place. On lap four he swooped under James Buckingham into Sheene curve, before getting the better of Aaron Zanotti a few laps later. Setting his fastest lap of the race Tom immediately latched onto the back of a four rider dice. Unfortunately Tunstall’s race ended 3 laps too early as he lost the front going into the 2nd gear 60mph Druids bend; “I didn’t feel like I’d done anything different and the data recording backs that up, same entry speed brake pressure etc. But when you’re pushing on the limit sometimes it doesn’t take much. On the upside were back fighting for the podium and I plan to go out in race two and push just as hard” The Hardinge Ice Valley team worked flat out to get Tunstall’s Honda CBR1000RR back into shape, and Tom literally dusted himself down ready for the second of the day’s races. Having lost ground in the early laps finding a way past ex-moto gp rider Chris Burns, Tunstall caught and passed Malcolm Ashley leaving a five second gap to the battle for the Cup victory ahead. With clear track ahead the Yorkshireman upped his pace further setting the fastest lap of all the Cup contenders and within four laps had brought the gap down to a couple of seconds and well within his sights. However a heavy crash brought out the safety car and the field was together once more. By the time the track was cleared and the race got underway there was only two laps left but Tunstall was in fourth and within reach of the rostrum, when Suzuki mounted Tom Sykes engine blew leaving oil on the track and leading the organisers to declare the result early. “To me there’s a big difference between finishing third and fourth and missing the rostrum is a shame but I’ve proved we have the pace to be there by setting the fastest lap, and if the race hadn’t been interrupted I’m convinced I’d have been on the podium. I’m happy were on the right track and looking forward to Donington” Donington Park hosts the next round of the British Superbike Championships over the May 24th 26th Bank Holiday Weekend. More, from a press release issued by Craig Fitzpatrick’s publicist: Strong Win for Fitzpatrick It was another strong win for Craig Fitzpatrick in the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Cup race at the rescheduled Brands Hatch event; he also gained a fantastic sixth place in the overall race. Fitzpatrick on the BLDS Couriers Yamaha extended his lead in the Cup Championship by 15 points from his nearest rival Andy Weymouth. Having already qualified back in April on the front row in fourth position, Fitzpatrick was looking forward to racing at one of his favourite circuits and securing a strong result in the Cup and also in the main Championship. The 30-year-old from Alfreton, Derbyshire was consistently running in the top four through both free practice sessions and was aiming at his first podium in the main race. In the dramatic race Fitzpatrick got his head down and was fighting hard for a solid result in the 18 lap scrap. He gained a good start and was into first place by the first corner, an incident behind him at Paddock Hill Bend and Druids forced the safety car out on track whilst the marshal’s cleared the debris. By lap three the race was up and running again and Fitzpatrick had slipped back to sixth position. Battling hard he was locked in some tight battles with Chris Martin and John McGuinness, once again on lap 11 the safety car was sent out after two crashes needed to be cleared from the circuit. Fitzpatrick was unable to match the power of the factory riders and slipped back down the pack. However he was eager for a good result and fended off the challenges from Ian Hutchinson and Marty Nutt, he was involved in a dice to the flag beating the duo by 0.4 for sixth place. Commenting he said “I’m a little disappointed with my result as I was really hoping to be able to fight for a podium at Brands in the main Championship. I know I’m strong round there and I wanted to prove that. I struggled both times when the safety car went back into the pits to match the power of the other bikes in front of me and tried to stay with them but it was hard. I can’t complain too much as I won the Cup race again and sixth is a good result for a Cup competitor. I’m looking forward to Donington in a few weeks time and it would be good to keep getting consistent top ten finishes in the main race.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Michael Laverty continued his impressive Superbike form on the Relentless Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Brands Hatch at the weekend with a fourth-placed finish in race two. In race one, after a superb start, he forced his way through to third before crashing out at Druids when hot on the heels of Tom Sykes in second place. Ian Lowry had a tough weekend but battled bravely in today’s Supersport race with a shoulder injury. Unfortunately he just lost out on a points-scoring finish after being forced to start his race from pit lane due to a front brake problem on the warm-up lap. Michael Laverty: “I made a great start in the opening race but I suppose I just pushed too hard and lost the front while shadowing Tom Sykes. In race two I proved I could run at the front with the likes of Shakey and Rutter, but again we suffered with the tyre spinning on the rim. Fourth place is a positive result for the team and the bike is working really well but I am a bit frustrated. As a team, we are probably surprising a few people but the Relentless Suzuki is proving