Redding Scores Silverstone Podium On BSB Debut

Ex-MotoGP rider Scott Redding made an immediate impact at the opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at a sun-soaked Silverstone today when the 26-year-old brought his Be Wiser Ducati home in a superb podium place in the opening race.

It was the highlight of a tough weekend for both Redding and team-mate Josh Brookes as the pair suffered mixed fortunes for the Penrith-based team with Redding crashing out of the second race and Aussie Brookes, the 2015 BSB champion, retiring from both races on his factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R.

In glorious conditions, both riders made strong starts to the first race of the season with Redding slotting into fourth place from the front row whilst Brookes had to make progress from his sixth-row start following a technical problem in qualifying. Redding was left to chase the leading trio but a last lap clash between Tarran Mackenzie and Jason O’Halloran left the latter on the floor leaving Redding to claim the final podium spot in third.

36-year-old Brookes meanwhile, made good progress and was up to eighth by two-thirds race distance and part of a three-rider group battling for sixth but on lap 23 his good ride ended when he coasted to a halt and was forced to retire due to an electrical problem.

Race two saw Redding start from the head of the second row in fourth with Brookes in tenth as a close battle ensured between the leading dozen riders with both Be Wiser Ducati riders well placed. However, it got too close on lap six, Redding was taken out by another rider and crashed out, luckily without serious injury.

That meant it was left to Brookes to try and salvage a result for the team on this occasion and by lap ten, he’d moved up into eighth place. He continued to move his way through the pack but having taken sixth place just before two-thirds race distance, his race came to an abrupt end shortly afterwards when he was forced out with a technical issue.

Scott Redding: “I was obviously happy to take the podium in the first race, but it wasn’t a deserved one as the three riders in front of me had more pace. To be honest, I didn’t expect the pace to be so quick at the beginning, but I hung in as best I could. It was disappointing to be taken down in race two and I’m very sore, but I should be OK for Oulton Park. Despite that, what a fantastic reception I got from the BSB race fans, it was quite emotional so thanks to them all for that. We now have a test at Oulton and need to work on a few issues and hopefully see some improved results at the next round.”

Josh Brookes: “There’s not a lot I can say about today other than it’s obviously disappointing to come away with no points, but I wasn’t alone as Jason O’Halloran was another rider to have strong rides only to come away with two DNFs. That’s the nature of racing and you can have as many good weekends as bad ones so it’s a shame for the whole team that we didn’t finish either race. I think we showed the pace we have when everything’s going well, and we’re all motivated to do well as we know what potential we have but sometimes things happen that are out of our control. We’ve shown that we’re competitive against the other teams and know there’s plenty more to come so we’ll just forget about this weekend and look ahead to the next one.”.

John Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s hard to know what to say about today having suffered three DNFs and it certainly hasn’t been an ideal start to our season. Both riders struggled for rear grip, particularly through the last sector, but Scott rode in race one well and although he was gifted a podium, he rode intelligently and will have learned a lot. He learned more in race two and now knows that the racing in BSB is incredibly close and that there are plenty of elbows out in the first few laps! As for Josh, the whole team collectively apologises as two DNFs it isn’t in the nature of the PBM Be Wiser Ducati team but when things were running right, he was very competitive so there’s plenty to build on. We’ll sit down and regroup and now have an important test coming up at Oulton Park which we’ll look to make full use of.”

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (30 laps)
1 Josh Elliott (Suzuki)
2 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)
3 Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati)
4 Luke Mossey (Suzuki)
5 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)
6 Andrew Irwin (Honda)
DNF Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati)

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (33 laps)
1 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)
2 Josh Elliott (Suzuki)
3 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
4 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)
5 Luke Stapleford (Suzuki)
6 Luke Mossey (Suzuki)
DNF Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati)
DNF Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati)

Championship Points (after opening round)
1 Elliott 45pts
2 Mackenzie 45
3 Bridewell 24
4 Mossey 23
5 Buchan 23
6 Stapleford 20
8 Redding 16

For further information, please visit the team’s website, www.pbmuk.net and the official website of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship www.britishsuperbike.com.

