Relentless Suzuki’s Ian Lowry put in a strong performance to podium at Sunday’s British Supersport 10th round after leading for 17 of the 18 laps. Third place gave him a further 16 points, closing the gap on series leader and team mate Michael Laverty who suffered a minor electrical problem that put him out of action. Ian Lowry: “In respect to not winning the race, I’d have to say I’m not a happy camper, but then on a positive note I’ve given myself a better chance in the championship race by closing the gap on Michael to only 16 points. The team did a great job this weekend and we did have an almost perfect set-up on the Relentless Suzuki. After leading from lap one I do feel a bit hard done by not to have taken the win, but after pushing so hard I’d unfortunately used the best of my tyre. Dennis made a bit of a strong move on me at the end to push me down a step on the podium, but I’m now in a stronger second place in the championship coming out of Croft, so I have to be happy.” Michael Laverty: “It was one of those weekends where you just have niggly problems from start to finish and it certainly wasn’t down to the effort put in by either the team or by myself. It’s disappointing to score no points after the times I was doing on race tyres in qualifying, but there is nothing you can do in this situation. The team have worked tirelessly all year and I’m still leading the championship with only three rounds to go, so I must thank Relentless, Suzuki and all our other sponsors for the big effort. I’m off to the Ulster Grand Prix this week to do a demonstration lap on my Relentless Suzuki before going to Cadwell, so that should be fun.” Philip Neill – Team Principal: “It’s disappointing days like these in racing that make the good ones all the sweeter. As far as I’m concerned it’s a small setback, and only that. We have given both riders a great package all year on the Relentless Suzukis and Michael’s minor electrical problem that caused him to retire is the first time one of our bikes has stopped on track all year in both racing and qualifying. I am disappointed for Ian but it’s another learning experience for him, even though it has to be said he was a little hard done by today by anyone’s standards. It’s easy to complain when things go against you but I’m just pleased that the top two riders in the championship are on Relentless Suzukis. That shows strength and consistency, which we’ll endeavour to pick up again in two weeks time at Cadwell Park. “Michael experienced a list of minor mishaps this weekend but on a positive note he continued to show his class, especially in the qualifying sessions when he obliterated the lap record on race tyres despite his problems.” Results: 1 Billy McConnell [Yamaha] 25:45.686; 2 Dennis Hobbs [Honda] +1.136; 3 Ian Lowry [Relentless Suzuki] +1.475; 4 Ian Hutchinson [Honda] +8.340; 5 Stuart Easton [Kawasaki] +9.412; 6 John McGuinness [Honda] +11.766. More, from a press release issued by AIM Yamaha: MIXED RESULTS AT CROFT FOR AIM YAMAHA Croft threw up a mixed bag of results for AIM Yamaha when Keith Amor rode the AIM Yamaha to a brace of finishes in round 10 of the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike championship while Steve Allan was unfortunate to crash on the first lap of the British Supersport race. Qualifying went well for both riders; Amor, who is more accustomed to road racing posting a fast enough time to secure a sixth row start to the set of two races in 21st position and Steve Allan securing a fifth row start in 18th place for his race. Amor who is using the track time to become acquainted to the AIM Yamaha that he will ride in the Ulster Grand Prix this weekend, was struggling for grip throughout his two races but went on to complete race one in 23rd place and improved both his finish and lap time with a 21st place in the second encounter. KEITH AMOR I have been struggling for grip all weekend to be honest. Apart for when we had the qualifying tyres on and we put in some faster laps I just couldn’t seem to find a tyre I could get on with. However this weekend was more about getting some more time on the bike although it would have been nice to be a little bit more competitive. But we brought the bike home in one piece, which is the main thing. Steve Allan was not so lucky. After qualifying in 18th place he was optimistic of a good result. But as the race got underway he went into the second corner at Hawthorn and highsided. Although initially taken to the medical centre for examination his injuries proved to be minor and apart from a badly bruised wrist and some painful bruising to his chest Steve is thankfully ok. STEVE ALLAN I have no idea what happened, maybe I went in a bit hot, I don’t really know. But I am ok and should be back on the bike at Cadwell. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN Keith put in a fair amount of time on the bike this weekend and is now acclimatised to it and prepared for the weekend at the Ulster GP. He will be riding in three classes, the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport races at Dundrod. Steve was unlucky to crash in his race but thankfully he is ok. Unfortunately it has left us with little time to make repairs to the Supersport machine. But we have a good set up at AIM Yamaha and I am sure the crew will pull out all the stops to have the bike up and running in time for Keith to ride it in the Supersport race at Dundrod. More, from a press release issued by Brendan Roberts Racing: British Weather Upsets Roberts Hopes Brendan Roberts suffered a disaster this weekend in the National Superstock Championship at Croft Circuit. After running consistently in second place for most of the practice and qualifying sessions Roberts was only let down in the race by the unpredictable British weather conditions. A brief but heavy shower made Roberts and the Buildbase Ducati team opt for full wet tyres, which could only see him struggle to ninth position in the 14-lap race. In the baking conditions on Friday and Saturday the young Australian looked comfortable on the Ducati 1098 and fresh from his fifth place in the European Championships at Brands Hatch last weekend, it looked like he was to make a welcome return to the podium in the British Championships. After the cancellation to the round at Oulton Park he was eager to get back onto the podium steps in the UK but it sadly was not to be this weekend at Croft. The brisk shower left the track very damp but rapidly drying and it was a tough decision as to what tyres to run with. The Buildbase Team and Roberts stuck with their original decision but the 2.12-mile circuit soaked up the excess water quickly and as the lights turned green Roberts slowly went backwards. Fighting with the 1098 and the tyres wearing out on every lap he had to ensure that he brought the bike home. Battling hard he could only salvage ninth place. A disappointed Roberts commented “I’m really gutted about the results today as the entire Buildbase Ducati team have worked so hard throughout the weekend to get everything perfect. We’d run well all weekend and had a great set up for the bike in the dry conditions. It was a real gamble as to what tyres we used and in the end stayed with the wets, which was obviously the wrong decision. It was the only rain shower of the day and totally turned it up-side-down. I felt very comfortable on the bike during practice and qualifying and was hoping to get the team a podium place for all their hard work and dedication. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to get some decent results at Cadwell Park in a couple of weeks time.” Brendan’s next race in the UK is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. A full timetable of events can be found at the link below: – ~http://www.mcrcb-events.co.uk/gallery/cadwell%20park%20final.pdf~ National Superstock Results Croft Circuit Neill Suzuki Kirkham Yamaha Seeley Yamaha Kennaugh Yamaha Laverty Buildbase Ducati Jackson Yamaha Brogan Honda Venter Yamaha ROBERTS BUILDBASE DUCATI Ingram Suzuki More, from a press release issued by Centurion Racing: Highs and Lows for Centurion Centurion Racing suffered a mixed weekend of results at round ten of the Maxxis British Supersport Championship at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire. Running strong throughout the weekend riders James Westmoreland and Dan Cooper achieved a varied set of results with Westmoreland gaining a confidence boosting eighth place and Cooper crashing out whilst lying in a fantastic eleventh position. The youngsters soon got to grips with the technical 2.12-mile circuit and made good progress throughout practice and qualifying sessions. With Westmoreland consistently running within the top ten and just dropping back to 13th in overall qualifying. Whilst Cooper was making steady in roads all weekend and moving up the time sheets seeing him qualify 12th, his best qualifying position to date. Holding his position off the line Cooper gained a great start and remained 13th after the first lap. Making a move on Sam Owens on lap four he soon began to calve his way through the pack. Looking strong and setting consistently fast lap times, the youngster from Stroud entered the first corner on lap nine too fast and tucked the front forcing him out the race. Dislocating his right shoulder Cooper was unable to remount and finish, after seeking medical attention he is hoping to be fully fit by Cadwell Park. A disappointed Cooper commented “I’m totally gutted, that’s the first time in three years that I’ve crashed in a race. It’s a real shame as I’d improved throughout the weekend and I felt really happy with the way things were going. I’m totally gutted and feel sorry for the team and all my mechanics that worked so hard at Croft. We’d made some big progress here and I was hoping that I could get a decent result to say thanks. My shoulder is very sore but hopefully I will be fully fit by Cadwell in a couple of weeks time.” 19-year-old Westmoreland got tangled up in a number of first lap incidents which pushed him down to 18th position after the first lap. With the safety car being dispatched onto the circuit whilst the stricken debris was cleared Westy was unable to make a move until the car pulled back into the pits. Losing four valuable laps to the safety car the youngster rode an awesome and mature race to bring him back through the pack. As he mastered and manoeuvred his way through the field he was sitting happily in a top ten position by lap 11 of the 18-lap race. With Michael Laverty retiring and passing Alex Lowes, Westy gained a healthy eighth place and another Cup win for the Centurion Team. He said “After a tough qualifying day on Saturday, I refocused myself and came up with the goods on race day. I got a really bad start and gave myself a lot of work to do but I chipped away and managed to finish eighth. The times I did should have been good enough for fourth or fifth position but these things happen and I will take the positives out of the weekend and look forward to Cadwell. I’d like to thank the whole team, my family, fans and Dunlop for a job well done.” The next Supersport race is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. More, from a press release issued by Hawk Colchester Kawasaki: Smart in the Points as Camier makes Impressive Debut Hawk Colchester Kawasaki gained some more Bennetts British Superbike points this weekend with Scott Smart who gained a 14th and 11th place respectively at round ten of the series at Croft, North Yorkshire. Rookie to the team Alex Camier excelled at his first outing on the Hawk Superbike and gained two creditable results of 21st and 17th place. 