MCE British Superbike Championship
Knockhill Circuit, Scotland
June 26, 2016
Race One Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 30 laps, Total Race Time 25:32.723, Best Lap Time 48.580 seconds
2. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -0.202 second, 48.458
3. Luke Mossey, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -0.782, 48.523
4. John Hopkins, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -0.896, 48.554
5. Peter Hickman, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -1.672, 48.600
6. Richard Cooper, UK (BMW S1000RR), -2.341, 48.679
7. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -4.686, 48.607
8. Michael Laverty, UK (BMW S1000RR), -5.500, 48.540
9. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -5.653, 48.771
10. Danny Buchan, UK (Duc Panigale R), -7.257, 48.742
23. James Rispoli, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -34.354, 49.530
Race Two Results (wet conditions, all on Pirelli tires):
1. Shane Byrne, UK (Duc Panigale R), 30 laps, Total Race Time 26:49.388, Best Lap Time 52.495 seconds
2. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -1.831 seconds, 52.482
3. Dan Linfoot, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -2.034, 52.646
4. Peter Hickman, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -3.961, 52.787
5. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Hon CBR1000RR SP), -5.875, 52.724
6. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -6.764, 52.665
7. Richard Cooper, UK (BMW S1000RR), -17.529, 53.265
8. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -25.522, 53.403
9. Howie Mainwaring Smart, UK (BMW S1000RR), -29.618, 53.363
10. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -29.937, 53.386
17. James Rispoli, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap, 54.182
21. Michael Laverty, UK (BMW S1000RR), -1 laps, 55.159
25. John Hopkins, USA (Yam YZF-R1), -17 laps, DNF, 53.206
Championship Point Standings (after 8 of 26 races):
1. Haslam, 128 points
2. Byrne, 115
3. Iddon, 94
4. Cooper, 93
5. Ellison, 89
6. O’Halloran, 80
7. TIE, Laverty/Hickman, 74
9. Linfoot, 71
10. Mossey, 56
12. Hopkins, 34
More, from a press release issued by MotoSport Vision Racing:
Haslam versus Shakey: One all for the top two at Knockhill
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship titans Leon Haslam and Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne claimed a win apiece at the fourth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Knockhill in an incredible pair of races.
In the opening dry race at the Scottish circuit Haslam served up his third victory of the season after an intense fight for the win with Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot.
As the race got underway Jason O’Halloran had hit the front of the pack from Haslam and John Hopkins, with the ‘Pocket Rocket’ hitting the lead with a decisive move on the third lap. As the pair diced for the lead, Byrne was pushing to move up the order, but crashed out on the fourth lap at the Hairpin, collecting Briggs Equipment BMW’s Jake Dixon.
The incident bought out the Nissan GT-R Safety Car and the pack formed up with Haslam leading Hopkins. By lap eleven Hopkins was threatening at the front; taking the lead for the ePayMe Yamaha team, but as they streamed down to the Hairpin, Haslam made a move to regain the lead.
Linfoot was on the move; pushing ahead of Hopkins to go second as Luke Mossey carved his way through the field and then also made a move on the American to move into third.
Linfoot was then piling the pressure on Haslam for the lead; regaining the position on the run into turn one; however two laps later Haslam repaid the move with a pass down the inside into the Hairpin. The pair traded blows, but in the final battle the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider held the advantage.
Mossey held off Hopkins to claim third, becoming the tenth different rider to claim a podium finish this season with Peter Hickman closing on the leading quartet to score fifth position from Richard Cooper on the Buildbase BMW.
Race two saw conditions completely change and Be Wiser Ducati’s Byrne bounced back from his crash in the opening race to claim victory, scything his way through the pack before an intense scrap at the front.
Linfoot had initially hit the front ahead of Hopkins, but the positions rapidly changed as Hickman and Haslam moved ahead of the American.
Hickman was hounding Linfoot and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider pulled a move at the Hairpin to take the lead. Linfoot instantly responded, repaying the move to head back into the lead.
As Linfoot and Hickman diced at the front, race one winner Haslam and Byrne had moved into third and fourth respectively and soon the ‘Pocket Rocket’ was trading blows with his team-mate ahead of him. Haslam first moved ahead of Hickman at the Hairpin with Byrne following him.
Byrne then pulled a pass on championship leader Haslam, moving into second before both Byrne and Haslam took advantage of a mistake by Linfoot when he ran wide, pushing the Honda Racing rider back into third.
