MCE British Superbike Championship

Brands Hatch GP Circuit, England

August 7, 2016

Race One Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Shane Byrne, UK (Duc Panigale R), 20 laps, Total Race Time 29:19.348, Best Lap Time 1:25.806

2. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -0.518 second, 1:25.812

3. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -2.078 seconds, 1:25.753

4. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -4.079, 1:25.832

5. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), -7.417, 1:26.308

6. Broc Parkes, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), -7.605, 1:26.431

7. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -7.876, 1:26.300

8. Richard Cooper, UK (BMW S1000RR), -9.017, 1:26.354

9. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -9.635, 1:26.258

10. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -12.654, 1:26.217

15. John Hopkins, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -16.692, 1:26.695

18. James Rispoli, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -23.540, 1:27.260

Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Shane Byrne, UK (Duc Panigale R), 22 laps, Total Race Time 32:16.000, Best Lap Time 1:25.687

2. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -1.490 seconds, 1:25.934

3. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -1.496, 1:26.005

4. Glenn Irwin, UK (Duc PAnigale R), -3.794, 1:25.963

5. Richard Cooper, UK (BMW S1000RR), -3.859, 1:26.298

6. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), -3.903, 1:26.195

7. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -4.252, 1:26.261

8. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -5.549, 1:26.166

9. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -5.963, 1:26.027

10. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -6.149, 1:26.227

18. James Rispoli, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -15.214, 1:26.944

26. John Hopkins, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -13 laps, DNF, 1:26.670

Championship Point Standings (after 14 of 26 races):

1. Byrne, 231 points

2. Haslam, 206

3. O’Halloran, 175

4. Laverty, 137

5. Linfoot, 135

6. Cooper, 125

7. TIE, Ellison/Mossey, 122

9. Iddon, 120

10. Hickman, 106

More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:

Shakey crowned the Monster Energy King of Brands with first double win of the season

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne celebrated his first double win of the 2016 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship season in front of a huge home crowd at Brands Hatch today (Sunday), despite his arch rival Leon Haslam pushing him to the finish in both races.

In the opening race the four-time champion suffered a disastrous start from the front row, dropping back to ninth as pole-sitter Luke Mossey instantly hit the front of the field from Haslam. An inspired Tommy Bridewell on the Sheene liveried Bennetts Suzuki had other ideas though and he charged through into second place.

Jason O’Halloran was also on the attack as he moved into fourth, just ahead of Byrne as the pair continued to duel for fourth position over the opening laps. The championship leader got ahead at Hawthorns, but as the pack completed the lap the Nissan GT-R Safety Car was deployed when Fillip Backlund crashed out at Clearways unhurt.

When the race resumed Mossey was defending hard, but Bridewell had his sights set on the lead and he hit the front with a move at Surtees to put the Bennetts Suzuki into the lead. Haslam was then stalking Mossey and he made a decisive lunge at Paddock Hill Bend to move into second place and then had Bridewell in his sights.

On the 13th lap Haslam hit the lead, proving that the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team had overcome their issues from earlier in the weekend. He pulled a move into Paddock Hill Bend but Bridewell instantly cut back to regain the position. Two laps later and Haslam went for another attack at the same point, but ran wide, allowing Bridewell to get ahead and crucially for Byrne to follow him thorough to take second.

Bridewell and Byrne then traded blows at Druids for the lead and the Bennetts Suzuki rider wasn’t going to give up the lead without a fight. Byrne though made a move that stuck at Hawthorns to take the advantage and on the final lap Bridewell disappointingly crashed out at Surtees unhurt. Byrne held off Haslam to take the win with Mossey able to move into third.

In race two Byrne was determined to make it a double in front of his home crowd but the Be Wiser Ducati rider made another uncharacteristic sluggish start off the line and was swallowed up in the pack to just be inside the top ten.

O’Halloran and Honda Racing led the field from Haslam and Mossey. The third placed Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki rider though was gunning for a podium repeat and he moved ahead of Haslam at Paddock Hill Bend to move to within striking distance of the lead.

