MCE British Superbike Championship

Cadwell Park, England

August 29, 2016

Race Results (all on Pirelli tires):

Race One:

1. Shane Byrne, UK (Duc Panigale R), 18 laps Total Race Time 26:20.355, Best Lap Time 1:26.751

2. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -0.272 second, 1:26.590 (New Race Lap Record)

3. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -2.534 seconds, 1:26.969

4. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -2.862, 1:27.086

5. Glenn Irwin, UK (Duc Panigale R), -9.362, 1:27.270

6. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -10.330, 1:27.280

7. Peter Hickman, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -10.557, 1:27.273

8. Richard Cooper, UK (BMW S1000RR), -14.185, 1:27.268

9. Jake Dixon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -14.430, 1:27.735

10. Michael Laverty, UK (BMW S1000RR), -15.126, 1:27.560

11. Danny Buchan, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -15.245, 1:27.570

12. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -18.815, 1:27.357

13. Billy McConnell, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -27.195, 1:27.649

14. John Hopkins, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -30.773, 1:28.288

15. Alastair Seeley, UK (BMW S1000RR), -31.063, 1:28.404

16. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (BMW S1000RR), -31.222, 1:28.357

17. James Rispoli, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -36.106, 1:28.394

18. Filip Backlund, Sweden (Kaw ZX-10R), -39.472, 1:28.853

19. Jack Kennedy, Ireland (Kaw ZX-10R), -39.543, 1:28.743

20. Josh Hook, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -44.242, 1:29.068

21. Stuart Easton, UK (Duc Panigale R), -44.745, 1:29.137

22. Howie Mainwaring Smart, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -44.797, 1:28.754

23. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -60.390, 1:29.310

24. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -63.157, 1:29.889

25. Josh Wainwright, UK (BMW S1000RR), -63.999, 1:29.992

26. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Italy (Kaw ZX-10R), -64.744, 1:30.258

27. Jenny Tinmouth, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -71.155, 1:30.545

28. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -3 laps, DNF, 1:27.598

29. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -12 laps, DNF, 1:27.211

30. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), -15 laps, DNF, 1:27.782

Race Two:

1. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 18 laps, Total Race Time 27:09.544, Best Lap Time 1:26.859

2. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -2.191 seconds, 1:27.074

3. Shane Byrne, UK (Duc Panigale R), -2.688, 1:27.041

4. Peter Hickman, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -5.812, 1:27.360

5. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -7.108, 1:27.495

6. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -7.260, 1:27.375

7. Glenn Irwin, UK (Duc Panigale R), -8.007, 1:27.384

8. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -8.212, 1:27.502

9. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -8.689, 1:27.374

10. Jake Dixon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -14.001, 1:27.530

11. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), -14.110, 1:27.413

12. Michael Laverty, UK (BMW S1000RR), -14.809, 1:27.631

13. Billy McConnell, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -15.232, 1:27.459

14. Danny Buchan, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -15.360, 1:27.822

15. John Hopkins, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -27.029, 1:28.221

16. Alastair Seeley, UK (BMW S1000RR), -31.853, 1:28.692

17. James Rispoli, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -32.027, 1:28.667

18. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (BMW S1000RR), -32.150, 1:28.488

19. Josh Hook, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -32.474, 1:28.931

20. Stuart Easton, UK (Duc Panigale R), -32.826, 1:28.860

21. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -48.771, 1:29.780

22. Josh Wainwright, UK (BMW S1000RR), -48.975, 1:29.797

23. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -54.681, 1:29.740

24. Jenny Tinmouth, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -55.187, 1:30.310

25. Richard Cooper, UK (BMW S1000RR), -2 laps, DNF, 1:27.472

26. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -2 laps, DNF, 1:27.474

27. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Italy (Kaw ZX-10R), -13 laps, DNF, 1:31.059

28. Jack Kennedy, Ireland (Kaw ZX-10R), -18 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded

29. Howie Mainwaring Smart, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -18 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded

30. Filip Backlund, Sweden (Kaw ZX-10R), -39.472, -18 laps, DNF, no lap time recorded

Championship Point Standings (after 16 of 26 races):

1. Byrne, 272 points

2. Haslam, 251

3. O’Halloran, 211

4. Laverty, 147

5. Linfoot, 145

6. Ellison, 140

7. TIE, Cooper/Mossey, 133

9. Hickman, 128

10. Iddon, 120

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

Shakey and Haslam victorious but O’Halloran makes a tussling trio at Cadwell Park

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and Leon Haslam emerged victorious in Lincolnshire as the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship title contenders scored a race win apiece at Cadwell Park, with the pair now confirmed in the Showdown alongside double podium finisher Jason O’Halloran.