Haslam then claimed the lead from Byrne and the leading two riders in the standings then diced intensely for the advantage. Linfoot wasn’t done though and he moved back to the front of the trio with a move on the 25th lap, however one lap later Byrne was back ahead.
Four-time champion Shakey then wasn’t giving an inch and he edged away as the battle for the final podium positions intensified. Linfoot stayed ahead of Haslam, but in the final three laps a hard-charging Ellison continued to move up the order, passing Haslam and then mugged Linfoot of second place at the line.
Hickman surged ahead to fourth in the closing laps ahead of O’Halloran and Haslam who dropped to sixth. Richard Cooper continued his run of strong point scoring finishes in seventh ahead of Tommy Bridewell turned his weekend around to score an eighth place for Bennetts Suzuki.
Howie Mainwaring and Christian Iddon completed the top ten, but it was disappointment for John Hopkins and Glenn Irwin who both crashed out unhurt.
For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki)
Race one winner
“We’ve extended the Championship lead over this weekend, but for me it should have been a very easy second win. With ten to 12 laps to go I couldn’t see anything I dropped nearly three to four seconds a lap at the end, it wasn’t anything to do with the bike it was purely because I couldn’t see.
“I felt good, I felt the pace I had at the front I could have gone quicker at any point but I just couldn’t see. I’m feeling pretty confident heading into Snetterton, I have a test in between in Japan but we will take the positives from this weekend.”
Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati)
Race two winner
“It was a difficult second race to be honest. Before we started one of my mechanics said to me it is a long race and you are starting from the fourth row, there are a lot of chances for things to go wrong! I got to second quite quickly, then I got in the lead and then Leon [Haslam] came passed me. I followed him for a bit and I felt quite happy there for a bit, then Dan [Linfoot] came passed and I thought ‘this isn’t in the plan I don’t want to go backwards!’
“I got to the front, I had a few little issues to deal with and made a few mistakes and with all the work that I gave the Be Wiser Ducati team this weekend they deserved that win. I had two crashes this weekend and that isn’t like me, so thanks to them – it is onwards and upwards now!”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:
Byrne Bounces Back To Take Knockhill Victory
Be Wiser Ducati rider Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne overcame the disappointment of a first race crash to secure his second victory of the season with a superb ride in difficult conditions in round four of the Shane Byrne2016 MCE British Superbike Championship at Knockhill in Scotland today.
Aboard the factory-supported Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R, the 39-year-old Londoner bounced back from a crash in the morning warm up session to line up on pole position for the first time this season but the opening race wasn’t one to remember. The four-times MCE BSB champion once again made a sluggish start but worse was to follow when he crashed out on lap four at the Hairpin and although he was able to remount, regulations didn’t allow for him to continue in the race so he had to retire.
It was better news for team-mate Glenn Irwin who had qualified the Be Wiser Ducati in a career-best fifth position and was hopeful of a good race. The 26 year old from Carrickfergus didn’t make the best of starts, however, but continued his steep learning curve in his rookie season to end up in 11th place to secure his second best finish of the year.
Race two saw contrasting fortunes once again for Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team with Shakey starting from row four as the weather took a turn for the worse. In the same extreme wet conditions which prevailed during Shane ByrneDatatag Extreme Qualifying yesterday, it played into Byrne’s hands as he put in a superb performance. Running inside the top five as early as the first lap, he was soon locked in battle with Leon Haslam for the race win. The duo swapped positions on numerous occasions but with five laps to go, Byrne reclaimed the lead and a series of quick laps enabled him to break the tow from the rest of the field to take his second win of the season.
It represented his 70th career MCE BSB race victory and an unprecedented 11th at Knockhill to maintain his second place in the standings, just 13 points behind leader Leon Haslam.
Irwin, meanwhile, started the second encounter from the third row of the grid and looked on course to secure his best finish of the year as he ran in a strong seventh place early on. However, on the ninth lap, a clash with James Ellison at the Hairpin saw him slide off, bringing an early end to what looked to be a promising race.
Shane Byrne: “The first race was disappointing and to have two crashes in a weekend isn’t like me so I was keen to make amends in the second race. Just before the start of race two, my mechanic reminded me it was a 30-lap race and there was plenty of time and opportunities to get to the front but it actually happened quite quickly. Leon was brave into the first corner but he started to have a few moments so that was when I upped my game. I felt really strong and with five laps to go, I got my head down and really pushed hard. I badly wanted to win the second race so to come back from the first race crash and turn things round in the way that I did is great. Knockhill’s been a good circuit to me over the years so a big thanks to the fans for staying out in the weather and also to the whole PBM Be Wiser Ducati team who again did a terrific job.”