32-year-old Smart struggled throughout qualifying to find a comfortable set up and a number of changes to the Kawasaki saw him only manage to gain 20th position on the grid for both of the 20-lap races. A good start in the first race saw him raise to 15th position by the end of lap three and he was locked in a tight battle throughout the race with Dean Thomas and Chris Martin, getting the better of the pair as he crossed the line. Another good start in race two saw him swiftly move through the pack and was sitting in a comfortable 13th place by the end of lap five. He soon was up to 11th and looking content. Commenting he said “It’s been a pretty good weekend. We were changing lots of things on the bike during practice and qualifying with some things working well and some not working. We are just trying to develop the bike still and it’s trial and error, we did find some good things this weekend and each time I feel more comfortable. I was disappointed at where I qualified and it’s a shame I wasn’t higher as judging from my results I could have gained a couple of top ten positions, which would have been nice.” 19-year-old Alex Camier exceeded himself this weekend on his debut appearance in the Superbike class in the UK. Each time the youngster rode the bike throughout the weekend he continued to improve his times and by the two races began to feel more comfortable and confident. Speaking with him he said “It’s been a big step for me this weekend, I’ve only riding for Hawk at two meeting so stepping up to the Superbike class for them was a huge opportunity for me. I had a small off early on in the weekend but thankfully didn’t do much damage. They take a lot of getting used to, how they work, handle and also the different tyres. I’m happy with the way things have gone and I’ve learnt an awful lot in three days. It’s been good and hopefully the team will give me a similar opportunity again in the future.” The Hawk Colchester Kawasaki Superstock Cup rider David Hallett suffered this weekend with extremely bad tendonitis and managed to bring the ZX10 home in 31st position. Hallett is likely to receive surgery on the damaged arm in the near future and will be hoping to be back at Cadwell or Donington Park. The next British Superbike race is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. More, from a press release issued by Martin Jessopp Racing: One Point Salvaged for Jessopp after Nightmare weekend The Riders Racing Ducati Team are hoping for a change of luck when they go to Cadwell Park in a couple of weeks time, after another problem struck weekend at round ten of the Maxxis British Supersport Championship at Croft this weekend. 21-year-old Jessopp from Yeovil was hindered throughout the weekend with mechanical and electrical problems on his Ducati 749’s. A variety of issues hit the team which tested them and also meant that the youngster only managed to gain a total of 15-laps throughout the entire practice and qualifying sessions and he was unable to find a comfortable set-up on the Ducati without being hindered in the process. Despite the issues, which saw him qualifying in a low 27th position he got his head down during the 18-lap race and managed to secure 15th place, a strong result considering the circumstances. In front of a huge crowd at the Yorkshire circuit Jessopp really had to focus and battle his way through the packed grid. With two incidents on the first lap, the safety was dispatched to allow debris to be cleared, which meant that Jessopp had to hold his position until the end of the fourth lap. Once the car came in, Jessopp was soon battling his was through the riders in front and was 15th by lap 15. Sadly the front runners had already bridged a big gap in front of Jessopp and although he was putting in some strong lap times he was unable to claw back the distance they had made. A disgruntled Jessopp said “I’m just really disappointed. I could do with a bit of luck heading my way as I’ve had a pretty bad year so far and hoping that we can take a turn for the better at the final three rounds of the Championship. We had a total disaster with the bikes this weekend and both of them seemed to have small problems. Once we fixed them another problem seemed to occur, I don’t know what was going on. The race was difficult as being so far back on the grid meant I had a lot of work to do to try and catch the front runners. With only having done a few laps throughout the weekend I didn’t have the set up I wanted on the bike and didn’t feel as comfortable as I would have liked to. I’m hoping Cadwell sends me a bit of good fortune.” The next Maxxis British Supersport race is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. More, from a press release issued by Littlewood Racing: Bittersweet Croft For Littlewood Racing Gavin Littlewood was looking for a good result at the Croft circuit for round eight of the 2007 Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Cup Championship after recently winning the Ken Redfern Trophy on his RNR Coatings Ltd Suzuki GSXR1000. The weekend started well with Gavin qualifying in eleventh