More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing BMW:

Hickman And Ellison Endure Testing Weekend At Silverstone

The Smiths Racing BMW team got their 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship campaign underway at Silverstone this Easter weekend and despite limited track time prior to the opening round, Peter Hickman came away with two good points-scoring finishes in the two races.

Having only taken delivery of the new Smiths BMW S1000RR a month ago, the team had worked incredibly hard to get the two bikes ready for round one and the lack of track time compared to their rivals meant they still had a lot of work to do during practice and qualifying around the 1.64-mile National circuit.

Times were extremely close during qualifying with only two seconds covering the entire field of 32 riders and it was Lincolnshire-based Peter who qualified the better of the two riders in 21st place with James, from Cumbria, five further places further back in 26th.

In glorious sunshine again, the duo made strong starts to complete the first lap with Hickman in 17th and Ellison in 21st place. Ellison moved into the top twenty on lap ten but was forced to retire shortly afterwards which left Hickman flying the flag.

On lap 18 Hickman moved up into the points for the first time in 15th and at the flag, Peter took 14th to claim two hard earned championship points.

Race two saw Hickman start from the seventh row with Ellison one row further back, but it was the latter who made the better getaway and completed the first lap in 16th place with Hickman in 20th. By lap seven, Ellison, from Kendal, was up into the points in 15th and Hickman wasn’t too far behind having moved forward three places.

The team-mates were circulating in close formation but as the race wore on it was Hickman who made the better progress of the two and he fared better as the race reached its conclusion, the Louth rider claiming two more points in 14th. Ellison looked on course to claim his first finish of the season but pulled in at the end of the 30th lap with the bike running at a high temperature although he’s now got plenty of mileage on the new BMW that will benefit him for the second round in three weeks’ time.

Peter Hickman: “It’s been a tough weekend, but it was never going to be easy with the bikes arriving late and we were hoping to fall on a setting that worked but didn’t! At the same time, we’ve come away with two points-scoring finishes from what was essentially a test weekend and the good thing is that we made progress and moved forward all weekend. We’ve learned loads and haven’t been a million miles away so I can’t complain too much and there are a lot of positives to take away. The potential is clearly there so we’ve got plenty to work with and build on so I’m confident we’ll be a lot stronger at round two.”

James Ellison: “We always knew round one was going to be a lot of hard work, but we worked really well as a team and got through a lot, so we’ve been able to move forward all the time and now have a good direction to move in. The potential in the bike is huge and we’ve got a lot more work to get through, but we know what works and what doesn’t, and we’ve improved all weekend. It’s testament to the team that we’ve been able to do what we’ve done in a short space of time. I already feel at home in the team so am looking forward already to the second round.”

Darren Jones, Team Co-ordinator: “The weekend hasn’t been too bad given we only got the bikes a month ago and it’s full credit to the team to have two Superbikes built and competing at the first round. We’ve had no problems or technical issues and the riders stayed calm doing exactly what we asked of them. We’ve all got to be patient and both riders went faster each time they went out, so we’ve got a good platform to build upon. The potential of the bike looks really good and a crucial factor is that we now have loads of data to analyse and put together with our own ideas. The next few weeks are going to be really busy, but we’ll use the gap ahead of round two well and get to Oulton for round two in a much better position.”

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (30 laps)
1 Josh Elliott (Suzuki)
2 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)
3 Scott Redding (Ducati)
4 Luke Mossey (Suzuki)
5 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)
6 Andrew Irwin (Honda)
14 Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW)
DNF James Ellison (Smiths Racing BMW)

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (33 laps)
1 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)
2 Josh Elliott (Suzuki)
3 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
4 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)
5 Luke Stapleford (Suzuki)
6 Luke Mossey (Suzuki)
14 Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW)
DNF James Ellison (Smiths Racing BMW)

Championship Points (after opening round)
1 Elliott 45pts
2 Mackenzie 45
3 Bridewell 24
4 Mossey 23
5 Buchan 23
6 Stapleford 20
17 Hickman 4

More, from a press release issued by RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki:

Excellent start to 2019 for Vickers and RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki

Ryan Vickers and the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team got their 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship campaign underway in fine style at Silverstone on Easter Sunday with the series debutante taking 12th and 15th place finishes in the first two races of the new season.

