CHALLENGING OPENING RACE FOR SWAN YAMAHA AT BRANDS HATCH Swan Yamaha endured a challenging opening race at Brands Hatch today (Saturday) at the eighth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. In qualifying the team had an impressive start with Tommy Hill claiming pole at his home round with Michael Laverty starting third on the grid. However in the race the changing conditions meant the team had to make a decision on tyre choice and as the track dried both riders struggled with the wrong option. Hill however was able to pit and return to the track on slicks to set a fastest lap to put him on pole position for tomorrow’s second race with Laverty forced to start from row five in race two. Hill said: “I am gutted really with today; we had a fantastic qualifying session and started from pole, but again in changing conditions we took a gamble and it was unfortunately the wrong one and we just went down the order. We came in and changed tyres so we could salvage a good grid position for the second race tomorrow and that paid off as we start from pole. It could have been a lot worse as Shakey and Hopper didn’t finish on the podium so the credits remain the same but we are definitely looking to get the Swan Yamaha back on the podium tomorrow.” Laverty said: It’s been a busy day and I have hardly been out of my leathers but we have worked hard as a team and had a good qualifying to start third. I was looking forward to the race but it just didn’t work out with the tyre choice and it wasn’t an easy race for me. I now have a fifth row start for the next race tomorrow which will make it difficult but I just need a good start as I know we have the race pace.” Team Manager Gary Ekerold concluded: “It has been a busy day for the Swan Yamaha team and we had an excellent start to the day in qualifying with Tommy taking pole and Michael in third, so both riders on the front row for collectively the best of the season. The first race was again in changing conditions and it didn’t turn out as we had hoped, but on the up side neither Shane Byrne or John Hopkins scored any further podium credits and Tommy will start from pole for the second race tomorrow so it could have been a lot worse.” More, from another press release issued by Swan Yamaha: SWAN YAMAHA’S HILL SCORES HOME VICTORY AT BRANDS HATCH The Swan Yamaha team celebrated victory in the final MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship race of the weekend on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit today (Sunday) as Tommy Hill took his fifth win of the season to consolidate his position in the end of season Showdown. In the second race of the weekend Hill had been embroiled in an intense battle with title rival Shane Byrne but was forced to settle for second, but in race three he came back fighting at his home circuit to lead the race from the start and maintain his position. Michael Laverty showed impressive pace in the second race to carve his way through the field from a fifth row start to secure fourth, which he followed up in the final race with another fourth after challenging for third place in the closing stages. Hill said: “It’s been a great day and I am happy that we could be back on the podium in both races for Swan Yamaha. In the second race I tried to make a move on Shakey going in to Paddock Hill Bend but it was a bit brave and it just didn’t work out, but I knew I needed to try and make a lunge. Hopper was closing us down and I knew we needed as main Podium Credits as possible. We knew we would be in the ball park for the third race so we just made a few tweaks and then was ready for the last race. “The third race was probably the best ride of my season so far. I knew I needed to get off the line and Hopper and Shakey kept the pressure on me; I just had to bite the screen and keep pushing to try and get a bit of an advantage. The three of us (who finished on the podium) keep raising the bar and we just need to keep doing that at every round. We are in the top six now for the Showdown and we can concentrate on the podium credits at Cadwell Park and then fighting for the wins over the final three rounds. I need to thank the Swan Yamaha team, it was a shame about yesterday’s first race result but now we are looking forward to Cadwell Park.” Laverty said: “It has been a frustrating day for me really and the results don’t really reflect the pace that we have had this weekend. In race two I had to start from the fifth row of the grid and it was hard work to come through the field and by the time I did, the leading three had an advantage. In the races I was able to run a string of consistent fast laps and knew we had the pace to win, but thought we could try in race three starting from the front row. I was behind Shakey and he was strong on the brakes and on the exit of the corner but where the Swan Yamaha was faster was mid corner and I just couldn’t get passed him. I wasn’t prepared for us both to end up in the gravel trap with a bit of an over ambitious move because fourth place kept us inside the top six. We know we have the pace to win so now we have to focus on Cadwell Park and trying to maintain that top six place and score some Podium Credits for our championship.” Team Manager Gary Ekerold concluded: “It would have been nice to have a fourth race this weekend as we know that both Tommy and Michael could still have made some further improvements after a strong weekend. To score another win for Tommy was a great result and Michael again scored consistently to maintain his position in the standings and he pushed Byrne all the way in the final race of the weekend. We now look forward to Cadwell Park where we will be aiming to return to the podium in the three races.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: John Hopkins has significantly narrowed the gap to the lead of the 2011 British Superbike Championship after placing fourth in the first race of this weekend’s programme at the Brands Hatch GP circuit. His team-mate Jon Kirkham placed ninth. Today’s was a busy schedule with two practices this morning followed by qualifying then the first race of the weekend this afternoon. With restrictions on the GP circuit meaning this morning was the first time the riders got to practice on the full circuit. It was a testing-time for the team as it endeavoured to find the best set-ups for the three races this weekend: Hopkins was again a top-runner throughout, placed second then quickest in this morning’s practices. In qualifying he missed pole position by just 0.047-seconds. The first race, this afternoon, saw a dramatic change in conditions as a light drizzle fell over the circuit. Hopkins elected to ride on intermediate tyres. After challenging for the lead at mid-distance, he dropped to fourth as the track dried and his tyres degraded. Kirkham hit a technical issue that meant he only rode three laps