Editorial Note: American James Rispoli rode his FS-3 Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R to 10th place in the Superstock 1000 race at Snetterton. The race was won by Danny Buchan, who rode a Morello Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R. After 10 races, Buchan leads the Championship with 186 points and Rispoli is 12th with 36 points.
MCE British Superbike Championship
Snetterton 300, England
July 2, 2017
Race Two Results (all using Pirelli tires and Motec ECUs):
1. Shane Byrne, UK (Duc Panigale R), 16 laps, Total Race Time 28:54.231, Best Lap Time 1:47.143
2. Josh Brookes, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), -0.686 second, 1:47.469
3. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -7.701 seconds, 1:48.149
4. Jake Dixon, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -8.261, 1:48.118
5. John Hopkins, USA (Duc Panigale R), -8.544, 1:47.849
6. Peter Hickman, UK (BMW S1000RR), -13.576, 1:48.322
7. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -13.615, 1:48.115
8. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -17.625, 1:48.769
9. Sylvain Guintoli, France (Suz GSX-R1000), -20.022, 1:48.782
10. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -23.088, 1:48.957
11. Bradley Ray, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -25.037, 1:49.075
12. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (BMW S1000RR), -25.312, 1:48.998
13. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), -28.791, 1:49.301
14. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -33.379, 1:49.295
15. Michael Laverty, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -33.594, 1:49.146
16. Billy McConnell, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -33.792, 1:49.297
17. James Westmoreland, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -47.431, 1:50.176
18. Andy Reid, UK (BMW S1000RR), -56.503, 1:50.518
19. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -57.549, 1:50.439
20. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -62.014, 1:50.480
21. James Ellison, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -6 laps, DNF, 1:48.068
22. Josh Elliott, UK (BMW S1000RR), -11 laps, DNF, 1:49.825
23. Taylor Mackenzie, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -16 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded
24. Martin Jessopp, UK (BMW S1000RR), -16 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded
Championship Point Standings (after 10 of 26 races):
1. Mossey, 147 points
2. Byrne, 140
3. Haslam, 132
4. Brookes, 118
5. O’Halloran, 115
6. Hickman, 93
7. Dixon, 89
8. Christian Iddon, 86
9. Glenn Irwin, 63
10. Linfoot, 60
12. Hopkins, 50
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Shakey steals the show at Snetterton to hold off Brookes ahead of Brands Hatch
Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne delivered his strongest performance of the 2017 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship season so far to claim his first double win of the season for the Be Wiser Ducati team, holding off the challenge from arch rival Josh Brookes in both races.
On the opening lap of race one Leon Haslam fired himself to the front on his racing return ahead of James Ellison, but the McAMS Yamaha was instantly on the attack and claimed the lead with a move at Brundle. Pole sitter Byrne had dropped to fourth at the start, but by the second lap he had pushed his way back into third place when he passed Dan Linfoot on the brakes into Riches.
A lap later and Byrne was up to second, out dragging Haslam down the Senna Straight to move ahead. The defending champion then had Ellison in his sight and on the fifth lap a mistake from the race leader gave Byrne the gap he needed to snatch the position and move to the front of the pack.
Byrne was being chased by Ellison but there was further disappointment for the McAMS Yamaha rider when he suffered a technical problem which forced him to retire from the race. Byrne had the advantage but behind there was a battle of the Australians as Jason O’Halloran was fending off the challenge from Brookes.
Brookes forced the Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha ahead and then held off his Honda Racing rival as he bid to close down Byrne, but at the flag it wasn’t enough to make a final strike back; however he showed his rivals he was back in business as he bids for a second crown.
O’Halloran was soon under pressure from a closing Haslam over the final laps but he managed to fend off the closing JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider to return to the podium. Haslam celebrated his return to racing action with a fourth place ahead of the second Honda Racing Fireblade of Dan Linfoot.
