The tenth round of the Superbike World Championship and the seventh round of the Superstock 1000 FMI Cup will take place over the weekend of July 30th, 31st and August 1st at the historic Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, UK. This round will be an eagerly awaited return to Silverstone for the World Superbike Championship, which last raced here in 2007. Silverstone was opened as a World War Two airfield in 1943, near the leafy village of the same name. The Royal Automobile Club was interested in Silverstone as a potential site and approached the Air Ministry in 1948 and a lease was arranged. On October 2nd, 1948, amid straw bales and ropes, Silverstone’s first event took place, the RAC Grand Prix. In 1951, the British Racing Drivers’ Club took over the lease from the RAC and set about turning the temporary airfield track into something more permanent. Much work was done at circuits all round the country to improve safety during the 1960s. The winter of 1974/75 saw extensive work at the circuit. In addition to the construction of a new pits complex with 44 garages opened by the Duke of Edinburgh. The famous Silverstone Grand Prix track underwent major revisions for the 1991 F1 British Grand Prix. It remained one of the fastest tracks on the F1 calendar. Further track revisions to reduce speeds came in June 1994 and by 2003 Silverstone had opened its gates to a vastly improved road infrastructure. Back in 1950 Silverstone was the birthplace of today’s FIA Formula One World Championship and remains one of the world’s most historic tracks. The Pedercini Team will tackle a new track this weekend as the Superbike calendar takes them to the new Silverstone circuit in UK. Roger Lee Hayden is just back from Laguna Seca in the U.S.A. where he participated to the MotoGP race, reaching an excellent eleventh place. Matteo Baiocco spent the last two weeks after Brno race in the gym and he trained by running and biking to be ready for Silverstone. Roger Lee Hayden : “I’m just back from the U.S.A. as I raced in MotoGP Laguna Seca race. It was an exciting experience for me also because I reached the eleventh place that’s an amazing position that I have never reached in Superbike, I’ve never been to Silverstone and so I’m excited to go there. It will be good to ride a completely unknown track and as it is new to everyone, it means that no one has any particular advantage. All I know of the track so far is what my brother Nicky told me and he said that Silverstone is a great track and so I’m really looking forward to it.” Matteo Baiocco : “After Brno races the feeling with my bike is better and I’m now more confident for concerning the remaining races of the season. Silverstone will be a new circuit for all of us and I’m eager to get to know this new track. I’m sure I’ll need less time to find the right setting of my Kawasaki ZX10R. I hope the weather will be good enough for a dry race because I want to reach the best possible result for both me and for my team”. More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsports Kawasaki: Sykes ready for Silverstone success as Akira Yanagawa joins the Team The Cumbrian-based, British Kawasaki Racing Team head to Silverstone Circuit for Round 10 of the Hannspree World Superbike race, ready to put on a good show in front of their home crowd and sponsors this weekend. The Silverstone race track is based in the midlands and is most famous for hosting the British Formula One Championship, and most recently the MotoGP race. The World Superbike Championship has not hosted an event here since 2007 where the layout has been significantly changed to a fast flowing track almost 6km long which should suit the characteristics of the Ninja ZX-10R machine. Huddersfield born Sykes is amongst seven Brits ready to battle to their best in front of their home crowd this weekend at the refurbished circuit and can’t wait to jump onboard his Kawasaki machine. Replacement rider and Kawasaki legend, Akira Yanagawa returns to the WSB paddock for the first time since 2002 taking the place of injured Chris Vermeulen, who is recuperating from knee surgery which took place in Barcelona last Friday. Thirty-nine year-old Yanagawa has an impressive WSB record with three race wins, 23 podiums, two pole positions and six fastest laps to his name, with his best championship position being fourth overall in 1997. Twenty-four year-old Sykes lies in 16th place in the rider championship standings with four races left on the 2010 racing calendar and he is aiming high for his home race this weekend. Tom Sykes: “I have been taking it steady since Brno so I am very keen to get back into race action. It will be an interesting weekend, a new circuit for everybody. I would like to put on a good show for my home crowd and see if we can get a strong result. Very little of the track will be familiar to me, but I did ride the old full track on a