KIYONARI HUNGRY FOR MORE SUCCESSES AT FAVOURITE CIRCUIT Ryuichi Kiyonari is aiming to add to his six race winning pedigree at Oulton Park as he returns there for the Bank Holiday Monday third round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. The former two times winner of the British crown is feeling confident about the races, based both on his strong ride into fourth place in the previous race, and also the continuing development works to his HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR during a recent test at the Darley Moor circuit. Kiyonari has previously taken two daily winning doubles at the picturesque Cheshire circuit, together with a further two victories with the HM Plant team, and he also holds the lap record there, little wonder that he rates it among his favourites despite the many challenges provided by its undulating, twisting nature. Among the riders that Kiyonari has to beat his is team-mate Josh Brookes who is also full of confidence having tasted the BSB race winner’s champagne for the first time in the second race at Thruxton. That moved the Australian rider into second place in the title stakes, 34 points down on Suzuki rider Tommy Hill who so far has been a model of consistency, winning two of the first four races and finishing the other two in second placings. Havier Beltran, the HM Plant Honda team-manager believes that his riders can pack the points in this round: “We are looking to continue you our record of successes it is a tough, endurance circuit to race but one that we have always done well at. “Josh is looking to take things forward after his winning ride last time out and is more than confident that he can take podiums he is on a roll, while Kiyo loves it. His confidence is also high, we have worked through his problems and he will push on and be a force to be reckoned with.” Honda riders go into these race in a position of strength with Stuart Easton back to fitness, his left leg now healed after the pre-season crash, and ready to lead the Swan Honda attack. The Scot goes there with good memories having rounded off last season with a winning ride and a second place in the final BSB action and he is looking for a repeat, at least, of that to build on his current third place in the rankings. Easton is strong, mature, and ready for what he knows will be fierce confrontations, and ready to shoulder the main responsibility for his team in the absence of James Ellison who is recovering from the broken femur sustained in a heavy crash during free practice at Thruxton. Swan Honda team-boss Shaun Muir is making strenuous efforts, ahead of this round at Oulton Park, to sign a quality replacement rider for Ellison, who is targeting a June return to racing. In this third round, Hill is the rider everyone needs to watch, but others coming into the reckoning while include the Laverty brothers Michael, riding Suzuki, and John on Kawasaki together with Ian Lowry who steps in to the Motorpoint Yamaha team to take over from former champion Neil Hodgson who has retired from the sport after injuring his already badly damaged left elbow in a crash at Brands Hatch during the race day warm-up practice. Honda BSB rider quotes Ryuichi Kiyonari, HM Plant Honda: “I like this circuit and have won there six times in the past it is difficult to ride, up and down, very twisty, many different corners. Hard to set-up the bike but I like. We have worked on the bike since Thruxton where we had a few problems, but we have solved them at our test at Darley Moor and now I want to be at the front at Oulton Park and on the podium. I will have to push hard to be at the front.” Josh Brookes, HM Plant Honda: “Thruxton, last time out was very good for me, a second and then the race win that I had waited so long for. Now I am ready for these races which will be hard battles, but I relish that challenge. “We are strong and moving in the right direction and that has given me good confidence for these races we are more prepared, with the pre-season testing very beneficial as I have been able to work on the things I had problems with last year. ” Now I am looking forward to these races with confidence, but they will be difficult as Tommy Hill is very fast and Stuart Easton will have his fitness back up. All I can promise is that I will get out there, get the best out of the bike and myself and hope that is good enough to win the races.” Stuart Easton, Swan Honda: “I’m pretty much back to fitness now, and ready for these races. For the last month, I’ve only been able to race and not much else, but now I am back in training, my leg is healed and it feels fine. “I’m on the up now and ready for Oulton, a circuit that I enjoy as it is a bit ‘old school’ as it is up hill and down dale. I had a good time there in the last round of last year, taking a win and a second place and my target is to better that.”