Rizla Suzuki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne crashed out of the first race at the final round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch today while fighting bravely for a podium finish in treacherous damp conditions. Byrne was holding third with only a handful of laps remaining when his rear tyre touched the painted white line at the bottom of Paddock Hill bend. The tyre slid and he crashed at over 120mph, causing the race to be stopped. Due to concussion he was forced to miss the second event. Rizla Suzuki’s James Haydon finished ninth and sixth in the two weather-interrupted dramatic races, showing real determination in only his second race meeting back after missing four rounds due to injury. Ducati’s Leon Haslam won the second race but Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari won the first and was runner up in the next to take the 2007 British Superbike Championship title. Shakey finished sixth and Haydon 15th overall. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP’s John Hopkins delighted the capacity Brands Hatch crowd with a string of demonstration laps aboard his ear-splitting GSV-R990. The MotoGP ace then spent the rest of the day with the Rizla Suzuki Superbike team, enjoying the race action. Rizla Suzuki is back on track in two weeks time at the Race of the Year at Mallory Park in Leicestershire. Shane Byrne: “I am disappointed to have finished the season with a crash. I have been on fire all weekend and really thought I could have won or at least got on the podium, but the damp conditions caught me out and I suffered a pretty big crash that gave me concussion and ruled me out of the second race. “It’s been a challenging season but on a positive note I enjoyed riding this weekend and now know what it’s going to take to win the title in 2007. I’ll be back more determined than ever.” James Haydon: “Ninth and sixth in the final round are ok but not really where I want to be; I am only happy when I am at the front going for victory. But given my lack of racing over the last months and the difficult wet and damp conditions, I will take the results with a smile. “Thanks to Rizla Suzuki and the fans for all their support in 2006. Over the last couple of rounds my confidence has grown and I am already looking forward to next year. I wish today wasn’t the end of the season, but rather the start. I am hungry and can’t wait to get racing again.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “Rizla Suzuki is deflated after a weekend that promised so much but in the end delivered so little. Shakey was on race winning pace in practice and qualifying and then a wet white line punished him in the opening encounter, excluding him from the second race. “James rode well to bring his Rizla Suzuki home in the top 10 in both races. He’s shown remarkable resilience coming back from serious injury and it’s a shame he didn’t race for the whole season as he would have finished much further up the Championship table if he had. “Well done to Ryuichi Kiyonari for winning the 2007 British Superbike Championship. He is a worthy Champion and the team is genuinely pleased for him. “Thanks to all of the sponsors and the army of loyal Rizla Suzuki fans that have supported the team all season through thick and thin. Rizla Suzuki goes to the Race of the Year in two weeks time and has already started planning for the 2007 season. We’ll be back to challenge Kiyo for his number one plate at the opening round next year.” Race One Result: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 19:45.196, 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.181, 3: Michael Rutter (Honda) +16.501, 4: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +32.561, 5: Glen Richards (Honda) +35.694, 6: Scott Smart (Suzuki) +1-lap, 7: Ben Wilson (Suzuki) +1-lap, 8: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +1-lap, 9: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) +1 lap, 10: Chris Martin (Honda) +1-lap. Race Two Result: 1: Haslam 22:02.916, 2: Kiyonari +8.772, 3: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +14.698, 4: Karl Harris (Honda) +17.939, 5: Michael Laverty (Honda) +27.586, 6: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) +32.449, 7: Billy McConnell (Yamaha) +38.623, 8: Rutter +40.544, 9: Richards (Honda) +41.621, 10: Wilson +1:03.322. Final Championship Standings: 1: Kiyonari 466, 2: Haslam 458, 3: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 377, 4: Rea 248, 5: Harris 244, 6: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) 224, 7: Rutter 206, 8: Hill 187, 9: Laverty 179, 10: Richards 151, 15: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 77. More, from a press release issued by Stobart Motorsport: RUTTER ON THE PODIUM AT BRANDS! Stobart Motorsport rider Michael Rutter ended the season where he started it by finishing on the podium after a day of drama at the final round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship held at Brands Hatch today. Riding the VK and Vent Axia sponsored Honda Fireblade, Rutter qualified on the front row of the grid after Saturday’s rain-shortened Audi Performance Qualifying session but in the opening 20 lap race, he blew the start meaning he was languishing down the order when out came the red flags to stop the race because of rain. However, in the restart, the 33 year old opted for slick tyres on a drying track which proved to be an inspired choice as he brought the Paul Bird Motorsport bike home in third place to match his result at the opening round of the season at the Kent track. But in race two, Rutter couldn’t repeat his heroics in leg one and after choosing a harder tyre for the rain-hit second outing and had to settle for eighth at the flag, the race being red flagged for a second time after an accident involving Tommy Hill. “I was really pleased with the first race, it was good to be back on the podium. I was just a bit disappointed with the second one after we went for a hard rear wet and should have gone for a softer one. But overall I’m happy with a third position and the front row start.” For team mate Michael Laverty his final two races aboard the Stobart Honda didn’t quite reap the podium finish he was hoping for. The young Ulsterman crashed out of the opening leg before bouncing back to finish fifth