BROOKES JUST MISSES CADWELL BSB WIN Josh Brookes may have crashed-out of British Superbike race two today at Cadwell Park a couple of corners from home – and an almost-certain debut victory at the Mountain Circuit with Tyco Suzuki – but the Australian’s hard-charging ‘never-say-die’ attitude was well-received by the knowledgeable BSB fans at the Lincolnshire venue, who applauded his every effort. With his end-of-season Showdown place guaranteed at the previous round, Brookes was never going to settle for a brace of third-placed finishes after standing on the bottom rung of the podium in the opening race. He hunted down Alex Lowes in race two with the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, and then made the all-important pass to take the lead, only to slip-off at Mansfield just a few corners from home. His young team-mate PJ Jacobsen also slid-off in race two whilst fighting for a top-six finish. The 20-year-old American had a sensational weekend nonetheless, qualifying fourth on his debut; backed-up with fifth position in race one and setting himself up well for the final four rounds at circuits he has previously ridden. Josh Brookes: “I’ve run it over in my head a thousand times since it happened and the bottom line is, I got into the lead and just messed up. But in hindsight it was better to have a go at the win. After I made a mistake over the Mountain I hunted Bridewell down and the pass on Alex Lowes on the last lap was pretty easy to be honest, as I got good drive out of Charlie’s and was quicker all race into Park, making up loads of ground. I just tucked the front a couple of corners after that but I’m not hurt, the bike’s not too badly damaged and we only lost three podium credits.” PJ Jacobsen: “I was pretty happy with fifth place in race one but got a bit frustrated in race two trying to get back past Chris Walker. I pushed a little too-hard and lost the front, but I’m okay. The race pace was a lot faster in race two but we will take the positives from my first weekend at Cadwell Park. Hopefully I impressed a few people out there and for me my season starts in two weeks’ time at Donington Park. The last four circuits of the season I’ve raced at and really like, and I feel they suit my riding style.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “It was a bit of a frustrating weekend all round as we showed a lot of promise but didn’t take home our deserved rewards. The GSX-R1000 package was once again superb this weekend and with some further developments planned, we are looking forward to the next round at Donington Park. “PJ should be highly commended for his performance throughout the weekend on his first visit to Cadwell Park, which is a very difficult circuit to learn. It’s a real shame it ended with a crash at the notorious Charlies, which has caught out many riders over the years. “What can you say about Josh Brookes: he’s a racer through and through and we love to see that in a rider. To set the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, then go on and take the lead on the last lap against the odds is testament to his determination. However it has to be said, those podium credits are extremely important at this stage. “Anyway, we are still in the hunt and we will move on to Donington in a positive frame of mind; a circuit which has been a good for us in the past.” BSB Race One result: 1 Alex Lowes (Honda), 2 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) +1.056s, 3 Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +1.969s, 4 Tommy Bridewell (Kawasaki) +4.626s, 5 PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) +14.827s, 6 Chris Walker (Kawasaki) +16.040s. BSB Race Two result: 1 Alex Lowes (Honda), 2 Tommy Bridewell (Kawasaki) +0.892s, 3 James Ellison (Yamaha) +4.371s, 4 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) +6.375s 5 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +9.787s, 6 Chris Walker (Kawasaki) +16.095s. British Superbike Championship Standings (after Cadwell Park): 1 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) 330 [35 podium credits], 2 Alex Lowes (Honda) 293 [27 podium credits], 3 Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 284 [22 podium credits], 4 James Ellison (Yamaha) 174 [12 podium credits], 5 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 162 [4 podium credits] 6 Jon Kirkham [BMW) 135 [no podium credits to date]. More, from a press release issued by Chrissy Rouse’s publicist: Seventh heaven as Rouse wins again at Cadwell CHRISSY Rouse has extended his championship lead after scoring his seventh win of the season in today’s Triumph Triple Challenge race at Cadwell Park. On board his Stratstone Triumph Racing machine, the 17-year-old Geordie was declared winner in a race which was cut short two laps early when Charlie King crashed out seconds after taking the lead. After a tougher than usual qualifying session, Rouse lined up fourth on the grid and on the second row for today’s 10 lap race. But a good start saw him hold position into the first corner, and he quickly moved up to third. At the Gooseneck he made a move on Freddy Pett to take second place, and set off on a charge to catch leader King, who had made a dazzling start and had already started to eke himself a bit of a lead. As the pack crossed the line to start the second lap, Rouse was right on King’s tail, and kept a close eye on his rival for a lap and a half before making the move at the chicane on lap three. He took the lead and both he and King quickly stretched a lead at the front. “Charlie was riding really well, but once I’d passed Freddy I caught straight up to him,” said Rouse. “He made a little mistake and I was able to get by at the chicane. I was leading for about four or five laps but then I made a mistake or two and he got past. “I was right up with him and I could see he was riding right at the edge. When we came out of the chicane he didn’t have the grip and his bike came right out from under him in front of me. I was lucky to miss him but I did hit a bit of his bike. I was lucky that the race was flagged because when we got my bike back we found a big hole in the front tyre which goes right through to the core. “I’m obviously happy to have got the win here and have extended my championship lead which was what we wanted this weekend. I also got the second fastest lap so I’m looking forward to starting on the front row tomorrow, and hopefully I can have another good race and get some more solid points.” As a result of today’s win, Rouse now holds a 46 point lead over nearest rivals Phil Atkinson and Freddy Pett who are now joint second in the championship. Spaniard Aleix Aulestia is fourth while King has slipped to fifth. Triumph Triple Challenge Cadwell Park Race One top six: 1. Chrissy Rouse 2. Freddy Pett 3. Aleix Aulestia 4. Philip Atkinson 5. Luke Shelley 6. Dan Helyer Triumph Triple Challenge Championship points after Cadwell Park Race One: 1. Chrissy Rouse 126 2. Philip Atkinson 80 2. Freddy Pett 80 4. Aleix Aulestia 75 5. Charlie King 71.5 6. Dan Helyer 57. More, from another press release issued by Chrissy Rouse’s publicist: Rouse dominates at Cadwell to extend championship lead CHRISSY Rouse dominated today’s Triumph Triple Challenge race at Cadwell Park to clinch his