Round six of the British Superbike Championship at Thruxton didn’t quite produce the results or fulfil the expectations of all three Tyco Suzuki riders, but with more information logged, it’s all about forward planning for Oulton Park this coming weekend.
John Hopkins produced a pair of eighth placed finishes for his weekend’s efforts, with Josh Waters taking 12th place in race two, which bettered his race one performance of 17th.
In the British Supersport class Taylor Mackenzie crashed out of Sunday’s action but took eighth place in Saturday’s sprint race.
John Hopkins:
“I did everything possible and rode as hard as I could to get away with the lead group in both races, but unfortunately we didn’t have the speed down the multiple straights to pass the guys ahead. In the draft we no doubt had the pace to run at the front and we’ve made steps to close the gap, but still weren’t able to achieve the results we all are looking for as a team.”
Josh Waters:
“It was a tough weekend. In race two I was much better, moving forward and getting to 10th place before the red flag. The re-start was good to begin with but midway through I had an off feeling with the rear tyre. I kept battling throughout the race and all I can say is, I’m looking forward to Oulton where I’ll be looking to get back up to the sharp-end with the Tyco Suzuki team.”
Taylor Mackenzie:
“I was disappointed to crash out of race two, as I feel like it’s one of the best Supersport races I’ve ridden. It was the best I’ve been on the first two laps, which helped me massively. I’m looking forward to getting back out at Oulton Park now and really showing what I can do on the GSX-R600.”
Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“Although Thruxton did not deliver the results we were hoping for, once again we have some positives to take away from the round. John showed his ability with some impressive lap times in various sessions during the weekend; we just need to work on our consistency.
“We will continue to work as hard as possible for our next race at Oulton Park where we will be hoping to see an improvement on our current results. Taylor is starting to look like a top-five contender in the Supersport class and I believe he can now start to make the step forward and be consistently in that number for the rest of the year.”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Kawasaki:
Be Wiser Kawasaki Team
Podium at Thruxton
It was a fantastic weekend for the Be Wiser Kawasaki team, the home round of their title sponsor Be Wiser at Thruxton circuit. In the Pirelli National Superstock 600 class Nick Anderson gained his first podium of the season with a great 2nd place and his team-mate Joe Collier gained eighth place. In the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 class Josh Day finished in ninth place.
Nick Anderson had a strong qualifying session at the super-fast Thruxton circuit and was able to place himself sixth on the grid for the 14-lap race. Joe Collier struggled during qualifying and finished in 13th leaving himself a lot of work to do in the race.
Thruxton always produces some very exciting and thrilling racing due to the slip streaming possibilities down the back straight. Nick had a poor start and slipped back to eighth place on the opening lap but worked hard to stay with the leading group. He soon worked his way to fifth and was on the tail of the leaders, by lap five he was third but fighting and swapping places on every lap, leading as he crossed the line on lap eight. He rode extremely well and secured a brilliant second place as he crossed the line. Joe had to work his way through from a poor qualifying and he was locked in a battle of ten riders for seventh place, fighting hard throughout he ended up dropping a place on the line to finish eighth.
Nick Anderson – “I’m so happy to have got on the podium finally this year. It was hard at Brands and I was disappointed there that I wasn’t able to push harder and get a podium but this certainly makes up for it. I was worried coming here as my size on a 600 was always going to be a disadvantage and I had no clue how I’d be able to get on so to come away with a podium is brilliant. Be Wiser also had a lot of guests here at the track and I’m pleased I was able to put on a good show for them. A huge thanks goes to all my personal sponsors for standing by me and I’m glad I’ve been able to repay them and obviously all the Be Wiser Kawasaki team.”
Joe Collier – “I’m really disappointed with my result here at Thruxton, I just wasn’t able to get a comfortable feel on the bike all weekend despite us making several changes. I was perhaps trying too hard in qualifying to go faster which in turn made me go slower. I left myself with a lot of work to do from 13th on the grid and I got an average start but got locked in a ten bike battle which tied us all up and we lost the time on the front runners. On the fourth lap I lost a knee slider and this really was a strange feeling as I rely on my knee position a lot whilst I’m racing so I had to be a bit more cautious on how I was riding, there is a huge hole in my leathers and I was lucky to get the result I did. I did what I could but I’m looking forward now to getting to Oulton Park next weekend.”