in the weather interrupted second race to end up ninth in the Championship, two places behind Rutter. “It’s been a bit of a nightmare weekend. I crashed out in race one when I just got caught out, but I made a good start in second one and came through to fifth. I was catching Karl Harris at the end and if the race hadn’t been stopped I could have got fourth. It was a nice way to end the season.” Team boss Paul Bird commented “That’s more like it. It’s great to be back on the podium again after a bit of a difficult season but Michael (Rutter) came up trumps for us today to reward the team for their efforts. It was an important result for us and our sponsors, it’s only a shame it came right at the end of the season. Michael (Laverty) rode a great race in race two but for whatever reason it’s just not happened for him this season. But we’ve had a couple of positive results here which is just the tonic that us as a team and the two riders needed to take into 2007.” Superbike Race One Result 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 19m45.196s, 2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.181s, 3, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +16.501s, 4, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +32.561s, 5, Glen Richards (Honda) +35.694s, 6, Scott Smart (Suzuki) +1Lap, 7, Ben Wilson (Suzuki) +1Lap, 8, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +1Lap, 9, James Haydon (Suzuki) +1Lap, 10, Chris Martin (Honda) +1Lap. Superbike Race Two Result 1, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 22m02.916s, 2, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +8.772s, 3, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +14.698s, 4, Karl Harris (Honda) +17.939s, 5, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +27.586s, 6, James Haydon (Suzuki) +32.449s, 7, Billy McConnell (Yamaha) +38.623s, 8, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +40.544s, 9, Glen Richards (Honda) +41.621s, 10, Ben Wilson (Suzuki) +1m03.322s. 2006 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Result 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 466pts 2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 458pts 3, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 377pts 4, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 248pts 5, Karl Harris (Honda) 244pts 6, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) 224pts 7, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) 206pts 8, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 187pts 9, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) 179pts 10, Glen Richards (Honda) 151pts 2006 Bennetts British Superbike Race Dates R1: 2426 March, Brands Hatch, Kent (Indy) www.motorsportvision.co.uk R2: 79 April, Donington Park, Leics www.donington-park.co.uk R3: 1417 April, Thruxton, Hants www.barc.net R4: 29 April1 May, Oulton Park, Cheshire www.motorsportvision.co.uk R5: 1921 May, Mondello Park, Co Kildare www.mondellopark.ie R6: 24 June, Mallory Park, Leics www.mallorypark.co.uk R7: 16-18 June, Snetterton, Norfolk www.motorsportvision.co.uk R8: 1416 July, Knockhill, Fife www.knockhill.co.uk R9: 21-23 July, Oulton Park, Cheshire www.motorsportvision.co.uk R10:11-13 August, Croft, N Yorks www.croftcircuit.co.uk R11: 26-28 August, Cadwell Park, Lincs www.motorsportvision.co.uk R12: 15-17 September, Silverstone, Northants www.silverstone-circuit.co.uk R13: 29 September 1 October, Brands Hatch, Kent (GP) www.motorsportvision.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Bridwell Brothers Racing: ‘STORMING’ FINISH FOR OLLIE AT BRANDS BUT TOMMY CRASHES OUT AND BREAKS COLLARBONE”¦ Racing brothers Ollie and Tommy Bridewell once again experienced mixed fortunes when the final round of the 2006 Bennetts British Superbike Championship was played out at Brands Hatch in Kent this weekend. From Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire, 20 year old Ollie rounded off the season in style with a battling top twelve placing in the day’s second BSB race after a non score in the opening leg which was also hit by the changeable weather. Aboard the Vivaldi Racing 1000cc Suzuki, Ollie was hoping to bounce back from a lowly grid slot to repeat his heroics of earlier in the season at the Kent circuit but in race one around the full GP version of the track, he was running with the leading pack when out came the red flags as rain started to fall in the early laps. The team had to make a decision as to what tyre to use for the restart and once again, Ollie’s luck was out as he opted for the wet tyre in the damp conditions only for it to dry out as the race progressed. However in race two, Ollie defied the storm clouds overhead to claim a top twelve finish to conclude his debut season in BSB in joint 20th position alongside established star Steve Plater: “What can I say? The wrong tyre choice in race one about sums up my luck this season and then when we got it right in race two, it still didn’t feel quite right as it was spinning and sliding when it shouldn’t have been. But I’m happy to finish the season in the points and it’s been a tremendous experience for me this year and I’d like to say a big thank you to my team. I’m not sure what the immediate plans are but I hope to be back on a competitive bike next season an to reap the rewards from my learning year” said Ollie It wasn’t such a story for 18 year old Tommy who was hoping to rack up more points on his 600cc Vivaldi Suzuki in the British Supersport Championship. After an impressive showing during Friday’s free practice sessions, Tommy crashed out in the opening stages of the first qualifying session on Saturday sustaining a broken left collarbone in the process. And while he missed the remainder of the action, Tommy is now a major doubt for the final round of the Suzuki GSXR 750 European Cup at Magny Cours this forthcoming weekend where he was scheduled to ride once again in the series. “Obviously I’m very disappointed with the situation but I knew if I was to make an impact this weekend, I had to ride the wheels off the bike and I decided to do that from the off. Sadly, it didn’t work out and I made an impact of the wrong sort I guess! I’ll still be going over to France but I doubt I’ll be riding and we now have some decisions to make with regards to plans for 2007″ said Tommy.