in first practice. He recovered well to make 11th-fastest in second practice but missed-out on making the final 10 in qualifying. Starting race one from P16 he pulled through to an impressive ninth by the flag, only 22-seconds off the lead. John Hopkins: “It’s been a great weekend so far. I’m very pleased with the set-up on the bike and I’m really enjoying this circuit. With the light rain at the start of the race this afternoon it was a difficult one to predict, although most of us started on intermediates. I took it steady to begin with as I wanted to make sure the grip was there. So after a few laps I was able to attack, but as the track dried I had to surrender a couple of places or risk crashing. “The good news was my closest rivals didn’t fare so well and dropped out of the points so I’m now just 19 points off the lead and I’m guaranteed into the Showdown. The bad news is those same rivals were able to play the rule book today so they could out-qualify us for tomorrow’s race. Effectively running today’s race like a qualifier, coming in for slicks and going for a fast lap. That’s disappointing for me – and even the winner Josh Brookes – after all the hard work we put in.” Jon Kirkham: “Not the best start today – missing most of that first practice session with a technical issue – and that put me on the back foot for set-up. And I guess that led me to the point where I missed out on making the cut for Q3 by 0.3-seconds. “The race wasn’t my best, I got boxed in at the start so didn’t get away with the group I needed to be in. But it got better and my best lap time was less than 0.2-seconds off Hopper’s – and only just a bit more off the winner’s, so it wasn’t all bad.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “A good day’s work from both the lads. Hopper’s been at the sharp-end throughout, missing pole by the narrowest of margins. He rode a sensible race today; a podium would have been helpful, but he tried everything he could. JK rode a tremendous race as well. The results may not reflect how well he did, but he certainly did a great job and showed a strong race pace. “I should be very pleased with two top-10 finishes in such tricky conditions, but we’ve suffered a little due to the BSB rules today. During the race, a number of our competitors – running out of contention – pitted and came out again on slicks. They finished out of the points but were able to put in some fast laps – enough to push Hopper and JK onto rows three and four. Being on intermediates and in the thick-of-the-race, there was no way they could do anything to respond to that. Even the race winner will start tomorrow from row three. “So while the boys have done some fantastic work this weekend, they’ve been ambushed for when we come to the first race tomorrow. We can’t be too sore about it – we all know the rules – but it does leave mixed-feelings knowing the lads are going to have a very tough first race tomorrow through no fault of their own.” MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship: Race one result: 1 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 2 Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +2.072s 3 Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +2.322s 4 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +6.022s 5 Chris Walker (Pr1mo Racing Kawasaki) +8.111s 6 James Westmoreland (Motorpoint Yamaha) +10.783s 7 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +11.626s 8 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +18.849s 9 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Suzuki) +22.729s 10 Glen Richards (WFR Honda) +26.227s More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: John Hopkins enjoyed two visits to the BSB podium today to end the eighth round of the 2011 British Superbikes Championship at the Brands Hatch GP circuit on a high note. Hopkins placed 4-3-2 for the weekend and his Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki team-mate Jon Kirkham placed 9-8-10. For both Hopkins and Kirkham it was a tough first race today having to battle from the third and fourth rows respectively at the start. Hopkins was in fine form and despite gear-shift issues, was able to fight his way through the traffic to have the leaders in his sights as the chequered flag fell, finishing third. Kirkham also rode a strong race to come through to eighth, 17-seconds behind the winner. Hopkins had a front-row start for the final race and capitalised on this to take second position off the start. He held on to the leader, Tommy Hill, for most of the race-distance but wasn’t able to attack and so settled for second to secure yet more podium credits. Kirkham also made a good start but after getting hemmed-in at the first turn found himself in an eight-bike battle for eighth, finally finishing in 10th. John Hopkins: “It all went well today. We had a little issue with shifting gear in that first race and so I couldn’t ride as hard as I’d like to have, but I was very happy to pick up that last podium credit. In the second race the bike was perfect and everything was great but Tommy Hill rode really well; I couldn’t have ridden any harder; it hurts to be beaten, but we did what was needed. “Importantly I’m now secure in the top six for the Showdown and that’s exciting and something I can really look forward to. Going to Cadwell Park I don’t need to worry about Championship points and will instead ride for the podium credits – they’re most-important now. Once again the team proved just how good it is this weekend, sorting the shifter-issues between races today and the bike was perfect for that last race. We’re looking set for a great time at Cadwell Park.” Jon Kirkham: “Three top-10 finishes from three rides – I should be happy with that after my recent run of bad luck, but I can’t be totally happy though: The first race today was hard work, so to come away with a second-row start for the last race was a good outcome. But then I got trapped in the pack on turn one and all the good work was undone. I got some decent lap times in but got stuck behind another rider, so the result could have been better. “I know the Title Fighters really is a long shot for me now: 24 points doesn’t sound so much but at this level all the riders know how to get results. I’ve still got the goal to improve my results though and I think top-six finishes are achievable – as long as I get my starts sorted! I’m still looking to improve.