From a press release issued by McAMS Yamaha:
CADWELL PARK ROLLERCOASTER FOR THE MCAMS YAMAHA TEAM
Josh Brookes (25).
It was a rollercoaster of emotions for the McAMS Yamaha Superbike team of Josh Brookes and Tarran Mackenzie at the tricky Cadwell Park Bennetts British Superbike Championship round this weekend. A strong finish for Matt Truelove in the Pirelli Superstock 1000 class was positive for the local rider, whilst Ryan Vickers took yet another Superstock 600 victory on his Mototechniks Yamaha.
Josh Brookes battled through the practice sessions at the sinuous, undulating Lincolnshire circuit, as he worked through different settings with his crew. In qualifying he pushed through to Q3 with a strong final Q2 lap but then remained in P9, on row three for the first race. Taz got steadily faster as he got to grips with riding a Superbike at the circuit for the first time and was content with his P11 position.
Brookes didn’t have a good feeling with his machine in race one and he finished a disappointing tenth by his own high standards. Taz felt more comfortable on his machine and finished a strong eighth in front of far more experienced racers. The Australian and the Scotsman qualified fifth and ninth respectively for the second outing, based on their fastest laps.
Race two saw a far stronger Brookes/YZF-R1 combination after some suspension changes between the two races as he looked far more like his normal self, battling with riders and turning good lap times. However whilst circulating in fifth, Josh suffered a mechanical TKO, coasting back to the pits. It was a double blow for the hard working squad as Tarran crashed out on lap 10 at Charlies, thankfully unhurt.
Matt Truelove had high hopes for his return to his local circuit but by his own admission he focused on one part of the track a little too much in qualifying to end up eighth on the grid. For the single Pirelli Superstock 1000 race he battled through to sixth at the flag at this notoriously hard to pass circuit.
For the riders in the Pirelli Superstock 600 class it was again a case of watching Ryan Vickers clear off as he took yet another win on his Mototechniks Yamaha YZF-R6 after two restarts, in a crash strewn three-part race. This was his seventh win and his points lead in the series is now an incredible 62 points.
Josh Brookes said; “This hasn’t been a great weekend, we’ve been playing catch up all the way through and we obviously should have been stronger in race one. After some changes in the break the bike felt more my own and we were turning in fast laps and battling hard but then disaster.”
Tarran Mackenzie said; “I’m obviously gutted to have crashed but overall it’s been a positive weekend considering it was my first time here. Race one was great and I felt comfortable but I didn’t have so much feel in race two which I think contributed to slipping off.”
Matt Truelove said; “I’m actually pretty chuffed with that, it’s our strongest pace to date and I felt comfortable on the bike. It took me a while to get past Corti so that slowed me up or I think we could have been even higher.”
Ryan Vickers explained; “I’m chuffed with that! It was difficult to get going to be honest in each restart but I tried to stay focused and managed to lead throughout. The championship position is looking strong so hopefully we’ll wrap it up before the end of the season!”
Team Manager Grant Bunting summed up; “This has clearly been a difficult weekend for us and I’m gutted for Josh that we had a mechanical when he was running so strongly in race two. Taz had a great run out in race one but was unlucky in race two but these things happen when you’re pushing on. It was another positive weekend for Matt but overall we have plenty of things to think about before our next outing.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing BSB Press Office:
POINTS ALL ROUND FOR HONDA RACING AT HOME
Jason O’Halloran (22).
It’s been a difficult weekend for Honda Racing at Cadwell Park for the eighth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, as the team struggled to find form across all sessions at the challenging and technical 2.18-mile circuit.
However there are positives to take away from the weekend with Jason O’Halloran fighting in the top-ten in race one, still recovering from his ankle injury, and Superbike newbie Tom Neave showing huge progress finishing both 18-lap races aboard the CBR1000RR Fireblade.
Not able to find pace in qualifying ‘The O’Show’ made up places in the opening race of the day quickly moving from 12th into seventh. The Aussie was looking strong until he was run off-track at Hall Bends and re-joined the group in 13th place, where he eventually took the chequered flag.
Starting the second race 13th on the grid, O’Halloran dropped places early on but over the race distance fought back aboard the CBR to finish 11th. He leaves Cadwell having collected a handful of points and remains tenth in the overall championship standings – 32 points adrift from the all-important Showdown top six.