In the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship Josh Day had one of his best qualifying sessions all year and qualified in eighth place for the 16-lap race. He got a steady start and was up to seventh after the opening lap. The front pack broke away and Josh was locked in his own battle but ended up finishing in ninth.
Josh Day – “I am pretty pleased with the result I got today, it is my local track here and I wanted to do well. I got a steady start and got a bit tied up in the opening laps and by the time everything had settled down the leading bunch had make a break. I finally managed to get my qualifying sorted out which gave me a big advantage come race day. I enjoyed the race and happy with my times, thanks to all at Be Wiser.”
Team Owner/Manager Alan Greig – “During qualifying Nick and Josh both had a really good qualifying session and that gave them an advantage during the race. Joe struggled to find a good set up to suit him and ended up in 13th.
This was an important meeting for the team as it is the local round for our main sponsor Be Wiser and we had many guests and staff here supporting the team and we put them a good show on.
Nick had a fantastic battle throughout the race, taking the lead at one point. It was one of the best races of his career and he really showed his potential for the remaining rounds of the Championship. He worked hard and deserved that result and this should give him the confidence he needed for the rest of the season.
Joe rode well despite the fact he lost a knee slider, he came back into the pits with a big hole in his leathers and he was locked in a huge freight train of riders for seventh and he got eighth, it is solid points and helped with his Championship position.
Josh lost a couple of places on the start and made some ground in the opening laps by this stage the front pack had pulled away but he still put on a good show and did himself some favours in the overall Championship standings.”
2014 Sponsors
Be Wiser Insurance – Kais Ohlins – Kawasaki Motors UK – B&C Express – Renthal – Britool Expert – Dickies – Activ 8 – Anglia Interiors – Cups Direct – Eazi Grip – Foulger Transport – Garnell Nutrition – GR Race Graphics – GB Racing – HM Quickshifter – HM Racing – University of Lincoln – No Limits Track Days – PR Trackbike Hire – Samco – Sani Clad – Tanker & General – The Shires Inn – Venhill – Direct Distribition – SBS – Saville – Jarbtech
More, from a press release issued by Luke Mossey Racing:
Luke Mossey
Thruxton – Podium
www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
At round six of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Thruxton Circuit, Luke Mossey on the Teccare Profile Triumph had a solid weekend with a sixth and second place respectively in the two races.
Luke was looking strong all weekend but the torrential rain on Saturday for qualifying set Luke out of his comfort zone and he was only able to qualify in 20th place for the opening race at the very quick circuit. He got a flying start and made up several places on the opening lap and he was soon catching the front pack. He was riding hard and was able to set the fastest lap of the race for pole position for the main race on Sunday. He worked hard but the front bunch were just too far ahead for him to catch and he had to settle for sixth.
Starting from pole position on Sunday for the main Supersport race Luke was eager to get a strong result. He got a great start and was leading after the opening lap, he was then involved in one of the best races of the day for the next 18-laps. He ranged from first to fourth over the race and led for six laps, there were four different leaders throughout the race and Luke rode exceptionally well to finish a fantastic second place.
Luke Mossey – “I am really happy with the results that I managed to gain this weekend at Thruxton, it is a circuit I enjoy riding at and pleased with the outcome. I messed up in the wet qualifying and just wasn’t able to settle down and good a good time in, this left me at a huge disadvantage for the Sprint race from 20th. It was a bit messy in the opening laps as I was riding with riders I am not used to riding with so it is hard to judge what moves they will make next. I got my head down and really want to try and catch the leading pack but they had gained a big gap and I had to settle for sixth. I managed to set the quickest lap and pole position and I was really fired up for race two, I got a mega start and was locked in one of the most exciting but most respectful races I’ve ever been in. We were changing positions on every lap and I knew I just had to keep my head down, defend and push hard. It was tough and a really good race to be involved in. I’m so pleased for the Teccare Profile Triumph team as they all worked so hard this weekend and I’m glad I can thank them for that with a podium. I can’t wait to get to Oulton now and hope to carry on this form. Thank you to all my personal sponsors for their continued support.”