Jake Dixon got the better of Peter Hickman in the closing stages with John Hopkins, Bradley Ray and Sylvain Guintoli completing the top ten.
In the second race Byrne again started from the pole position, but it was Brookes that launched off the line fastest at the start to lead the pack into Riches for the first time ahead of Ellison and Byrne with Haslam holding fourth place.
Hopkins and O’Halloran though were moving through the field and the pair were soon on the back of the leading trio of Brookes, Ellison and Byrne. At the front Byrne made a move on Ellison on the ninth lap to close in on his Australian rival, but the McAMS Yamaha wasn’t going to settle behind the five-time champion. However as Ellison bid for podium contention, he crashed out unhurt at Murrays.
At the front Byrne was closing on Brookes and on lap 14 the Be Wiser Ducati rider pushed ahead on the run down to Riches, which O’Halloran repeated on Hopkins as the pair exchanged blows in the battle for third position.
Byrne was able to hold off the counter attack from Brookes to the finish to claim his first double win of the season with O’Halloran completing the first double podium for the Honda Racing team as Hopkins dropped to fifth when Jake Dixon made a last corner move on the final lap.
Hickman claimed sixth place which fired him into the Showdown six in the standings ahead of Linfoot and Haslam. Guintoli and Mossey completed the top ten, with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider still holding the advantage at the top of the standings ahead of Brands Hatch.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Snetterton, Race one result:
1.Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)
2.Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +3.295s
3.Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +7.698s
4.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +7.885s
5.Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +11.656s
6.Jake Dixon (RAF Reserves Kawasaki) +14.513s
7.Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +14.698s
8.John Hopkins (Moto Rapido Ducati) +16.596s
9.Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +17.140s
10.Sylvain Guintoli (Bennetts Suzuki) +21.341s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Snetterton, Race two result:
1.Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)
2.Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +0.686s
3.Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +7.701s
4.Jake Dixon (RAF Reserves Kawasaki) +8.261s
5.John Hopkins (Moto Rapido Ducati) +8.544s
6.Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +13.576s
7.Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +13.615s
8.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +17.625s
9.Sylvain Guintoli (Bennetts Suzuki) +20.022s
10.Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +23.088s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Snetterton:
1.Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 147
2.Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 140
3.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 132
4.Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) 118
5.Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) 115
6.Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) 93
For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Shane Byrne
Be Wiser Ducati
“It’s been a good weekend and in both races, I used my head and bided my time. I didn’t make the greatest of starts in race one but stayed safe in the first few laps and we’d worked hard over the weekend to make sure we were fast throughout the race.
“I took my time to get to the front and then at half race distance pushed on a bit and it all panned out perfectly.
“Race two was definitely tougher as Josh (Brookes) was setting a good pace. He put the hammer down around half race distance so I made my move and obliterated my own lap record to grab the lead soon after.
“The Be Wiser Ducati team did a great job all weekend and after only getting a couple of thirds at Knockhill and with Glenn getting injured, it’s good to put the smiles back on everyone’s faces, especially ahead of my home round at Brands Hatch which is next.”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:
Byrne Sizzles To Snetterton Double
Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne put in two faultless performances at Snetterton today with the Be Wiser Ducati ace winning both MCE British Superbike Championship races to move up to second in the Championship table after round five.
Having claimed pole position the previous day, and set the fastest time in every single session, the Sittingbourne rider was clearly in top form on the factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R and in confident mood as the field lined up for the first 16-lap race although a slightly sluggish start saw him complete the first lap in fourth place.
However, the five-times and defending champion was simply biding his time and just a lap later he was up into second before grabbing the lead and aided by a number of fastest laps, he was never challenged and he went on to take a comfortable victory by over three seconds from Josh Brookes.
The 40 year old started the second race from pole position once more and slotted into third at the end of the first lap behind Brookes and Ellison. At half race distance he set a new lap record which enabled him to overhaul Ellison and he promptly set about closing down race leader Brookes. On the 14th lap, he duly took the lead and eventually took the win by 0.686s for his 80th BSB career victory.