Meanwhile deputy Neave continued to impress at his local circuit during both races where he finished 15th and 12th. Collecting his first-ever British Superbike points, the 23-year olds pace improved throughout the weekend and with strong form improved and shaved a second off his fastest lap time.
The whole team would like to thank Tom for all his hard work and it’s been a pleasure working with and watching him progress from Thruxton to Cadwell.
Honda Racing will now look forward to the ninth round of the championship, which takes place on 7-9 September at Silverstone where Dan Linfoot will be making his return to the number 4 Fireblade having been side-lined with injury.
#22
Jason O’Halloran
It’s been a really tough weekend for us here at Cadwell and I have never struggled so much here in my whole racing career, I don’t know what we were missing or where it went wrong but it’s just been really, really tough all weekend. We missed the mark with it and it’s a hard place to ride when you’re not struggling and to ride with things not 100% it’s even tougher. I’m devastated with today, normally this is a really good track for me and I was just riding around then, I wasn’t even racing, we’ve got to leave here, pick our heads up and look towards Silverstone which is a completely different track and should hopefully suit us a little bit better.
#68
Tom Neave
After Thruxton looking back now I was at such a disadvantage not having finished those races. Coming into this weekend I didn’t think it would affect me as much as it did, now having finished I’m in a different mind set. We made progress in the races having struggled at the start of the weekend but we’ve come away with two finishes and I got my first Superbike points! A few crashed in front of me, but to finish the race you’ve got to stop on and they’ve got the same chances stopping on as I have. I felt I could have been more aggressive, but having only figured it out in the races that’s not the time to be aggressive, if I felt like I did in a qualifying session then I would have pushed on and would have been even faster – but given the circumstances I just wanted to finish both races and we went faster anyway! My legs are sore; I know I’ll feel those two races tomorrow! I have really enjoyed riding the Fireblade and working with the Honda team, I feel like part of the family; it’s mega, I love it! So a huge thanks to Havier and Honda UK for giving me this opportunity, I have learnt so much and loved every minute.
Havier Beltran
Team Manager
It’s been a difficult weekend if I’m honest and not the result I thought we were going to get with Jason, we know he can be a lot stronger here and believe there is a lot more to come from him, but for whatever reason we didn’t have that this weekend. I am disappointed as it makes it even harder for the Showdown and at the end of the day that’s where to need to be.
I am so pleased with Tom he’s finished two races and it’s been great to see him progress. I had a long chat with him after Thruxton and before arriving here and I’m pleased that he’s got two race results under his belt and he knows what is needed to be at this level, I really wish him all the best in his career and for the rest of this season. The lad has potential and I look forward to hopefully working with him again in the future.
More, from a press release issued by Halsall Racing:
EARLY EXIT FOR HALSALL SQUAD AS ROUSE CRASHES OUT AT CADWELL
Chrissy Rouse (69).
THE Movuno.com Halsall Racing Suzuki team’s annual trip to Cadwell Park ended early as Bennetts British Superbike Championship rider Chrissy Rouse crashed out of race one.
The Geordie suffered a high-speed off at Hall Bends in this afternoon’s first race and was taken to hospital with a suspected broken left hand, broken right wrist and concussion.
After qualifying 20th for today’s first race at the Lincolnshire track, the 22-year-old Maths graduate had made up four places and was running in 16th spot when the crash happened on lap four.
Rouse was taken to the medical centre and then moved to a local hospital for treatment.
It heralded the end of the weekend for the team, who had earlier celebrated a strong result for Pirelli National Superstock 1000 racer Tom Ward, as the Kent racer took seventh in his race after a fierce battle with former MotoGP rider Claudio Corti.
Ward had qualified in seventh position for the race, which was reduced from 15 to 12 laps following earlier delays. At the start he dropped a place as Corti moved up five positions in the opening lap, but kept a cool head and powered on.
By the sixth lap he had closed back in on the Italian, and made the move. From there he managed to keep him behind him, crossing the line seventh and equalling his best result since moving up to 1000cc machinery this year.
“I’m happy with that, I can’t lie and say I wouldn’t have liked to have maybe made another place or two, but I can’t complain about seventh in such a strong field,” he said.
“I had a really good race with Claudio, I mean it’s not every day you get to say you’ve been battling with an ex GP racer. The arm pump is still bothering me a bit, and I know once I’ve got that sorted out I’ll be really strong.
“It’s been another good round and I’m pleased with the result. Thanks again to everyone at the team and I can’t wait to try and get an even better result next time out.”