eighth win of the year and boost his championship lead. The 17-year-old Geordie now has an impressive 58 point lead at the top of the points standings after two solid victories this weekend at the Lincolnshire track. After winning yesterday’s 10-lap scrap, the teenager set the second quickest lap time to line-up second on the grid today behind polesitter Charlie King. At the green light, the Stratstone Triumph Racing rider got a quick getaway and within half a lap had taken the lead. From here it was plain sailing as he cruised off in the lead, slowly extending the gap at the front while his rivals jostled for position behind. He came under no pressure and eventually crossed the line more than four seconds ahead of second-placed King to take his eighth win of the year. He also set a new lap record with a time of 1.32:872mins on Lap Seven. “I’m so happy with this result, it has been a bit of a fairytale weekend for me,” he said. “At the start Aleix Aulestia got the holeshot and took the lead but I made the same move on him that I made yesterday at the Gooseneck as I knew I could make it stick. “After that it was my race. I controlled it how I wanted it and slowly edged myself a comfortable lead and set a new lap record which was brilliant. It couldn’t have gone better, I’m really, really pleased. My Stratstone Triumph was just incredible all weekend, I couldn’t have asked for more. “I’ve now got a 58 point lead in the championship which is the best thing. I had a 59.5 lead when the points were halved and now I’m almost there again. It means that’s two DNFs in hand and I feel that I’m now in a comfortable position. Naturally it’s far from over, but it gives me the psychological edge now and I’m in the place I wanted to be.” Rouse now holds a 58 point advantage in the championship over nearest rival Freddy Pett. The next round of the Triumph Triple Challenge will be held at Donington Park over the weekend September 6-8, 2013. Triumph Triple Challenge Race 2 Result 1. Chrissy Rouse 2. Charlie King 3. Aleix Aulestia 4. Freddy Pett 5. Philip Atkinson 6. Tom Oliver Triumph Triple Challenge Championship Points after Cadwell Park Race Two 1. Chrissy Rouse 151 2. Freddy Pett 93 3. Charlie King 91.5 4. Philip Atkinson 91 4. Aleix Aulestia 91 6. Dan Helyer 57.5 More, from a press release issued by Bel-Ray: Bel-Ray Racer Jonas Folger Scores Podium Finish at Czech Grand Prix FARMINGDALE, N.J. – The MotoGP returned to Europe this week for Round 11 of the 18-round series. Situated inside a natural bowl, this track offers excellent viewing for the spectators. The challenging circuit is well liked by the racers as well. Bel-Ray-backed Team Aspar fielded five riders in three separate classes at the event. Building on last week’s 4th place finish, Moto3 racer Jonas Folger came from 7th on the grid to pass three racers early on and remain in sight of the lead group. Losing touch with the lead group, Folger held strong and gained his podium position via late breaking in the closing stages of the race. His 3rd place finish marked the second podium standing of the season for the young German racer. Folger spoke positively about the race following the checkered flag. “It was a great race, and I enjoyed myself a lot at the front. It was a hard but interesting fight, with no-one giving any ground. On the second to last lap I lost some time, but didn’t give in, and the battle in front of me meant I could catch up. I broke late and hard and took back two positions. We deserve this podium [win] as we’ve worked hard for it. I think we should be proud of our work. I want to thank our team and the Kalex technicians. At Indy, we took a step forward and here we took another, so I want to keep that going next weekend. This 3rd place makes up for our hard work, and I’m really happy about it.” Bel-Ray’s Moto2 racers, Jordi Torres and Nico Terol, both scored top 10 finishes as a result of strong rides on Sunday afternoon. Terol started from his 9th place grid position, gaining positions early in the race. At one point during the event, Terol raced his way into the top position and led the field for several laps. With three laps remaining, he ran wide in a corner to prevent a crash and gave up positions and his hopes for a podium finish. He eventually finished 6th when the race concluded. “I’m delighted with today’s race,” said Terol. “After seeing how the weekend went, I knew that I had a good pace. I started strong and fought hard from the beginning. I almost got stuck between two riders, but I managed to shake off my rivals until I caught up with (Mika) Kallio. Despite everything, I am happy because I was very aggressive and rode assuredly. For Silverstone, I hope to remain at the same level and get onto the podium. I want to thank the team for their work in helping me improve over the course of the weekend.” Terol’s teammate, Jordi Torres, struggled with handling issues throughout the event but held on for a 10th place finish at the checkered flag. Torres spoke of the issues following the event. “Yesterday, we had a good setup for the bike, which allowed us to run a more consistent pace. This morning, we wanted to make a change in order to gain speed on corner entry. We worked on the suspension in the warmup, but I think that the cold meant our data was deceptive. Unfortunately, with it being colder today, we began to have chatter. I started well and on the opening laps was able to find my spot. However, as the laps went by the chatter increased, and I had to adapt my riding to go more smoothly. That was when I dropped back from the leading pack. We know that we can be fast over a single lap; we were able to start well and fight, so from now on we are going to have to work on our consistency and pace.” Aleix Espargaro has again proven he is the best CRT racer in the field. His 10th place finish at Brno came after a crash prior to qualifying early in the weekend. Espargaro rebounded and fought for his finish. “I am satisfied with the result today, especially with what happened yesterday in a tough day. I had a bad feeling when riding, with no explanation, and I crashed before qualifying. However, in the warmup session my team put all of those problems behind us. They completely changed the bike, mainly the electronics. I want to thank them for their work, because I hope that they feel rewarded by this result. The changes gave me the confidence on the corners. I am very happy with the start of the race, as I felt comfortable and enjoyed my riding. In the second half I suffered a bit more, because the rear tyre was sliding a lot. I leave Brno happy; we have regained our confidence and taken a great 10th place. I was once again the best CRT as well, which is great.” Teammate Randy DePuniet also struggled with rear tire grip but persevered for a 15th place finish. “This morning, we made a change to the front fork that ended up giving a positive result. It helped me to feel comfortable at the start of the race, and I felt better than I have in a while. It was a pleasant surprise, and I was even aiming to overtake Colin Edwards, but from Lap 5 onwards I saw that the rear tyre performance was dropping off considerably. That meant that the front suffered too, and so I had to focus on riding as steadily as possible. I would