DOUBLE PODIUM FOR SUPER SYKES 2007 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Round 10 Croft, North Yorkshire Sunday 12th August 2007 Stobart VK Vent Axia Motorsport rider Tom Sykes emerged from his local circuit of Croft with a superb double podium in both of today’s 20 lap Bennetts British Superbike Championship races. After qualifying on the front row of the grid, the 21 year old Yorkshireman ran with the leading bunch in both races as rain clouds threatened overhead, but showing maturity beyond his years, Sykes muscled his way up on to the podium in front of another bumper BSB crowd. The result moves him up to sixth in the Championship going into the next round at Cadwell Park in two weeks time. But if Croft was a success for Sykes, then for team mate Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne it didn’t reap the rewards he was hoping for. The 30 year old Londoner suffered two crashes during qualifying and was hampered by a row three start but he salvaged a couple of top ten positions from the weekend to remain in fifth position in the Championship. The next round of the Championship takes place at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire over the bank holiday weekend. Tom Sykes: “It’s great to repay the team with a double podium and I’m over the moon. I got a good start in both races and in the first race I realised I had a little bit left and thought about going for second but it was a bit of a do or die manoeuvre and I didn’t want to risk anything. I felt quite comfortable in the second race but I knew Greg Lavilla was going to have a go at the hairpin but I held him off and it was brilliant to get on the podium again. Thanks to the whole team and to Dunlop for their support. Hopefully we can carry this momentum on for the next round.” Shane Byrne: “Unfortunately today, that was all I had to give. The two crashes yesterday didn’t help, but all credit to the boys who worked really hard to get the bikes ready, I had hoped to repay them with a podium. The first race was a nightmare but the second one started off OK but then I just dropped off and it got harder and harder. We’ve got ten days off now so I’m going home to get my head together, do some training and come back to Cadwell Park back on form.” Paul Bird: “I’m absolutely made up for Tom, the kid deserves this so much and I’m really pleased for him and to do it at a local track is magnificent for the team, the sponsors and the fans. It didn’t work out for Shakey this weekend but that sometimes happens and I’m looking forward to both of the boys being on the podium at Cadwell.” Race 1 Result: 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 26m51.398s, 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +1.301s, 3, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +1.488s, 4, Cal Crutchlow (Suzuki) +1.758s, 5, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +2.124s, 6, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +7.165s, 7, Leon Camier (Honda) +12.752s, 8, Chris Walker (Suzuki) +18.487s, 9, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +18.744s, 10, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +24.845s. Race 2 Result: 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 26m51.188s, 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +1.763s, 3, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +2.157s, 4, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +2.583s, 5, Leon Camier (Honda) +4.305s, 6, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +4.628s, 7, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +8.964s, 8, Michael Rutter (Kawasaki) +35.969s, 9, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +39.549s, 10, Chris Walker (Suzuki) +39.600s. Bennetts British Superbike Championship Positions after Round 10 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 348pts 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 322pts 3, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 288pts 4, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 269pts 5, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 244pts 6, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 203pts 7, Leon Camier (Honda) 199pts 8, Chris Walker (Suzuki) 165pts 9, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 116pts 10, Karl Harris (Honda) 107pts Round 1 7th to 9th April Brands Hatch GP, Kent Round 2 14th/15th April Thruxton, Hants Round 3 27th/29th April Silverstone, Northants Round 4 5th/7th May Oulton Park, Cheshire Round 5 18th/20th May Snetterton, Norfolk Round 6 15th/17th June Mondello Park, Co Kildare Round 7 30th June/1st July Knockhill, Fife Round 8 13th/15th July Oulton Park, Cheshire Round 9 20th/22nd July Mallory Park, Leics Round 10 10th/12th August Croft, North Yorkshire Round 11 25th/27th August Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire Round 12 21st/23rd September Donington Park, Leics Round 13 12th/14th October Brands Hatch Indy, Kent More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki’s Cal Crutchlow took a career-best fourth in the opening race at the 10th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Croft after starting from his first ever pole position – marking another step forward in performance for him and the team. He got off to a great start in the opening race and settled into a close third on the track, dicing for the lead the entire race. On lap 17 he was relegated to fourth and despite his best efforts had to settle for the position – less than two seconds behind the winner at the chequered flag. In the second race, ‘Cal’ was battling for the podium in fourth when he ran on to the grass and crashed. He gamely remounted and finished 13th, scoring valuable points. Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker started ninth and finished eighth in the opening race, showing an impressive turn of speed as the race progressed. In the second race he crashed while passing Honda’s Karl Harris on the slow hairpin before remounting and finishing 10th. Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari won both races at the North Yorkshire track. Rizla Suzuki returns to race action at the bumper Bank Holiday Monday 11th round of the series at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on 27th August. Cal Crutchlow: “I might have crashed in the second race but there’s no stopping me smiling. The fact is I have recorded my first ever pole position and finished fourth, my highest ever placing in a Championship race. I’ve taken another step closer to the podium I think the whole Rizla Suzuki team deserves. “In the opening race I thoroughly enjoyed riding at the front and while being pipped to the podium was a bit disappointing, I think I proved the Rizla Suzuki and I are capable of challenging at the sharp end. I proved it again in the second race before a false neutral put me on the grass and I crashed out of fourth – but at least I was able to remount and salvage a few points. It’s been a good day’s work and there are lots of positives for us to take to Cadwell Park in a fortnight’s time.” Chris Walker: “It’s been a long time since I last raced at Croft so it took me a little longer to get up to speed this weekend than normal. On Saturday afternoon we made big improvements in the bike set-up but it just didn’t give us enough time to catch up with everyone else, so an eighth and then 10th after crashing and remounting was as good as we could get. “I think Cal’s performance this weekend shows the team’s potential and I’m very confident for the last three rounds of the Championship at Cadwell, Donington and Brands Hatch as they are all circuits I like and think will suit the Rizla Suzuki. Bring it on.” Simon Buckmaster – Team Manager: “This has been an incredibly important weekend for Rizla Suzuki as Cal’s efforts have proved we can genuinely fight for the podium in BSB. His pole position was awe-inspiring and his fourth place in the opening race just behind the winner shows we have race pace as well. He did incredibly well in both races – congratulations to Cal and his crew on a professional performance. “Chris never got to grips with a good set-up on his Rizla Suzuki and that showed in the results. He crashed in the test at Croft last month and lost valuable track time and that would have helped enormously on setting his bike up this weekend. Chris is a much better rider than today’s results suggest and the team will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to support him, we all want to see Stalker back at the front where he belongs…hopefully dicing with Cal.” Race One Result: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 26:51.398 2: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +1.301 3: Tom Sykes (Honda) +1.488 4: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +1.758 5: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +2.124 6: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +7.165 7: Leon Camier (Honda) +12.752 8: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki +18.487 9: Shane Byrne (Honda) +18.744 10: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +24.845 Race Two Result: 1: Kiyonari 26:51.188 2: Rea +1.763 3: Sykes +2.157 4: Lavilla +2.583 5: Camier +4.305 6: Haslam +4.628 7: Byrne +8.964 8: Michael Rutter (Kawasaki) +35.969 9: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +39.549 10: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +39.600 13: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +58.283 Championship Positions (after 10 of 13 rounds): 1: Kiyonari 348 2: Rea 322 3: Haslam 288 4: Lavilla 269 5: Byrne 244 6: Sykes 203 7: Camier 199 8: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) 165 9: Hill 116 10: Harris 107 11: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) 101