Personal Sponsors 2014
Sidi, Shoei, GB Racing, SMV, Teccare, Motul, Hel, Samco, Brembo, Gi-Moto, Doodson, Sabre Sport, K Tech, JMC, Krombacher
Twitter – LukeMossey12
Facebook – www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
More, from a press release issued by In Competition Racing:
IN competition Racing
Thruxton
www.facebook.com/INcompetitionracing
David Allingham riding for the IN competition Racing team had a good weekend at round six of the Motorpoint British Supersport Evo Championship at the fast Thruxton Circuit. Allingham secured two great results in the Evo class with a fourth and second place respectively.
Having never ridden at the abrasive track before the young Irishman had to learn how to ride it in the dry on Friday and then in the wet on Saturday. Despite this his times improved dramatically from first free practice to the second race showing clearly the improvements the youngster was able to make over the weekend once he gained an understanding of the track.
In the soaking conditions on Saturday, David was slightly apprehensive of the weather conditions and was slightly cautious only able to qualify in 19th place on the grid for the sprint race. He worked hard to improve his position in the dry race later that afternoon and gained a strong fourth. His time placed him a row in front for the main race on Sunday in 16th position, he got a great start and was lying second in the Evo class for the majority of the race before a mistake put him back to third, he worked hard and was able to regain second and a stunning 13th place overall in the main Supersport Championship race.
David Allingham – “It was certainly a reality check coming to a circuit like this that I’d never seen before. I had to spend Friday not just learning where the track went but also trying to find a good set up with the bike. I was feeling more confident at the end of the day on Friday and then saw the weather on Saturday morning and knew that qualifying would be tough. I was seeing what my limits were here in the wet and I know I probably could have gone faster but I have to keep reminding myself this season is a learning season.
It was back to dry for the race in the afternoon and I felt pretty happy in the race, my lap times were good and continuously improving. I was feeling a lot more confident going into the main race on Sunday and was eager to get my head down and go for a podium, I got a good start and was locked in a really good battle. I knew it would be hard to catch Alex (Olsen) as his bike is super quick and he was riding really well all weekend, he was nearly untouchable round here by any other Evo machines. I worked hard and my times were the best they had been all weekend I’m really pleased with second and it has given me a good confidence boost for Oulton next weekend. I would like to thank my IN competition Racing team, Adrian and Ruairi, plus all my personal sponsors and glad I could get a podium to say thank you.”
2014 IN COMPETITION RACING TEAM SPONSORS
EHA GROUP – BMOR – INCOMPETITION – MODE PERFORMANCE – GB RACING ENGINE COVER – PRO BOLT – PIPE WERX – SILKOLENE – MAXTON – RACEWAYS YAMAHA – HEL – RARE BOY – MAG EUROPE
More, from a press release issued by Josh Daley Racing:
Josh Daley Racing
Thruxton Circuit
www.facebook.com/JoshDaleyRacing
It was a successful weekend for Josh Daley Racing team at round six of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Thruxton. After a nightmare weekend at Brands Hatch a few weeks ago Josh was able to gain a strong fifth place and then was unfortunate to crash out of sixth place in race two.
Josh was happy when he saw the heavens open on Saturday morning as he is very confident riding in the wet conditions. He was third in the Evo class but 11th overall on the main grid for the Sprint race on Saturday. He got a good start and pushed hard throughout, he ended up finishing fifth in the Evo class in the dry conditions and was ready for race two on Sunday.
He was 20th on the grid for the main race and got a good start and was eighth Evo rider and progressing through the pack with some strong lap times. He moved his way through to sixth in the Evo class but sadly lost the front at Campbells and crashed out.
Josh Daley – “I can’t be disappointed for this weekend as we worked hard and got some good times and some good results. I was disappointed to crash out of the second race but my times were 2.1 seconds quicker than any time I did here at Thruxton last year. I have taken a lot of positives out to the weekend and it has done my confidence a lot of good. I am looking forward to getting to Oulton Park next weekend, do some more learning and start pushing further forwards. I enjoyed both races and thankfully I’ve not done much damage in the crash as it is a quick turnaround for Oulton this week. I must thank my Dad for all the help and support he has given me and working so hard on the bike all weekend. I feel happy and want to keep moving forward and progressing.”