Having not only his first ever British Superbike race but also his first ever 1000cc race, the 21-year olds inexperience never showed and he strung together some fine performances during practice and qualifying and ran consistently inside the top twenty.

As expected, times were incredibly tight around the 1.64-mile National circuit with one second covering 21 riders in qualifying but a superb session of riding saw Ryan – the reigning Pirelli National Superstock 600 Champion – qualify in an excellent 13th place with a time of 54.274s.

Lining up at the head of the fifth row for the opening 30-lap race, a good start by the Thetford rider saw him complete the first lap in an excellent 12th place and he never dropped out of the points at any stage during the race. Positions, as expected, changed regularly and although he slipped back to 15th at one stage, it was only for a short period and he completed his first BSB race in an excellent 12th place for four well deserved championship points.

The second race later in the day, held over the same distance, saw the 20-year old start from the sixth row of the grid and although he was in 17th place at the end of the first lap, he quickly made progress and by lap ten, he’d moved up four places to slot into 13th place, well on course for some more Championship points. Battling with fellow Championship rookie Ben Currie, Ryan duly brought the Kawasaki ZX-10RR in 15th place for his second points scoring finish of the day.

Fellow team member Gary Johnson was also in action as he continued with his preparations for the International road racing season that gets underway next month. Contesting the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship races, the Lincolnshire rider got valuable mileage under his belt ahead of May’s North West 200 meeting.

Ryan Vickers: “I’m really happy with how this weekend has gone and to come away with two finishes inside the points is superb. My main aim this weekend was to stay upright and learn as much as I could so I’ve certainly achieved that in terms of how the bike behaves with less fuel and when the tyres begin to go off. Getting two full race distances under my belt was really important and we’ve moved forward all the time but we need to look at improving the rear grip on both the entry and exit as this was the one area that I struggled with. Overall though, I’m really happy and to have been riding with experienced BSB riders – and beating some of them – gives me a lot of confidence and a lot to build on.”

Lee Hardy, Team Owner: “Qualifying went really well and after making changes to the bike throughout, Ryan had a set up that he felt comfortable with although we were still trying to eradicate some wheelspin he was experiencing coming out of the final turn. He took P13 in qualifying which the whole team were delighted with and to be just 0.1s off making it through to Q3 and the second quickest Kawasaki was an excellent performance. He qualified ahead of some vastly more experienced riders and the aim after that was to have two solid rides.”

“That’s exactly what he did and all in all, it’s been a good weekend. There was a lot going on in the races what with riders crashing, oil being spilled and safety car periods but that’s all part of the big learning curve Ryan’s on and he dealt with it all very maturely. There are so many things that are new to him and we have a lot to work on but he took everything in his stride and we’re all very happy with how the opening round has gone.”

The next round takes place at Oulton Park, Cheshire on May 4-6.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race one (30 laps)

1 Josh Elliott (Suzuki)

2 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)

3 Scott Redding (Ducati)

4 Luke Mossey (Suzuki)

5 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)

6 Andrew Irwin (Honda)

12 Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki)

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (33 laps)

1 Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha)

2 Josh Elliott (Suzuki)

3 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)

4 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)

5 Luke Stapleford (Kawasaki)

6 Luke Mossey (Suzuki)

15 Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki)

Championship Points (after round one)

1 Elliott 45pts

2 Mackenzie 45

3 Bridewell 24

4 Mossey 23

5 Buchan 23

6 Stapleford 20

15 Vickers 5

More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant JGSpeedFit Kawasaki:

Onwards and Upwards for Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki

Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki got the defence of their Bennetts British Superbike Championship title under way at Silverstone this weekend. However, it proved to be a challenging meeting at the Northamptonshire venue with 11th place for Glenn Irwin in race two their best result.