standard 600 back in 2002. There have been a lot of changes at Silverstone and it looks good. With seven British riders involved this year it will be fantastic for the local fans and I hope there is a big crowd. It will be a busy round for me but I will be out to dig deep, as will the whole Kawasaki team.” Akira Yanagawa: “It has been a long time since I raced in World Superbike, not since Sugo in 2002, but it will be a pleasure to join this series once again and race at Silverstone. I have a long relationship with Kawasaki and the Ninja ZX-10R machine so I will be out to take the best results possible. I never raced at the old Silverstone but understand it will be fast.” For further information on the Kawasaki Racing Team visit www.kawasaki-racingteam.eu or www.paulbirdmotorsport.com More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Home run required for Parkalgar Honda EUGENE LAVERTY will settle for nothing short of victory at the 10th round of the World Supersport Championship at Silverstone this Sunday August 1st as he battles to keep his and Parkalgar Honda’s title challenge alive. The UK round is effectively the team’s second home round of the year as the squad is based out of the nearby county of Lincolnshire. The first home round took place in March at the spectacular Parkalgar circuit near Portimao in Portugal which is the team title sponsor and owner. “I am hoping for a better result at Silverstone, I need a good home run,” explained Eugene who crashed out and remounted to take 11th in Portugal. “All I can do now is win races and close the gap on Kenan and Joan. There’s not much in it and I will be giving it my all this weekend.” Eugene is 22-points behind series leader Kenan Sofuoglu on another Honda with just four rounds remaining. He has already won five races so far this year and after a test at Silverstone last week he already knows the layout of the new circuit and will be putting as much pressure as possible on his rivals. Parkalgar Honda ace Miguel Praia is coming off a brilliant seventh place career best result at Brno in the Czech Republic and is looking for a repeat performance at Silverstone. Miguel said: “I feel good physically, have a lot of faith in my Parkalgar Honda team and motorcycle and want to match or beat my seventh place at the last round. The test at Silverstone last week was good and I think the fast nature of the circuit and the long lap will be to my advantage. I hope the British fans will get behind me and the team.” For this round, British Supermoto supremo Christian Iddon will be racing as a wild-card on a third Parkalgar Honda race bike. The super-skilled racer is trying road racing and hoping to make a mark on the biggest stage of them all at Silverstone. Parkalgar Honda Team Manager Simon Buckmaster said: “We welcome Christian to the team for his home round and will do all we can to get him into the points, although that will not be easy with a strong line-up of British wild-card riders joining the regulars on the grid. It is a big opportunity for him to show what he can do. “Eugene needs to win and Miguel is on great form, the weekend is as simple as that for us. The British fans are very supportive of us and I hope they get behind us again this weekend.” There is practice and qualifying on Friday and Saturday before the race takes place at 1330 local time on Sunday, August 1st. More, from a press release issued by Quay Garage Honda: Bridewell to Ride for Tyco Racing at Silverstone Quay Garage Honda will welcome a brand new sponsor to the team at Silverstone this weekend with the news that Tyco Security Products will take over title sponsorship for team rider Tommy Bridewell’s wild card entry into the British round of the Hannspree World Superbike Championship. The team will be rebranded Tyco Racing for the Silverstone meeting which, it is hoped, will extend into backing the Devon-based team at future races of the 2010 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. 21-year-old Bridewell from Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire will race the ex-Gregorio Lavilla Honda Fireblade in Tyco Racing colours against some of the world’s best riders and will join seven other British riders contesting their home round. Team owner Ian Woollacott has been working hard over the past week to secure the deal which only came about following the announcement that Bridewell was to race at Silverstone so it’s been a frantically busy week for the reigning British Superbike Cup Champions. Ian Woollacott: “It’s all come about so quickly that we’ve had to move mountains to get everything sorted but it’s just about all in place now and we’re looking forward to the weekend as Tyco Racing. It’s fantastic that our efforts are being recognised and the fact that a massive global company like Tyco wants to be associated with us speaks volumes about the job both the team and Tommy are doing. There are a