2014 JOSH DALEY RACING TEAM SPONSORS
FLEETSMART UK LTD – PUTOLINE OILS – NO FEAR ENERGY DRINKS – LINDSTRANDS LEATHERS – SHARK HELMETS – WEISE GLOVES – DAYTONA BOOTS – IMPACT SAFE T ARMOR – KAYS WELDING SUPPLIES LTD – MFG CONSTRUCTION LTD – FJG LOGISTICS LTD – TOILETSPARES.CO.UK – E2E SOLUTIONS – MOTORCYCLE CENTRE ORRELL – INTEK ADHESIVES – SPPEDYCOM.CO.UK – LBF SOLUTIONS – JONES IT UK – HVH FITNESS – WICKEDDIPS NW – PRF RACEKITS – CLUB 88 MEMBERS
More, from a press release issued by Mason Law Racing:
MASON FIRES HIS SEASON BACK INTO LIFE WITH SOLID TOP SIX AT THRUXTON
After a July blip, Mason Law got his season back on track today with a solid and confidence inspiring sixth place in the Pirelli National Superstock 600cc Championship at Thruxton.
The Benfleet youngster came through from the fourth row of the grid on his Trik Moto Kawasaki and settled into sixth place as early as lap four of 14 – and from there he took 10 very valuable championship points. He now holds eighth place in the championship standings as the series moves to Oulton Park next weekend.
Mason Law:
“It’s been a steady weekend and it probably took me a little too long to get up to speed, but it finally came together in the race, and my pace was definitely good enough to run with the front group. Unfortunately I lost the tow to the front boys and couldn’t quite bridge the gap. Thanks to Andrew Pitt, Kev my mechanic and of course my dad for their continued support.”
Andrew Pitt – Team Manager:
“I’m proud of how Mason rode today and only for losing the tow, I’m sure he could have run with those front boys, but’s that’s how it goes in racing and there will be other days to perform stronger. He was lapping consistently and hopefully this will help build his confidence and he can be back fighting at the front very soon.”
Race Results [14 laps]:
Winner: Kyle Ryde [Yamaha]; 2nd – Nick Anderson [Kawasaki] +0.728sec; 3rd – Tarran Mackenzie [Kawasaki] +0.789sec; 4th – Ben Godfrey [Kawasaki] 1.525sec; 5th – Dan Stamper [Kawasaki] +2.471sec; 6th – Mason Law [Trik Moto Kawasaki] +7.843sec
More, from a press release issued by Sixteen26 PR & Media:
BUCHAN EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AFTER THRUXTON THRILLER
Round 6 – Thruxton:
Tsingtao Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan proved just why he is making all the headlines in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc class of late – extending his lead after today’s sixth round of the series at Thruxton to 38 points.
Buchan took second place in a thrilling Superstock encounter, where he was shaded at the finish by Lee Jackson by a miniscule 0.189sec, but his closest rival in the series was one place further back – allowing Danny to extent his championship lead.
Despite leading across the line on seven of the 14 laps, the ever-smiling DB said afterwards: “I’m happy to come away with an increased lead in the championship. Thruxton is always close and it’s easy for somebody to make a mistake and lose a lot of points. Our plan was to come away as best placed as we could be for the championship’s sake.
“The last lap was good for me, as I has set myself in the perfect position to take the win coming into the final chicane. I made the move but couldn’t make it stick – so second place is more points after a real fun race. Now to Oulton Park next weekend. Thanks to all my sponsors and everybody for there efforts this weekend.”
Race results:
Winner: Lee Jackson [BMW]; 2nd – Danny Buchan [Tsingtao Kawasaki] +0.189sec; 3rd – Jason O’Halloran [Honda] +0.239sec; 4th – Filip Backlund [Kawasaki] +0.312sec; 5th – Joe Burns [Kawasaki] +0.739sec; 6th – Adam Jenkinson [Kawasaki] +1.083sec
Championship Points
Danny Buchan 140
Jason O’Halloran 102
Lee Jackson 91
Filip Backlund 72
Adam Jenkinson 43
Josh Elliott 42
More, from a press release issued by Gavin Hunt’s publicist:
Seventh heaven for Hunt at Thruxton
For the second meeting in a row, Manxman Gavin Hunt put in a superb ride in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship with the Nei Motorsport Kawasaki rider taking an excellent seventh in the sixth round at Thruxton on Sunday.