With lap times incredibly close around the 1.64-mile circuit, Glenn and team-mate Ben Currie were never too far off the front during practice and qualifying. But such was the competitiveness of the opening round, Glenn lined up for the first 30-lap race in 15th place and Ben – making his Superbike debut – in 19th place, despite only being just over half a second adrift of pole position.

It meant the duo started Easter Sunday’s race, which again saw perfect weather conditions, from the fifth and seventh rows respectively but the race was only four laps old when they both crashed out at Becketts corner albeit in separate incidents.

It put them on the back foot for the second race later in the day but both Glenn and Ben fared a lot better and, although not running as high as they would have liked, they both ran inside the points for the duration of the race.

It was Glenn, third overall in last year’s championship, that fared best, bringing the Kawasaki ZX-10RR home in 11th place for five hard-earned championship points. Ben, however, wasn’t far behind and took the chequered flag just half a second further back in 13th to also get his first points of 2019 on the board.

Glenn Irwin said: “That’s the first round over. It was difficult and I think I was expecting a lot more from it, however, from start to finish we’ve made huge progress.

“I felt strong in race one; I was feeling confident and making some good passes and climbing the ranks quite fast but sadly crashing is part of racing. I landed quite heavily and was feeling pretty second-hand for race two, but I had to get back out there and get some points on the board.

“Eleventh in race two wasn’t too bad considering. We noticed on the grid that there was some major damage from the crash, but we knew we had to push on. I can’t thank my team enough for the work they have done this weekend – they worked faultlessly.

“I rode with the issue in race two, which was holding us back a lot in the braking area, so to finish 11th wasn’t too bad. We will move on to the test at Oulton and rebuild our confidence for round 2.”

Ben Currie said: “I’ve learnt so much this weekend and my qualifying really set me back for both races. I think being on the grid so far back for race one caused me to crash as I was trying so hard to push forwards and probably put too much pressure on myself to try and get through the field.

“We started race two in 19th again, which made things difficult, but I paced myself and was a bit more patient this time and just dug deep and worked hard to get through the pack. I saved the tyre and we learnt so much, it was crucial to get that first race under our belt.

“I’m a little tired coming back from illness but I’ll be working hard on that over the next few weeks.

“I can’t thank my team enough for all their help and hard work this weekend. We have a good platform to build on and we know where we need to be and how to get there. Thank you to them all.”

Team Manager Jack Valentine said: “It was a tough weekend for the team. We have struggled a little bit and have been trying to find that sweet spot for both riders all weekend. Of course, both riders crashed in race one which did not help things.

“It was good to get a race under our belt for race two. Glenn was riding injured and with a problem on the chassis on the bike from the crash. He rode a good race and at some points was lapping at the same time as the leaders so I think we can come away from here disappointed as we are used to being at the front end, but with a base setting and foundation for the new bikes.

“Ben has done a mega job; he just needs some more time on a Superbike so that he gets used to not just the set-up, but the physical side of it to get him stronger for the rest of the season.

“He’s coming back from being very ill, so he struggled with that also here. To get him in the points in the first Superbike Championship race he has finished is great and we just have to keep moving forward with him.

“We now have some more direction with everything and hopefully it will be onwards and upwards from here.”

To keep up to date with the latest news from Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki you can visit the website or follow the team on Facebook and on Twitter.

More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing BSB:

POINTS ALL-ROUND FOR HONDA AT SILVERSTONE

Honda’s British Superbike team is leaving the opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Silverstone positive after the weekend, which saw all riders score points across the Superbike and Superstock classes, aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.

Glorious conditions greeted the championship across the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and fans were treated to close racing action across all classes, especially in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship which saw the top-11 in Saturday’s qualifying separated by 0.360 seconds, where Honda’s riders Andrew Irwin and Xavi Forés qualified 10th and 11th respectively.