Glenn Irwin: “We’ve made great progress with the Be Wiser Ducati this weekend and the team has done a brilliant job. We did OK during qualifying and I was confident going into today’s two races Glenn Irwinwhich saw me finish within eight seconds of the winner in race one. I was hoping for a better result in race two despite it being wet but then I got caught up with another rider at the Hairpin and crashed out. I was angry as it wasn’t my fault but he didn’t mean to do it, it was just one of those racing incidents, but I came off worst. We’ll bounce back at Snetterton and thanks to the team once again.”
Phil Borley, Technical Director: “It’s been a mixed day today, not just with the weather but also with our results. Race one was very disappointing for Shakey as he slid off, possibly whilst trying that little bit too hard to try to close the gap to the leaders. Glenn suffered at the start too and dropped back and although he didn’t move forward as much as what he would have liked, he found a good rhythm and scored some solid points. For the second race, Shakey made a great start and he bided his time before making some good moves forward. He had strong pace and although he had a few scary moments, it’s great to come back from zero points with 25 and another win. On this occasion, it was Glenn’s turn to have bad luck and another rider’s mistake saw him crash out. It’s frustrating as he had similar pace to Shakey and looked on course for a top six finish.”
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing:
Top Ten For Mainwaring Smart At Knockhill
Knockhill was the venue for the fourth round of the 2016 MCE British Superbike Championship this weekend but it proved to be a challenging weekend for the Smiths Racing BMW Team and both Howie Mainwaring Smartriders, Howie Mainwaring Smart and Jakub Smrz, although Mainwaring Smart did record a top ten finish for the Gloucester-based team.
Throughout the three days of action, it was tough going for the two riders with Smrz qualifying the better of the two in 17th place as Mainwaring Smart posted the 22nd fastest time. It put them on the sixth and eighth rows of the grid respectively for today’s first 30-lap race, encouraged by both riders lapping quicker in this morning’s warm-up session.
Unfortunately, neither rider could find a way into the top 15 during the opening race and the end result on the dry but cool Scottish track was 16th for Czech Republic rider ‘Kuba’ and 20th for Aylesford’s Mainwaring Smart.
The second race was held in difficult and wet conditions with the riders having to contend with heavy rain, spray and mist. For Smrz, he only had to contend with the conditions for two corners as he got caught up in a tangle with Ryuichi Kiyonari and his race came to an abrupt end as he crashed out.
Mainwaring Smart fared considerably better and although he had to start from 22nd on the grid, by the early stages of the race, he had climbed his way up to 11th. Five laps later, he took over tenth place and in the closing laps, he overhauled Christian Iddon to claim both his and the team’s best finish of the year in ninth position.
Jakub Smrz: “Results-wise, it’s been a disappointing weekend as all I have to show for my efforts is a 16th place. But it’s been an important weekend in terms of improving the bike and although Friday wasn’t very good, we improved on Saturday and again in today’s morning warm up. We found a setting with the bike that worked really well for me although a slight issue with the brakes in race one prevented me from scoring any points. The second race was simply out of my control but I’m feeling a lot happier with the bike and the next round at Snetterton is one of my favourite circuits so I’m hopeful of some good results.”
Howie Mainwaring Smart: “It’s been a really difficult weekend and I’m still trying to get a good feel for the bike. The BMW’s a great package and in the wet, when the bike’s set up that bit softer, I have a great feel but in the dry, it’s a different story. I suffered with arm pump a bit in the first race so the wet weather in the second race played into my hands and to come from a long way back on the grid to claim ninth is pleasing. Hopefully, it can be a turning point in my season and we can start to push forward.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “It’s been another tough weekend and for a team that is used to success, whilst we are pleased with Howie’s ninth place in race two in difficult conditions, we’d like Jakub Smrzto be a lot further up the field. Kuba was unfortunate in race two not to even get a lap in but it wasn’t his fault so there’s not a lot more to say. We’ll take stock of the situation and hope Snetterton is kinder to us with results.”