The Douglas rider was on the pace throughout with his weekend starting in positive fashion when he placed 13th in the opening qualifying session on Friday. He went quicker still on Saturday afternoon, improving by four-tenths of a second to 1m18.196s, just half a second from sixth place and although he slipped back a place to 14th, this later became 13th once more as eighth placed Dominic Usher was disqualified due to a technical infringement.
It all meant Gavin started from the outside of the fifth row for the 16-lap race and, after placing eighth in morning warm-up, hopes were high of another strong result. Indeed, a great start saw the 27-year old immediately jump up the order to 11th and by the second lap he was up into the top ten, his lap of 1m17.249s almost a second quicker than what he’d gone in qualifying!
For the remainder of the race, Gavin was in contention for seventh place and as the race wore on, he was lapping consistently quicker than the riders in front of him and on the 14th and 15th laps he overhauled Josh Day and Michael Robertson respectively. He duly crossed the line in a brilliant seventh place, his second successive finish inside the top seven with the nine points catapulting him up the Championship table to 12th and on the edge of the top ten.
Gavin Hunt: “I’m really pleased with today’s result and it’s nice to put two strong performances back-to-back. Consistency is crucial in this class and that’s two successive finishes in the top seven so I’m heading in the right direction. I made a bit of a mistake with the set up of the bike in the second qualifying session and didn’t go as quick as I would have liked but morning warm-up went well and with the settings changed for the race, I was able to show what I could do.”
“I got a good start and just chipped away throughout the race. The riders in front kept coming back to me and I was taking a few tenths out of them each lap, so I picked them off as and when I could. The bike was working really well and I felt strong at the end and that helped me overtake everyone in the group I was battling with. I feel like my season’s really up and running now and we’re running where I feel we should be so thanks to everyone in the team for all their hard work and effort, it’s nice to repay everyone with another strong result.”
The next round gets underway in just a few days time with Oulton Park, Cheshire hosting the seventh round on August 8-10.
Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship – 16 laps
1 Lee Jackson (BMW)
2 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
4 Filip Backlund (Kawasaki)
5 Joe Burns (Kawasaki)
6 Adam Jenkinson (Kawasaki)
7 Gavin Hunt (Nei Motorsport Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after six rounds)
1 Buchan 140pts
2 O’Halloran 102
3 Jackson 91
4 Backlund 72
5 Jenkinson 43
6 Johnson 42
12 Hunt 22
More, from a press release issued by SMT Racing:
Backlund narrowly misses out on second Superstock podium
Filip Backlund and the SMT Racing Kawasaki team came agonisingly close to claiming their second podium of the 2014 Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship on Sunday when they placed fourth at the sixth round at Thruxton, just 0.312s adrift of race winner Lee Jackson.
The Swedish rider was on the pace throughout the weekend and took a strong fourth in qualifying before completing the first lap of the 16-lap race in sixth place but from there on in he was embroiled in a quite brilliant six-way battle for the lead. Circulating with Championship leader Danny Buchan, Jackson, Adam Jenkinson, Jason O’Halloran and Joe Burns, the sextet were never separated by more than a second around the high-speed Hampshire circuit and the seventh lap typified the closeness of the race when Filip went from fourth to first on the approach to the chicane! Positions literally changed on each and every corner and going into the last lap it was still anyone’s race.
By this stage, all six riders were struggling for grip around the abrasive circuit and, unfortunately, it was Filip who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as the six riders flashed across the line, the 24-year old in fourth place. Only seven-hundredths of a second off the podium, Filip was also only 0.312s adrift of the race win although the fourth place and 13 points consolidated his fourth place overall in the Championship table.