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: ‘It’s been a tough but successful weekend. We’ve got a strong set of results. Overall I think Hopper netted the most points of any rider this weekend – again he’s been a consistent and strong points scorer, showing the kind of form which is going to be decisive come the Showdown. He’s off to Brno now for a little MotoGP action and the whole team is willing him to do well; he’s on top form. “JK had a better weekend. Unfortunately so did the other riders around him who are all vying for that final spot on the Title Fighters list. He’s only 24 points off that sixth position and with three races to run at Cadwell Park; mathematically he could do it, but I think we’ll need quite a few factors to come into play for it to go his way and we have to be realistic. The important thing is JK is showing good form. I can see he’s riding with a lot more confidence and building on this weekend, top-six finishes at Cadwell Park should be possible.” 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship: Race two results: 1 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.580s 3 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +1.853s 4 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +4.016s 5 Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +6.891s 6 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +14.036s 7 Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki World Superbike) +17.006s 8 Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +17.175s 9 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +17.180s 10 Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) +17.370s Race three results: 1 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 2 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +4.113s 3 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +5.236s 4 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +5.409s 5 Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +10.705s 6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +11.049s 7 Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +13.689s 8 Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki WSB) +13.950s 9 Peter Hickman (WFR Honda) +19.382s 10 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +19.770s 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings: 1 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 255 2 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) 231 3 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 210 4 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 163 5 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 146 6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 135 9 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) 112 More, from another press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing went one-one in both British Superbike and British Supersport classes today at the Brands Hatch BSB Triple-Header: Australian Josh Brookes claimed his first-ever BSB victory in Suzuki livery – moving into fifth place in the Championship standings with an astute tyre choice – and Ulsterman Alastair Seeley sealed another great victory for the team aboard his GSX-R600 Suzuki. The only tinge of disappointment for Brookes is having to do all the hard work again tomorrow from the fourth-row-of-the-grid, despite his victory: Some of his rivals – who eventually finished outside the points – came in to change tyres, helping them post somewhat contentious front row grid positions for tomorrow’s second outing. After taking the British Supersport Pole on his GSX-R600, Seeley went on to take his fourth victory of the season – from 10 podiums to date – ahead of Championship leader Ben Wilson. Seeley has reduced the deficit in the Championship standings to 48 points. Race two takes place tomorrow. Josh Brookes: “The bike was perfect for the conditions and despite many other riders also on intermediate tyres; I didn’t have any problems at all; even on the first four or five laps when water was still visible. I was confident to push and I had to because I was starting from row four. It proves how good a team we have to work through these conditions, but I’m disappointed at having to start from the fourth row again tomorrow.” Alastair Seeley: “That’s one part of the job done this weekend and it’s always nice to take another win for the all-new GSX-R600. I’ve closed the gap on Ben a little today and will be looking to do a similar job tomorrow, although it would be good to have some of the other boys in the mix to create an ever bigger gap in the points at the end of the weekend if we can pull off another win. Four wins from 10 podiums shows the strength we have in depth and I believe we’ll get stronger and mount a serious challenge on the run-in.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “We have had both bitter and sweet memories from our time racing at Brands Hatch. There have been some very tough days but others with wins in Superstock and Supersport; and of course that first Superbike victory here last year with Alastair. “Obviously we are over the moon to see Josh getting his first win for the team after such a big effort and many ups-and-downs, but days like this keeps everyone pushing on and striving for success. Along with Josh, we made the correct tyre choice. He rode superbly and never looked like he was going to be beaten. “For Alastair, it was another superb display of brilliance, but fair play to Ben Wilson – he tried very hard. Alastair is a smart ‘wee cookie’ and covered every move on the last lap. It’s been a great day for our team and all our sponsors; so a big thank you to Suzuki, Relentless, Worx, Beacon Security, Red Torpedo and all our other faithful sponsors.” British Superbike Championship – race one result: 1.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 2.Michael Rutter (Ducati) +2.072s 3.Gary Mason (Kawasaki) +2.322s 4.John Hopkins [Suzuki) +6.022s 5.Chris Walker (Kawasaki) +8.111s 6.James Westmoreland (Yamaha) +10.783s 7.Graeme Gowland (Honda) +11.626s 8.Michael Laverty (Yamaha) +18.849s 9.Jon Kirkham (Suzuki) +22.729s 10.Glen Richards [Honda) +26.227s More, from another press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: After taking his debut British Superbike win for Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing on Saturday, Josh Brookes suffered a day of mixed fortunes at Brands today. Despite his race one victory, the Australian was forced to start Sunday’s first outing from the fourth row of the grid, and from there he battled valiantly to finish a creditable sixth after 20 laps. But in today’s second outing, where Brookes started from the second row of the grid and was confident of fighting for a podium position, he was forced to retire in the early laps after a minor oil leak on his GSX-R1000. Josh Brookes: “I feel bad for the team tonight. They always work so hard and for a tiny oil leak to end our race – after all the hard work – is disappointing. Bitter and sweet is how I’d describe this weekend. I did try very hard but sometimes you just need that little bit of luck too. I’m happy with race two where I came from 13th to sixth but it doesn’t change the fact that it was only sixth when we are looking for podiums.” Philip Neill – Team Manager “It’s been another up and down weekend, although we will take the positives away from this round. Unfortunately Josh suffered a DNF in the third race due to a cracked oil pressure sensor. However his first race victory and his strong ride through the pack in race two to finish sixth does give us strong belief that we are not out of this Championship yet. British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch – race two results: 1. Shane Byrne (Honda) 2.Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.580s 3.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +1.853s 4.Michael Laverty (Yamaha) +4.016s 5.Michael Rutter (Ducati) +6.891s 6.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +14.036s 7.Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) +17.006s 8.Martin Jessopp (Ducati) +17.175s 9.Jon Kirkham (Crescent) +17.180s 10.Peter Hickman (Honda) +17.375s British Superbike Championship standings: 1. Shane Byrne (Honda) 255 2.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 231 3.Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 210 4.Michael Laverty (Yamaha) 163 5.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 146 6.Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 135 More, from another press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Alastair Seeley produced a masterful performance at Brands Hatch in Kent today taking his fifth British Supersport victory of the season and his second series ‘Double’ of 2011 for the Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing team. The Carrickfergus rider also reduced the deficit over series leader Ben Wilson to 43 points after his perfect 50-point haul on the all-new GSX-R600 Suzuki – and in the process recorded the fastest lap of the race. Seeley has now won Superstock, Superbike and Supersport races in consecutive years at the Brands Hatch circuit. Alastair Seeley: “I really enjoyed that tussle today with Ben and although there was some contact, it wasn’t dangerous and reminded me of my motocross days. Rubbing is racing as they say and although the lap times were not spectacular, we got the job done. I’m now looking forward to moving on to Cadwell Park and keeping the pressure on. This Championship is far from over yet.” Philip Neill – Team Manager “Alastair was simply superb in possibly one of the best races we’ve ever witnessed in British Championship. Fair play to Ben, as he really doesn’t want to finish second, but once again Alastair would simply not settle for anything less than the win. He’s only a small lad but his performance today proved that he will not be pushed around.” British Supersport Championship – Race two results: 1. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 2. Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) +0.030s 3. Matthew Whitman (Triumph) +4.893s 4. Jack Kennedy (Yamaha) + 4.897s 5. Paul Young (Triumph) +5.402s British Supersport Championship standings (after round 8): 1. Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) 308 2. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 265 3. Billy McConnell (Triumph) 148 4. Paul Young (Triumph) 141 5. Sam Warren (Yamaha) 140 More, from a press release issued by Honda: MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 08 SATURDAY/SUNDAY 6/7 AUGUST BRANDS HATCH GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT Weather Bright Temperature: Ambient 18 degrees C / Track 30 degrees C Weekend Attendance: 45,000 BYRNE BOOKS HIS PLACE IN SEASON SHOWDOWN Shane Byrne provided the cheer as he consolidated his lead in the MCE Insurance British Superbike title chase amid what was a bitter-sweet weekend for his HM Plant Honda team who saw their reigning three times champion Ryuichi Kiyonari struggling across this crucial triple race eighth round at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. Byrne with a victory in the first of Sunday’s two races and then a hard earned third ensured his qualification as one of the six title fighters in the Showdown finale sequence to decide the outcome of the crown, but Kiyonari whose best result, sixth, came in the third race, needs high scores next time out at Cadwell Park to stay on track to retain the silverware. Kiyonari, returning fresh from his fourth victory in the Suzuka Eight Hours race, was on the back foot after qualifying for the opening Saturday afternoon race left him languishing on the fifth row of the grid after changes had been made and new settings that were tried did not work. Byrne had also experienced problems, changing engines between the two earlier free practice sessions, but then riding hard to secure fifth fastest time and a second row start for a race that was blighted by light rain falling minutes before the start. That prompted a brief wet practice session, which few riders took part in, together with gambles on tyre choice. Both Byrne and Kiyonari went the wrong way, opting for wets, and both pitted during the race to change tyres, returning to the now virtually dry track to put in the fast laps that decided the starting positions for the first of the two Sunday races. Neither rider scored points in the Saturday race, but their lap times secured front row starts, Byrne in the third slot with Kiyonari alongside for the second race of the weekend in which title contender Tommy Hill made the early running on his Yamaha. Byrne was fourth on the opening lap, but was soon making headway to be second on the fourth lap. Then at Surtees on the sixth lap, Byrne made his move, taking the lead and then holding off the fierce challenges from Hill as they slugged it out, for much of the race never more than a third of a second apart, before Byrne ended a six race run without a win by taking his fourth victory of the campaign. Kiyonari in contrast was never in the hunt, slipping back down the pack, running tenth on the opening lap and finishing a distant twelfth and making his position worse, his lap times were such that he had a fourth row start for the final race of the weekend while Byrne was again on the front row. Byrne made a good start, but had to be content running third behind the eventual race winner Hill and Hopkins with the Honda rider later explaining that he had concerns about a vibration from his rear wheel when he tried to push on. Kiyonari ended a lack lustre weekend on a relatively high note as he came in sixth. Graeme Gowland excelled aboard the WFR Honda finishing the opening race in seventh place overall as he won the BSB-EVO class and he was again well on the pace next time out, eleventh overall and winner of the class. And he completed the hat-trick of victories, again eleventh overall in the third race, but his team-mate Glen Richards leads the title stakes. Honda rider quotes after the races: Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda): “We had a second row start for the first race which wasn’t the end of the world, but in the race we made the wrong choice on tyres and that meant we were always going to struggle. We came back in and threw some slicks in so we could get a decent position on the grid for the second race. I was really chuffed to win that one. If you only knew how difficult the weekend has been. It has been drama after drama. We only put in about 10 flying laps before the grid decider. One of the mechanics got a scolded hand as an engine overheated, but the guys turned the bike around for me and it was pretty spot on. I was on the edge in the closing stages, but winning is good. In the third race I rode as hard as I could but had a vibration from the rear tyre and I decided that first and third on the day was better that a first and a dnf.” Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda): “Qualifying was difficult for me and we tried a completely new setting, but it didn’t work the way we wanted and we didn’t have time to make any more changes. In the first race we selected the wrong tyre, like many other riders, and it was just a mistake. We changed settings for the first Sunday race after morning warm up to try and give me confidence in the front of the bike, but the feeling was not good. We went back to the original settings and improved the front feel. I was cautious in the early laps of the third race of the weekend, but I didn’t want to push too hard and crash. It was not easy but we tried to improve but it was frustrating not to be fighting at the front. We have much to improve on and I need to be back on the podium Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda): “The races have been pretty good and it was a case of picking off riders one by one and I came through well.It was a really good feeling to get past the factory Kawasaki. I kept it nice and steady, the bike was was working really well, ran high corner speeds, it was just about perfect. It has been a great weekend and now we have to keep it going.” RESULTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE RACE1: POS / RIDER / NAT / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / GAP 1 / Josh BROOKES / Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS / 22:53.718 / 2 / Michael RUTTER / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 22:55.790 / 2.072 3 / Gary MASON / Kawasaki – MSS Colchester Kawasaki / 22:56.040 / 2.322 4 / John HOPKINS / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 22:59.740 / 6.022 5 / Chris WALKER / Kawasaki – Pr1mo Racing / 23:01.829 / 8.111 6 / James WESTMORELAND / Yamaha – Motorpoint Yamaha / 23:04.501 / 10.783 7 / Graeme GOWLAND / Honda – Team WFR / 23:05.344 / 11.626 8 / Michael LAVERTY / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 23:12.567 / 18.849 9 / Jon KIRKHAM / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 23:16.447 / 22.729 10 / Glen RICHARDS / Honda – Team WFR / 23:19.945 / 26.227 11 / Ian LOWRY / BMW – Buildbase BMW Motorrad / 23:44.366 / 50.648 12 / Patric MUFF / Honda – Tyco Honda / 23:44.590 / 50.872 13 / Dan KNEEN / Kawasaki – Marks Bloom Racing / 23:44.832 / 51.114 14 / Jake ZEMKE / Honda – Team WFR / 23:46.732 / 53.014 15 / Barry BURRELL / BMW – Buildbase BMW Motorrad / 23:51.894 / 58.176 Fastest lap: Tommy HILL Yamaha – Swan Yamaha Lap 14 1:26.459 163.05 Km/h RACE2: POS / RIDER / NAT / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / GAP 1 / Shane BYRNE / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 29:01.030 / 2 / Tommy HILL / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 29:01.610 / 0.580 3 / John HOPKINS / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 29:02.883 / 1.853 4 / Michael LAVERTY / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 29:05.046 / 4.016 5 / Michael RUTTER / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 29:07.921 / 6.891 6 / Josh BROOKES / Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS / 29:15.066 / 14.036 7 / Joan LASCORZ / Kawasaki – Kawasaki WSB Team / 29:18.036 / 17.006 8 / Jon KIRKHAM / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 29:18.205 / 17.175 9 / Martin JESSOPP / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 29:18.210 / 17.180 10 / Peter HICKMAN / Honda – Tyco Honda / 29:18.405 / 17.375 11 / Graeme GOWLAND / Honda – Team WFR / 29:20.203 / 19.173 12 / Ryuichi KIYONARI / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 29:24.527 / 23.497 13 / Broc PARKES / Kawasaki – Kawasaki WSB Team / 29:24.572 / 23.542 14 / Glen RICHARDS / Honda – Team WFR / 29:26.770 / 25.740 15 / Chris WALKER / Kawasaki – Pr1mo Racing / 29:26.822 / 25.792 Fastest lap: Tommy HILL Yamaha – Swan Yamaha Lap 17 1:26.460 163.05 Km/h RACE3: POS / RIDER / NAT / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / GAP 1 / Tommy HILL / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 28:55.830 / 2 / John HOPKINS / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 28:59.943 / 4.113 3 / Shane BYRNE / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 29:01.066 / 5.236 4 / Michael LAVERTY / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 29:01.239 / 5.409 5 / Michael RUTTER / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 29:06.535 / 10.705 6 / Ryuichi KIYONARI / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 29:06.879 / 11.049 7 / Gary MASON / Kawasaki – MSS Colchester Kawasaki / 29:09.519 / 13.689 8 / Joan LASCORZ / Kawasaki – Kawasaki WSB Team / 29:09.780 / 13.950 9 / Peter HICKMAN / Honda – Tyco Honda / 29:15.212 / 19.382 10 / Jon KIRKHAM / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 29:15.600 / 19.770 11 / Graeme GOWLAND / Honda – Team WFR / 29:16.389 / 20.559 12 / Broc PARKES / Kawasaki – Kawasaki WSB Team / 29:18.329 / 22.499 13 / James ELLISON / Honda – Team SorryMate.com / 29:21.327 / 25.497 14 / James WESTMORELAND / Yamaha – Motorpoint Yamaha / 29:21.395 / 25.565 15 / Chris WALKER / Kawasaki – Pr1mo Racing / 29:24.568 / 28.738 Fastest lap: John HOPKINS Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing Lap 7 1:26.163 163.61 Km/h CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TO DATE: 1 BYRNE 255, 2 HOPKINS 231, 3 HILL 210, 4 LAVERTY 163, 5 BROOKES 146, 6 KIYONARI 135, 7 RUTTER 130, 8 MASON 115, 9 KIRKHAM 112, 10 HICKMAN 98, 11 EASTON 89, 12 BAZ 88, 13 WALKER 77, 14 WESTMORELAND 59, 15 LINFOOT 49. NEXT EVENT: ROUND 09 SUNDAY AUGUST 21, CADWELL PARK More, from a press release issued by Marty Nutt’s publicist: Tough weekend but top ten for Nutt at Brands Marty Nutt and the Nutt travel.com/Dawn/T&G team endured a long and tough weekend at Brands Hatch but their hard work was finally rewarded at the latest round of the British Supersport Championship with a solid top ten finish. After taking 21st in Saturday’s race, the Coleraine rider bounced back strongly to take tenth in Sunday’s feature race, a huge lift for all concerned. After suffering with a broken clutch after just 5 laps of Saturday’s free practice session, Marty fought back from the lack of track time to