have liked to have been able to keep my level up from start to finish, but at least we were back to being competitive. In the next race, we will work on gaining durability.” The series continues this weekend at the world-famous Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain. More than 60 years old, the facility situated 90 minutes north of London is well liked by racers and spectators alike. Team Aspar looks forward to using their Bel-Ray-powered machines to achieve top finishes on Sunday afternoon. Bel-Ray Super Clean Chain Lube is one of the products chosen by the teams to keep their machines performing their best. Bel-Ray® Super Clean Chain Lube is an aerosol chain lube that utilizes the latest innovation in chain lubricant technology, combining unsurpassed anti-wear protection for long chain and sprocket life with an outer protective coating that will not attract dirt, sand or grit and ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT FLING OFF when used as directed. To learn more about Bel-Ray specialty powersports lubricants, visit www.belray.com/powersports or call (732) 938-2421. Follow Bel-Ray racers all season long at www.belray.com More, from a press release issued by Mar-Train Racing: EASTON HUNTS DOWN SEELEY AS TITLE CHASE HOTS UP AT CADWELL PARK Stuart Easton finished fourth in today’s second British Supersport race at Cadwell Park, further reducing the deficit at the top of the table to just 22 points going into the final four meetings of the year over main rival Alastair Seeley. Easton narrowly missed out on his twelfth podium finish from the opening sixteen races this season in the highly charged middleweight encounter, but did bring his Mar-Train Racing Yamaha home unscathed this weekend and firmly believes he’s right back in the title chase. Stuart Easton: “I’m not overly happy with those results but to take 25 points out of Seeley in one race weekend puts us back in the hunt heading to Donington, which can only be a good thing. I struggled to make passes early on in today’s race and by the time I got clear I suffered arm pump which stopped me going further. My Mar-Train Yamaha showed its pace again this weekend though, so thanks to all the team for their hard work to put us back in the frame.” Tim Martin – Team Principal: “I have to be honest and say we missed an opportunity to really take full advantage of Seeley’s misfortunes this weekend, but if anyone had offered me a reduced gap of 22 points at the start of the weekend I’d have taken their arm off. Stuart struggled to get through the pack early on but showed strong pace once he did. We will move on to Donington and try to reduce the gap further and with eight races still to fight over – there’s a long way to go yet in this championship.” Championship Points Alastair Seeley 303 points Stuart Easton 281 Ben Wilson 250 Billy McConnell 228 Graeme Gowland 185 Jason O’Halloran 135 More, from a press release issued by Halsall Racing: Sensational Cadwell Park Podium For Bridewell Tommy Bridewell sensationally scored the first ever podium for the Bolton-based Halsall Racing Kawasaki team after finishing second in the final MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Cadwell Park today. Cheered on by a massive bank holiday crowd, the Devizes rider has now put himself in with an outside shot of a Showdown place after a stunning race where he only narrowly missed out on his first win for the team. But it was a harder weekend for team-mate Lee Costello who left Cadwell Park with a 16th and a 17th place after struggling to get to grips with his Kawasaki around the challenging Lincolnshire track. Bridewell qualified fifth on the grid for today’s first race, while Bolton’s Costello lined up in 22nd place. As the lights changed, Bridewell got a clean start but dropped a place to sixth as Josh Brookes came searing through from behind. Bridewell quickly closed in on the Tyco Suzuki of PJ Jacobsen and passed him for fifth place on the third lap, and then moved up to fourth on lap 14 when James Ellison crashed out. Costello, meanwhile, had also got a good start and was up to 20th by the end of the opening lap. He got his head down and made up a few more places to cross the line 17th. As a result of his charge in race one, Bridewell set the third fastest lap, giving him a front row start for this afternoon’s second race. Getting a strong start he held the position for a handful of laps, before making a move past Josh Brookes at the Mountain to move to second. From there he quickly closed down on race one winner Alex Lowes who was once again out in front; getting as close as two tenths of a second away from him by the time the race had reached mid-point. On lap 16 Brookes took the place back but it wasn’t to last as he crashed out on the final lap, moving Bridewell back up to second. Costello, meanwhile, struggled his way through from 20th on the grid to finish the 18-lap race 16th. Tommy Bridewell: “I’m feeling mega, that was a brilliant race. It was a race where I actually felt really comfortable as I knew exactly what I had to do and I played it just right. Once I was up to second I had pressure from behind from Josh and James Ellison and I managed to hold them off for a while. When Josh did get through he caught me off guard but I knew I was still in a podium position and that was what I wanted. I am so happy with this result but I wish that Lee could’ve had a better day. Hopefully from here we can work closer together to help him progress as I know he can when we get to Donington. Thanks to Martin and the whole team for a fantastic effort once again.” Lee Costello: “It was just a bad weekend. I simply couldn’t get the bike set up right and it just didn’t work for me. From here we all know we need to go away and do some serious work and hopefully we can come out fighting when we get to Donington. I’m a bit gutted about the whole weekend but you’ve just got to suck it up and get on with it, and I’m looking ahead to the next race where hopefully we can really make some good progress. Congratulations to Tommy, it’s great to see him claim the team’s first podium in BSB.” Martin Halsall: “Tommy’s result was just unbelievable, amazing, fantastic and I definitely didn’t expect it! I’d set a goal for a podium by the end of the season but what Tommy has done here this weekend is nothing short of incredible. He has proved what a talented and mature rider he is and I am so happy for him, he really deserved this result. Now we need to start working a bit harder to bring Lee on. He has had a tough weekend here but he just needs to keep in there. I know he has the making of a good Superbike rider and now we’ve seen what the bike is capable of in Tommy’s hands, we can all work together to move forward as the season progresses.” The next round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship will be held at Donington Park over the weekend September 6-8, 2013. MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Cadwell Park Race 1: 1. Alex Lowes (Honda) 2. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) 3. Josh Brookes (Suzuki) 4. Tommy Bridewell (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) 5. PJ Jacobsen (Suzuki) 6. Chris Walker (Kawasaki) 17. Lee Costello (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Cadwell Park Race 2: 1. Alex Lowes (Honda) 2. Tommy Bridewell (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) 3. James Ellison (Yamaha) 4. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) 5. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 6. Chris Walker (Kawasaki) 16. Lee Costello (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) Championship Positions after round 8 1. Shane Byrne 330 2. Alex Lowes 293 3. Josh Brookes 284 4. James Ellison 174 5. Ryuichi Kiyonari 162 6. Jon Kirkham 135 8. Tommy Bridewell 110 23. Lee Costello 10 More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing Triumph: McConnell Wins For Smiths Triumph At Cadwell Park The Gloucester-based Smiths Racing Triumph team are celebrating their first win of the season after Billy McConnell took an impressive victory in round eight of the 2013 Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Cadwell Park. The win marks the first on the team’s new Triumph Daytona 675R machine and follows a second place finish for McConnell at Oulton Park two weeks ago and was achieved in front of a record bank holiday crowd at the Lincolnshire track. McConnell and team-mate Glen Richards, the defending British Champion, had qualified in fifth and eighth places respectively for Sunday’s 12-lap Sprint race, but it was to be a mixed day for the Australian duo. Despite dropping to sixth at the start, McConnell was quickly back on a charge, moving up to fourth place on the second lap. He moved up to third briefly when Alastair Seeley crashed out from second position on the fourth lap, but was passed by Graeme Gowland two laps later and despite a hard charge, was unable to progress higher. Richards’ race unfortunately ended on lap nine when he was knocked off whilst holding fifth place at the Hairpin aggravating his previously injured shoulder. Having set the fastest lap of the race, McConnell started today’s 16-lap Feature race from pole, while Glen lined up eighth. Dropping a handful of places at the start, McConnell was soon on a charge and made up three places in one lap alone to move up to third on lap four. Two laps later he seared past Seeley for second and set off on the chase of Ben Wilson who was leading. He made the move for the lead on lap 13 and despite a push from Wilson and a bit of a moment on the final lap, he took the spoils in the bank holiday sunshine. Richards had another tough race but defied the pain and managed to cross the line seventh. Billy McConnell: “I’m really happy to get the first win of the season here today, and it’s fantastic to get the first win on the new 675, not just for me but for the whole team. The work from the guys has finally paid off and I couldn’t be happier. Hopefully this is the start of a really good end to the season, I’m confident we can progress even further now in the closing rounds.” Glen Richards: “The bike was really good after getting bashed up yesterday but when I fell I landed on my bad shoulder which made it really difficult today. I have sort of re-injured the shoulder not too badly but it made things very hard in the race. I got shunted off at the hairpin when another rider blew up in front of me and everything just went wrong. It’s a shame but when you qualify further back that’s what happens but I’m now just looking forward to getting back to the big tracks and seeing what we can achieve.” Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “We were confident coming into this round because of all the work we have done and the positive progression we made at Oulton Park; we were only a sniff away and Billy and Glen both love this circuit. Unfortunately Glen’s run of bad luck continued and his injury caused him a little bit of a problem after he was shunted off yesterday. Because of the nature of this circuit he had to go down on his bad shoulder but the good thing is that they are both confident with the bike. “For Billy to get this first win so far into the season is brilliant and we’re all now confident we will continue our momentum. We have had a good result here and again I can only credit Jason and JT for all their hard work so far. We’ve made massive inroads with this new bike thanks to them and the help we have received from the Triumph factory.” As a result of today’s win, McConnell has maintained fourth place in the series, while Richards remains seventh. The team will be next out for round nine at Donington Park over the weekend September 6-8, 2013. Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race 1 10 laps 1. Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) 2. Stuart Easton (Yamaha) 3. Graeme Gowland (Yamaha) 4. Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) 5. Jason OHalloran (Honda) 6. Richard Cooper (Triumph) DNF Glen Richards (Smiths Racing Triumph) Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race 2 16 laps 1. Billy McConnell (Smiths Triumph Racing) 2. Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) 3. Jason O’Halloran (Honda) 4. Stuart Easton (Yamaha) 5. Graeme Gowland (Yamaha) 6. Richard Cooper (Triumph) 7. Glen Richards (Smiths Triumph Racing) Championship standings after eight rounds 1. Seeley 303 2. Easton 281 3. Wilson 250 4. Billy McConnell 228 5. Gowland 185 6. O’Halloran 135 7. Glen Richards 111 For further information please visit www.smithsracing.co.uk or the official championship website www.britishsuperbike.com. More, from a press release issued by MWR Kawasaki: Hartley Denied Best Result Of The Season At Cadwell Park The MWR Kawasaki team had a solid weekend of the Pirelli National Superstock 600 and 1000 Championship action at Cadwell Park with riders Harry Hartley and James Egan both showing flashes of brilliance despite neither picking up the results they rightly deserved. Fastest in warm-up, Burnley-based 16-year-old Hartley had a dramatic Pirelli National Superstock 600 race which began well after he grabbed his best qualifying position of the season, lining up eighth. Getting a good start he held his position for the opening lap but as he made a move for seventh on lap two, he was pushed onto the grass by a fellow competitor. Rejoining in 25th place, he then stormed through the field picking off riders each lap until he crossed the line to start the final lap back in eighth. But once again he found himself in a battle with Australian rider Levi Day, and after passing him for seventh towards the end of the lap, his rival made a move to take the place back. Hartley was again forced off the track and unfortunately crashed out from what would have been his best result of the season. South African team-mate Egan struggled initially in just his second visit to the tough Lincolnshire track, and lined up 33rd on the grid for the 15-lap Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race after contesting Sunday’s Last Chance Qualifier. Making an impressive getaway he was 25th by the end of the first lap and continued to progress through the field, making his way up to 21st place when the race was red flagged on lap 10, eventually being elevated to 20th when another rider was excluded. Harry Hartley: “I got a decent start and then on the second lap I was forced onto the grass. I got back on and I just pushed and pushed because I wanted to make up as much