Team manager Colin Wright admitted he was disappointed for Rouse, but praised Ward for his strong finish. “There’s not really a lot I can say at this point, obviously it’s a big shame for Chrissy as he was starting to make up ground in that first race.
“I haven’t seen him, but he’s gone to hospital and we’ll have to see how he gets on and where we are going forward. It’s disappointing for all of the team but it is one of those things, and for now we are more concerned that he’s okay.
“I don’t want to let it take the focus away from Tom’s result, which was equal to his previous best of the year. He’s had a really good weekend and has worked hard, so he deserved a decent points finish again.
“Tom definitely seems to have to turned the corner now and has become a regular top 10 finisher, so now we need to work on getting him up into the top five, which I believe he is certainly capable of.
“It may not have been the end to the weekend any of us wanted, but this is racing and you take the good with the bad. We’ll be back fighting again at Silverstone in a few weeks’ time.”
More, from a press release issued by Buildbase Suzuki:
Podium success for Ray and McConnell at Cadwell BSB
•Pole position and two podiums for Bradley Ray.
•Podium and Superstock 1000 championship lead for Billy McConnell.
Bradley Ray (28).
Buildbase Suzuki’s Bradley Ray and Billy McConnell took three podium finishes between them at Cadwell Park, at round eight of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
Ray claimed pole position in qualifying for today’s two races, and led for much of them on his GSX-R1000, but narrowly missed out on the wins, finishing second twice. However, he secured a strong haul of championship points and podium credits with one round to go to decide the Showdown top six.
Billy McConnell finished second in the day’s National Superstock 1000 race, regaining the championship lead in the process. He led until the final stages, but a mistake into Charlies One saw him surrender his advantage, but it was enough for him to leave with a five-point series lead.
On the second Buildbase Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbike, Richard Cooper finished 11th and ninth after two tight races.
Bradley Ray, “I’m over the moon to be back on the podium. We’ve had a few difficult rounds for one reason and another but everyone in the team has been working really hard to improve things. We had a good test here the other week and felt confident coming into the weekend, and we were fast from the off really. Obviously pole was a nice confidence booster as well, but in the races it was important to come away with some really good points and podium credits with just one round to go before the Showdown. But I had a good feeling with the bike all weekend and it was good to be able to push with the front boys again.”
Billy McConnell, “If someone had said we’d come away from the weekend with a five point championship beforehand I don’t think I’d have believed them, but it’s been an almost perfect weekend. The bike was working well again and we qualified well, and led for a lot of the race. Lee [Jackson] passed me through Charlies One and I managed to get back underneath into the second one. But later on I had a moment there giving it a bit too much throttle to try and keep him behind me and it let him and Keith [Farmer] past. I knew I needed to have a go back at Keith but when he went down I just thought about the championship, kept it safe and took the second place. So a really good weekend, my mum was over and some mates from Australia too, so a really enjoyable one, and hopefully more of the same at Silverstone.”
Richard Cooper, “Bit of an average weekend to be honest. In practice I was happy with our race pace and we were up there, but again struggled in qualifying to put the one lap together and missed Q3 and make life hard for ourselves. Times were tight and tenth or so would have seen us through, but instead we had to scrap for it and we all know how hard it is to pass around Cadwell. They were two solid races but not where we should be or where I want to be and I feel like I’ve let the team down a bit this weekend as they were great and I had extra help to try and improve. It’s frustrating as before Thruxton we were in the mix. But you need to be strong at every circuit in this championship. I’ll go to the workshop tomorrow and we’ll have a sit down and a think, and look to improve at Silverstone.”
Superbike race one result: 1. Leon Haslam, 2. Bradley Ray, 3. Jake Dixon, 11. Richard Cooper.
Superbike race two result: 1. Leon Haslam, 2. Bradley Ray, 3. Jake Dixon, 9. Richard Cooper.
Superstock race result: 1. Lee Jackson, 2. Billy McConnell, 3. Josh Elliot.
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:
Irwin Overcomes Injury To Climb Championship Table
Andrew Irwin (18). Photo by Double Red, courtesy of Be Wiser Ducati.
Despite a challenging weekend at round eight of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship for the Lake District-based Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team, Glenn Irwin managed to record a fourth and fifth place finish at Cadwell Park today to move back up to third overall in the race for the title.