Tommy Bridewell was again showing his fierce pace on the Bennetts Suzuki and he was battling in the lead group again until he was forced out of the race with a mechanical problem on the eighth lap.

At the front O’Halloran was holding off Mossey and Glenn Irwin, who had forcefully moved through the pack to be third by the sixth lap and closing in on the pair ahead of him. The Be Wiser Ducati rider then pulled a move on Mossey to move second and he then came under fire from Haslam too.

By lap eleven the battle for supremacy at the front had intensified and Byrne was up to fifth before he dived ahead of Mossey, but at the same time Haslam and Irwin was scrapping for second place with the pair trading places three times within four corners.

Haslam held second though and then hit the front of the field as he struck again at Paddock Hill Bend, before O’Halloran reclaimed the place at Druids. As the fight at the front continued Michael Laverty suffered a technical problem with the Tyco BMW and that caused the Nissan GT-R Safety Car to be deployed.

On the restart Haslam again hit the front with a move at Hawthorns to push O’Halloran back to second with Byrne on the pack in fourth. A lap later and championship leader Byrne, Haslam and O’Halloran were side-by-side as they crossed the line and the Be Wiser Ducati emerged at the front as the trio reached Druids.

Byrne then held on for the final laps to claim the double win, holding off a hard-charging Haslam and O’Halloran – the top three in the championship standings after round seven. Irwin made amends for his race one crash by claiming fourth place ahead of Richard Cooper who moved back into the top six in the standings for Buildbase BMW, and Lee Jackson.

Mossey crossed the line in seventh place with Dan Linfoot, James Ellison and Christian Iddon completing the top ten.

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race one:

Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)

Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.518s

Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki) +2.078s

Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +4.079s

Lee Jackson (Buildbase BMW) +7.417s

Broc Parkes (ePayMe Yamaha) +7.605s

Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +7.876s

Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW) +9.017s

Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +9.635s

James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +12.654s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race two result:

Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)

Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +1.490s

Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +1.496s

Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +3.794s

Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW) +3.859s

Lee Jackson (Buildbase BMW) +3.903s

Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki) +4.252s

Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +5.549s

James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +5.963s

Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +6.149s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Brands Hatch:

Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 231

Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 206

Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) 175

Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) 137

Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) 135

Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW) 125

For more information and the full rider schedule visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne

Be Wiser Ducati

Brands Hatch double race winner

“I completely fluffed the start in the first race and it gave me plenty of work to do. It was my fault and it made me change my race strategy slightly but after the safety car period, I was lying in fourth and set about the three riders in front of me.

“I had a good rhythm and grabbed the lead with a few laps to go so concentrated on hitting all my apexes to get the job done.

“It was a similar story in race two in terms of my start but I felt that if I could stay calm, there was still plenty of time for me to fight my way through. After the safety car went in, I decided to make my move straightaway, thinking there was only a couple of laps left so it threw me a bit when my pit board said there were still four laps to go!

“I thought I may have showed my hand too early but it all worked out well. We didn’t quite hit the nail on the head this weekend so to come away with a double shows just how far we’ve come and a massive thank you to everyone in the team for all their work, a double victory is an excellent feeling.

“I have a Monster Energy King of Brands trophy from 2014 and this one is a really special addition so I am proud of achieving it and I am proud of my team as we worked so hard this weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:

Byrne Doubles Up At Brands Hatch

The Penrith-based Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team enjoyed an excellent day’s racing at Brands Hatch today with Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne taking a brilliant double race victory in round seven of the MCE Shane ByrneBritish Superbike Championship.

The four-times MCE BSB champion earned his race wins the hard way after qualifying in second place despite a technical problem in Datatag Qualifying yesterday but was confident going into the two races in glorious weather conditions at his local track.

However, a sluggish start to the opening 20-lap race around the 2.43-mile Grand Prix circuit saw the Sittingbourne rider fail to capitalise on his front row position, completing the first lap back in fifth place. There he remained for the first half of the race and following a safety car period, that allowed him to close back up to the leading group of riders.

Once there, he was able to fully utilise his pace on the factory-backed Ducati Panigale R and on lap eleven he moved up to third place. With a quarter of the race remaining, he overtook Tommy Bridewell to take the lead for the first time and he was never headed again, coming home for his 14th career MCE BSB win at the Brands Hatch GP circuit.