More, from a press release issued by JG Speedfit Kawasaki:
Haslam strengthens Championship lead as JG Speedfit Kawasaki enjoy successful Scottish trip
JG Speedfit Kawasaki this weekend extended their MCE British Superbike Championship lead after Leon Haslam took his third win of the season, moving onto 128 points. Team mates James Ellison and Peter Hickman had an equally successful weekend with two solid point scoring rides on Sunday, including a second place for James Ellison in a very wet race two.
All three riders made it into qualifying on Saturday, after working hard on the setups of their respective machines in the free practice sessions. The final free practice session was run in damp conditions, however ahead of the qualifying session the track dried.
Q1 was a breeze for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki trio, however prior to Q2 the heavens opened forcing a major stoppage to proceedings. After an hour break the dash for pole resumed with Haslam, Ellison and Hickman all looking strong. At the end of the 12 minute second session both Leon and Hicky proceeded into Q3 in third and fifth, however James dropped out by three tenths of a second leaving him in tenth for Sunday’s first race.
The track started to dry for Q3 and the times started to tumble, Leon chipped away at his time and so did Pete, however it wasn’t enough to take pole position, with Leon ending up in third and on the front row with Hicky just behind in fourth.
Race one on Sunday saw all three riders get great starts from the lights with Leon running in second place, Peter in third and James battling to get into the top ten. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ then made his move on the race leader Jason O’Halloran to take the lead.
After a safety car Haslam then started to battle with Dan Linfoot who made his way forward, Leon fought hard and made his way back past and held off the Honda Racing man to take his third win of the 2016 MCE British Superbike season.
Team mates Peter Hickman and James Ellison battled hard throughout the race with Hicky crossing the line in fifth and James seventh after fighting his way back from as far down as 15th at one point.
Unfortunately race two would see Leon and Pete drop in grid position after their lap times posted in race one, with James moving up the grid to seventh.
Race two saw the rain fall an hour before the lights went out, and from the start all three riders got a great jump and moved through the pack with Leon leading the race after lap three. However then visor issues hampered the Championship leader, meaning he was having to ride cautious and crossed the line in sixth, but he still remains top of the title battle.
It was a different story for James Ellison who took to the podium after riding hard through the pack in the rain and mist. The Kendal man moved up to third in the final few laps after posting the fastest lap of the race in search of Dan Linfoot, and on the run up to the line Ellison nicked second place off of the Honda Racing man on the line.
Peter Hickman had an equally great race in difficult conditions, battling hard and at one point he ran in a podium position until he dropped back in to the pack, finishing just in front of team mate Leon Haslam in fifth position.
After the weekend a pleased Team Owner Mark Smith Halvorsen said: “We had a chat before the start of the race and we knew Shakey and the Ducati had good pace in the wet, and I said to Leon if you have to give away five or ten points then fine, but don’t give it all away. Leon had the pace to stay with them right till the end but he had really bad visor misting issues, and he’s not happy about it.
“But fantastic rides from both Pete and James in particular, there was some bumping and barging in the second race but he came through and his pace at the end was fantastic and he beat Dan on the drag to the line. So overall in tight working conditions and lots of inclement weather this weekend I’m really proud of the way the team has worked and the results off the back of that.”
Walking away with a 13-point advantage in the Championship Leon Haslam said: “We’ve extended the Championship lead over this weekend, but for me it should have been a very easy second win. With ten to 12 laps to go I couldn’t see anything I dropped nearly three to four seconds a lap at the end, it wasn’t anything to do with the bike it was purely because I couldn’t see.
“I felt good, I felt the pace I had at the front I could have gone quicker at any point but I just couldn’t see. I’m feeling pretty confident heading into Snetterton, I have a test in between in Japan but we will take the positives from this weekend.”
A delighted James Ellison said: “I’m peaking with that, I was peaking when I was in third but Brands Hatch was flashing back in my mind and I was pushing as hard as I could anyway. Dan looked like he was out of reach for second place but like every race I gave 100 percent till the last lap and it paid off.
“I’m really happy to get the second, I gave it more throttle than normal over the line the bike was spinning and when the thing hooked it threw the front wheel up in the air and I just didn’t want to roll off. I’m really happy.”
A smiling Peter Hickman said: “Its been a really good weekend, my best results at Knockhill, we were less than one tenth off the lap record in practice, I did all my laps by myself which was a really good thing. We went a completely different way with the setup for this weekend, more like I would in the rain than Leon and James do and straight away it was the right choice. I’m really happy, I felt we should have been on the podium in race one but things weren’t quite right. Maybe if I was little braver in race two earlier on I could have been stuck in there a little bit more but I’m happy. The team have done a mega job and I can’t thank them enough.”