Filip Backlund: “The feeling of leading the race was brilliant in what was an unbelievably close race and whilst I’m obviously disappointed, and frustrated, not to have finished on the podium, at least, it’s been a very good weekend. We’ve made progress all the time and, crucially, have been closer to the front than what we have been all year and that made it possible for us to fight for the race win. We led a race for the first time this year so there are lots of positives to take from the weekend so it’s now a case of all the small things coming together at the right place and at the right time.”
“It was a 16-lap race that saw every rider pushing and pushing all the time and with a circuit that literally eats tyres, it more or less came down to who had the best grip at the end. I don’t think any of us had much left at the end so we all had to get to the finish with what we had and we were all sideways at most of the corners! We were close this weekend although not quite close enough but I’m happy that we’ve got the pace to challenge for the race wins and I have it my mind now that I can run at the front so it’s important to take that feeling to the next round.”
Robin Croft, Team Owner: “It’s been a massive step forward for SMT Racing Kawasaki this weekend as we found a really good set-up with the bike and Filip got closer to a perfect set-up with each and every session, including the morning warm-up. Filip was really happy with the bike and we knew it was going to be a 12-wheeler such was the closeness in qualifying and it really could have been anyone’s race.”
“In some respects, we’re disappointed to have finished fourth and not to have taken a podium but we know we could quite easily have been first and so can be pleased with our efforts. Massive congratulations to Filip for a great performance – and to the other five riders too – and we can go to our home round at Oulton, knowing we’ll be strong and extremely confident of a good result.”
The Championship now returns to the team’s local circuit, Oulton Park, with the meeting taking place in just a few days time on August 8-10.
Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship – 16 laps
1 Lee Jackson (BMW)
2 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
4 Filip Backlund (SMT Racing Kawasaki)
5 Joe Burns (Kawasaki)
6 Adam Jenkinson (Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after six rounds)
1 Buchan 140pts
2 O’Halloran 102
3 Jackson 91
4 Backlund 72
5 Jenkinson 43
6 Johnson 42
More, from a press release issued by Jake Dixon Racing:
Jake Dixon – Thruxton
www.facebook.com/JakeDixonRacing
It was a difficult weekend for 18-year-old Jake Dixon from Dover at round six of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Thruxton Circuit. Jake had a few technical issues with the Appleyard Doodson Macadam Yamaha during practice and qualifying and gained two tenth places in the races.
Jake was going well in the second free practice until the end of the second practice where a mysterious mis-fire was happening. The team changed a number of items on the bike overnight but for the wet qualifying on Saturday the youngster was unable to complete a lap and therefore had to start race one from the back of the grid in 29th position. The team made more adjustments for race one and Jake was able to get a fantastic start and was 16th after the opening lap, he dug deep and kept pushing hard to finish in a fantastic 10th position.
He was placed in 11th on the grid for race two on Sunday and he was eager to get another good start and get away with the front runners. From half distance Jake was suffering with grip and also handling issues on the bike, he rode as hard as he could be had to take 10th place and a handful of Championship points.
Jake Dixon – “This weekend was so frustrating for myself and the Appleyard Doodson Macadam team. I was going well in second practice and was sat up in third position for most of it when I started to notice there was a problem when the bike was on its side. They worked hard to change what they thought it was but sadly for qualifying it was worse and now having problems in a straight line.
I had to start from the back and my mechanics changed more things on the Yamaha between qualifying and the race and luckily for race one it felt good, that race was a little daunting as I was mixing on track with riders I’ve never ridden with on track before so it was difficult to know what was going to happen. I pushed hard on the first few laps and was able to make up several places.
I knew on the Sunday if I could get away with them I’d have a good chance of another good result. I was pushing hard but from mid race I was really struggling with grip which was most likely down to the lack of track time all weekend to find the set up that suited me best. It was disappointing but I need to move to Oulton this weekend focussed again on the job in hand and hopefully get some better results there.”
2014 Personal Sponsors
Shoei – Daytona – Forcefield Body Armour – Ovendens – Mutleys – Feridax – Transtore Logistics – Herbalife – www.freestylextreme.com – anyone wishing to sponsor Jake this season with product or funding please get in touch – [email protected]
Team Sponsors
Appleyard – Macadam – Doodson – Yamaha
Facebook – www.facebook.com/JakeDixonRacing
Twitter – @DixonJake
More, from a press release issued by Gearlink Kawasaki:
Gearlink Kawasaki
Thruxton
www.facebook.com/GearlinkRacing
Motorpoint British Supersport
The Gearlink Kawasaki team headed to their local circuit this weekend at Thruxton for round six of the MCE British Superbike Championship. In the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Glenn Irwin had a solid weekend with a fifth and seventh place respectively, his team-mate Luke Hedger gained a good 12th and 11th place in the two races.