Byrne claimed the opening race win of the day in front of a packed Cadwell Park circuit, forcing his way through on Haslam at Chris Curve on the final lap to emerge victorious by just 0.272s.

Byrne had initially hit the lead but only marginally from Haslam with Richard Cooper and Jason O’Halloran tucked in behind. The JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider wasn’t prepared to sit in second place though and made a dive down the inside at Park to take the lead on lap one.

The battle for third was intense between Cooper and O’Halloran and on the third lap the pair traded places three times before the Honda Racing rider emerged ahead. The Australian then had his sights set on the pair ahead and he hunted them as he bid for a podium finish at the team’s home round.

Lee Jackson was running inside the top six when he crashed out unhurt at Charlies, but at the front Haslam had a moment which dropped him back behind Byrne and O’Halloran. He was soon fighting back though and moved back into second just two laps later.

Dan Linfoot had his race ended prematurely when he crashed out at the Chicane unhurt, losing ground in the battle for the top six in the Showdown as the chasing pack bid to catch up ahead of the Oulton Park decider.

Tommy Bridewell was carving his way through the field and by the end of lap eight he had made a move on Cooper with a decisive move through Hall Bends.

Haslam regained the lead on the ninth lap and he held the advantage from Byrne and a gaining O’Halloran, but the championship leader was pushing to make a move. He waited until the final lap and made a lunge down the inside at Chris Curve which was enough to move to the front and then fend off the counter attack until the finish. O’Halloran scored a podium finish at his local round after defending hard against Bennetts Suzuki’s Bridewell.

Haslam was fired up for race two after missing out in the opener and he delivered a Cadwell Park master class to be crowned the Monster Energy King of the Mountain with a strong race two victory to equal the score with race one winner Byrne.

O’Halloran had fired off the start line to lead the pack for the first time from Byrne and Haslam in close contention with the pair forcing him back to third in the early part of the lap, but the Nissan GT-R Safety Car was deployed when Howie Mainwaring and Fillip Backlund crashed out at Coppice, although both riders were able to walk away.

When the race resumed on the fourth lap Haslam instantly attacked arch rival Byrne, but the Be Wiser Ducati in true gritty style was straight back underneath him to retake the position. A lap later and Haslam again regained the lead and Byrne made a mistake which allowed O’Halloran to move back into second as the trio diced frantically at the front.

Haslam was on a charge and he continued to push at the front despite the pressure from O’Halloran and Byrne with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider saving his best until last to edge a two second gap over the final laps.

O’Halloran was fending off Byrne and despite a huge moment on the exit of Barn with three laps to go, he was able to keep the championship leader behind him to celebrate a double podium finish for the Honda Racing team.

JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Peter Hickman pushed through the order to claim a strong fourth place at his home round after getting the better of Bennetts Suzuki’s Tommy Bridewell who again closed down on the top six with a fifth place.

Dan Linfoot bounced back from his race one crash to claim sixth place to maintain his position in the top six ahead of Oulton Park with Glenn Irwin again in the top ten on the second Be Wiser Ducati in seventh place, holding off James Ellison.

Luke Mossey and Jake Dixon completed the top ten with the focus now moving to Oulton Park on two weeks’ time for the Showdown decider.

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, race one result:

Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)

Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.272s

Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +2.534

Tommy Bridewell (Bennetts Suzuki) +2.862s

Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +9.362s

James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +10.330s

Peter Hickman (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +10.557s

Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW) +14.185s

Jake Dixon (Briggs Equipment BMW) +14.430s

Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +15.126s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, race two result:

Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki)

Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) +2.191s

Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) +2.688s

Peter Hickman (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +5.812s

Tommy Bridewell (Bennetts Suzuki) +7.108s

Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +7.260s

Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +8.007s

James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +8.212s

Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki) +8.689s

Jake Dixon (Briggs Equipment BMW) +14.001s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Cadwell Park:

Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 272

Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 251

Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) 211

Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) 147

Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) 145

James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 140

For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne

Race one winner

“In race one I didn’t really have a master plan to be honest. About six laps from the end I got a netural going into the final corner; I had been watching Leon, but it caused me to go really wide and that let Jason get ahead of me. He was riding really well and I thought ‘this wasn’t part of the game plan’ but I got back in front of him. I knew if I hadn’t passed Leon by the Mountain it was going to be really tricky.