time as possible. By the last lap I was back up to where I’d started, and I passed Levi into seventh at the hairpin. But he then made a late move into the last corner and knocked me off. I’m really disappointed. I know it was a good ride to get back from 25th to eighth and I got the second fastest lap, but that would’ve been my best result of the year and I’m just gutted.” James Egan: “It started off being a really tough weekend; we had a few problems with the bike and took a last minute gamble with some changes which really paid off as warm-up went well. By then we’d already qualified down in 33rd so I had a lot of work to do. In the race the bike was great; I was lapping in similar times to those in the top 10. I was happy to come from 33rd through to 20th and I know had we been able to qualify better I could’ve had a really good race. This has been the most difficult track for me but I’m looking forward to Donington which is where I took my first British win last year, so I hope we can get a much better result there.” Mark Webster, Team Owner: “It’s been a really good weekend for us. We didn’t expect the performance we got out of both riders since it is such a difficult track and both are riding bikes which they’ve never ridden here before. Harry’s performance can only be described as absolutely outstanding and I’m sure had he not been punted off at the start he would’ve been battling for a podium. He is very disappointed with how it finished and at the moment I don’t think he can see the positives to be taken from what he achieved. I’m sure in a couple of days it will ring home, and I’m very, very pleased with him today. “James knew this was always going to be a difficult weekend. These bikes aren’t easy to ride around here and the class is so very competitive but we can see looking at the times he was very, very close to the top 10. I’m sure if he could qualify on the first two or three rows he could run with the riders near the front. From here we are going to tracks both riders know a lot better and we are looking forward to making more progress.” Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship Cadwell Park (12 laps) 1. Callan Cooper (Yamaha) 2. James Lodge (Kawasaki) 3. Nick Anderson (Kawasaki) 4. Jordan Simpkin (Yamaha) 5. Grant Whitaker (Yamaha) 6. Michael Robertson (Yamaha) DNF Harry Hartley (MWR Kawasaki) Championship standings (after nine rounds) 1. Simpkin 156 2. Hedger 139 3. Lodge 111 4. Collier 95 5. Cooper 90 6. Hastings 77 18. Hartley 15 Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship (10 laps) 1. Tommy Aquino (Kawasaki) 2. Lee Jackson (BMW) 3. Victor Cox (Kawasaki) 4. Lee Johnston (Honda) 5. Adam Jenkinson (Kawasaki) 6. Josh Wainwright (Kawasaki) 20. James Egan (MWR Kawasaki) Championship standings (after nine rounds) 1 Jenkinson 142 pts 2 Kennaugh 123 3 Aquino 89 4. Cox 87 5. Backlund 80 6. Palmer 79 More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport: Mixed Fortunes At Brno For PBM The Penrith-based PBM MotoGP Team continued their busy schedule with round 11 of the MotoGP World Championship at the bwin Grand Prix Ceske Republiky at Brno this weekend but despite their best efforts, they couldn’t muster a point despite both riders seeing the chequered flag. After a disappointing time in recent rounds at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis, Colombian Hernandez and Ulsterman Michael Laverty were hoping to add to both their own World Championship points scores and to improve their CRT and Manufacturer placings. Hernandez, from Medelln, on the Rapid Solicitors and Minxflix.com-sponsored Aprilia ART gradually upped his pace in the early free practice sessions before impressing with sixth fastest time in the Q2 Qualifying session to start from row six of the grid in 16th place. Laverty, from Toome in County Antrim, on the Rapid Solicitors and Minxflix.com-sponsored PBM machine again continued his development work and was bordering on the top 20 throughout free practice and eventually posted 11th fastest time in Q2 to start from row seven. Hernandez got a great start and ran in the points in the early stages, climbing as high as 14th but with just four laps remaining, he dropped to 16th where he remained until the chequered flag. Laverty got a reasonable start and ran in 17th place for most of the race but was passed towards the end by fellow Brit Cal Crutchlow, who had crashed and remounted, so had to settle for 18th at the finish. Hernandez remains in 20th overall in the MotoGP World Championship standings as a result although Laverty has dropped a place to 24th in his debut season. In the Claiming Rules Teams (CRT) class, Hernandez now holds seventh with Laverty in tenth whereas PBM occupy eighth in the Constructors Championship and 12th in the Teams Championship in their debut season with their brand new British-built machine. Michael Laverty: “It was another lonely race for me, I didn’t quite have the pace to stay with the group of CRTs in front so once I lost contact I was just racing my lap timer. It was a trying weekend, however we made some small set up improvements for the race which allowed me to post my best times of the weekend. There are a couple of areas we need to work on to bridge the gap up to the next group but I’m confident we will get there and I’m looking forward to my home race at Silverstone.” Yonny Hernandez: “I am happy to have had a good race where I could compete for a finish in the points and had a nice fight with Petrucci and Aoyama. In the last laps my rear grip dropped more than theirs and I could not challenge at the finish, which was disappointing as for most of the race I was in the top 15. I am looking forward to the race next weekend at Silverstone and hope to score points there at the team’s home race.” Phil Borley, Technical Director: “It was a mixed weekend at Brno for Paul Bird Motorsport as Yonny had a good feeling and pace in the qualifying sessions and race but Michael did not. After challenging in the points for the majority of the race, Yonny did not have the grip he needed in the last few laps to maintain or improve his position, but he should not be too disappointed as his pace was good and he has been consistently fast all weekend. Michael has not had the feeling and confidence to push during the sessions and although we found some improvements for the race they were not enough to challenge for the points places. We hope we can find a setting that will help him be more competitive in our home race at Silverstone.” Paul Bird, Team Owner: “Both riders gave it their best shot and it wasn’t good enough this weekend but we knew this season was going to be very hard and so it is proving. Yonny was unlucky not to get into the points and we have to find a way to get Michael up there also. We have a few things to try when we get to Silverstone and hopefully we can put on a good show in front of our home fans.” Round 11 of the MotoGP World Championship takes place this forthcoming weekend at Silverstone. For more information, please visit the team’s brand new website www.pbmuk.net and www.motogp.com. More, from another press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport: Podium Joy For Byrne At Cadwell Reigning MCE British Superbike Champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne managed to shake his Cadwell Park jinx off when he scored a race one podium to maintain his championship challenge in front of a massive bank holiday crowd at the Lincolnshire track today. Aboard the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki ZX-10R, the Sittingbourne rider was hoping for better fortune than last year when he crashed out during practice and missed the races. That he did and the triple MCE BSB champion qualified for the weekend’s races in a strong second place going into race one. In glorious conditions, Byrne was dicing in the leading bunch throughout the opening race and sensibly settled for a close second place behind local hero Alex Lowes but any hopes of increasing his winning tally to ten victories for the season were scuppered in race two when a technical problem meant he could finish no higher than fourth place, just missing out on more valuable podium credits as again Lowes took the win. Team-mate Keith Farmer was suffering from a mysterious bug which laid him low throughout the meeting on the Minxflix supported Paul Bird Motorsport Kawasaki ZX-10R. Despite that, the reigning Superstock 1000 champion from Clogher, Co Tyrone qualified in eighth place and went on to finish in a brave ninth place in race one before the medical team at Cadwell Park deemed him too unwell to take part in the second race so as a result, he had to sit that one out. Byrne’s lead in the championship stands at 37 points but in the all-important Podium Credits department, he now has a slender eight point advantage over Lowes going into the final race before the Showdown at Donington Park in two weeks time. Shane Byrne: “I’ve never had much luck at Cadwell Park but to even get to race this year was a bonus after what happened last year. I was happy enough with the pace in the opening race but we tried a change for race two and it simply didn’t work so I’m a little frustrated to concede some ground to Alex this weekend. We will check the data to find out what we need to do as I really need to maximise my advantage at Donington Park before the Showdown starts.” Keith Farmer: “It’s been a tough week for me this past week with being run down and lack of sleep. I had a tough start to the weekend with struggling to find my feet, but with a tow from Shakey in qualifying I found my form and felt comfortable again. The first race was a struggle with me not feeling so well and I managed a ninth but it was hard. I was deemed unfit to ride for race two, as annoying as it was, but it was the right decision as I don’t think I would have managed to complete the race. Hopefully, I’ll be much stronger at Donington Park in a couple of weeks.” Paul Bird, Team Owner: “You can’t win them all and it wasn’t to be our weekend here at Cadwell. Shakey rode a sensible race and kept out of trouble in race one but he had a problem in race two which handicapped him. But at least he didn’t crash unlike some of his rivals and still has a good lead in the championship. Keith has been quite poorly so fair play to him for giving it a go in race one but hopefully he’ll bounce back at Donington.” MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Cadwell Park Race 1: 1. Alex Lowes (Honda) 2. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 3. Josh Brookes (Suzuki) 4. Tommy Bridewell (Kawasaki) 5. PJ Jacobsen (Suzuki) 6. Chris Walker (Kawasaki) 9. Keith Farmer (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Cadwell Park Race 2: 1. Alex Lowes (Honda) 2. Tommy Bridewell (Kawasaki) 3. James Ellison (Yamaha) 4. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 5. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 6. Chris Walker (Kawasaki) DNS: Keith Farmer (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) Championship Positions after round 8 1. Shane Byrne 330 2. Alex Lowes 293 3. Josh Brookes 284 4. James Ellison 174 5. Ryuichi Kiyonari 162 6. Jon Kirkham 135 11 Keith Farmer 93 More, from a press release issued by Waznie Racing: Szoke Secures His Ninth Superbike Title Brantford ON Canada – August 26th 2013 “This is how I want to bring home championships.” says Jordan Szoke after completing a victory lap with the checkered flag. “With a win.” The newly crowned nine time Canadian Superbike Champion brought home his third championship of the season on Sunday. Having already claimed a National Observed Trials Championship and the Kelso Series Mountain Bike Championship. “I am totally exhausted.” says Szoke “What a season, I dedicated myself to do something pretty special for our fans and sponsors and it feels incredible to have accomplished just that.” The final round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship wrapped up on Sunday at the beautiful leCircut Mont Tremblant in the pristine village of Mont Tremblant Quebec. The 4.26 km roadcourse is surrounded by beautiful scenery nestled at the base of the mountains. Szoke started from pole position after nearly claiming the track record during Saturdays qualifying. Szoke recorded a time of one minute, 39.207 seconds during his second lap. “It was the ideal lap, the bike was working perfectly.” says Szoke. “The weather has remained consistent throughout the weekend so we have been able to move forward with our setup. Our crew really nailed it.” Szoke jumped to the lead early during the 16 lap race on Sunday to claim the victory. Completing the 68.16 km distance in 26 minutes, 51.253 seconds, 6.163 ahead of the rest of the field. “To win these championships means so much to me. I hope this never stops. I will be racing as long as I am bringing home results. This is what I was meant to do.” The weekends exhilaration was mired in sadness as the motorcycle community lost one of the most promising young stars in Canadian Road Racing. John-Ross MacRae of Calgary AB crashed in turn one during Saturdays Qualifying and later succumbed to injuries in hospital. “This is a huge loss to our community.” says a somber Szoke. “JR and his family are such a positive influence to our community and to have them touched by this is heartbreaking. Blackfoot Motorsports has been one of my longest sponsors, and to know that their family is going through this is tragic. JR died doing something he loved, and he will be truly missed.” Our hearts are with your family. Until we meet again, godspeed JR. Watch Jordan Szoke lead Team Canada through the Trials des Nations Event held in La Chatre, France on Sept 8th 2013. http://www.jordanszoke.com More, from a press release issued by Team WD-40: SENSATIONAL TEAM WD-40 SOARING AFTER CLASSIC CADWELL DOUBLE Team WD-40 were jubilant over the Bank Holiday weekend, celebrating two stunning wins from Tommy Aquino and Joe Francis in front of a bumper crowd at the British Superbikes at Cadwell Park. Aquino got the wheels in motion on an unforgettable afternoon for the team in Lincolnshire as he maintained his sensational recent form with a brilliant maiden victory in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000. Success on a sun-kissed afternoon saw the 21-year-old Californian storm up from seventh to third in the championship standings, and kept him in title contention with three races remaining. Huntingdonshire’s Jonathan Railton was forced to withdraw after seven laps through a combination