Free practice was dry for the two Gearlink riders and both were working hard to find a set up that suited their style on the quick and bumpy circuit. However, the weather changed dramatically for qualifying on Saturday morning and the rain came down heavily delaying their session by nearly two hours. Glenn secured seventh for the grid and Luke 12th for the Sprint race later that afternoon. The conditions soon dried up and the pair were eager to get a good race under their belts. Glenn got a great start and was away with the leading bunch and Luke also got a good start. Glenn fought hard but was unable to make a strong pass but gained a solid fifth, Luke was involved in a close four bike scrap for ninth but had to settle for 12th.
For race two Glenn was fifth on the grid and Luke moved up to 10th for the epic 18-lap race. Glenn held his position after lap one whilst Luke dropped a place to 11th, Glenn once again was up with the front bunch and his times were good enough to run with them. He was riding well until he was sat up into one of the really quick turns which unsettled him and he slipped a couple of places backwards eventually crossing the line in seventh. Luke was locked in a three bike battle for tenth place, losing out by one place on the last lap to finish in 11th.
Glenn Irwin – “I’m really pleased with how the weekend went and I don’t think the results showed how much effort that myself and the Gearlink team put in this weekend. They really worked hard for me as I was struggling to find a set up I was comfortable with but we got it right in both races. I was hit in race two by Billy (McConnell) on the very fast Village section, this did stop my rhythm for a few laps and I had to try and settle back down but at that point the leaders had got away. I hope we can get some good results at Oulton Park next weekend.”
Luke Hedger – “It has been a little frustrating this year and I’ve had a few minor bike problems that have caused me to miss some time out on track. This weekend went ok but I was happy as I was only 0.9 off the lap record and just 0.6 off the time of the first placed man. The Gearlink team worked really hard to ensure I had a good set up for the races and every time we go out now we are making progress and in-roads, I know this is another learning year for me and just hope I can get some strong results at the remaining rounds.”
It was another hard weekend for Ben Wilson in the MCE British Superbike Championship. A technical issue forced Ben to retire from race one and sit out of race two.
Ben Wilson – “It has been so frustrating for us this year as I know myself and the team are worth more than this. We have scratched our heads as to what the problem may be and now we think it might be the frame. This will all be looked at again before Oulton and I really hope for everyone, especially the Gearlink Kawasaki team we can start to make some progress and get the results I feel we deserve.”
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “The weekend started quite well with Ben and we were looking into a good set up for him for the races. We changed the yokes on Saturday and then the bike became unstable and impossible for Ben to ride. He tried his hardest but didn’t want to risk damaging the bike or injuring himself so we decided it was better to withdraw from the second Superbike race in the afternoon.
Following further investigations we now feel the frame may be out of alignment which could have been caused by a previous crash, we will look into this before Oulton Park. It is very annoying and frustrating for the team as we would have liked to have made more progress than this at this stage in the season.
The Supersport riders have ridden well this weekend; both Glenn and Luke had two good races. It was disappointing for Glenn that he had an impact with Billy as he was in with the leading pack, thankfully he stayed on and got the result he did. Luke had another strong weekend and he is now in a class where the riders are another level and he is learning new information at every round. We hope both riders can continue their progress at Oulton Park this coming weekend and we also hope that progress will be made with Ben.”
