Round 2: Brands Hatch Indy
Double podium finish for Brookes and Milwaukee Yamaha at Brands Hatch
Josh Brookes scored the Milwaukee Yamaha team a double podium finish at the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch today (Sunday) with a pair of third places as Broc Parkes scored a top ten finish.
In the opening race Brookes moved up the order to be in contention for the final podium position, and the Australian contender snatched third place on the final drag to the finish line. Parkes also battled his way up the order to claim eighth and his first top ten finish of the season.
In race two Brookes was again pushing for a podium finish, running fourth until lap 10 when Ryuichi Kiyonari ran wide at Druids, and giving him the opportunity to grab the position. Brookes was piling the pressure on Shane Byrne, but eventually claimed third to hold the same position in the overall standings ahead of Oulton Park. Parkes meanwhile got caught in the pack at the start, before fighting his way through to eleventh, to narrowly miss out on a second top ten finish.
Josh Brookes
R1: 3rd, R2: 3rd, Championship position: 3rd
“I actually thought my chances of podium were gone by the mid-part of race one. Then the safety car came out and it bunched everyone back up again. I set about trying to do a good finish to the race, and because we were all bunched up, it was all to play for again. As it was, Shakey forced a pass on Kiyo and they both lost a bit of momentum and I went into the last turn and actually nearly ran into the back of Kiyo – it was really close! It was a heart in the mouth type situation, but I got a slingshot effect, on to the start-finish straight and I was able to squeeze between the two of them for third position.
“In race two, once we get about maybe six or eight laps in, I started to make ground on Shakey. James [Ellison] was disappearing which was a bit annoying – it means you’ve got just got to do something. You can’t do it in that race but something’s got to change going forward to try and make that back. I just focused on trying to catch Shakey, and I thought I was doing a good job, but not good enough. The pace was good, but we were both doing it so I had to take third.”
Broc Parkes
R1: 8th, R2: 11th, Championship position: 15th
“Today hasn’t been too bad; it feels like I have been improving all weekend and we have made big steps forward since the first sessions on Friday. I felt more comfortable in the races and I had a good battle with the guys and did the best job I could. I got boxed in at the start of race two and then I came through the pack. I feel like we have made the next step and we know there is still more to come.”
Team Manager Mick Shanley
“It has been a really positive weekend and as a team we have made big improvements with the base setting. The race pace today was incredible, but we are really happy with Josh’s two third places and also the improvements that Broc has made this weekend. I want to commend the whole team on their performance at Brands Hatch and now we look forward to Oulton Park.”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Kawasaki:
Brands Indy Round 2
The Be Wiser Kawasaki had a positive weekend at round two of the MCE British Superbike Championship at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Local rider Danny Buchan secured a 14th and eighth places and his team-mate Chris Walker was 10th and 13th.
19-year-old Danny Buchan was once again pushing hard all weekend and showing his potential and form. However a big crash in free practice three saw him make a trip to the medical centre after taking a big impact to his arm/elbow, he was declared fit to compete in the qualifying session where he finished 12th.
A problem on the start saw Danny struggle to get off the line and he was down in 26th place after the opening lap, the safety car was sent out after an accident and was on track for four laps. Once the race re-started, he got his head down and worked his way up through the closely fought Superbike class. The safety car was once again sent out in the later stages in the race, causing the pack to bunch up and three extra laps added. Danny soon worked his way into a points scoring position and finished in 14th place after a tough race.
In the second race he decided to make a last minute decision to change from the medium tyre to the soft tyre. He started from 10th position on the grid, this time he got a good start off the line and was seventh after lap one. He dropped one place to eighth and held this position for the entire 25-lap race, battling Howie Mainwaring and Billy McConnell.
Chris Walker once again made good steady progress throughout the weekend making changes during each session he found a set-up which he was happy with for the race. Despite a quick time in the qualifying session he ended up in 17th place on the grid, this is the time he set during the race last year when he was battling for the win!
