American riders competing at Oulton Park included PJ Jacobsen, who rode his Tyco Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the Superbike class; Tommy Aquino, who rode his Team WD-40 Kawasaki ZX-10R in the 1000cc Superstock class; and Jayson Uribe, who rode his Rock and Sons Honda RS125 in the British Motostar class.
Jacobsen qualified third in Superbike, finished seventh in Race One, sixth in Race Two and suffered a mechanical DNF in Race Three. Jacobsen is currently eighth in the Championship point standings.
Aquino qualified second out of 49 riders in 1000cc Superstock and finished third, just 0.454 second behind the winner, in his race. Aquino is currently seventh in the Championship point standings.
Uribe qualified 24th out of 38 riders and finished 14th overall and 10th in the 125cc class in the British Motostar race. Uribe is currently 10th in British Motostar 125cc Championship point standings.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision:
Round 7 Oulton Park 10-11 August
BYRNE HITS THE BIG 50 AS BROOKES MAKES IT THREE DIFFERENT OULTON PARK WINNERS Saturday race: 1: James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) 2: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.186s 3: Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) +1.923s 4: Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +4.326s 5: Tommy Bridewell (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) +5.010s 6: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Samsung Honda) +9.960s Sunday race one : 1: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 2: Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.173s 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Samsung Honda) +0.932s 4: Tommy Bridewell (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) +9.532s 5: Jon Kirkham (Buildbase BMW) +15.772s 6: PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) +18.343s Sunday race two: 1: Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 2: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.246s 3: Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) +0.836s 4: James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) +1.070s 5: Tommy Bridewell (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) +1.237s 6: James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) +18.465s Championship standings: 1: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 297 2: Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 268 3: Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) 243 4: James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) 158 5: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Samsung Honda) 142 6: Jon Kirkham (Buildbase BMW) 126 Report Shane “Shakey” Byrne completed a milestone 50th victory in the seventh round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park amid three hard-fought races in which three different riders (Ellison, Byrne, Brookes) and three different manufacturers (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki) all celebrated victories. Milwaukee Yamaha’s Ellison had denied Byrne in Saturday’s race by 0.186 seconds, in a frantic affair that set the pattern for the weekend with Lowes completing the podium. However in race two Byrne pushed the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki to the limit during the race to keep Lowes and Ellison behind him in the early stages. Brookes was aggressively pushing to take the advantage from his leading rival over the final laps but the defending champion had the edge. Byrne celebrated the victory by 0.173 seconds from Brookes, but there was despair for Ellison who crashed out of third at high-speed with three laps remaining. Lowes also had his aspirations of a podium shattered when he slid off at Lodge on the final corner of the last lap handing third place to his Samsung Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari. Byrne reflected that it was mix of elation and relief that he had completed a record haul of 50 victories: “They kept me honest all of the way in that race! It is a fantastic feeling, but I went into the race feeling quite nervous after missing out on Saturday in such a close race. We are all riding absolutely on the limit so to get level or pass someone you are going beyond your comfort zone. That 50th win was for my team manager Paul Bird as he has played such a massive part in my career.”
Byrne was targeting an action replay in the final race of the weekend as he set the early benchmark at the front of the pack with Ellison in close contention before being taken by Brookes in the closing stages. The Aussie, who had not previously won at the circuit, had a point to prove and after a huge duel with Lowes took the fight to Byrne.
Brookes snatched the lead at Shell Oils corner with five laps remaining to take his second victory of the season and he said: “From the first lap, I pushed and pushed. I was going as hard as I could to win for the first time here as in the past I have had great performances and still finished second or third. I got my head down and got ahead of Shakey to take the victory which is fantastic for me and the Tyco Suzuki team.”