of an on-going injury and some minor issue with the bike. Following on from Aquino’s victory, scenes of celebration returned to the Team WD-40 awning less than four hours later when Joe Francis got the better of Andy Reid after a titanic tussle for glory over 12 epic laps in the Monster Energy Motostar. It means 15-year-old Joe, from Backford near Chester, now enjoys a 36 point lead over Tarran Mackenzie at the top of the Moto 3 class championship heading to Donington Park in two weeks time. Superstock 1000 Aquino secured his first ever pole in Britain courtesy of a brilliant display in qualifying which left him three tenths ahead of his rivals, and maintained that electric pace on race day. Despite slipping from first to fourth on the opening lap, the American was soon fighting his way back up to the field on his Kawasaki ZX-10R and produced eye-catching passes on Victor Cox and championship leader Adam Jenkinson coming out of the famous ‘mountain’ at Cadwell Park. Aquino surged past Tristan Palmer on lap four to move back to the head of the field and, from that moment, the outcome was never in doubt. The American quickly extended his lead to well over two seconds, an advantage he maintained up until the race was red-flagged at the start of the 11th of 15 scheduled laps. “It feels great to get a victory,” said Aquino. “We have been getting closer and it’s brilliant for the entire team. “I’d only been to Cadwell Park for one track day and done about 40 laps but I loved it straight away. “I didn’t have the best of starts but I didn’t panic and when I got back into first position, I just wanted to put my head down and extend my lead. “The feeling within Team WD-40 is fantastic and we have a great set-up with the bike at the moment so I can’t wait to get to Donington.” Aquino is now in third position in the championship and within 53 points of the Lead. Whilst Jon Railton was disappointed not to add to his tally of 13 championship points, he’s confident of regaining his early season promise with three big results in the remaining meetings. “It’s always disappointing to have to pull out,” said the 22-year-old from Grafham. “But we have got three tracks remaining, which I’m confident I can do well at and totally focussed on securing a really strong end to the season.” Railton has ‘bonus’ action next weekend when he competes in the Silverstone 200, 100km races on both Saturday and Sunday. “It’s part of the Moto GP weekend and it’s all the different classes competing against each other so we will give it our best shot and see what happens,” he added. Motostar After qualifying in second spot behind Andy Reid, Francis set his sights firmly on recording a third Monster Energy Motostar success of the campaign. What followed was a truly memorable battle and a fitting climax to an excellent meeting. Francis and Andy Reid pulled well clear of the chasing pack to engage in a thrilling battle for glory with the lead exchanging hands numerous times on each lap. With both riders enjoying strong sections of the circuit, a blanket could be thrown over the pair throughout. But it was Francis who held his nerve in the crucial closing lap to cross the line 0.020 seconds ahead of his rival. “It’s my third win of the season and they have all been enjoyable but I think that was the most special,” said an elated Francis. “It was a fantastic race and I just had to dig in on that final lap. “I’m delighted to have stretched the lead in the championship and it’s a good position to be in, but we know there is still a lot of work to be done.” Comments Team WD-40’s manager, Brent Gladwin, said: “What a fantastic weekend it’s been for everyone involved with the team and all the sponsors who make this possible. “We always knew Tommy could do it and it was just a case of when rather than if. “Cadwell Park is a very special track and one that either talks to the rider or doesn’t. If it talks to you, you love it and if it doesn’t you loathe it. “From the time Tommy came for a track day you could see he loved it and it was a tremendous performance to qualify in pole and then win the race in the fashion he did. “We’re up to third now which is fantastic and we have a shot at the title. “Jon hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s taken some big hits and he just needs something to happen to get him going again. “We all know what he can do and we are just looking forward to all working together to get the results we know he’s capable of. “It’s hard to believe Joe is only 15 and it’s fantastic for him to have already picked up three wins this season. We’re in a good position in the championship.” David Whittome, Head of Marketing at team sponsors WD-40, said: “It was a sensational performance from everyone associated with the Team. “It’s so difficult to get one race win so to get two on the same day is a magnificent achievement. “We are delighted with how the team continue to pull together, improving standards at every race meet to deliver outstand performances”. WD-40 is the new title sponsor of GR Motosport. The company has just launched seven new products specifically for use on motorbikes, under its recently launched WD-40 Specialist Motorbike brand. www.wd40specialistmotorbike.co.uk/ www.teamwd40.com Team Partners: Stauff UK, Cargolink Express, L&A Reinforcements, Carrino access flooring, The Air Con Experts, F&G Commercials, Bennetts Motorcycle Insurance, Kent Holiday Cottages, RS Components, 3 Squared, Signsxtra Technical Partners: Kawasaki, Scorpion Red Power, Dynojet UK, Swinton Motorcycles, R&G, PPG Paint, Goodridge, Pipercross, Solo Motorcycle products, Super B, MG Competition, STIHL, Geo Technology, Sigma More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki: Walker gets back in the top six at Cadwell The Quattro Plant Kawasaki team resumed their MCE British Superbike Championship campaign at Cadwell Park at the weekend and Chris Walker was in excellent form throughout around the demanding Lincolnshire venue, recording a brace of sixth place finishes to maintain his hopes of reaching the final three-round Showdown. Having qualified in a strong tenth place, the Nottinghamshire ace moved up to seventh by the end of the first lap of the opening race and here he remained until lap 14 when James Ellison came off at the bottom of the Mountain, promoting him up to sixth place. With PJ Jacobsen ahead of him and Ryuichi Kiyonari behind, only 1.3s covered the trio at the end of the 18-lap race and Chris crossed the line in an excellent, and deserved, sixth place. With a few suspension changes made for race two, Chris started from eighth on the grid and jumped up a spot on the first lap to hold onto seventh place with little to choose between the leading riders. The narrow circuit again made overtaking tricky and Chris remained in seventh right up until the final lap when race leader Josh Brookes crashed out at Mansfield. The 20-point haul means Chris is now in 9th overall in the Championship and 29 points behind sixth placed Jon Kirkham. Team-mate Barry Burrell also enjoyed a good meeting with the Bishop Auckland rider getting more used to both the team and the Kawasaki ZX-10R in his second outing with the squad. His efforts were rewarded with two 14th place finishes and 4 Championship