Chris got one of his brilliant starts in the first race and after the safety car returned into the pit lane he was sitting in 12th position. He was stuck in a four bike battle with two new faces into the Championship Billy McConnell and Luke Mossey with Richard Cooper in the mix also, Chris finished in 10th place.
Chris dropped back on the grid for race two to 19th place; he got blocked on the opening lap and was only able to gain one place to 18th. Chris worked hard to push his way through the pack and was soon up to 15th place, this time he was locked in a battle with Christian Iddon and Peter Hickman, eventually finishing in 13th position.
Danny Buchan – “Well that was another pretty tough weekend for me, I felt really good on the bike on Friday and was keen for a good result this weekend but knew how important it was to finish both races.
I was pushing pretty hard in the morning practice and the track temperatures were slightly cooler and it just caught me out on the exit of Graham Hill Bend, spitting me over the bars. I landed pretty heavily and it knocked the wind out of me, I took a bash to my elbow and had to go to the med centre to be assessed before qualifying. They passed me fit to ride and despite being a bit sore I got through qualifying and was fairly happy with my grid position.
I was feeling good for the race and once again the Be Wiser Kawasaki team worked so hard for me to fix the bike before qualifying and overnight to make sure everything was perfect. I had a big problem off the start in race one and I couldn’t get the bike to go, I hooked up into second and I was away but I’d dropped several places and knew it was going to be tough. I worked hard and made some passes on each lap, to finish was progress and I got a couple of Championship points also.
I got a much better start in race two and I was pushing but just wanted to ensure I brought the bike home in one piece and get some points on the table to kick start my season. I’m happy with the second race and the progress we have made and look forward to a more consistent weekend at Oulton Park.”
Chris Walker – “It was frustrating getting the results I did when the pace was there in the races but it’s tough to come from a long way back on the grid.
The Be Wiser Kawasaki is more than capable and all the ingredients are there to be running at the front, we just need to get the recipe right earlier in the weekend to allow us to qualify better.
Both here at Brands and at Donington we’ve left ourselves too much to do from way back on the grid and did our fastest lap of the whole weekend on lap 20 of race two. A lap time that last year was good enough for a podium starting from the second row on the grid, this year put me back in 17th today for race one!
The field is stronger than ever this year too but it’s coming, the team are working great and it’s only a matter of time now.”
Tommy Hill – Team Manager – “I’m really happy with how the weekend has gone here at Brands Hatch. We have managed to get points in the bag with both riders in both races.
We all know Danny is fast and has the talent and we have had to sit with him and just calm him down a little as he is so eager to do well. I was exactly the same at 19 and just wanted to win races, which we know this is what Danny wants. He has made a lot of progress this weekend and learnt a lot. We are fully behind him and we know in time he is capable of some very good results, we just want him to take his time to get there.
Chris is working really hard in a seriously tough field of riders this year, there are a lot of new names and teams and everyone has upped their game. The top three or four are in a league of their own at the minute but the rest of the pack is a mine field and all want the same end goal.
The team have once again worked really hard and well together this weekend and I think for only our second race in the Championship we have done a good job. We have a good package and we are confident we can continue to move forwards as the Championship progresses.”
Alan Greig – Team Owner – “The main role in the team this year has been taken by Tommy Hill who has taken on being team manager, having done this job for several seasons I know what it takes and what a big task it is. He is doing a great job and has certainly given the Be Wiser Team a fantastic first image and impression in the MCE British Superbike Championship. He’s had the bikes built in time, the riders ready and all the aspects of the garage sorted for the opening round at Donington and it’s a credit to him what he has managed to achieve.
Whilst Tommy is concentrating on that side of the team I have pushed to ensure we have a good presence on the hospitality side of the racing. It is a very important part of the team and entertains the guests and sponsors at the races, whilst feeding and looking after the team from the start of the weekend. The hospitality continues the theme and look of the entire Be Wiser Team and this gives us the image we need, this is our first year and we will be looking to grow in future years to allow guests and racing supporters a chance to enjoy a good weekend away.”
More, from a press release issued by Gearlink Kawasaki:
The Gearlink Kawasaki had a solid weekend at round two of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Northern Irishman Glenn Irwin secured a second and fourth place respectively, his team-mate Ben Wilson gained two sixth places again.