number of very influential people attending Silverstone this weekend so we hope to put on a good show for them especially as we are underdogs, more so than ever this weekend. Having heard about our wild card entry through business contacts and in a recent magazine article they are pleased to help and if successful will look at remaining involved as a sponsor for the remainder of the season.” Tommy Bridewell: “This is fantastic news and I’m now even more determined to go out there and put on a good show aboard the Tyco Racing Honda at Silverstone. Ian and the team have worked miracles to get everything sorted in time for this weekend and I’m looking forward to meeting our new sponsors as they’ll be made very welcome in our team. Now it’s up to me to push even harder for some results this weekend so I can give everyone something to cheer about.” Phil Dashey, VP & General Manager, Tyco Security Products EMEA: “Motorsport and especially motorbikes are a huge part of many people’s lives at Tyco Security Products, this is a great synergy for us and our brand, we are very excited to be involved by helping Tommy in perhaps his most important race thus far in his career. Our motorbike theme continues here as we recently gave away an original DSC themed Orange County Chopper in North America, and are giving away a brand new Bentel branded Ducati Supersport bike to a customer in Europe, just some of our excellent promotional competitions. We are delighted that our customers and staff can share in this fantastic experience and get an insight into the inner workings of a team and what goes into the pinnacle of the sport I’m sure will be mind-blowing, Go Tommy! Go Tyco!” Tyco Security Products, a business unit of Tyco International, is a unified group of world-leading access control, video and intrusion brands. These brands – American Dynamics, Bentel, CEM Systems, DSC, Kantech, Software House, Sur-Gard and Connect 24 allow their customers to see more, do more, and save more. Their solutions today are designed to be compatible with the technology of tomorrow. For further information, please visit www.tyco.com. More, from a press release issued by Aprilia: On the brand new Silverstone track, Max Biaggi, undisputed leader in the rankings, wants to celebrate is 100th WSBK race properly. Leon Camier is playing on home turf and aims for a top result. Silverstone, 29 July 2010 In a land soaked with motorcycling passion like Great Britain, Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team has every intention of arriving with a three-coloured “wave”. With two leaderships to defend on a track which is new to everyone, the team from Veneto can count on the enormous motivation which both colours-bearers have. The “Corsair”, Max Biaggi, is playing the part of a cannibal this season, strengthening a well deserved first place in the rider rankings with victory after victory. The Silverstone round holds a particular taste for him also. His participation in Race 1 will take Max to 100 starting lines in World Superbike. Celebration from the top step of the podium would be the perfect crowning of an exceptional career. Leon Camier arrives at Silverstone with just as much motivation. The English rider is determined to achieve the best results after to unfortunate races. The reigning British Superbike champion is quickly learning how to work on his RSV4 and the home atmosphere could speed up the apprenticeship. “To arrive at this stage of the season with a 68 point advantage over the nearest competitor is an astonishing result declares Max Biaggi especially considering the fact that we are in our second year in the Championship with a completely new bike. Now that we are out front, we don’t want to let the opportunity slip through our fingers. We are earning every single result, considering the great work the Team and I are doing. Silverstone is a track which is new to everyone. I think that right from the first practice laps we’ll be able to get a fairly good idea of the quality on the pitch. Our biggest worry are the bumps since the RSV4 doesn’t seem to digest them too well, but we also know how to operate. The races at Misano and the second race at Brno showed that our work pays of and the little problems are certainly not insurmountable obstacles. My goal is to be on top 4.” Leon Camier is looking for a perfect weekend: “I’m really looking forward to this race, hopefully we can have a smooth weekend and we can find a rythem fast and not make any mistake! If everthing goes smoothly and we have no problems, we are capable of a good result. It’s going to be a hard weekend as there are 7 brits trying to prove a point and a couple of wild cards that are going to be very fast. The new track is unknown to everyone so we are all on a level playing field, hopefully the bumps won’t hinder the Aprilia too much and we get a good start, but I’m expecting a tougher weekend than ever!”