“Leon was smart in the race, but I followed him and at the end I wanted to put a spanner in the works and I did just that.

“I was surprised with race two as the bike was the same as in race one, but the bike was moving around a lot and that made it difficult. The boys are sussing it out, but Jason and Leon rode fantastic.

“For me to have not won a race here at Cadwell Park in 13 years, so to win one and then back it up with a double podium makes me happy. We are in the Showdown now and we can look forward to Oulton Park.”

Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki)

Race two winner

“We knew the bike had the pace and that we would be strong here. After race one we knew we would have to do something different in the second one and we managed it the best we could and the plan worked perfectly.

“We tried to slow the pace up to help save the tyre towards the end of the race and I managed to do a good pace at the end. It has been a tough few rounds but to beat Shakey and go into Oulton Park with our heads high is good for us so we can finish the season hard.

“I have raced all over the world and there is no better place than Cadwell Park. The circuit is so unique and hard to ride but the fans always come out in force so when you win here it makes it all that much better.”

More, from a press release issued by JG Speedfit Kawasaki:

JG SPEEDFIT KAWASAKI RETURN TO WINNING WAYS AS HASLAM CROWNED ‘KING OF THE MOUNTAIN’

29th August 2016 – Bank Holiday Monday proved a fantastic day for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team as Leon Haslam made his return to the top step of the MCE British Superbike Championship, securing the ‘King of the Mountain’ title and confirming his place in the Showdown. James Ellison was able to climb back into an all-important Showdown position whilst Peter Hickman was also able to make significant inroads to the top six.

After setting the fastest ever lap around the Cadwell Park circuit during qualifying yesterday, Leon kicked the days racing off in style by setting the fastest time during morning warm up. Both James and Pete were also able to set impressive race pace during the session, ensuring the two races this afternoon would be exciting encounters.

Launching off from pole in the opening race, Leon held the lead until lap four when a rare mistake saw him drop back to third place. Setting a string of blisteringly fast lap times, including breaking his own lap record which has stood since 2007, he was able to pull back the 1.3s gap to the front to reclaim the lead on lap nine. With Championship rival Byrne running second, the two came down to a last lap battle however struggling to match Byrne’s rear grip, Leon claimed second at the line. James was involved in a race long battle, taking sixth place at the flag with team mate Peter narrowly behind in seventh.

Race two saw Haslam again start from pole, launching off the line to run second before a first corner incident saw the pace car deployed. With the race getting underway a few laps later, he wasted no time in moving to the front where he was able to control the race, taking his fourth win of the season by 2.1s. Starting from a row further forward this time, Pete carved his way through the field to cross the finish line in fourth place, ensuring he significantly reduced his gap to the Showdown top six ahead of the triple header at Oulton in two weeks. Running in the leading chain of nine riders, James kept his cool as riders around him crashed out to cross the line in eighth and move up to sixth in the Championship standings and back into a Showdown position.

Continuing his streak of standing on the top step every time he has raced at Cadwell, Leon Haslam said “It’s been a fantastic weekend. We knew the bike had the pace all weekend and I’ll be honest, I was so frustrated after race one as I felt we had the pace to win but that mistake cost us a bit. In the second race I tried to manage my tyres the best I could and it worked out perfectly! It’s been a hard few rounds for us, but we’ve made some massive improvements so full credit to the team who have been working non-stop to get us back to the front. It’s great to get our Showdown position confirmed as well, and we can now head to Oulton Park and focus solely on getting some more podium credits ahead of the final three rounds.”

Having set his fastest ever lap around Cadwell, and claiming a well-deserved fourth, Peter Hickman added “In the end, it’s been a great day! I was quite happy with race one, I felt we had the pace to be fourth but things just didn’t quite go to plan during the race but I knew we could have a better showing in the second outing. Being a row further forward certainly made things easier and I made a really good start, I actually almost ran into the back of Bridewell into turn one but after that I got my head down and was able to make some really big moves which paid off! It’s where we should have been all weekend but we’ve closed the deficit to the top six to just 12 points so it’s all to play for at Oulton!”

Disappointed with the results but pleased to be in the Showdown, James Ellison said “It’s been a bit of a difficult weekend, we made some improvements during the test and the bikes made some big steps but we’re just having some trouble when the temperature changes. I rely a lot on feel from the rear and it’s just hampering us slightly. The guys have been working absolutely non-stop though and we know we can be on the podium, we’re definitely going in the right direction – Leon’s doing a fantastic job which is great for the team. We’re back in the showdown position now and Oulton is a circuit I really enjoy so I’m looking forward to going back there and getting back to the front.”