Glenn Irwin was riding well throughout the weekend and was sat in provisional pole after the opening practice session, with a second in practice two he was eager for a good start position for race one. He had a strong qualifying session and ended up second on the grid. A lightning start in the first race on Saturday saw him gain the hole-shot, he led the race but was passed by eventual race winner Kyle Ryde. He was then locked in a battle with Championship leader, Luke Stapleford for second place and held him off to the line by 0.1.
In race two Glenn started from third on the grid for the 20-lap race, he got a great start and was leading the opening three laps, he was passed briefly by Luke Stapleford for one lap before retaking the lead. Despite his best effort Glenn was passed by Kyle Ryde and Jake Dixon and had to settle for fourth place, he is now lying in fourth place in the Championship.
Ben Wilson is playing catch up after missing a year in the tough Supersport class and is once again trying to find his rhythm on the little Kawasaki ZX-6R. He was pushing hard all weekend and improved his times in each session. The times were so close in qualifying that he ended up in 13th place, only 0.8 off pole. He got one of his brilliant starts and was seventh after lap one. He battled for sixth and seventh throughout the race and finished the 18-lap race in sixth.
He started race two from eighth position on the grid and was up to sixth at the end of lap one. The Lincolnshire man was locked in a tight four bike battle with James Rispoli, Danny Webb and Bjorn Esment for fifth place and was pushed throughout the entire 20-laps, working hard he ended up in sixth.
Motorpoint British Supersport
Glenn Irwin – “The weekend started well and the bike felt good but I knew in the races we might struggle a little on top end speed. Kyle did ride a fantastic race on Saturday and there was nothing that me nor Luke (Stapleford) could do to catch him.
In the second race we tried our best but the pace was so hot, I know the Gearlink team will work hard before Oulton to try and find some more speed on the Kawasaki. I made a small mistake in the closing stages of the race where I missed a gear and this allowed Jake to come past. We had a good battle but he got the better of me but it should have been another podium.”
Ben Wilson – “It’s been a pretty tough weekend here at Brands and hard to slip back into racing on the Supersport machine, the times are really quick and the front guys are really on the pace. I know everything will fit back into place it is just taking a little longer than I’d hoped for. I like Oulton and it is one of my favourite circuits so I hope I can be back near the front fighting for a podium.”
MCE British Superbikes
This weekend at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, Gearlink Kawasaki gained the services of extremely talented and experienced rider Michael Rutter. Michael has had many years riding at Superbike level and he was eager to help the team improve their Kawasaki ZX-10R and as the weekend progressed he drastically cut his lap times down and they made huge steps forward. Michael has brought so much to the team and helped them move forwards. He qualified in 24th place for the first race but was forced to pull into the pits with a small technical problem. He started from 27th in the second race and finished in that position.
Michael Rutter – “It has been a good weekend with the Gearlink Kawasaki team, we always knew it would be a mountain to climb as we were pretty much starting from scratch with the bike. The team worked really hard all weekend and we made a number of changes after every session and each time it was making a difference. It was good to be able to help Michael and the Gearlink team with the Kawasaki ZX-10R. We made a lot of progress and do hope it can continue as the season progresses.”
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “It was a pleasure to have Michael Rutter ride our Gearlink Kawasaki Superbike this weekend at Brands. He brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team, he had never ridden the bike before and we knew it would be a tough weekend for him. We made several changes to suit his style and we managed to finish the second race with him feeling much more confident on the bike. His input to the team this weekend was invaluable and I would personally like to thank him for that, he was a huge asset to the team. We hope he will ride again for us at Oulton to develop the bike further but we know his main priority at the minute is the North West 200 and the TT.
We worked really hard on the Supersport machines this weekend to make further progress and we had a much better set-up here than at Donington but we know we must improve on the speed of the bike. The Yamaha and the Triumph are super quick and we know we have to do something to ensure we can stay with them during the races. Glenn’s results were not what he and the team wanted but he could not have tried any harder. Ben is not where he wants to be yet and I know as the season progresses his form will improve.”