place, less then a second off of the fourth placed front row qualifying time and leaving Gavin confident that he could improve on his position during the race. Gavin got an excellent start and was away with the leaders in sixth position. Although the front three riders pulled away Gavin battled for position in the group fighting for fourth place were he looked to be the fastest rider and Gavin was confident he could take the position. On lap nine Gavin entered the chicane clipping the apex and was thrown out of the seat. Although Gavin suffered no serious injuries in the crash himself the bike cart wheeled viciously down the track causing lots of expensive damage. Gavin is now in need of some financial assistance if he is to get back out on track for the next round at Cadwell Park on the 25/26/27 August. Anyone wishing to help out financially please contact Gavin at [email protected] Gavin Littlewood: I clipped the apex exiting the chicane, which sent the bike out of control and launched me out of the seat. Luckily I walked away with just cuts and bruises but unfortunately the bike cart wheeled to a halt resulting in extensive damage. My riding has moved up a level now and it would be a shame if I could not take advantage of this due to budget constraints. Without some financial help my season will have ended at the Croft chicane. With the improvements I have made in my riding I feel I can make the podium before the season ends if I can get back out on track for Cadwell. More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Hard weekend for Harris and Hydrex Honda at Croft. The Hydrex Honda team had a difficult weekend at round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Croft. Karl Harris qualified in tenth place, finished race one in eleventh and unfortunately, through no fault of his own, he suffered a DNF in race two. The team did test at Croft a number of weeks ago but Harris crashed and injured his back, so they were unable to benefit from the additional track time which then had a knock on effect this weekend. “We’ve struggled all weekend for set up to be honest,” explained Harris, “We made some changes to the bike this morning and they worked, it was a good setting for race one.” With the progress they made in race one the Hydrex crew decided to make further changes, “We made a few more changes for races two and I got into the 1min 20s, the bike felt a lot better,” commented Harris. He was running in a competitive ninth place when it all went wrong. “Unfortunately, Chris Walker put a move on me at the hairpin which wasn’t going to work. He lost the front and took me down,” said the disappointed Harris. Although he hasn’t suffered a serious injury he did tweak his knee in the fall, “Walker’s bike was spinning and I got my leg tangled up with it. It popped my knee out and back in again. The pain was unbelievable at the time but once it popped back in it eased up,” he said. The team and Harris now have two weeks to regroup before the eleventh round at Cadwell Park. Harris loves racing there and is spectacular over the perilous Mountain section of the track. “I can’t wait to get to Cadwell bring it on!” he grinned. The eleventh round of Bennetts British Superbike Championship is on the 25th -27th August at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire and the Ulster GP takes place in Northern Ireland on the 15th 18th August where Hydrex Honda’s Guy Martin will be in action. More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: Another Double Podium for Tunstall Hardinge Ice Valley racer Tom Tunstall came away from the latest round of the British Superbike Championship [BSB] with another two rostrum results making it his forth podium double of the year so far. With the Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire playing host, Yorkshireman Tunstall was keen to put in a strong performance at his local track. The Huddersfield rider excelled in the three free practice sessions and topped the timesheets of the Superbike Cup riders. In the single qualifying session he posted a lap averaging 91.97mph, placing him forth on the grid. “I didn’t get a good run on the qualifying tyres, which is an area I need to build on, but I know I’m quick with the race set-up which looks good for tomorrows races” In the first of the days two races Tunstall struggled off the line and ended the opening lap in fifth. Settling into a fast and consistent pace the Honda mounted rider was up to third by lap 13 and grafting to close down the gap 2.5 second gap to former Cup winner James Buckingham. Starting the final lap it was down to under a second and Tunstall was close enough to attack. As the two riders crossed the line the gap was only 0.02 of a second to the favour of Buckingham. “As a racer I’m disappointed not to have got second as it was so close, I was only two and a half seconds off the winner and I lost two of those on the first lap after a bad start, still third place is good, I’ll see what I can do in race two”¦ “ In the second of the days two 20 lap outings Tunstall was once again fifth after lap one, and up to third by lap five. Having closed down the near three second gap he was unable to get past before the chequered flag collecting third place and his tenth podium of the year. “It’s been a good weekend, another couple of podiums. I’m happy as we’ve had a strong pace in every session and if we keep the momentum going it shouldn’t be too long before I’m on that top step.” The next round takes place at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on the August 27th Bank Holiday weekend.