Fourth on the grid for the first 18-lap encounter, the Ulsterman was soon up to third as the leading pack of five riders circulated nose to tail around the demanding 2.1-mile Lincolnshire venue. A safety car period allowed the entire field to bunch up but when the racing resumed it was the same five riders that disputed the podium positions. It looked like the Carrickfergus rider would claim the final podium position but, on the final lap, Jake Dixon squeezed by at the hairpin to push him back to fourth place.
Starting the second race from row two once more aboard Paul Bird’s factory-supported Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R, the 28 year old held station for the opening few laps before he was relegated to fifth, although it remained close as five riders battled for the leading positions. Despite his best efforts and despite a painful shoulder injury sustained during Free Practice on Friday, fifth place was another solid result and with some of his main rivals struggling for results, it helped him move back into third overall in the table.
After qualifying in 16th place for the opening race, there was disappointment for team-mate and younger brother Andrew when a technical issue on the Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R on the out lap meant he was unable to take his place on the grid. Subsequently, he had to start the second encounter from 24th place and the very back row of the grid but he made a superb start and was climbing the leaderboard when in 13th place on lap seven, he crashed out at Charlies bringing his weekend to an unhappy end.
Glenn Irwin: “The two races were tough today but given where I was on Friday morning with the injury, I’m reasonably pleased with fourth and fifth. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to stay in the mix for the entire race distance, but I was able to do that although I threw away the podium in race one when I left the door open on the last lap. I was struggling a bit with my shoulder for the last few laps, but it was my own mistake that cost me third place. In race two I gave it my best, but I felt very weak from about mid-race distance. I tried everything I could to improve my position, but I had to settle for fifth and so apologies to the team as it was a silly crash on Friday and one that cost us a good chance of a podium this weekend.”
Andrew Irwin: “Nothing’s really gone right for me this weekend and it certainly hasn’t panned out how we wanted. The technical issue in race one was just one of those things, so I was determined to make up for it in race two and had climbed inside the points in the first few laps which was pleasing. I wanted to push on as I felt I had the pace to get into the top ten but, unfortunately, I made a mistake and crashed out. The weekend wasn’t up to standard so apologies to the team and I’ll hit the reset button now and look forward to Silverstone, a circuit which should suit both the bike and myself.”
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “We’ve been on the back foot with Glenn ever since his crash on Friday but fourth in race one, just one second off the race win was more than a commendable effort and it gave us something to build on for race two. However, the more laps he did, the more fatigued he got so it became a damage limitation exercise. Two top five finishes aren’t too bad though and he’s edged ever closer to confirming his Showdown position. Andrew, unfortunately, had a weekend to forget although some of what went wrong was out of his control. He was making good progress in race two until his crash, so we’ll use the next few weeks to regroup back at base and work out a plan for the triple header at Silverstone.”
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (18 laps)
1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
2 Bradley Ray (Suzuki)
3 Jake Dixon (Kawasaki)
4 Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)
5 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)
6 Christian Iddon (BMW)
DNS Andrew Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (18 laps)
1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
2 Bradley Ray (Suzuki)
3 Jake Dixon (Kawasaki)
4 Peter Hickman (BMW)
5 Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)
6 Christian Iddon (BMW)
DNF Andrew Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)
Championship Standings (after eight rounds)
1 Haslam 330pts
2 Dixon 230
3 Glenn Irwin 187
4 Brookes 174
5 Ray 159
6 Hickman 126
18 Andrew Irwin 35
The next round takes place at Silverstone over the weekend of September 7/9th.For further information, please visit www.pbmuk.net and www.pbmuk.net
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing BMW:
Hickman Moves Into Showdown Contention At Cadwell Park
Peter Hickman (60). Photo by Double Red, courtesy of Smiths Racing BMW.
Smiths Racing BMW along with lead rider Peter Hickman elevated themselves into a Showdown position following round eight of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park today as he claimed fourth and seventh place finishes for the Gloucester-based team.
Despite still suffering from illness due to an internal infection and having placed 11th overall across the three practice sessions at his local track, Lincoln-based Peter was confident he could improve upon that during Saturday afternoon’s Datatag Extreme Qualifying session which he did to slot into the middle of the third row for today’s opening 18-lap race.
With the threat of rain in the air, a good start saw Peter immediately move up the order, but it was extremely tight amongst the leading pack and with overtaking notoriously difficult around the 2.18-mile Lincolnshire track, he had to settle for seventh place to move him up into sixth overall in the championship standings.