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More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
IDDON PUSHES THROUGH PAIN BARRIER AT BRANDS BSB
Christian Iddon pushed through the pain barrier at Brands Hatch for the second round of the MCE British Superbike Championship, after breaking his leg on the opening lap of the first race.
The Bennetts Suzuki rider, who made a strong start from his third-row grid spot, suffered a nasty high-side at ‘Graham Hill’ on the first lap of the opening race. Coming down on the track, Iddon was clipped by the WD40 Kawasaki of Jack Kennedy which resulted in a broken fibula in his right leg. However, after pleasing the medical staff in the compulsory fitness tests, he was passed fit to race and battled to a 12th-place finish in race two.
Said Iddon: Not the race-day we wanted obviously. Yesterday we were really happy and did an amazing lap time. We made some tweaks in warm up and I was really happy but then on the first lap went and spat myself off. I was pretty much upright and so far out the corner I crashed on 97% throttle, so not really sure what happened. I knew as soon as I was out the seat I was in trouble, not from my crash; but from what was happening behind and I could see Jack [Kennedy] doing everything to stop. It’s a pretty clean break and I was passed fit to race, but on the sighting lap I didn’t think I’d be able to. We lowered the foot rest and added some seat foam as I couldn’t get my leg up. I was a bit wonky but knew on the warm-up lap I could race. I did my best to get some points and keep us in the hunt for the Showdown. We came strong towards the end of the race and I could make some passes, so not bad considering.”
Josh Waters continued to make progress with the set-up of his Yoshimura-powered Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000 throughout the course of the weekend. After qualifying 16th, Waters found himself in a seven-rider fight for 10th place in the opening race, but after 33 laps of the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, came across the line in 15th. He followed it up with a 16th in race two after another hard-fought battle, with not much to choose between lap-times.
Said Waters: “It’s been another difficult weekend, made even harder around here with everyone’s lap-times so close. We’re still struggling with corner entry but for the last race we changed the bike quite a bit and it felt better again, despite the result not showing it. We’ve moved in the right direction and even though it’s not progressing as fast as we’d like, we’re moving forward and we have some ideas to take to the test at Oulton next week.”
Team Manager Jack Valentine said: “We started on a real positive note this weekend, especially on Christian’s side of the garage. He was very strong in qualifying with a really quick lap-time, and we were looking forward to the race as we knew he had the pace and could lap as quick as anyone out there. The performance of the Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000 is up there with the best of them. He made a decent start but it was just one of those crazy accidents. He was clipped by another rider and it resulted in a broken leg. But because it was a clean break he could apply weight and please the medical staff, even though he was in pain, but riding was a little more difficult and it was touch-and-go on the sighting lap. But some quick thinking from the team gave him a little more movement and he did all that anyone could have asked of him and more by getting into 12th place. He was in agony afterwards, but I think when we see a fully-fit Christian Iddon we’ll see some really strong results from him. The Suzuki GSX-R1000 is without a doubt capable of winning races.”
“There’s still lots to do on Josh’s side to get him confident to push the bike harder, but once he’s capable of doing that, everyone knows what results he’s able to achieve. From a lap-time point of view he’s moved forward from his previous bests, but with the competition out there it’s not enough, so we’ll work at Oulton Park to improve that.”
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing Team:
Dixon Takes Brands Hatch Podium As McConnell Impresses
The Gloucester-based Smiths Racing Team enjoyed a strong weekend at Brands Hatch, with both Billy McConnell and Jake Dixon recording strong results in their respective 2015 MCE Insurance British Superbike and Motorpoint British Supersport Championships.
Fourth in qualifying for Saturday’s 18-lap Sprint British Supersport race, Dixon made a good start aboard the factory-supported Smiths Triumph Daytona 675R and maintained his position at the completion of the opening lap. But just like in qualifying, the front trio of Kyle Ryde, Glenn Irwin and Luke Stapleford had that little bit extra pace and Jake found himself part of a four man battle for fourth which went all the way to the end of the race but it was the 19 year old from Dover who claimed the 13 hard-earned points in fourth.