points. Final team member Kyle Wilks was also looking good for some points in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship but unfortunately crashed out on the ninth lap. Pete Extance, Team Manager: “Cadwell Park was a great weekend for Quattro Plant Kawasaki with Chris putting in two fantastic rides to secure sixth place in each BSB race. He was again superb throughout the weekend and thoroughly deserved the top six positions in both races. Barry was having just his second outing with the team and improved all weekend, putting in two solid rides to claim some good points and ensure both bikes were firmly in the points. Kyle enjoyed a mixed weekend with a superb win in the CJ Memorial charity bicycle race followed by an unfortunate crash in the Superstock 1000cc race whilst moving his way through the field.” “Overall though, it’s been a great weekend and we’re looking forward now to the final four rounds where we hope to have both bikes in the top ten positions.” The next round of the series takes place at Donington Park, Leicestershire on September 6-8. More, from a press release issued by RC Express Racing: Harrison takes maiden Mountain Course win Bradford’s Dean Harrison took his maiden Mountain Course win on Bank Holiday Monday when he won a thrilling Formula Classic TT race by just 0.174s. Riding a BSA Rob North 750cc Rocket-3, the RC Express Racing rider had accepted a ride with the Porter Racing team at the eleventh hour and despite encountering a number of problems during the 4-lap race, he came out on top in what was the second closest finish on the 37 and 3/4 mile course. Having only sat on the bike for the first time on the opening night of practice a week ago, Dean soon adapted to the unfamiliar bike and quickened his pace during the week, a lap of 106.753mph making him the fastest rider of the week, some 26 seconds clear of nearest rival Mark Parrett. It meant he lined up as race favourite with perfect conditions greeting the competitors on the Isle of Man on Monday. An opening lap of 105.928mph gave Dean a five-second lead over Gavin Lupton although he later revealed the tank strap had broke and he had to ride the remainder of the race with it held between his knees. A second lap of 106.215mph saw Dean’s lead extended to 15 seconds at half race distance but by lap three, the broken tank strap meant the tank was moving around considerably, causing the the throttle cable to jam. As a result, Dean only had half a throttle for the last two laps and, with a difference in pit stop strategy, lost a minute and a half on lap three to drop back to second behind Lupton with his chances of victory seemingly gone. However, Dean fought back brilliantly and a stunning final lap saw him somehow claw the deficit back, making up over two seconds in the final two mile sector alone, to take the win by the slender margin of 0.174s. Speaking later, a delighted Dean said; “I only came over to the Isle of Man this week to help out a friend so to be sitting here now as a race winner is brilliant! The Porter Racing team offered me a ride so I jumped at the chance and although the BSA is something very different to what I’m used to, it was really enjoyable to get back out on the Mountain Course. The race itself was obviously very eventful and it was quite a job holding the tank between my legs and chest whilst I could only use half throttle for the last two laps. To come back from over a minute down on the last lap was unreal and I’m delighted to have taken the race win. A big thanks to everyone at Porter Racing for making it all happen – it’s great to be the first winner of the Formula Classic TT.” More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: McGuinness denied Classic TT glory John McGuinness was denied a potential race win in the inaugural 500cc Classic TT on Saturday when he was thwarted by electrical problems. The Morecambe ace was riding the Winfield Paton and, after a promising start to practice week, looked well placed to challenge for honours but the machine stuggled to really get going and John was forced to retire at the end of the opening lap. Back on the world famous Isle of Man Mountain Course, practice week had started in superb fashion for John as he set a superb lap time in the opening practice session of 111.19mph, just a fraction outside the 500cc Classic Manx Grand Prix lap record, but that was as good as it got with the Paton failing to run properly for the rest of the week. Indeed, John never to got to complete a full lap in the remaining practice sessions, going into the four-lap race very much in unknown territory. Almost immediately from the start, John knew the bike was still not running right and his opening lap of 94.901mph saw him way down the order in 23rd place and he reluctantly pulled in to retire. Speaking later, a disappointed John commented; “It’s really disappointing for the race to end like it did as the bike was flying at the beginning of practice week. The lap of 111mph felt great and came relatively easy but after that we had nothing but trouble and we never did get to the bottom of the electrical problems. The team did everything to get the bike ready for the race day but it wasn’t right and all I could do was cruise round. It’s a huge shame for everyone concerned – myself, the team, the fans – as I felt we could have given a good account of ourselves and put on a good show but it wasn’t meant to be. I’ve really enjoyed the whole Festival of Motorcycling though so hopefully we can come back next year and give it another go.” More, from a press release issued by Michael Hill Promotions: Uribe Charges From Last To Grab 12th Position At Cadwell Park Over 50,000 spectators saw Rock & Sons Honda rider Jayson Uribe fight back from dead last to clinch well deserved points scoring position in the latest round of the BSB Motostar championship at Cadwell Park yesterday. Jayson’s goal prior to the weekend was to improve in qualifying and despite missing Saturday’s Free Practice 2 due to an technical issue, Jayson put in his best qualifying performance to date, grabbing 15th on the starting grid for Monday’s race. It was action all the way when the lights went out at the start of Monday’s race, as Uribe’s attempt to pass Taz Taylor on the inside on the first lap resulted in him clipping his knee on the grass, which sent him careering off the track. Managing to keep the bike upright the young American rejoined dead last and set about chasing down the pack ahead. Jayson rode hard, putting in some consistent lap times and determined moves on his fellow competitors to bring his Honda back into contention by the chequered flag and with it secured a respectable 15th position overall and 12th in the 125 class. Jayson Uribe – Rock & Sons Racing: “I’m not sure how I stayed on. At one point I was completely off of the bike and the front end was tucked. I stayed on the gas, fought to get back in the saddle of the bike and just rode it out like it was Supermoto. Looking to the final few races the goal is to end the season inside the top 10 overall on the 125cc and I think we can do that. A big thank you once again to everyone who is helping me this year.” The next round of the championship takes place at the former home of the British GP, Donington Park.