to be a good package, and if we can iron out that small tyre problem I know I’m capable of getting on the podium. I have no doubt we will get more competitive as the season progresses.” Ian Lowry: “That was not a good day at all. I had a problem with my brake adjuster on the out lap that left me with virtually no front brake, so I had to start the race from pit lane on my number two bike. I just couldn’t get onto that middle group for some points and with my shoulder injury and riding my number two bike, I lost a bit of confidence. It’s really a weekend to forget, but hopefully the bad luck will be shared about, and we can start again from the next round at Donington Park in two weeks time. Philip Neill – Team Principal: “It has been an indifferent weekend for the team, but again we can take a lot of positives from our races on the GSX-R1000 Relentless Suzuki. Progression is what we are looking for and we shouldn’t forget it’s our ‘learning year’ in BSB. Our target has been set for top-10 results, but again Michael has delivered a great performance in fourth place in race two. His lap times in both races were worthy of a top five placing, but I’m not going to criticise him for crashing in race one as he was giving 100%. He has beaten some top riders out there today and he’s continuing to set his fastest ever lap times on the Relentless Suzuki Superbike – long may that continue. “On the Supersport side it is clear that Ian had a few problems this weekend and his high-side in practice, where he suffered a shoulder injury, certainly hampered his progress in the race. He was also unfortunate to have a brake adjuster problem, which forced him to start the race from pit lane on his number two machine. From there the odds were stacked against him, but I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before he regains the form that made him a championship contender in 2007.” More, from a press release issued by Centurion Racing: Stunning Results for Centurion Not only was the weather stunning at Brands Hatch but as were the results from the Centurion Racing team. James Westmoreland and Dan Cooper secured two fantastic results in the rescheduled Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship at Brands Hatch, taking a fourth and 11th place respectively. Having already qualified at the beginning of April, before the race was abandoned due to heavy snow, the Centurion duo had put their Honda’s in 12th, Westy and 20th, Cooper on the grid. The race initially was the opening round of the Championship and the two were struggling to get to grips with their new Pirelli tyres and therefore were unable to place themselves higher on the starting grid. In the two hot practice sessions on Saturday they were flying and were setting some extremely fast lap times with Westy setting the third quickest time in the second practice session and Cooper in sixth, it was looking likely that they would be able to make the best of their low qualifying positions. In an action packed race, which saw the safety car deployed on two occasions they were able to make the most of the 18-lap battle and score two solid results for the Centurion Racing team. The safety car was despatched on the first lap after two separate crashes involving various riders at Paddock Hill and also Druids corner. The riders lined up in formation waiting for the lights on the car to be turned off. The race got underway again on lap three and Westy was through to 12th on lap four and Cooper had slipped back to 18th place. Westy was making huge progress through the pack and was up to seventh by lap nine with Cooper in 17th position. The safety car was once again called out on lap 11 when Chris Martin and Aaron Walker crashed out in two different incidents. Cooper was making the most of the falling riders in front of him and he was eagerly pushing his way through the pack and getting up to 13th by lap 14 and was eyeing up a top ten finish. He was locked in a tight battle with Andy Weymouth and Paul Young for ninth place and only 0.2 split the trio as they reached the chequered flag where he gained 11th. Westy pushed hard and made some unbelievable passing manoeuvres around the outside of Clearways and the outside of Paddock Hill, both times pulling the moves off and making tidy passes on Craig Fitzpatrick and BJ Toal, sealing him a well earned fourth position. James Westmoreland was delighted with his result saying “I’m so pleased for the team that we have managed to achieve what we did today. It’s been a long time coming, I gained a fourth place last year at Thruxton and it’s a really nice feeling being there again. I’m eager for these results to carry on for the rest of the season and there should be no reasons why I can’t make that happen. I love Donington Park and it would be good to be fighting at the front end again there. I really enjoyed the scrap and thanks again to all the guys at Centurion Racing for working so hard.” Dan Cooper commented “Considering my poor qualifying position it’s great to be pushing with the boys and fighting for a top ten position. We’d not had much track time when we came here in April and it was taking me a little while to get used to the new tyres and dusting up on my riding skills again. I was running really well in practice here and it was a shame we’d already qualified as I think I would have got an even better result if I’d not started from 20th on the grid. I’m really pleased for the team as they’ve all been working