Sixth on the grid for Sunday’s 26-lap Feature race, Dixon was up to third at the end of the fifth lap but by half race distance he’d been overhauled before fighting back past Glenn Irwin to claim the final podium position. The weekend’s results mean Jake now lies in joint second overall, 12 points behind Stapleford.
For team-mate McConnell, it was a tough weekend after a crash in free practice and then mechanical trouble in qualifying left the Aussie from Adelaide back in 30th place for the opening MCE British Superbike Championship race. What followed was quite simply superb as the 28 year old tore through the pack and after just five laps he was already inside the top 20. For the remainder of the race, he steadily moved forward and duly took a brilliant ninth place at the chequered flag.
That allowed the reigning British Supersport champion to start the second race from 11th on the grid and he’d soon moved up inside the top ten, although he wasn’t able to make as many passes as he had done in the first race. Indeed, once he’d moved up to ninth on lap seven, he was unable to progress any further but two strong top ten finishes has given both McConnell and the team a lot of confidence going into the next round aboard the Smiths BMW.
Billy McConnell: “Everything was going really well up until qualifying which was a bit of a nightmare but it was just one of those things and I just got stuck in and kept chipping away in the races. It was hard going from so far back on the grid and with a lack of track time compared to everyone else, we’re up against it a bit. Everything’s brand new to us and we’re having to try different things all the time but I’m really happy with the bike and we’re consistently running in the top ten now. I surprised myself a bit in the first race to pass so many people and perhaps race two was a little bit disappointing but, overall, I’m happy and we can take a lot of positives away with us.”
Jake Dixon: “Coming off a win and a second at Donington Park, it’s been a bit of a struggle this weekend, firstly with the front end and then a lack of rear grip. The team did a great job with the front but I just didn’t quite have the pace that the other boys did and it was a bit of a damage limitation weekend. I’m not overly happy with third but, at the same time after the way things have gone, I’m delighted to have ended the weekend with a podium. Hats off to Luke and Kyle, they’ve rode brilliantly all weekend but we’ve picked up a decent haul of points and the team have done a great job so we’ll come out fighting at the next round.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “It’s been a weekend of ups and downs and after looking good in free practice, Billy’s crash in qualifying cost us more than we thought. The brake problem in qualifying was one of those things but to come from 30th to ninth was amazing and just shows how well Billy is riding. It’s done both his and the team’s confidence a world of good and with three top ten finishes from the first four races, it’s testament to everyone concerned. Jake struggled a bit with front end issues, which we hadn’t anticipated, but fourth on Saturday was still a solid result and as I keep telling him, points make prizes. He rode another good race today, deservedly taking a podium, and we can look forward to the next round at Oulton Park in a good frame of mind.”
MCE British Superbike Championship – Race One (33 laps)
1 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
2 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
3 Josh Brookes (Yamaha)
4 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
5 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
6 Stuart Easton (Kawasaki)
9 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing BMW)
MCE British Superbike Championship – Race Two (25 laps)
1 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
2 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
3 Josh Brookes (Yamaha)
4 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
5 Stuart Easton (Kawasaki)
6 Tommy Bridewell (BMW)
9 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing BMW)
Championship standings (after two rounds)
1 Byrne 85pts
2 Ellison 79
3 Brookes 58
4 Easton 42
5 Linfoot 33
6 Kiyonari 28
12 McConnell 21
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship – Race One (18 laps)
1 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
2 Glenn Irwin (Kawasaki)
3 Luke Stapleford (Triumph)
4 Jake Dixon (Smiths Racing Triumph)
5 Sam Hornsey (Triumph)
6 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki)
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship – Race Two (20 laps)
1 Luke Stapleford (Triumph)
2 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
3 Jake Dixon (Smiths Racing Triumph)
4 Glenn Irwin (Kawasaki)
5 James Rispoli (Yamaha)
6 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki)
Championship standings (after two rounds)
1 Stapleford 86
2 Dixon 74
= Ryde 74
4 Irwin 62
5 Wilson 40
6 Collier 28