2014 GEARLINK TEAM SPONSORS
AKRAPOVIC – B & C EXPRESS – CN TRADING (GLENN) – DAYTONA (BEN) – DAMEN LEATHERS – DBR – FORCEFIELD – GALFER – GB RACING – GEARLINK LTD – GOODRIDGE – JAMES JAMIESON CONSTRUCTION (GLENN) – JOHNY WILLS PHOTOGRAPHY – K-TECH – KTtapeuk.co.uk – MARK TALBOT (GLENN) – MEGASTORE247 (GLENN) – MET HEALTHCARE (GLENN) – MWR AIR FILTERS – NGK SPARK PLUGS – OCTANORM – PERFORMANCE PARTS – PERFORMANCE FRICTION BRAKES – PRO CLEAN – PRO-BOLT – R & G RACING – RENTHAL – ROCK OIL – SAMCO SPORT – SHARK HELMETS – SHOEI HELMETS (LUKE) – SIDI (LUKE) – SIGMA PERFORMANCE – SINNIS – SKIDMARX – SOLO SIGNS – TIM TODD SURFACING – TSUBAKI – VALE LIVESTOCK – WWW.1STCHOICE-FLOORING.CO.UK (LUKE)
More, from a press release issued by Team WD-40:
Thruxton Podium for Mackenzie, BSB Points for Burrell
Brands Hatch came back to haunt us at Thruxton as we waited for Barry Burrell to be declared fit to ride by the BSB medical Team before first practice. Thankfully the rest between the two races, although leaving him very stiff were enough to help the healing process for Burrell.
Barry, Tarran and Ben were all looking forward to the event as it showed with the activity on their social media sites. @tazmac95 @Ba77a @bcyoung86 Ben was again looking forward to continuing his learning curve of the British Championship circuits with his first time at Thruxton.
Throughout Practice and Qualifying we experience significant changes in the weather which hampered setup but also Ben’s circuit learning. Barry struggled with his injuries still being stiff and not quite flexible enough. Tarran stepped in where he had left off being right at the top end of the time sheets qualifying 5th , Barry and Ben were 17th and 24th respectively
STK 600:- right from the lights going green Taz was right in the fight for the lead dropping into 2nd and taking the lead on lap 4 and again on laps 7,9 and 10, the battle was breath taking and a small mistake after some ‘rubbing’ with another rider dropped Taz to 5th on lap 12 leaving him work to do. Tarran and Anderson flew over the line on the last lap with Anderson getting the decision for 2nd by 0.061 but another brilliant podium for the young Scotsman.
Tarran Mackenzie said “that was a fantastic race, I managed to lead for a while and swap a little paint with the others but good clean racing. I thought I had Nick over the line but another podium is just great. I am so happy with my Team and the bike and looking forward to Oulton next week!! “
SBK:- Barry pushed through the pain barrier throughout practice but put all that out of his mind for the race making a good start with his new clutch thanks to Danny and pushed for the top Ten, finishing a brilliant 13th after the gruelling 20 lapper. Race 2 Barry made a fantastic start straight into the top 10 only to see the race stopped after 6 laps. On the restart of the shortened 16 lap race, Barry was not so lucky but he got his head down and brought home some more valuable points for 14th
Barry Burrell “This weekend has been hard and once or twice I had thought about not riding, the Team did a great job for me, we got points but I would have liked to be higher. We now have a few more days rest then off to Oulton and hoping I will be a little fitter there”
STK 1000:- Ben worked hard all weekend on his first visit to the superfast Thruxton working his way up the grid.
Ben is getting a bit of a reputation amongst the Team for his awesome starts and yet again he pulled one out of the bag putting himself in the battle for the last point. Lapping almost half a second faster than he did in qualify it was just not good enough for that elusive first point which we know will come soon!
Ben Young said “I knew Thruxton was going to be hard because no one gets to practice there, I really enjoyed the track but could have done with just a little more track time in qualifying. I am disappointed not to get any points but I feel I am working hard for it. Now back to Oulton Park so I really hope it will be there I get my first points for the team”
Brent Gladwin Team WD-40’s manager, said: “We were worried about Barry going into Thruxton, there was an argument to say he would have been better to miss it, but Barry did not want to see anyone else on his bike so he gave it his best shot, I have to say we are pleased with the points. Ben now just needs to move to the next level which is so close and we have every faith in his abilities so much so Iain from Stauff has set him a target so let’s see how that works out J – Young Mr Mackenzie is just a delight to have around for the whole Team and his riding and results are just brilliant. We know have 2 days at home and off to Oulton and looking forward to some important and exciting news from our sponsors later this month!”
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