Making his BSB debut this weekend Forés made progress throughout each session aboard the Fireblade. Today’s opening race of the day saw the Spaniard finish tenth, but it was during the final race he really found his feet. Dropping back places in the opening stages of the race to 14th, Forés fought back and made his charge through the group ahead. Carving his way through the pack he eventually crossed the line eighth and leaves the opening round ninth in the overall championship standings.

Teammate Irwin also enjoyed a solid weekend with great pace throughout all sessions and finished the first race of the day sixth, just 0.731 seconds from fifth place. The last race saw Irwin penalised on lap 12, after an on-track incident while running fifth. Taking the penalty lane in superb style, Irwin had already begun his charge back up the places to make up lost ground. Fighting hard he crossed the line seventh, where he also sits in the overall standings.

In the National Superstock 1000 Championship Honda made its return to the series this weekend in fine style with Tom Neave. With a two-part 100-mile race yesterday, Neave scored two eighth-place finishes, and during today’s race dug deep and was well in the mix with his Superstock rivals. Making up places the Lincolnshire lad came home sixth and is also sixth in the championship standings.

The team will now prepare for an official BSB test this Thursday (25 April) at Oulton Park, before the second round of the championship at the Cheshire circuit on 4/5/6 May.

Xavi Forés

#6

I have had so much fun this weekend; there have been a lot of riders in such a close gap. I enjoyed a lot especially the second race and we definitely made a huge step forward, it was a shame starting from the back as I lost many places and I went wide many times in order to make up the gap to the front group. In the end I was able to have a good pace, which wasn’t so far from the top group, so this means we made a good improvement and I am happy for that, because it’s not been an easy weekend for me. I had to understand many things over the weekend; it was like going back to school! It’s quite different to the world championship and I have had to learn, but I am happy leaving with the result from the second race, we closed the gap and I am looking forward to the second round.

Andrew Irwin

#18

The races today have been really positive and I think from last year I have definitely taken a step forward in my riding, I put a lot of effort in over the winter and I think it is paying off. Sixth and seventh in the first weekend is positive and I know we’ll continue to take steps forward, of course the second race I feel could have been a lot better but we got the penalty lane and I committed to it! I tried to get around it as fast as I could not to lose any time, but when you go too hard sometimes you wreak the tyre and that’s what happened, and by the time the safety car came round we didn’t have anything to give back. But you know this is racing and I look forward to Oulton and getting a good test under our belts on Thursday.

Tom Neave

#68

It’s been a really good solid weekend and we’ve gone faster in each session, we’ve also been consistent throughout. I was happy to get some points on the table without making any mistakes in the races and I was getting stronger towards the end. I need to work on being less hesitant at the start to get stuck in nice and early in order to get a good position. We’re in a good place and I am looking forward to Oulton Park, I think the layout of the circuit will suit the Honda a lot more and I can’t wait to get there now.

Havier Beltran

Team Manager

Of course you always want more, but where we finished in race two, if I’m honest that’s where I thought we’d be running around to start with. The test we had here the other week was waste of time really with the different weather conditions, so we had to go back to the drawing board when we got here with the warmer conditions. I’m happy with the progress and the direction we made over the weekend, as well as how the team are working and gelling together, that is such a key point and we can build on so much more. We have a good foundation, a lot of data and a lot of laps and I think Xavi having his first race here in England he will soon understand the level, as well as the strength and weaknesses of his competition. From a BSB/Superbike side I’m pleased with how we finished Race 2 and I think it bodes well moving to Oulton Park. Tom in Superstock again it’s a new area for us coming back into the series and I feel Tom and the guys did a great job. I know Tom wanted more and there were some issues red flag etc. but we needed to come away from here with that amount of information to understand where we need to improve as rider/team/machine, and I think we have some good information to work on as we move to Oulton Park.