post the 17th fastest time in qualifying for a fifth row start in Saturday’s ‘Sprint’ race. The safety car was immediately deployed after a three-rider crash at Paddock Hill and Marty crossed the line at the end of the first lap in 20th place, a position he was ultimately unable to improve upon. Indeed, he was shuffled back to a disappointing 21st place at the chequered flag as he again struggled with speed off the corners. The result also meant he was further back on the grid for Sunday’s longer race. The initial race start was red flagged due to an incident so it was restarted over 14 laps only to be stopped again when the Triumph pairing of Dan Cooper and Luke Mossey crashed out. The race was started for a third time and at the end of the first lap Marty had advanced forward significantly to 15th place and this soon became 14th a lap later. Jimmy Hill crashed out on lap 5 promoting Marty further and when he overtook John Simpson he was up to 12th with half of the race still to run. Indeed, lapping quicker than he had done all weekend, Marty was rewarded at the chequered flag with a strong 10th place to put a smile on the faces of all of the team. Speaking later, a relieved Marty commented; “I’ll take that! After the weekend we’ve had, I’d have been happy with a point so to finish in the top ten is a major boost to all of us as we’ve got a distinct lack of grunt off the corners and it’s really hurting us at all of the circuits at the moment. I was on the edge of the top 15 throughout practice and qualifying but that was when I was lapping on my own – as soon as I get into a race situation, we’re being punished. We tried a few different things for Saturday’s race but they didn’t help at all whilst I was also suffering from a lack of rear grip. I don’t know if the rain shower earlier had caused it but I was struggling in so many areas.” “I changed the gearing drastically for Sunday’s race and stretched the rev limit out although that was putting a bit of extra stress on the engine. There were a few crashes out there which obviously helped us but I also managed to overtake a few people too so it was nice to round the weekend off with a good, enjoyable race. I knew it would take us a few rounds to get up to speed what with it being a new bike and all that but we don’t seem to be making the headway I’d hoped for and it’s frustrating as I’m giving it absolutely everything every time I go out. We are making improvements though and there’s a 3-week gap now until the next round so we’ll keep our heads down, keep working hard and look for some strong results at Cadwell.” Marty will be back in action at Cadwell Park with the Lincolnshire venue hosting Round 9 on August 27-29. More, from a press release issued by Buildbase BMW: Buildbase BMW Motorrad leave Brands with a championship lead and two trophies. The Buildbase BMW Motorrad team leave the Brands Hatch triple-header weekend with the Metzeler Superstock 1000 Championship lead and two podium finishes. Richard Cooper finished second and secured first place in the Superstock series, with a 6.5-point lead. In a thrilling race, which shook up the championship standings, Richard Cooper started third on the grid and soon led the pack. A few laps later, he was dicing with Howie Mainwaring and closing on him when the race was called at two-thirds distance due to heavy rainfall. Richard took second place and, more importantly, shot to the top of the championship standings. Richard Cooper said: “For the first time in 11 years racing I’m leading a championship! And it feels like it’s coming at the right time. We’ve had some stellar results with the team and we’re at the top of our game week in and week out. As for today’s race, it was good, and I think I could have won if it’d gone full distance. But the important thing is that we beat the people we needed to beat and we’re now leading the series. Thanks to everyone involved.” Barry Burrell, riding the BSB-EVO spec BMW S 1000 RR race bike, finished third in class and 16th overall in Sunday’s first race. Ian Lowry, riding a BSB-spec bike, had to pull out of the race early with a minor technical fault. The team set to work to remove and replace his engine with a spare to get him out in time for the second BSB race of the day. Despite a slight delay due to a twice red-flagged Superstock 600 race, the third and final BSB race of the weekend got underway on a dry track. Unfortunately, Ian Lowry crashed out on the second lap. Barry Burrell worked his way through the EVO field and finished fourth in class, taking some very welcome points. Stuart Hicken, team principal, said: “Well some things went according to plan this weekend and some didn’t. Richard rode very, very well and took both second place and the lead in the Superstock 1000 championship. He’s been on top form for a long time now and he deserves this. “Barry took a third place and a solid fourth today, He’s still second in the EVO championship and now has a 25-point lead over third place. Unfortunately things didn’t go so well for Ian, who dropped out of then second race due to a very minor fault and slipped off his bike during the third. Thankfully he’s ok, but it’s very frustrating for him, especially after showing such a good pace in qualifying and the first race. But we’re all looking forward to Cadwell Park for the next races.” Superstock 1000 race results 1) Howie Mainwaring (MSS Kawasaki) 2) Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 3) Luke Quigley (Astro BMW) 4) Jimmy Storrar (Storrar BMW) 5) Tristan Palmer (GBMoto Honda) Superstock 1000 Championship points 1) 130.5pts – Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 2) 124pts – Danny Buchan (MSS Kawasaki) 3) 79pts – Howie Mainwaring (MSS Kawasaki) 4) 76pts – Tristan Palmer (GBMoto Honda) 5) 73pts – Luke Quigley (Astro BMW) BSB race one result 1) John Brookes (Relentless TAS Suzuki) 2) Michael Rutter (Rapid Ducati) 3) Gary Mason (MSS Kawasaki) 4) John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent) 5) Chris Walker (Primo Kawasaki) 11) Ian Lowry (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 15) Barry Burrell (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) BSB-EVO race two result 1) Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) 2) Glen Richards (WFR Honda) 3) Barry Burrell (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 4) Patric Muff (Tyco Honda) 5) Scott Smart (Moto Rapido Ducati) BSB-EVO race three result 1) Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) 2) Glen Richards (WFR Honda) 3) Jake Zemke (WFR Honda) 4) Barry Burrell (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 5) Scott Smart (Moto Rapido Ducati) BSB-EVO championship standings 1) 277pts – Glen Richards (WFR Honda) 2) 207pts – Barry Burrell (Buildbase BMW Motorrad) 3) 182pts – Patric Muff (Tyco Honda) 4) 159pts – Simon Andrews (MSS Kawasaki) 5) 156pts – Scott Smart (Moto