Lining up in second place for the second race, Shakey again made a slow start and was back in ninth after the first lap and with more work to do than earlier in the day, particularly when he dropped back to 11th on lap five. From that moment on, though, he steadily moved forward and with six laps to go, he moved into third.

Another safety car period saw two laps added onto the race and on lap 19, Shakey hit the front for the first time, overtaking Leon Haslam at Druids. And with just three laps remaining, the 39-year-old wasn’t about to make any mistakes and he duly crossed the line to take his 74th career MCE BSB win and with it, his first double of the season to total 17 in his career. More importantly, he added 10 Podium Points to his tally and extended his lead in the overall title race to 25 points.

Byrne also won the coveted Monster King of Brands Trophy for his double victory.

Team-mate Glenn Irwin was also well placed for two good results and that looked like it would happen when he ran in sixth place, just behind Byrne, in the early stages of race one. However, his race came to an early end just after half race distance when he crashed out at Graham Hill Bend, fortunately without injury.

With a third row start for the second race, a strong start saw the Carrickfergus rider slot into seventh place but he rapidly began to advance forward, so much so that by lap seven he was up into second place and challenging for the lead. Leon Haslam pushed him back to third four laps later and he then dropped back to fourth when Byrne overhauled him. The leading pack spread out after the safety car period but Glenn brought the Be Wiser Ducati home in an excellent fourth place to consolidate his outside claims for a Showdown place.

Shane Byrne: “I completely fluffed the start in the first race and it gave me plenty of work to do. It was my fault and it made me change my race strategy slightly but after the safety car period, I was lying in fourth and set about the three riders in front of me. I had a good rhythm and grabbed the lead with a few laps to go so concentrated on hitting all my apexes to get the job done. It was a similar story in race two in terms of my start but I felt that if I could stay calm, there was still plenty of time for me to fight my way through. After the safety car went in, I decided to make my move straightaway, thinking there was only a couple of laps left so it threw me a bit when my pit board said there were still four laps to go! I thought I may have showed my hand too early but it all worked out well. We didn’t quite hit the nail on the head this weekend so to come away with a double shows just how far we’ve come and a massive thank you to everyone in the team for all their work, a double victory is an excellent feeling.”

Glenn Irwin: “I’ve had strong pace all weekend but with the track temperature going up a bit, I didn’t quite have the feeling I wanted in race one and instead of easing my pace a bit and bringing the bike Glenn Irwinhome for a finish, I made a mistake and crashed out. The team did a great job in getting the bike ready for race two and it feels really good to come back in with a good result. I thought I might lead at one stage but after the safety car the other riders had a bit more grip and I couldn’t go with them. It’s another strong result and to be battling with the likes of Shakey, Leon and Jason is a real honour.”

Phil Borley, Technical Director: “It’s been a fantastic weekend. Shakey’s been on top form all weekend with excellent pace in both a single lap and over race distance. He kept his cool and looked after his tyres in both races after not making the greatest of starts so to go into Cadwell Park with a double victory is an excellent feeling. Glenn was obviously disappointed to have crashed out in the first race after making a small mistake but he turned it around in fine style to take an excellent fourth place. He too was strong all weekend and he deserved that finish so it’s been a good day for everyone in the Be Wiser Ducati team.”

MCE British Superbike Championship race one (20 laps)

1 Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)

2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

3 Luke Mossey (Kawasaki)

4 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

5 Lee Jackson (BMW)

6 Broc Parkes (Yamaha)

DNF Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)

MCE British Superbike Championship race two (22 laps)

1 Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)

2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

4 Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)

5 Richard Cooper (BMW)

6 Lee Jackson (BMW)

Championship Standings (after seven rounds)

1 Byrne 231pts

2 Haslam 206

3 O’Halloran 175

4 Laverty 137

5 Linfoot 135

6 Cooper 125

12 Irwin 68

The next round takes place at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire over the weekend of 27/29th August and for further information, please visit www.pbmuk.net and www.britishsuperbike.com.