GBmoto Racing Team Principal Mark Smith-Halvorsen concluded, “The team put a lot of time and effort into Cadwell Park. We came testing here 10 days ago and were able to make some big steps forward, and during the period up to the race weekend we made some further improvements and have been able to be close all weekend. The pace has been unbelievable, in qualifying eight guys were under the lap record and even during the races there were eight riders in a line challenging for podiums. To leave here with the results we’ve had, particularly after a few tough rounds, is fantastic and all three riders have done their Championship challenges a world of good. I can’t thank the team enough for all their work, it’s been a tough but enjoyable time at the Park and we can head to Oulton in a confident mood!”

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

Byrne Victorious Again At Cadwell Park

Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team rider Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne continued his winning ways at round eight of the MCE British Superbike Championship with another superb victory in the opening race at Shane ByrneCadwell Park in Lincolnshire today.

The result confirmed the 39-year-old Londoner’s place in the season-ending Showdown as he strives for title number five before adding a battling third place in the day’s second race to his successes aboard the factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R for Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team.

In front of the biggest crowd of the season and in glorious conditions, the first 18-lap race saw Byrne go head to head with main title rival Leon Haslam from the front row of the grid. Shakey grabbed the lead on lap four when Haslam ran wide but he was relegated to third a couple of laps later when a missed gear allowed Haslam and Jason O’Halloran past.

With three laps to go, Shakey regained second place before finding the narrowest of gaps to pass Haslam at the Gooseneck on the final lap which saw him hang on to take his seventh win of the season and with it, career win number 75, although only his second at Cadwell Park.

The second race later in the day saw the safety car deployed after a first lap crash before racing resumed on lap four with Shakey in the lead. He dropped to third but a titanic battle ensued with Byrne shadowing Haslam and O’Halloran but he couldn’t find a way past so had to settle for third place and another vital Podium Point for the Showdown.

Team-mate Glenn Irwin started the first race from 11th on the grid and although he slipped back to 13th in the early stages, he soon found his rhythm and once he started moving forward on the fourth lap, it was a trend that continued for the rest of the race. Indeed, the Carrickfergus rider picked off the riders in front of him gradually and he finished the race in an excellent fifth place.

The 26-year-old started the second race from seventh place on the grid and although he dropped back in the first few laps, he again started to move forward as the laps counted down. Up to ninth on lap eight, followed by another overtaking manoeuvre on lap 12 which moved him up to seventh and this was where he finished for his second solid points haul of the day.

Shane Byrne: “I knew I had to get by Leon before the bottom of the Mountain on the final lap of the first race but he was strong into Park Corner which stopped me from having a go there. I’d seen him run wide into Chris Curve so I went in smooth and maintained my momentum to just get through before the Gooseneck. I managed to block any attempts and I have to say a big thanks to the Be Wiser Ducati team as they gave me a great bike. I tried really hard in the second race but the bike seemed to be moving around more than in the first and when I checked the tyre afterwards, it was considerably more worn than the two riders in front of me. I’m not sure why as we didn’t change the bike so we’ll need to look into it. I really like Cadwell Park so I’ve got to be happy coming away with a first and a third and clinching my place in the Showdown.”

Glenn Irwin: “Race one was good and race two should have been even better but I made a terrible start and gave myself more work to do. I was part of a battle for fourth but I was at the back of it Glenn Irwinwhen I should have been at the front of it. I’d saved my tyres and had good pace at the end but it was so difficult to pass Bridewell and Linfoot and I wasn’t prepared to make a lunge. Before race one I said to the team, I’d take two top eight finishes today and I took fifth and seventh but I’m not happy. It’s good not to be happy so I’m already looking forward to the next round.”

Phil Borley, Technical Director: “We’re happy enough with the results today. We had a fantastic first race with Shakey winning and Glenn coming through to fifth so we were hoping for a similar outcome in the second one. It didn’t quite go our way with Shakey having some slight problems with his rear tyre towards the end of the race maybe because he couldn’t get the lines he wanted. It’s not our best circuit and we’ve only lost a couple of points to Leon so, overall, we’re fairly happy so will just keep pushing and hope for more wins at the next round before the Showdown.”