Hicky made a great start in race two aboard the Smiths Racing BMW and he comfortably ran inside the top six for the entire race distance. By the flag, he’d secured a superb fourth place finish in front of his local fans, much to their pleasure. The points haul from the day helped move him into the all-important top six Showdown positions, seven points clear of nearest rival Danny Buchan.
Team-mate Sylvain Barrier, meanwhile, was getting his first taste of racing around the challenging Lincolnshire circuit but he continually improved his times across the three days, and his qualifying time was almost two seconds quicker than what he’d recorded in the very first session on Friday morning.
After taking 18th in the first race, the Frenchman put in a stronger performance in race two and, aided by some more consistent lap times, he was rewarded at the end of the 18 laps with 14th place and two more championship points.
Peter Hickman: “It’s been a pretty good weekend and although we’re still struggling a bit with grip and I’m still a long way short of being at full fitness, fourth and seventh place finishes are a pretty good set of results especially as I’ve now moved into sixth place overall and into one of the Showdown positions. Race one wasn’t too bad as the safety car period gave me a bit of a breather but the second felt more like two races and at half race distance I was beginning to flag a little. It was hard to keep my concentration, so I just tried to stay relaxed and hit all my markers. I kept fourth place until the end and now I’m in the top six, I’ll be doing everything I can to stay there.”
Sylvain Barrier: “Cadwell Park’s a tough circuit to learn but I’m pleased with how I rode and each time I went out, I learned a little bit more about the circuit and the bike. As a result, I was able to improve my lap times in each session and with the whole team doing a great job as always, I was pleased to end the weekend with two more championship points. The next round is at Silverstone, a circuit I know well and one that suits me more so I’m very much looking forward to the three races there.”
Darren Jones, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s been a good weekend and although Pete’s health still isn’t anywhere near 100%, we’ve achieved our aim of moving into one of the Showdown positions. Cadwell’s a very physical track so it was always going to be two long races for him and whilst we still haven’t solved all the issues we’ve been having with the bike, we got a good haul of points and took advantage of other riders’ mistakes. Sylvain did a pretty good job as well at what is probably the hardest circuit for a series newcomer. He picked up two more points and was a lot more consistent with his lap times and now heads to circuits he knows well so hopefully he’ll pick up a fair few more points at the next rounds.”
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (18 laps)
1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
2 Bradley Ray (Suzuki)
3 Jake Dixon (Kawasaki)
4 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)
5 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)
6 Christian Iddon (BMW)
7 Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW)
18 Sylvain Barrier (Smiths Racing BMW)
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (18 laps)
1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
2 Bradley Ray (Suzuki)
3 Jake Dixon (Kawasaki)
4 Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW)
5 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)
6 Christian Iddon (BMW)
14 Sylvain Barrier (Smiths Racing BMW)
Championship Standings (after eight rounds)
1 Haslam 330pts
2 Dixon 230
3 Irwin 187
4 Brookes 174
5 Ray 159
6 Hickman 126
23 Barrier 9
The ninth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Silverstone on September 7/9. For further information, please visit www.smithsracing.co.uk and www.smithsracing.co.uk
More, from a press release issued by RAF Regular & Reserve Racing Kawasaki:
Two more podiums for Dixon and RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki
Jake Dixon (27). Photo by Tim Keeton/Impact Image Photography, courtesy of RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki.
Jake Dixon and the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team added two more podiums to their seasons tally at Cadwell Park on Sunday as they maintained second place overall in the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
The 22-year old signalled his intentions right from the outset and having topped the timesheets across the practice sessions, he was in confident mood ahead of qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Although he couldn’t quite replicate the time he’d set on Friday afternoon, a lap of 1m26.214s saw him qualify in third place and on the front row of the grid for Sunday’s opening 18-lap race.
Race day dawned a lot cooler and cloudier though and with spots of rain falling it was a difficult start to proceedings for the entire field but Jake completed the first lap in third place which was where he remained until lap three when he was forced wide at Coppice Corner.
He subsequently dropped back to seventh place but he quickly regrouped and a lap later was up into fifth whilst an incident at Hall Bends brought out the safety car for a short period. The race resumed in full on lap nine and with the rain having disappeared, Jake quickly made a move on Tommy Bridewell to climb up to fourth.
With just two laps to go, Jake tried to move up to third at Charlies only to run wide once more and drop back to fifth but two superb overtaking manoeuvres on the final lap, firstly on Bridewell again and secondly on Glenn Irwin at the hairpin, enabled him to claim third place and the final step on the rostrum for a hard earned podium credit.
