From a press release issued by Croft Circuit, Croft on Tees, North Yorkshire, England:

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th August 2004. THINK! British Superbike Championship – Round 10

SUPERBIKES ROAR INTO CROFT FOR THE BIG ONE!

Britain’s premier motorsport series makes an historic first ever visit to the race-starved North East when the round ten of the THINK! British Superbike Championship rolls into Croft Circuit near Darlington this forthcoming weekend (13/14/15th August).

Never before has the region hosted a round of the series and with the 2004 title chase hotting up, the action is sure to be fast and furious as a host of world class riders on the very latest factory machinery battle it out over two races around the 2.1 mile former wartime airfield.

Leading the series by a comfortable 73 points is Nottingham veteran John Reynolds on his Rizla Suzuki but the double champion knows that HM Plant Honda Racing rider Michael Rutter (Leicester) will be planning on cutting the gap after six races without a rostrum.

Maidstone born but now living in York, Scott Smart will be hoping for further success on his Hawk Kawasaki whilst crowd favourite Yukio Kagayama from Japan (Rizla Suzuki) and MonsterMob Ducati rider Sean Emmett (London) proved they will be the men to beat following last weeks’ official test at the circuit whereby they were the two fastest riders.

Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha field four riders with James Haydon (Amersham) and London teenager Tommy Hill expected to go well on the R1’s along with Lichfield’s Gary Mason and Lincolnshire ace Steve Plater also in the team. Aussie Dean Thomas is riding for the Leeds-based Sendo Dienza Ducati team and hoping for success also whilst Paul ‘Marra’ Brown makes a comeback after two years riding for the Scottish ETI Ducati team.

Local interest centres around the two leading riders in the supporting Superbike Cup for non-supported riders with Kendal’s James Ellison (Yamaha) leading the championship ahead of Croft specialist Dennis Hobbs (Suzuki) from nearby Guisborough. However, Hobbs is fighting to be fit for his local meeting having been injured in testing last week and will face a race against time if he’s to make the grid.

Six times TT winner John McGuinness (Morecambe) and Australian Glen Richards should also feature for Hawk Kawasaki with the truly international flavour being cemented by the inclusion of former Japanese champion Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) and Australian Superbike Champion Craig Coxhell (Vitrans Honda).

Yorkshireman Karl Harris (HM Plant Honda) leads the British Supersport series ahead of Ulsterman Michael Laverty (MonsterMob Ducati) with former GP stars Jay Vincent (Padgett’s Honda) and Spaniard Pere Riba (MSS Kawasaki) also in with a shout. Nuneaton rider Tristan Palmer leads the British Superstock Championship on his Suzuki whilst Cheshire rider Christian Elkin heads the table in the 125cc GP class.

Londoner Richard Wren leads the Yamaha R6 Cup and is well on course to land the Superbike ride for next season and East Anglian Simon Wright heads the Superstock Cup class.

Local riders to watch out for include Middlesbrough’s Paul Veazey aboard his JR Motosport Yamaha in the Supersport race and Knaresborough rider Danny Linfoot in the 125cc class.

Admission costs £12.00 per adult on Saturday and £25.00 per adult on Sunday which includes access to the paddock. Grandstand seating is all sold out and for further information call Croft Circuit on 01325 721815.



Timetable

Saturday

09.30 – 09.55 National Superstock Cup Qualifying 1

10.05 – 10.45 British Supersport Qualifying 1

10.55 – 11.45 British Superbikes Qualifying 1

11.55 – 12.20 Yamaha R6 Cup Free Practice

12.30 – 12.55 National Superstock Cup Qualifying 2

Interval

13.55 – 14.20 British 125cc Qualifying 2

14.30 – 15.10 British Supersport Qualifying 2

15.20 – 16.10 British Superbike Qualifying 2

16.20 National Superstock Cup Race 1 – 15 laps

16.45 – 17.10 National Superstock C’ship Qualifying 2

17.20 – 17.45 Yamaha R6 Cup Qualifying



Sunday

07.30 Gates Open

10.00 – 11.00 Pit Lane Walkabout

12.05 – 12.15 British Superbike Warm Up

12.25 – 12.35 British Supersport Warm Up

13.15 British Superbike Race 2 – 22 laps

14.05 Yamaha R6 Cup Race 3 – 15 laps

14.50 British Supersport Race 4- 20 laps

15.45 British Superbike Race 5 – 22 laps

16.35 National Superstock Race 6 – 18 laps

17.15 British 125cc Race 7 – 16 laps


· The annual BSB Teams v Media Football Match, sponsored by Croft Circuit and taking place at Northallerton Town Football Club on Friday 13th August, has attracted plenty of interest. Tyne Tees TV Sports Reporter Andy Kerr and former BBC commentator Barry Nutley are the latest to sign up and they will join the likes of superbike aces Sean Emmett, James Ellison and Dennis Hobbs in the game under floodlights. All proceeds will go to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and kick off at Ainderby Road is at 7.45pm to be followed by a presentation and raffle/auction.

www.croftcircuit.co.uk