More, from a press release issued by Tyco BMW:

TYCO BMW POSITIVE AFTER RACE DEBUT AS BIKE DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES

The 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship opened this Easter weekend at Silverstone on the National circuit giving the Tyco BMW team a first glimpse at the pace of the all-new BMW S1000RR in a competitive pack, following a compact pre-season testing programme.

After a solid start during race one in the superbike class, both Christian Iddon and Keith Farmer got caught up in racing incidents, dropping them back down the field and then having to fight their way back up the order, demonstrating the potential of the S1000RR as further development continues during the season. Christian and Keith currently sit 13th and 15th respectively in the Championship standings.

Despite showing promise, Andy Reid was victim to a little bad luck in the Superstock class when he was tagged by another rider and forced out of both races in Saturday’s double-header. Race two was more promising for the Northern Irish Rider as he crossed the line in twelth place.

The team remain focused about the potential package of the BMW S1000RR and head to Oulton Park for an official test ahead of round two of the Bennetts British Championship at the Cheshire track 4-6th May.

Philip Neill – Team Manager:

“We leave Silverstone a little frustrated although to be fair the potential shown by each of our riders this weekend on the 2019 S1000RR exceeded our expectations considering our limited pre-season preparation schedule. Christian had the pace for top six in race one when a small technical problem halted his progress. In race two both Keith and Christian showed pace strong enough for the top six however a small error cost each rider the opportunity to fulfill that potential. It’s very early days with the new BMW S100RR and we can’t wait to be shown it’s full potential.”

Christian Iddon – #21 British Superbike:

“The weekend started really positively, we were fast almost immediately. I have felt good all weekend, I was never outside the top eight any of the sessions so that was really good. We had a few niggly issues during race one and dropped back from sixth. The boys worked really hard and by race two we were back on track and up to fifth, but a near collision ran me off track, then a missed gear on the following lap knocked me back a few places. We are leaving the first round with a few points on the board and looking forward to the Oulton test ahead of round two.”

Keith Farmer – #33 British Superbike:

“All in all it’s been a positive weekend on the new Tyco BMW S1000RR. We had a little knock on Saturday which knocked my confidence a little, but to come back to 15th from 26th on the grid following a six grid penalty shows we have good race pace with good tyre life. Race two I started a little further up the grid but a few errors on my part saw me run off track a few times which is fustrating, but I made my way up to 12th and to be in the 54s throughout the whole race proved really positive. The bike feels great and I’m looking forward to moving on to Oulton Park and seeing more progress.”

Andy Reid – #67 National Superstock 1000:

“It’s great to be back racing again. Saturday didn’t exactly go to plan getting taken out by another rider but today we dialled in a solid finish. The new S1000RR has lots of potential so I’m looking forward to making improvements as the season progresses. Thanks to everyone who took time to come and say hello and thanks to Turk and the Tyco BMW team for a big effort.”

More, from a press release issued by Buildbase Suzuki:

Cooper and Buildbase Suzuki win at Silverstone

– Cooper wins two-part season opener and podiums in race two

– Leaves Silverstone with new lap record and championship lead

– Stapleford impresses on debut but chasing edge grip along with teammate Ray

Richard Cooper has bookended his winter break with race wins, the Buildbase Suzuki rider victorious in the opening National Superstock 1000 race of the year onboard his GSX-R1000R, after dominating the final BSB race of 2018.

Fast throughout practice and qualifying, Cooper took the chequered flag first in both halves of the two-part race on Saturday, along with a new lap record. He was back on the podium in today’s race with a third placed finish, and leaves with the championship lead.

Richard Cooper, “It was the perfect start to the year to be fair, especially after winning the last race of last year, too. We picked up what is essentially two race wins on Saturday and I felt comfortable. It was a bit tougher today but we were back on the podium and we’re leaving the opening round with a new lap record and as championship leaders, so I don’t think we can ask for more. I’m already looking forward to round two.”

In the Bennetts British Superbike Championship Buildbase Suzuki’s Luke Stapleford impressed with two solid top-10 finishes. It was the former British Supersport champion’s debut with the team in BSB, and he improved all weekend to finish fifth in race two. He was seventh in race one.