Sixth on the grid for race two, the Ashby resident made a superb start to move up to third at the conclusion of the opening lap and he shadowed Leon Haslam and Bradley Ray up until two thirds race distance. That was when Haslam moved into the lead and Jake immediately followed him past Ray.
A lap later he took the lead for the first time and although Haslam pushed him back to second on the penultimate lap, he sat right in the wheel tracks of his rival, perfectly positioned to make a final lap move. Quicker along the back straight, he pulled out of the slipstream only for Haslam to defend the corner and with nowhere to go, Jake had to let the brakes off and run wide, taking to the grass as a result.
By the time he rejoined the track, he’d dropped back to third but it gave him his tenth rostrum to add another podium credit to his total and keep him well in contention for this year’s BSB title.
The team were also back in action in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship with new recruit Nick Anderson on board the Briggs Equipment Kawasaki ZX-10R. Despite not having ridden for two years, the Scarborough rider qualified in 23rd place and went on to finish in 22nd in Sunday’s 12-lap race.
Jake Dixon: “With two podiums from the two races, it’s been a good weekend although I am slightly disappointed not to have taken at least one of the race wins. I made it hard work for myself in race one and made a few big mistakes when I was trying to move forward. I felt I had the pace to win but was riding a bit erratic in my eagerness to get up to the front so I had a few mixed feelings after finishing third.”
“I tidied up a lot for race two and felt really comfortable when I was sitting in third so moved up into the lead when I felt the time was right. I didn’t panic when Leon came by me as I felt I had the better of him down the straight. When I tried to get by him though, there wasn’t enough room as he closed the gap a little bit harshly on me, in my opinion. I didn’t really have anywhere to go so I was a bit miffed with third but overall we’ve done a good job this weekend and the whole team was fantastic and I can’t wait for the next round.”
The next round of the series takes place at Silverstone, Northants on September 7-9.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (18 laps)
1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
2 Bradley Ray (Suzuki)
3 Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki)
4 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)
5 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)
6 Christian Iddon (BMW)
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (18 laps)
1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
2 Bradley Ray (Suzuki)
3 Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki)
4 Peter Hickman (BMW)
5 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)
6 Christian Iddon (BMW)
Championship Standings (after eight rounds)
1 Haslam 330pts
2 Dixon 230
3 Irwin 187
4 Brookes 174
5 Ray 159
6 Hickman 126
More, from a press release issued by Tyco BMW:
TYCO BMW POSITIVE AHEAD OF SILVERSTONE TRIPLE-HEADER
Christian Iddon (21).
It was a solid result for Christian Iddon in the Superbike class at Cadwell Park this weekend after securing a pair of sixth place finishes and a further 20 points aboard the Tyco BMW S 1000 RR. Iddon is now only 15 points adrift of sixth place in the overall standings and with a triple-header scheduled for Silverstone in three weeks’ time, the Tyco BMW rider is in confident mood:
Christian Iddon – #21 British Superbike: “Cadwell has been a fairly solid weekend, it’s never been one of my strongest circuits in the Superbike class despite really liking it. I’m content with two sixth place finishes considering it is a very strong track for two of my main showdown rivals, so to walk away with 20 points and narrowing that showdown gap is not too bad – but ‘not too bad’ is not going to cut it! Moving forward we have a good set-up for Silverstone and the Tyco BMW works very well there so I’m looking forward to it, it’s a circuit I really enjoy.”
Michael Laverty fought hard in race two to secure a seventh place finish and add a further nine points to his championship tally. Race one proved to be a little frustrating for the Northern Irish rider and certainly results did not reflect the effort invested after he skilfully made up six places in the opening laps of the race at the 2.18-mile challenging circuit, but a run off track on lap 12 saw him fall back to his original grid position and he eventually crossed the line in 14th.
Michael Laverty – #7 British Superbike: “I’m satisfied following Cadwell, the results are not what we want of course but all things considered it was a positive weekend. We ran a strong pace in race two thanks to some good steps forward with the bike throughout race day. What we learned this weekend should see us starting stronger at Silverstone, a track that suits our package a lot better, I’m excited for the next round!”
It was a dominant opening to the weekend for Keith Farmer in the National Superstock 1000 class, setting the fastest lap during qualifying and securing a pole position grid start for the race. The Clougher rider was leading the race during lap ten until a crash at the Gooseneck saw him out of the race.