The final points standings see Leon Haslam lead the MCE British Superbike Championship on 128 points, James Ellison sits fifth on 89 points with Peter Hickman in eighth position on 74 points.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
BRIDEWELL & SUZUKI FIGHT BACK AT KNOCKHILL BSB
Bennetts Suzuki’s Tommy Bridewell showed his and the team’s character by salvaging a top-10 finish from a difficult weekend at Knockhill for round four of the MCE British Superbike championship with eighth place in race two.
After struggling to find a comfortable setting with his GSX-R1000 around the undulating Knockhill circuit, Bridewell qualified down in 20th, but the team’s work overnight improved his feeling with the bike for the opening race and allowed him to push forward into the points to take 12th place.
With the rain arriving for race two, he started from 16th on the grid and battled through pack, steadily picking-off riders in front of him to get himself into the top-10 and took the chequered flag in eighth place, ensuring he took a solid number of points away from a challenging weekend.
Tommy Bridewell:
“It was a very difficult weekend to be honest, but I think we really showed our character to turn it around. We were a bit lost on Friday and I couldn’t get comfortable. We made some radical changes for FP3 and again for qualifying and they didn’t have the effect that we’d hoped, so we were really up against it for the races. After qualifying we went through everything in really fine detail and just made some more changes for warm-up, and I went out and went half a second faster which, around Knockhill, is a big chunk of time. But starting in 20th was always going to be difficult, and even though we got up to 12th, that’s nowhere near where I want to be.
“In the wet race I felt really good and the bike was mega, and really justified us doing those laps at Snetterton in the wet because we used the map we developed there, and it worked so well. The chassis set-up was spot on and I just felt like I could out-brake everyone. I got to ninth with a big gap in front, so I just kept charging forward, just racing my lap-timer really, and before I knew it I had caught and passed for eighth place and pulled a gap. It’s not the position we wanted, but it was damage limitation a little bit this weekend and I think to go from 20th to eighth by the end of the weekend, around here, shows how hard everyone’s worked.”
Ryuichi Kiyonari also endured a difficult weekend on his return from injury. After qualifying in 14th, he crashed out of the opening race before struggling to 19th place in race two.
Ryuichi Kiyonari:
“This was a tough weekend and not a good one for me. I was able to ride, but my collarbone was very sore. My bike felt good, but unfortunately I crashed in the first race and got caught-up in an accident at the start of race two which cost me a lot of time. I am disappointed to come away without any points, and I’m sorry for the team, as everyone put in a lot of hard work, but I will now rest and come back stronger at Snetterton.”
Martin Halsall – Team Owner:
“It was qualifying that really hampered us this weekend. It was a shame we couldn’t get Tommy where he should be on Saturday, because after we continued working on the bike overnight, his performances in the races were impressive. Knockhill is a demanding circuit, and starting from 20th on the grid was never going to be easy, but he put in a really good ride to get himself into the points, and to then come away with eighth place in the race two is a real positive. Racing has its highs and lows, and after the podium at Brands it’s unfortunate this weekend wasn’t as strong, but his lap-times in the race were good, so we’ll take the points and go again at Snetterton.
“Unfortunately Kiyo was still struggling with his collarbone this weekend. He started the weekend well and built-up to it, but while he put a brave face on things the more riding he did, the more uncomfortable he became. He’s a professional and wanted to do the best job he could, but it has still only been four weeks since the break and sadly it was probably a bit too soon to expect any real challenge at the front from him.”
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Ups and downs at Knockhill for Quattro Plant Kawasaki
The Quattro Plant Kawasaki team were back in British Championship action at Knockhill at the weekend and although it proved to be a challenging meeting, the team came away with their first podium of the year in the MCE British Superbike Championship after Luke Mossey took third place in the first race of the day whilst three solid drives gave Ricky Stevens the lead in the British Sidecar Championship.
Mossey qualified in 12th place for Sunday’s opening British Superbike Championship race and although he dropped back initially, he immediately reversed that trend. Indeed, by the time the race reached half-race distance, he was up into third and well in contention for the win. He ultimately fell just short but the rostrum position got his season firmly back on track.