Meanwhile at Rockingham for round eight of the BTCC-supporting MSA F4 British Championship, Fortec Motorsport driver Frank Bird was going in search of points for a fourth successive meeting in the Be Wiser, Hager and Frank Bird Poultry-backed car.

Having celebrated his 17th birthday last week, Frank was out of luck despite a promising qualifying which saw him in 11th place but 14th in race one was followed by a DNF in race two and a 17th place in the weekend’s third outing saw him fail to add to the points he scored recently at Croft, Snetterton and Knockhill.

The penultimate round takes place at Silverstone over the weekend of September 17/18th whereby Frank will be looking to get back to his previous form.

MCE British Superbike Championship Race One (18 laps)

1 Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)

2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

4 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)

5 Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)

6 James Ellison (Kawasaki)

MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two (18 laps)

1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

2 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

3 Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)

4 Peter Hickman (Kawasaki)

5 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)

6 Dan Linfoot (Honda)

7 Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati)

Championship Positions (after eight rounds)

1 Byrne 272pts

2 Haslam 251

3 O’Halloran 211

4 Laverty 147

5 Linfoot 145

6 Ellison 140

12 Irwin 88

The next round takes place at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the weekend of 9/11th September and for further information, please visit www.pbmuk.net and www.pbmuk.net

More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:

Mossey and Quattro Plant Kawasaki maintain Showdown hopes

Luke Mossey and the Quattro Plant Kawasaki team kept their Showdown hopes very much alive at round eight of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park on Monday with the Cambridge rider now just seven points off a top six position.

The 23-year old was strong at the Lincolnshire venue right from the outset and placed second, third and fourth in the three free practice sessions prior to Sunday afternoon’s qualifying session. However, a time of 1m26.382s placed him sixth overall after qualifying which put him on the second row for the first 18-lap race.

A slightly sluggish start put him back in tenth place at the end of the opening lap but by half race distance he was up into seventh and very much in contention for a top six finish at least. However, with less than three laps to go, he dropped down the order down to twelfth after a near crash and with no time left to recover and regain any places, he had to settle for just four Championship points.

Lining up in tenth place and at the head of the fourth row for the second 18-lap encounter, the race was only a few hundred yards old when team-mate Filip Backlund and Howie Mainwaring Smart crashed at the first corner bringing out the safety car for a period of three laps. On lap four, Luke was shuffled back to twelfth place and it took him until half race distance to gain a place but he kept pushing until the end ultimately being rewarded with ninth place and what could prove to be seven valuable Championship points.

It moves him on to a total of 133 and places him joint seventh in the Championship table, just seven points adrift of James Ellison who currently holds the sixth and final Showdown place. Three races take place at the next round at Oulton and this will ultimately decide which six riders dispute the Championship.

Backlund was making his return to racing after suffering a crash at Brands Hatch at the previous round and although he qualified back in 24th place, a strong opening race saw him lap over half a second quicker than what he had done in qualifying to claim a solid 18th place. However, all hopes were dashed in the second race crash although the Swede was thankfully relatively unharmed.

There was also disappointment for Dickies British Supersport Championship contender Andrew Reid as he failed to score a point in either of the two races. Fifth in qualifying, a crash on the first lap in Sunday’s ‘Sprint’ race put him on the back foot and on the fourth row for Monday’s feature race and with plenty of work to do. The race started well as he soon moved into the top four but he ran wide at the first corner and had to retire from the race on the tenth lap. It now means he lies 45 points adrift of Championship leader James Westmoreland.

Luke Mossey: “It’s been an up and down weekend to be honest. I had a really good start in practice and I was never outside the top four and whilst I ended up sixth after qualifying, I was confident of having two strong results. As it turned out though I struggled in both races. It was just one of those days but we’re still close to the Showdown positions and I really like Oulton Park, venue for the next round, so I’ll be looking to get back onto top form there.”

Filip Backlund: “I came into the weekend hopeful of two points scoring finishes and although I only finished 18th in race one, I was pleased with my ride as I lapped quicker than I had done all weekend and found a good rhythm which I was sure would put me in good stead for race two. I made a really good start and saw Howie take the outside line so thought I’d follow him round. Unfortunately, he had to shut off mid-corner and I had nowhere to go, ploughing into the back of him. I’m a bit bruised and my hip’s sore but I’m otherwise ok so will come back strong at Oulton.”

Pete Extance, Team Owner: “The weekend seemed full of promise after free practice and qualifying and with Luke in sixth we were confident for two good results. Unfortunately, in the first race he suffered a major highside near the end and whilst he stayed on, it dropped him from seventh to 12th and only four points. He improved to ninth in the second race and although he didn’t score hugely this weekend, a number of other riders experienced similar fortunes so the Showdown is stll very much all to play for.”