Byrne claimed another podium finish with a second place ahead of Lowes in third. Ellison bounced back from his race two crash to finish fourth ahead of Tommy Bridewell who completed a highly successful debut with Halsall Kawasaki team. At the end of the seventh round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship the leading three riders in the standings, Byrne, Brookes and Lowes, have now secured their position as Title Fighters in the end of season Showdown. Kawasaki, Suzuki and Honda are now confirmed to be in the top six for the title fight. For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com
More, from a press release issued by Milwaukee Yamaha:
HIGHS AND LOWS FOR MILWAUKEE YAMAHA AT OULTON PARK The Milwaukee Yamaha team ended the seventh round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship narrowly missing out on another podium finish for James Ellison following his sensational victory in the opening race of the weekend at Oulton Park. Ellison had won the first race of the triple-header event in style and was confident ahead of race two as he continues his bid to secure a Showdown position. Ellison had been in the leading group in the second race as he pushed up to second place but on the fourteenth lap a move by Alex Lowes pushed him wide at Island, causing him to run off the track and subsequently crashing out of a potential podium position. In the final race of the weekend Ellison was determined to make amends for the disappointment of race two and he was once again in the leading group of riders in contention for the win. Ellison was fighting hard but was forced to finish in fourth, but still holds fourth position in the overall standings with four races remaining ahead of the Showdown. Australian Josh Waters came close to the top ten in race two in eleventh place, but could only score one point for fifteenth place in race three. Ellison said: “I am disappointed with the crash in race two, but feel I rode really strongly and I have to look at the positives in that. We had a win and a fourth place this weekend so we still kept fourth in the overall standings with two race weekends left before the Showdown. The team gave me a really good bike again this weekend and I enjoyed every session and lap of the race on the Milwaukee Yamaha. We proved again we can run at the front and am confident we will be in the title fight.” Waters said: “It was another two tough races for us today and we tried to make some changes but although we felt like we made improvements, in the races I didn’t get great starts and that made it harder in the races. We will have to look at what we can do now ready for Cadwell Park.” Team co-ordinator Mick Shanley concluded: “It has been an up and down weekend and again we have struggled to get a solid weekend under our belts. In the first race James rode superbly and it was a really deserved win but then we tried to keep the ball rolling today and an over ambitious move from Alex Lowes left him nowhere to go but off the track. He bounced back with a pretty good race three to finish fourth and again we showed we have the pace to run at the front but we still have a few things still to work on for the Showdown. With Josh we have tried some new settings this weekend but he is still struggling so we need to keep digging and see what we can do for Cadwell Park.” For more information visit www.milwaukeeyamaha.com
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:
BROOKES AND TYCO SUZUKI WIN AT OULTON BSB
Josh Brookes took his first-ever British Superbike victory at the Oulton Park Triple-Header event for Tyco Suzuki, making it two wins from 11 podiums so far this season aboard the GSX-R1000 and guaranteeing his place in the end-of-season Top Six Showdown.
The Australian also took second place in Sunday’s opening BSB race; his team-mate PJ Jacobsen was sixth in the opening encounter, with a mechanical problem forcing a retirement in race two for the American when another top six result was on the cards. Tyco Suzuki’s Taylor Mackenzie was eighth in the second British Supersport race aboard his GSX-R600.
Josh Brookes:
“One of the guys said to me ‘that race was all about heart’, but to be honest it took more heart for me to finish fourth in the opening race of the weekend yesterday, when we still hadn’t mastered our set-up. In the end we had the package sorted on the GSX-R1000 and when it works I can ride to my true potential as I showed today. It was a real battle but I wasn’t prepared to lose that one and we now go to Cadwell looking for more podium credits as the all-important Showdown edges closer.”
PJ Jacobsen:
“The first race was good, although I suffered from a little bit of a grip issue, but I was happy with sixth. In the second race I had far better grip and was ready to follow Bridewell through onto that front group. I’d just set the fastest first sector before we had to retire, but I’ve proved this weekend that I’m ready to tag onto those front guys. I’m ready now to hit that jump at Cadwell in two weeks’ time.”
Taylor Mackenzie:
“Yeah that was better today and I really enjoyed it, apart from Glenn Irwin running into the side of me late in the race, which snapped the end off my clutch lever. We have made progress and I’ve gone faster again at Oulton, so it’s a matter of getting geared-up for Cadwell Park now.”
Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“We always said that Josh is a racer. We did have a slow start to the weekend with a problem that was later traced to a fuel injector. It significantly hampered Josh and his crew from finding the perfect set-up at the start of the weekend. As usual his crew worked their magic and turned the bike around for race day and Josh excelled once again on his GSX-R1000 Superbike. He rode perhaps one of the best races of his BSB career today to capture his first win at Oulton Park. “For PJ it was the opposite story. He had a phenomenal start to the weekend and a disappointing end, but overall it confirmed the natural talent and ability we knew he possessed after his stand-in rides last year. He certainly proved he’s capable of running at the front. It’s just a shame we had a technical issue with his bike in the second race today, as it looked like he was coming home with another strong top-six result.
“We are also happy with Taylor’s result in today’s Supersport race. The only thing keeping him out of that top six is his pace in the opening laps, but it will come and he’s applying himself exactly as I expected he would.”