really hard and it would be good to continue this into the next races.” General Manager/Team Owner Paul Rees said “Westy and Dan pushed hard this weekend knowing that they had to salvage a result from the qualifying positions they attained in April. Some good clean ‘scraps’ were had on the track as they moved there way through the pack. Exciting to watch them both out there and there will be many more of those results coming our way with the new improvements to the bikes that the engineers are working so hard at. Gary Stubbington (Race Manager) and myself would like to thank all the support and messages received from the people who follow us as a team, and this is what it is all about, team work. Congratulations to all”. Race Result Hudson Kennaugh Yamaha Glen Richards Triumph Steve Brogan Honda James Westmoreland Centurion Racing Honda BJ Toal Yamaha Craig Fitzpatrick Yamaha Ian Hutchinson Yamaha Marty Nutt Yamaha Andy Weymouth Yamaha Paul Young Triumph Dan Cooper Centurion Racing Honda Championship Positions 1 Richards 65 2 Kennaugh 58 3 Brogan 52 9th Westmoreland 19 12th Cooper 14 More, from a press release issued by AIM Yamaha: AIM YAMAHA BRANDS HATCH Ian Hutchinson rode the AIM Yamaha R6 to a fine seventh place in an incident packed British Supersport race at Brands Hatch on Sunday. Running in his starting position of eighth on the first lap Hutchy was prevented from moving further forward because of the safety car presence in the early laps and when the race finally got back underway he was demoted to ninth and then 11th place before settling into the race and making a move forward to eighth position. But again the race was disrupted and the safety car deployed and by the time the car left the track there were just a handful of laps remaining for Hutchy to make up ground. He crossed the finish line in seventh place to pick up a further nine championship points and move into sixth place in the rider standings. Ian Hutchinson I was just frustrated in the race as a couple of riders out there were making really desperate lunges and I just couldn’t get flowing in the race. There was nothing between third and where I was, but every time I tried to make a move I was getting desperate moves made on me by the other two riders, one of which eventually went down. They were out of control out there and it just makes it difficult to race with them. With Steve Plater on World Endurance duty at Albacete where he finished in fourth place with Yamaha Austria, AIM Yamaha chose not to contest the British Superbike round at Brands Hatch. The action now moves to Ireland where Steve Plater and Ian Hutchinson will compete against each other for AIM Yamaha in both Superbike races plus the Supersport event at the North West 200 Road races. Practice takes place on Tuesday and Thursday prior to a full day of racing on Saturday. More, from a press release issued by Guy Martin: More points for Martin at Brands Kirmington’s Guy Martin recovered from a practice spill to post two point scoring finishes in round 3 of the British Superbike Championship held at Brands Hatch on Sunday. The Hydrex Bike Animal Honda rider slipped off at Sheene Curve, fortunately without injury, and took 12th and 13th in the two 20-lap races to move up to 14th overall in the Championship table. The meeting had been rescheduled after the original round fell foul to heavy snowfall in early April and with grid positions carrying over, Guy lined up in 12th on the grid. Race 1 proved to be relatively uneventful for Guy and having completed the first lap in 15th, he moved up to 14th on lap 5 and with Michael Rutter crashing out on lap 13, he was promoted up to 13th, a position he held until the chequered flag. The second race saw a similar pattern and Guy again found himself in 15th after the opening lap. A couple of overtaking manoeuvres saw him move up to 13th and here he stayed until the pace car came out on the 15th lap. This allowed the whole pack to bunch up and Guy was ideally placed to take advantage and get inside the top ten. The pace car pulled in on the 18th lap but no sooner had it done so, then the red flag came out to stop the race, Tom Sykes’ Suzuki having blown up and depositing both oil and the rider onto the track. Subsequently, this moved Guy up to 12th in the final classification. After the races, the 26-year old commented: “It’s the best of a bad job really. Obviously, I don’t want to be finishing down in 12th and 13th but it’s two more points scoring finishes and I’ve finished the meeting in one piece, which is the main thing heading into the road race season. After crashing on Saturday, coming off again and getting injured was at the back of my mind and whilst you try to forget about it, it’s always there and it does affect your riding a bit.” “We’ve made more progress with the forks but we can make more improvements and Javier is off to Spain between now and the North West to get some more bits so I can’t wait to get going. The roads are where it’s at and I’m champing at the bit to get going. Hopefully, the fine weather will stay with us and we’ll get some top results preferably the top step of the podium!” The International North West 200 takes place this week on the 8.9-mile public road circuit linking the towns of Portstewart, Portrush and Coleraine in Northern Ireland with practice on Tuesday and Thursday and the races on Saturday. Guy will be participating in five races in total Superbike (x2), Supersport (x2) and Superstock.