Luke Stapleford, “Honestly, I’m well happy. We’ve had two strong results and the gap to the front isn’t massive either. We’ve got one area where we need to improve – across the team – and that’s with our edge grip. We really struggled in the last sector this weekend. We changed a few things between sessions to try and find a cure, but that’s where we need to focus and improve. But I think if we can find that piece of the jigsaw then it should put us right in the mix.”

It was a tough opening weekend of the campaign for Bradley Ray, in contrast to his 2018 when he opened his year with two wins and was on pole at Silverstone. A crash in the first free practice session put him on the back foot for the rest of the weekend, while he also struggled with edge grip. He finished 16th in race one, but changes between to two outings saw him improve to 10th in race two.

Bradley Ray, “It was a tough weekend. The crash really hindered us and we needed the track time as there are a few areas we need to really focus on and improve. On the whole the bike’s good, but we’re missing a bit of grip when we’re on the side of the tyre and it’s costing us. But we got two races in and plenty of data, and made a big improvement from race one to race two. It wasn’t the best way to start the year but it could be worse. It’s a long season, we’ve got a test next week, and we’ll keep digging hard and it’ll come.”

More, from a press release issued by EHA Racing:

EASTER BONANZA FOR THE WEE WIZARD & SOLID BSB DEBUT FOR THE D-BOMB AT SILVERSTONE

EHA Racing made a strong start to the 2019 British Championship season at Silverstone over the weekend, with a double British Supersport podium for Alastair Seeley – who scored a brace of second placed finishes – and a solid premier class debut for David Allingham with 19th place on the Superbike.

Seeley renewed his battle with Irishman Jack Kennedy in two enthralling middleweight races, that will no doubt continue all the way through until the season conclusion in October. The Ulsterman set the fastest lap in both Supersport encounters, earning him a pole position grid spot for race two and a new class lap record.

David Allingham did both himself and the EHA Racing team proud on his British Superbike Championship debut. The flame-haired Irishman made solid progress throughout qualifying, making the cut through to Q2 and the top 18 – just one single second off the front row pace.

In race one he was unfortunate to get collected in the aftermath of the crash involving Glenn Irwin, but picked himself up to challenge close to the points in race two, eventually finishing nineteenth. The valuable track time will stand him in good stead for Oulton Park in two weeks’ time.

Alastair Seeley:

“We had two great races with Jack, which is what I expected and there wasn’t much in it at the end. I’m sure it was great viewing for the fans. I did a bit of grass-tracking in both races towards the end, but the margins are small and we are both leaving nothing out there. We’ve moved to K-Tech suspension this year at EHA Racing and it’s taken a little time getting used to it again, but Craig and the boys did a great job and with a little improvement to our set-up – I’m confident we can challenge for the wins at Oulton, like we did last year.”

David Allingham:

“I have loved everything so far about riding a Superbike, since I first threw my leg over it in testing. I’m learning all the time and there’s no better place to be learning than on track racing. That’s where the biggest chunk of progress is made. We ticked quite a few boxes this weekend and I’m confident we will be scoring points pretty soon. Craig and I have gelled as rider and crew chief and he made some suggestions this weekend that helped me make big steps. That inspires confidence. We had a mechanical on Sunday morning and the whole team pulled together to strip and rebuild the bike. Thanks to everyone at EHA Racing for the big effort.”

Gail Allingham – Team Manager:

“We are very pleased how the season has started on both sides of the garage. With Alastair you always know you are going to get value for money and again this weekend he gave his all and delivered two strong second places. On the Superbike side, we are also delighted how David has started his debut season in the BSB class. He made progress throughout the whole weekend and certainly didn’t seem out of his depth. It was enjoyable to watch and the atmosphere in the team was second to none. Thanks to everyone for the effort and our 2019 sponsors for their support.”

The second round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Oulton Park on the Bank Holiday weekend of May 4-6th.