Rapido Ducati) More, from a press release issued by Sorrymate.com Honda: Luck deserts Ellison and sorrymate.com Honda at Brands Good fortune was in short supply for James Ellison and the sorrymate.com Honda squad at Brands Hatch over the weekend with just one points scoring finish to show for their efforts in the latest round of the British Superbike Championship. A combination of technical problems and sheer bad luck in both practice and the races meant that James could only take a solitary 13th place in the last of the 3 races and that was a number that summed up the weekend for the team. The weekend started well for James though with the 10th fastest time in Friday’s free practice session, albeit on the shorter Indy circuit, but on Saturday morning, the bike ground to a halt on his out lap and he was unable to post a time. A component failure within the electronics system was later diagnosed and it lost him valuable time around the longer GP circuit. Nevertheless, despite having to ride without the electronic aid in qualifying, he recorded the 12th fastest time and only just missed out on Q3. With a race on Saturday afternoon, James had high hopes of making a serious impression on the top ten but a rain shower just before the race threw everyone’s plans into chaos. As the rain eased, the team, like a number of others, ran out of time to change tyres on the grid and so James started with a wet front and an intermediate rear. With the track rapidly drying, it proved to be the wrong combination and he soon pulled in, as did Championship leader Shane Byrne, to change to dry tyres. Although he was two laps down, he went back out to finish 24th but, more importantly, post the 9th fastest lap for grid position for Sunday’s opening race. Sadly, the starting position was all to no avail as further bad luck struck on the warm up lap when a speed sensor bracket broke and James had little option other than to pull in at the end of the lap, his race over before it had even begun. That meant he was put back down to 17th on the grid for the third and final race of the weekend. However, he again dug deep and progressed to 13th to pick up 3 Championship points, the least the hard working team deserved. Speaking afterwards, James said: “We’ve had everything thrown at us this weekend and whatever could have gone wrong has gone wrong and bad luck seems to be following me around at the moment. A combination of factors have followed us throughout the three days and most of it’s stemmed from the fly-by-wire system. It’s a complex piece of equipment but we’ve got so little information with it at the moment and have been trying to test it whilst we’ve been here this weekend. There’s a delay when I shut off which means the throttle isn’t closing when it should and, that in turn, means I’m going into the corners too quick. It’s also changing from corner to corner and that’s making it unpredictable, to say the least. It’s been a frustrating weekend for everyone and I joined the team to try and give Robin and all the boys the results we all know they’re capable of but we’ve kept digging in and kept fighting all the way to the very end. That 13th place was probably one of the hardest rides I’ve ever had, from beginning to end so, hopefully, all of our hard work will come to fruition next time out.” Team owner Robin Croft added: “That has to be one of the hardest weekend’s we’ve ever had as a team – in every aspect! We all stuck together though and whilst 13th obviously isn’t where we want to be, it was a finish and a few points, which was a plus point after the previous two races. We’re all looking for better though – me, James and the team – so we’ll all take a couple of days off, have a breather and come back stronger at the next round. Luck has definitely deserted us this weekend and finishing in the number 13 spot couldn’t have been more apt!” The next round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Cadwell Park, August 27-29. More, from a press release issued by Conor Cummins’ publicist: Cummins narrowly misses the points at Brands Manx ace Conor Cummins narrowly missed out on the points at Brands Hatch on Sunday when he finished in 18th place in the latest round of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship. The Blackhorse Kawasaki rider was looking to make it two successive points scoring finishes but he missed out by just two seconds after another strong ride. A solid start to the weekend saw Conor post the 19th fastest time in the first qualifying session around the 2.43-mile GP circuit and he went quicker still in the second and final session, taking three tenths off his time to record a new best of 1m30.659s. Although he slipped back to 22nd, he was only just over 1.5s off pole position and well in contention for scoring points come race day. An excellent start to the 15-lap race made that possibility come closer to reality as he leapt up to 16th place at the end of the first lap, right on the tail of fellow road racer John McGuinness. It was here where Conor remained until lap 4 when fellow Kawasaki rider Patrick Medcalf pushed him back a place to 17th but he was still well in contention for the points, part of an eight rider group battling for 12th place. Although Chris Northover and Lee Costello overhauled him, he remained in 18th when team-mate Victor Cox crashed out but any hopes of climbing any higher were ended when the race was stopped prematurely due to a rain shower hitting the Kent venue and so he had to settle for another 18th place finish. Speaking afterwards, a satisfied Conor said: “Whilst I didn’t finish in the points today, I thoroughly enjoyed today’s race and learnt an awful lot about the bike so it should stand us in good stead for the rest of the season. I got a really good start and made a good jump forward so the plan was to run as consistent a pace as I could. I was right behind John so wanted to follow him but I made a couple of mistakes here and there and struggled for consistency which was why I ended up dropping back a bit. It’s been hard to find a good set-up this weekend but the bike was a lot better for the race and if it wasn’t for my little mistakes I’m sure we could have been in the points.” “It’s a new bike and we’re learning all the time, continually making strides forward so it would be great if we could get some solid, consistent finishes in the final few rounds. I’m enjoying myself and am getting ever closer to being where I want to be so a big thanks to everyone in the Blackhorse Kawasaki team and my personal sponsors – we’re not a million miles away so we can be confident heading to the next round.” Before that though, Conor returns to the roads and the Ulster Grand Prix, where he’ll link up once more with the McAdoo Racing Kawasaki squad. Practice around the Dundrod circuit gets underway on Wednesday. More, from a press release issued by AP