Keith Farmer – #33 National Superstock 1000: “We had a mega start to the weekend with strong pace throughout the sessions, after securing pole position in qualifying I was feeling quietly confident that we would be strong in the race. We initially settled nicely into 4th at the start of the race, then after a few laps I made a move to the lead and push the pace. Unfortunately with only three laps to go I ran a little wide into the Gooseneck and as I turned into the left I clipped the kerb and lost the front, game over. Massive apologies to the team as I had a mega bike to do the job, but I’m focussed and really looking forward to Silverstone – there are plenty of races and plenty of points up for grabs still.”
Philip Neill – Team Manager: “Cadwell is a tricky circuit and at this point in the season there is much to gain or lose. In Superbike, Christian enjoyed a solid weekend and from row three two top six positions is a good performance. Michael was unlucky in race one from a difficult starting position and it was positive to see him fight for positions in both races. Keith has enjoyed a strong run of form recently on the S 1000 RR and after fighting his way back into a controlling position in the Superstock championship it was frustrating for him to loose that advantage at this stage of the season. There is still a significant amount of racing in both championships and we expect to be challenging at the front for the remaining rounds.”
More, from a press release issued by OMG Racing:
OMG fly to podium and progress at Cadwell Park
Gino Rea (44).
Round eight of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at the iconic Cadwell Park circuit saw OMG confirming their pace once more in the National Superstock 1000 class with Josh Elliott, making more progress with Gino Rea on their Superbike. Elliott was once again on the podium with a fine 3rd place at a circuit at which he has not been outside the top six in the last four years, whereas Londoner Rea fought hard on Sunday for 16th before retiring with a smoking Suzuki.
British Superbike rookie Gino Rea has never encountered anything like Cadwell Park when he was shining on the Grand Prix stage, so straight away it was going to be about learning. However, the determined former European Superstock 600 champion put his head down and learned the circuit remarkably well, shaving 2.7s off his FP1 time to his qualifying time on Saturday. With best lap times around the 1.28.1s mark in Sunday’s races, Rea can once again feel a big sense of accomplishment from Cadwell Park as his quest to score points again continues on to Silverstone – a circuit he knows very well.
#GinoRea44
“The highs (quite literally) and the lows of racing! Overall, it’s been a great weekend and with some changes to our bike I’ve started to enjoy riding it more. Cadwell Park is a very complex circuit and really difficult to learn but I managed to get my head around it quite quickly. I tried my hardest all weekend and we made some small but significant improvements to the bike which I’m sure will carry forward to other circuits. My pace in the first part of race one wasn’t bad and I was right behind Josh Brookes and Richard Cooper, but I couldn’t keep that momentum after the safety car and I just missed out on points. For race two we made a good chassis change and just as I started to settle in the engine blew! We were on for a top 11/12 finish there and it would have been nice to finish on a high, but that’s racing! We’ll rebound stronger I’m sure!”
Josh Elliott put in another fantastic performance at the Cadwell Park circuit, mounting the podium for OMG Racing Suzuki once more – the team’s fridge rumoured to be full of champagne from the last three meetings! Elliott rode a very smart race, keeping out of trouble but putting himself in a position to pick up any pieces that should come his way. After Keith Farmer’s dramatic departure at the Gooseneck, Elliott found himself in 3rd place and took the final step on the podium as well as setting the fastest lap of the race. With three podiums on the bounce now for OMG Racing, Silverstone awaits and the team will be welcoming it with open arms.
#JoshElliott10
“I’m very happy to come away from Cadwell Park with a podium. The OMG Racing team worked so hard all weekend and we progressively got quicker and quicker. I was able to set the fastest lap of the race as well, which was nice and a credit to the team for the adjustments they made prior to the race. I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone and my personal sponsors for their amazing support!”
Crew chief Ray Stringer revisited Cadwell Park and was very pleased with Josh Elliott’s performance, expecting more of the same from the Ulsterman. Stringer also recognised Rea’s progress – as the team make another step in the right direction.
Ray Stringer, Crew Chief
“I’m sure Josh will just keep sticking in podium finishes now he has got to grips with the OMG Racing Suzuki. I believe Gino has turned a corner this weekend with his understanding of the Superbike. Also, we have managed to make the bike feel more like what he is searching for. Other than a mechanical in race two for Gino, I thought it was a satisfactory initiation to Cadwell for him.”