It was Byrne’s third win of the season and his 19th career double which continued his impressive run of victories at the Norfolk track taking his tally to ten at the track for himself and Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team.
Shane Byrne: “It’s been a good weekend and in both races, I used my head and bided my time. I didn’t make the greatest of starts in race one but stayed safe in the first few laps and we’d worked hard over the weekend to make sure we were fast throughout the race. I took my time to get to the front and then at half race distance pushed on a bit and it all panned out perfectly. Race two was definitely tougher as Josh (Brookes) was setting a good pace. He put the hammer down around half race distance so I made my move and obliterated my own lap record to grab the lead soon after. The Be Wiser Ducati team did a great job all weekend and after only getting a couple of thirds at Knockhill and with Glenn getting injured, it’s good to put the smiles back on everyone’s faces.”
Stuart Bland, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s been a fantastic weekend for both Shakey and the team and having dominated every practice and qualifying session, he deservedly took both race wins. The team worked really hard from the beginning and also at the test here a few weeks ago when we did a lot of the ground work in preparation for this weekend. We found a good set up and after a slow start to the season, everything’s back on track now and we should be strong at the next two circuits as well. It was a shame Glenn wasn’t here this weekend as I think we could have had two bikes on the podium but hopefully he’ll be fit to return at Brands and we can have two bikes challenging at the front.”
Carrickfergus rider Glenn Irwin hopes to return from injury to team up with Byrne at the next round of the series which takes place at Brands Hatch in three weeks’ time.
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing Team:
Solid Points For Hickman And Jackson At Snetterton
The Smiths Racing BMW team were back in action this weekend with round five of the MCE British Superbike Championship taking place at Snetterton in Norfolk and two top seven finishes for Peter Hickman ensured he moved back into sixth place overall and with it, into one of the coveted ‘Showdown’ positions.
The Louth rider was disappointed to have qualified in tenth aboard the Smiths Racing BMW but he was still inside the class lap record and sixth quickest in morning warm-up put him in good stead for today’s opening 16-lap race. Indeed, he was soon up into eighth place and eventually part of a large group battling for sixth before having to settle for seventh at the chequered flag.
Starting the second race from fifth position on the grid, the 30 year old hoped for a good start but he got pushed wide at turn two and again later in the lap, dropping him down the order to 11th place as a result. But with a concerted effort, Hickman moved forward before sealing a fine sixth place on the final dash towards the chequered flag meaning the 19 points from the two races has moved him up to sixth overall.
Team-mate Lee Jackson qualified in 15th place for the first race but a coming together with another rider saw him pushed off the track on the opening lap and he was all the way back in 22nd. However, the Lincolnshire youngster dug deep and a storming ride saw him climb back up to 13th at the end of 16 laps.
He was rewarded for his efforts with 12th on the grid for the second race but struggled off the line and was down in 17th after the completion of the first lap. He battled back up the order and with just four laps to go, he took over 13th place and here he remained until the end of the race to add another three points to his tally.
The weekend also saw Graeme Gowland rejoin the double British Supersport champions for the two Dickies British Supersport Championship races aboard the Smiths Triumph 675 and, despite more than two years out of the saddle, the Allendale rider put in two fine performances, finishing ninth in yesterday’s ‘Sprint’ race and improving to an excellent sixth in today’s longer ‘Feature’ race.
Peter Hickman: “It hasn’t been a bad weekend and if you forget the race positions, one of the major things to come out of the weekend is that we’ve made major improvements to the bike and have learnt an awful lot which should stand us in good stead in the forthcoming rounds. The bike felt a lot more planted and I was really hopeful of a better showing in race two so it was a shame I got duffed up a bit. I made a good start but got pushed wide twice and lost my rhythm which made it tough but I kept pushing until the end and to be back in the top six is pleasing. The team have done a mega job all weekend and we’re looking forward now to pushing on even further.”