“Filip had a rough weekend scoring no points and suffering a huge crash in the second race when he went down with Howie Mainwaring Smart at the first corner fortunately without injury. Andrew too had a tough time of things scoring no points either so we’ll need to regroup on all fronts for the next round at Oulton and do everything we can to get Luke in the Showdown.”

The next round takes place at Oulton Park on September 9-11.

MCE British Superbike Championship Race One (18 laps)

1 Shane Byrne (Ducati)

2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

4 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)

5 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)

6 James Ellison (Kawasaki)

12 Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Tec-care Kawasaki)

18 Filip Backlund (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki)

MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two (18 laps)

1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

2 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

3 Shane Byrne (Ducati)

4 Peter Hickman (Kawasaki)

5 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)

6 Dan Linfoot (Honda)

9 Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Tec-care Kawasaki)

DNF Filip Backlund (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki)

Championship Positions (after eight rounds)

1 Byrne 272pts

2 Haslam 251

3 O’Halloran 211

4 Laverty 147

5 Linfoot 145

6 Ellison 140

7= Mossey 133

27 Backlund 2

Dickies British Supersport Championship Points (after eight rounds)

1 James Westmoreland 225pts

2 Tarran Mackenzie 222

3 Andrew Reid 180

4 Bradley Ray 164

5 Luke Jones 156

6 David Allingham 142

More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing:

 Smrz Just Misses The Points At Cadwell Park

The Gloucester-based Smiths Racing BMW Team found it tough going at round eight of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park today when, despite his best efforts, Jakub Smrz Jakub Smrzwas unable to add to his points tally for the season, taking a best finish of 16th from the two races.

The Czech Republic rider was having only his third outing at the Lincolnshire track, and his first since 2014, and with the 2.18-mile circuit being notoriously difficult to master, it was always going to be a big ask for the 33-year-old former World Superbike ace.

After posting 21st place in Datatag Extreme Qualifying, Smrz was in confident mood going into today’s two races which were held in brilliant conditions and in front of the largest crowd of the season.

The opening 18-lap race saw ‘Kuba’ slot into 23rd place at the end of the first lap but gradually moved up the field to eventually claim 16th place at the chequered flag, missing out on adding to his points tally by a tenth of a second.

Starting the second race from the improved position of the sixth row, both Smrz and the double British Supersport Championship-winning team were hopeful of making it into the points. A first lap crash brought the safety car out for three laps and when racing resumed, Smrz found himself back in 21st although he was up to 18th by mid-race distance. Part of a five-rider battle for 16th, he wasn’t able to find a way by the riders in front of him and had to settle for 18th at the end of the race.

Jakub Smrz: “I knew this weekend would be hard work due to my lack of circuit knowledge and unfortunately that’s how it worked out so it wasn’t a great meeting. We improved with each session and were perhaps a bit unlucky not to score at least a point. I couldn’t fault the bike and it’s working really well now but Cadwell is such a difficult circuit that it wasn’t possible to expect more this weekend. The next few circuits are ones I know and like so I’m hopeful we can be challenging for top tens again there.”

Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “It’s been a hard weekend for Kuba here at Cadwell as he missed last year’s meeting and previous visits hadn’t been the kindest to him either. The championship is Jakub Smrzextremely tough at the best of times and his lack of circuit knowledge has made it even tougher so it’s been hard work for all of us. The next tracks should suit him more though as he has good experience at all of them and has had good results at all of them too so we’ll hopefully be back in the points next time out.”

MCE British Superbike Championship Race One (18 laps)

1 Shane Byrne (Ducati)

2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

4 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)

5 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)

6 James Ellison (Kawasaki)

16 Jakub Smrz (Smiths Racing BMW)

MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two (18 laps)

1 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

2 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)

3 Shane Byrne (Ducati)

4 Peter Hickman (Kawasaki)

5 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)

6 Dan Linfoot (Honda)

18 Jakub Smrz (Smiths Racing BMW)

Championship Positions (after eight rounds)

1 Byrne 272pts

2 Haslam 251

3 O’Halloran 211

4 Laverty 147

5 Linfoot 145

6 Ellison 140

20 Smrz 21

The next round of the series takes place at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the weekend of 9/11th September. For more information, please visit www.britishsuperbike.com and www.smithsracing.co.uk.