British Superbike Championship Race 2 result:
1. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) 2. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.173s 3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.932s 4. Tommy Bridewell (Kawasaki) +9.532s 5. Jon Kirkham (BMW) +15.772s 6. PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) +18.343s 7. Dan Linfoot (Honda) +26.707s 8. Keith Farmer (Kawasaki) +26.991s 9. James Westmoreland (BMW) +27.380s 10. Howie Mainwaring +31.556s
British Superbike Championship Race 3 result:
1. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 2. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) +0.246s 3. Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) +0.836s 4. James Ellison (Yamaha) +1.070s 5. Tommy Bridewell (Kawasaki) +1.237s 6. James Westmoreland (BMW) +18.465s 7. Keith Farmer (Kawasaki) +18.555s 8. Howie Mainwaring (WK Bikes) +19.142s 9. Jon Kirkham (BMW) +19.937s 10. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +20.694
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision:
ONE ALL AS EASTON AND SEELEY SPLIT SPECTACULAR OULTON PARK VICTORIES The intense rivalry continued at the seventh round of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Oulton Park last weekend as Alastair Seeley and Stuart Easton continued their battles for the two wins, however the leading pair in the standings came under fire in both races with five of their rivals pushing them all the way to the chequered flag.
In the opening Sprint race the lead pack of Easton, Seeley, Ben Wilson on the second of the Gearlink Kawasakis and Samsung Honda’s Jason O’Halloran fought throughout the ten lap race for the lead with some spectacular moves throughout the field. Martrain Yamaha’s Easton though held off Seeley despite a last lap attack as he bids to close down the point deficit in the overall standings whilst Gearlink Kawasaki celebrated a double podium finish with Seeley and Wilson.
The Feature race was even more of a titanic scrap between the leading contenders as O’Halloran got a flying start from the front row. Seeley, McConnell, Easton, Glen Richards and Graeme Gowland were all pushing hard for the win but the championship leader reigned with a move on the penultimate lap. McConnell scored another podium finish for Smiths Racing Triumph in second with the Samsung Honda team celebrating their first top three result of the season with O’Halloran in third as four different manufacturers celebrated podium finishes.
Seeley said: “It was a really good weekend for me and the Gearlink Kawasaki team, both races were really tough but we had two great battles. I really wanted to take the win in the Feature race and we were swapping paint on most laps, it was hard but brilliant to ride in. There was no physical contact made but I’d imagine you couldn’t have fit a bit of paper in between some of the passes that were being made. The bike was sliding everywhere but I knew I could keep pushing.”
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Oulton Park, Sprint race result: 1. Stuart Easton (Martrain Yamaha) 2. Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) +0.087s 3. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) +1.048s 4. Jason O’Halloran (Samsung Honda) +1.412s 5. Glen Richards (Smiths Racing Triumph) +2.539s
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Oulton Park, Feature race result: 1. Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) 2. Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) +0.409s 3. Jason O’Halloran (Samsung Honda) +0.540s 4. Stuart Easton (Martrain Yamaha) +1.004s 5. Glen Richards (Smiths Racing Triumph) +1.657s
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship standings: 1. Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) 295 2. Stuart Easton (Martrain Yamaha) 248 3. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 205 4. Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) 190 5. Graeme Gowland (Appleyard Macadam Racing Yamaha) 158 For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com
More, from a press release issued by Marty Nutt’s publicist: Brace of podiums sees Nutt extend Championship lead
Castlerock’s Marty Nutt was back in action at the weekend, contesting round five of the Ducati 848 Challenge at Oulton Park and it proved to be another profitable two races as a brace of third place finishes extended his lead in the Championship to nine points and maintained his 100% podium record. Riding the JHP/Nutttravel.com Ducati Coventry machine, Marty took pole position in a shortened qualifying session prior to Saturday’s first 10-lap race and a good start saw him grab the lead on the opening lap. Together with Dennis Hobbs he was able to open up a slight gap over the chasing pack but by half race distance, the gap had closed and the top six riders were separated by just 1.5s. Positions changed hands regularly until Hobbs made the break and Marty had to battle hard for a podium place. Indeed, he crossed the line in fourth place but with Ben Field having overtaken under a yellow flag, the positions were reversed and so Marty was promoted up to third. With the sixth fastest lap of the race, Marty had to start Sunday’s second race from the second row of the grid but a good start meant he completed the first lap in third, just behind Hobbs and Field. The top six were close together but as the race progressed they became three groups of two with Marty in third battling to keep Leon Morris behind him. The latter pushed him back to fourth on the eighth lap and it looked like Marty would miss out on a podium spot but Field crashed out on the final lap, gifting him third place and with Jonathan Railton back in fifth, his lead extended to nine points, 194 to Railton’s 185. Speaking later, a satisfied Marty said; “It’s been a tough weekend so to come away with two thirds is pleasing. I knew straightaway that Ben had overtaken under a yellow flag in the first race but it also messed up my line through the chicane, nearly allowing the two riders behind me to overtake. One of those was Jonathan and I nearly crashed in the final few corners trying to keep him at bay so I was relieved not only to make it to the finish but also to see the positions reversed.” “The bike was flying in qualifying but, for some reason, maybe because of the new tyres, it didn’t feel like ‘mine’ in the race and it was a real wrestling match throughout. I was a bit slack on the brakes as well so third was a good result all things considered. We improved the bike for race two and although not ideal it was better although I was having to ride really hard just to get somewhere close. I ran into a bit of arm pump towards the end so had to dig deep and had a bit of luck when Ben went out but it meant I was able to make it ten podiums from ten races. It’s a shame Jonathan finished behind me in each race but the leads been extended which is the main thing.” The next round of the series takes place in a month’s time at Donington Park on the weekend of September 6-8.