His strong pace saw him start the second race from the front row of the grid although the good, dry weather had been replaced by wet conditions. A poor start was the last thing Luke wanted but sadly that was what happened and he was down in 13th at the end of the first lap. He managed to move up to 12th at half race distance and that was where he crossed the line after 30 long laps.
Team-mate Filip Backlund found himself in 21st place and on the seventh row of the grid for the first 30-lap affair and he battled hard throughout, eventually taking the chequered flag in 19th place. Forced to start from the slightly lower position of 23rd for race two, the Swedish rider had fought his way back up to 19th once more by half race distance but on the 16th lap, he suffered a big high-side at Duffus Dip fortunately escaping injury.
Meanwhile, a disappointing 17th in the wet weather on Saturday afternoon saw Andrew Reid relinquish his lead in the Dickies British Supersport Championship. The Northern Irishman had qualified in second place but problems with the quickshifter saw him drop back to last and although he moved through the field, he was unable to claim any points.
Main rival James Westmoreland finished second to take the lead in the Championship and although Andy responded in Sunday’s ‘Feature’ race to finish eighth on the Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki, he now finds himself in second overall in the title table, 22 points behind Westmoreland.
For sidecar team members Ricky Stevens and Ryan Charlwood, it was an eventful weekend too with the latter falling out of the chair and suffering a dislocated shoulder in Friday’s free practice session. That meant Charlie Richardson was drafted in as passenger and despite only having a handful of laps together, the new pairing qualified in third place for the weekend’s three races.
A spin in Saturday’s first 15-lap encounter after a coming together with another crew saw them complete the first lap in dead last but they fought back to claim eighth place and they bounced back later in the day to improve to third. It looked like they’d saved the best until last when they led Sunday’s third and final race but a spin on lap eight dropped them back to third. However, the weekend’s results now mean Ricky has a 17-point lead in the title race.
Luke Mossey: “The first race was one of the toughest I’ve ever had as I knew it was going to be difficult coming through the field from 12th. The safety car period definitely helped me and I was able to pick off the riders ahead of me one by one. It certainly wasn’t easy but the bike was working brilliantly as it has done all year and having shown our pace at various stages of the season so far, it was great for it all to come together and take our first podium. The second race result might not look the best on paper but it was one of my better rides in the wet and I’ve gained a lot of confidence from today’s two races.”
Filip Backlund: “It’s been a frustrating weekend for me as although I’ve improved with the bike in certain areas, I haven’t in others. I was hoping to score some good points this weekend as everyone’s putting in so much effort but I didn’t manage to do that in either race, the second ending in a big crash. Fortunately, I’m ok and we have to look at the positives from the weekend. I’m looking forward to Snetterton now – it’s one of my favourite circuits so, hopefully, I’ll get my first points there.”
Andy Reid: “What can I say, it’s been a tough weekend for us at Knockhill. An electrical fault in race one severely hindered me and I was unable to score any points but in the second, I kept it upright to bring the bike home in one piece in eighth and score some points. I had great pace in the dry conditions and I feel as if we just lacked the ideal setting for the wet conditions this weekend. I’m looking forward to getting back home and out on my new bike from Dave Kane cycles. Roll on Snetterton!”
Ricky Stevens: “It’s certainly been a mixed weekend but if a bad weekend’s two thirds and an eighth I can’t be too unhappy! Losing Ryan obviously changed things for me but Charlie’s an experienced passenger so I didn’t have to worry about him and the main thing is that I’ve come away leading the Championship. I would have loved the win in the last race but I made a mistake and had to settle for third again – my smile’s not as big as I would have liked, there are plenty of positives to take away from the weekend.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “Knockhill was always going to be a tough weekend and with the short nature of the circuit and in the inclement weather conditions, so it’s proved! It’s been one of the most difficult weekends of the year but Ricky and Charlie got some solid points on the board, including two podiums, and leading the British Championship is great for all concerned. Luke also did a great job and he really showed what a talent he is with his first podium of the season. The conditions were treacherous in the second race but he picked up some solid points after taking a creditable 12th.”
“Filip struggled for most of the weekend and I think he’s still nursing a bit of an injury from his pre-season crash. He couldn’t find the set up or pace to get into the top 15 and, fortunately, he escaped injury after his huge second race crash. Andy had a difficult weekend too and what started full of promise, started disappointingly with electrical issues in race one. In the second race though, he used his head in the poor weather and brought the bike home for what could prove to be eight vital points.”
The next round of the series takes place in two week’s time at Snetterton, Norfolk.