Lee Jackson: “We made good progress again all weekend so it was a shame I got pushed onto the grass at turn one of the first race but it was just one of those things. After that, I just got my head down and was really pleased to come from half a lap down and from 22nd to 13th, and with another lap I think it could have been the top ten. I struggled a bit in the second race mainly with front end grip and the different setting we tried didn’t quite work as we hoped. I was pushing the front a lot more and although I could see 11th, I couldn’t make any ground up. It’s two more solid finishes and more points so a big thanks to all the team for their continued hard work.”
Graeme Gowland: “My last race was back in October 2014 so it’s certainly been a baptism of fire! It’s been a massive learning curve and it’s literally been like starting all over again but the most pleasing aspect was that I went quicker each time I went out on the bike. It’s hard to come back after such a long time away from the sport but the feeling was great and it was really good to be back racing again. The class has changed a bit since 2014 and I had to recalibrate the brain in terms of getting used to the speeds, the tyres, the bike moving around, everything really, so to get two top ten finishes was very pleasing and I’ve got to say a massive thanks to the team for giving me the opportunity.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “We were hoping for a little bit more this weekend but Peter had two solid rides to get himself back into a Showdown position but we obviously need to start pushing more for the podium positions to make sure we’re in the top six come round nine. Lee made steady progress all weekend and scored two solid results so with some testing planned before the next round, we’re confident there’s plenty more to come. As for Graeme, he did an outstanding job and after being out since October 2014, to finish sixth and ninth was simply superb. We’ll evaluate what we’ll do with the Supersport bike but it was like Graeme was never away so he certainly deserves another opportunity.”
More, from a press release issued by Tyco BMW:
YOUNG TALENT REID AND ELLIOTT HOLD THEIR OWN ON SUPERBIKE DEBUTS AT A SUNNY SNETTERTON
Tyco BMW returned to the Norfolk circuit with rookie Andy Reid and Christian Iddon following his crash at Knockhill a fortnight ago, and despite Iddon’s best efforts to ensure he was fit to race following surgery, a joint decision between the team and Christian was made to give healing a little more time in order to protect his championship position. This paved the way for former National Superstock 1000 Champion Josh Elliott to step up and take his Superbike seat on the Tyco BMW S1000RR alongside the newest Tyco BMW member and former multiple British Supersport race winner Andy Reid.
Despite ‘Speedy Reidy’ having very little time on the Tyco BMW S1000RR and Josh having never turned a wheel on the Superbike, both made great progress during free practice shaving a second off each time through free practice sessions. Both young riders delivered respectable lap times in Sunday’s racing, with Josh scoring points in his maiden Superbike race, proving that with more track time fighting for point scoring is not out of the question for our newest member of the TAS Racing team Andy Reid.
Philip Neill – Team Manager: “Of course we are disappointed to lose Christian this weekend and we hope the additional healing time will allow him to return at Brands Hatch 100% fit. With two young Superbike rookies this weekend we were realistic in our expectations and it was encouraging to see their progress throughout the weekend with lap times improving in each session. For Andy this was his first British Championship event on a 1000cc machine and Josh’s first ever time on a Superbike without any pre-event testing. With everything considered both riders did a solid job and we now look forward to two weeks preparation time ahead of the next round at Brands”
Andy Reid: “I’m really happy with how the weekend went, this was the first race weekend on the Superbike with little testing time. The pace got better and better and lap times kept improving throughout sessions. The boys were really patient with me and I’m really looking forward to getting back out on track at Brands Hatch on the Tyco BMW S1000RR and making more steps forward.”
Josh Elliott: “I came to Snetterton expecting to ride the Superstock bike, then the team offered me a last minute opportunity to deputise for Christian on the Superbike. I’m really happy how the weekend went and to come away having scored points on my debut is quite satisfying. I am very thankful to the whole Tyco BMW team for all their help this weekend and for this opportunity.”