More, from a press release issued by SMT Racing: Runner-up spot sees Jenkinson extend title lead
SMT Racing’s Adam Jenkinson got his Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship challenge back on track on Sunday with the 28-year putting in a fine ride to claim second place at his local Oulton Park circuit and with main championship rival Hudson Kennaugh finishing in fourth place, it meant his Championship lead crept up from a single point to a more useful eight. Keen to reassert himself at the top of the Championship table, the Knutsford rider was in fine form throughout practice and qualifying and he took fourth place and a front row start for the 15-lap race, whilst fellow title contenders Kennaugh and Joe Burns were back on the third row. It gave Adam the perfect opportunity to capitalise and he maintained his fourth place starting position at the end of the opening lap. Battling with fellow Kawasaki riders David Johnson, Tommy Aquino and Luke Quigley as well as the Ducati of Knockhill winner Tristan Palmer, the race soon became a three-way battle between Aquino, Palmer and Adam. Palmer led from start to finish despite coming under extreme pressure from Adam and Aquino and it looked like Adam was going to end the 14 laps on the final step of the podium. However, American rider Aquino suffered a slide at Druids on the final lap and Adam needed no second invitation to dive up the inside and seal the runners-up spot. The 20 points gave him his fifth podium of the season, the perfect way to bounce back after his Brands Hatch spill and with Kennaugh in fourth and Burns disqualified for a technical infringement it was a strong day all round. Speaking later, team owner Robin Croft said; “We’re more than happy to be back on the podium and although we all would have liked a win at our local circuit, the results have gone our way this weekend. It would have been nice to have opened up a larger gap to Kennaugh but the lead’s increased nevertheless and that’s what you want at this stage of the season. We knew Tristan would be the man to beat this weekend as he’s been strong right from the off but the podium is where we want to be and Adam never put a wheel wrong all weekend. He’s riding well and proving what he’s capable of so we’ll be looking for more of the same next time around.” The next round sees the team head to Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire with the meeting taking place on August 24-26.
More, from a press release issued by Mar-Train Racing:
EASTON FRUSTRATED WITH FOURTH AFTER STUNNING RACE ONE VICTORY AT OULTON PARK
Following a stunning victory in yesterday’s opening British Supersport race at Oulton Park – his sixth of the season – Mar-Train Racing’s Stuart Easton took a hard-fought fourth place in Sunday’s longer 15-lap encounter. His young team-mate Glenn Irwin took tenth place from today’s race.
Stuart Easton “Sunday’s race was frustrating as we had an issue with drive off the turns when in the pack. The pace was really slow compared to Saturday, when we were at the front. it’s a pity after getting the win on Saturday as it would have been nice to come away closer to Alastair in the championship standings. The good thing now is the pressure is on Alastair not to lose the healthy lead he has accumulated, so I can go to Cadwell and concentrate on wins.”
Glenn Irwin “Overall it has been a very productive weekend. I’m feeling a lot more confident on the bike now which is allowing me to enjoy my racing again. I should have claimed 8th but a coming together with Mackenzie broke my exhaust and cost me two places. Thank you to Tim and the team for helping me get back on track. Roll on Cadwell.”
Tim Martin – Team Principal “We showed real pace this weekend but this is British Supersport and you can finish first or eighth in the blink of an eye. There are still 250 points up for grabs so it is by no means over. The pressure is now on Seeley though as it is his to lose. We can just go to Cadwell enjoy our racing and see what happens. We made some personnel changes for Glenn this weekend to make him more comfortable with the package. We’re going a slightly different way with his set up, which seems to suit his style, so hopefully we can make some progress moving on to Cadwell.”
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Oulton Park, Feature race result: Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) +0.409s Jason O’Halloran (Samsung Honda) +0.540s Stuart Easton (Mar-Train Racing) +1.004s Glen Richards (Smiths Racing Triumph) +1.657s
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship standings after Oulton Park: Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) 295 Stuart Easton (Mar-Train Racing) 248 Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 205 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) 190
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