Kawasaki: BRILLIANT BRANDS FOR AP KAWASAKI The AP Kawasaki team enjoyed their best weekend of racing so far in the 2011 season with all of their riders scoring points, the highlight being Freddie Russo’s second place at Brands Hatch in Kent today. The Brentford rider took his second podium of the year in the Metzeler National Superstock 600cc Championship to move up to fifth place in the title table and he was backed up by Leon Hunt and Patrick Medcalf taking 12th and 14th respectively in the 1000cc category. After qualifying strongly in third place, Russo made a good start to the race and completed the first lap in third place behind Connor Behan and championship leader Keith Farmer and Freddie was only a third of a second behind Farmer when the safety car came out on lap four due to an incident. When the race resumed on lap seven, he soon overhauled Farmer although he came under pressure from the Triumph pairing of Alex Olsen and Johnny Blackshaw. However, despite a minor technical problem, he was able to keep Olsen firmly at bay and he eventually crossed the line just clear of his rival for a superb podium finish. Hunt, meanwhile, also had a strong start to the weekend with fifth in opening qualifying and although he slipped back to 13th in the final session, a good showing in morning warm-up put him in a good frame of mind for the 15-lap race. The Brighton rider slipped back at the start to 17th place but he regrouped well and by lap two he was up into the points. Overtaking both John McGuinness and Marshall Neill, he moved up to 13th and this became 12th when Victor Cox crashed out. It was here where he finished with the race being stopped early due to rainfall. For new team recruit Medcalf, it was a whole new experience having never seen the circuit or ridden in the UK before. However, the Australian rider acquitted himself extremely well and after qualifying in a fine 17th place he moved up, just like Hunt, and was rewarded for an excellent effort with 14th place and two championship points. Freddie Russo: “Right from the word go we’ve been on it this weekend and after gaining a good set up at a recent Donington Park test, we started with the same here as it’s a similar fast, flowing circuit. It all went to plan from the beginning and I managed to get second in first qualifying. I tried a few different settings for qualifying which didn’t work although I only dropped one place and was still on the front row which is what you want. I made a reasonable start and was feeling good in third when the safety car came out and when it pulled in I got past Keith Farmer as soon as I could and although Connor was setting an unbelievable pace at the front, I was able to keep Alex Olsen behind me. I had to contend with a couple of false neutrals when I was in fourth gear but apart from that the race was faultless and to finish second is brilliant. All in all it’s been a great weekend so a big thanks to everyone at AP Kawasaki especially Alan, Paul, Tony and big Carl.” Leon Hunt: “The weekend started well for me, going fifth in first qualifying but I had an oil leak in the second session and I barely got any laps in so it dropped me down to 13th. Morning warm-up went well though and I actually went quicker than I had done in qualifying so was feeling confident for the race. However, I got a terrible start and had a clutch issue which was making it very difficult to close in on the group in front of me, which was a real shame as I feel we had the pace to run top six or top eight this weekend. It’s the third meeting in a row I’ve been in the points so it’s positive in that aspect but we’ve also had a few issues with the bike this weekend so it’s also been frustrating. I feel like I’m riding well though so if we can resolve these little niggles we’ll have a great chance of cracking the top ten.” Patrick Medcalf: “Coming from the Australian Formula Extreme Championship and a Yamaha machine, riding a Kawasaki here and on a circuit I’d never seen before was a huge learning curve for me but a tremendous experience. The spec of the bike is higher than what I’m used to and there’s so much strength in depth but it’s been a lot of fun and I’m pleased with the result. I’ve had to learn so much, right across the board, but my aim was to be in the points so I’m glad I’ve achieved that. If I could have been a bit smoother in the race, I could have been racing with Leon but, overall, I’m happy and would love to come back for a full season in 2012 so a huge thanks to the team for giving me the opportunity.” Alan Greig: “Obviously, Freddie’s podium has been the highlight and I’m really pleased for him as he thoroughly deserved the result today and rode really well. He couldn’t have picked a better weekend to do it as he had lots of his sponsors and supporters here and he’s done brilliantly throughout the three days. Leon also qualified well in the first qualifying session but then ran into some technical problems dropping him from row two to row four but he rode really hard despite encountering a few more issues and picked up some solid points. “Patrick was having a wild card outing with us with a view to having a full season in 2012 and despite everything being new to him, his qualifying and race result have been remarkable. So, overall, it’s been a great weekend for us and we’ll be looking for more of the same next time out at Cadwell.” Metzeler National Superstock 600cc Championship (14 laps) 1 Connor Behan (Kawasaki) 22m 01.106s 2 Freddie Russo (AP Kawasaki) +2.330s 3 Alex Olsen (Triumph) +2.618s 4 Keith Farmer (Yamaha) +4.104s 5 Johnny Blackshaw (Triumph) +4.931s 6 Ben Burke (Yamaha) +10.622s 7 Grant Whitaker (Yamaha) +10.665s 8 Josh Wainwright (Suzuki) +11.285s 9 Jonathan Lodge (Triumph) +11.447s 10 Alex Barkshire (Yamaha) +12.125s Championship Positions (after7 rounds) 1 Farmer 122pts 2 Behan 96 3 Irwin 64 4 Brown 62 5 Russo 58 = Burke 58 Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship (10 laps) 1 Howie Mainwaring (Kawasaki) 15m00.330s 2 Richard Cooper (BMW) +0.168s 3 Luke Quigley (BMW) +0.379s 4 Jimmy Storrar (BMW) +1.699s 5 Tristan Palmer (Honda) +2.475s 6 Adam Jenkinson (Honda) +3.193s 7 Joe Burns (Kawasaki) +4.616s 8 Daniel Johnson (Kawasaki) +5.730s 9 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki) +6.125s 10 Joe Dickinson (Honda) +11.058s 12 Leon Hunt (AP Kawasaki) +11.468s 14 Patrick Medcalf (AP Kawasaki) +14.336s Championshippositions (after 8 rounds) 1 Cooper 130.5pts 2 Buchan 124 3 Mainwaring 79 4 Palmer 76 5 Quigley 73 6 Jenkinson 66.5 20 Hunt 9 26 Medcalf 2 More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: McGuinness digs deep for more Championship points John McGuinness dug deep at Brands Hatch on Sunday to claim three more Championship points in the 2011 Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship. The Morecambe ace brought his Padgetts Honda home in 13th place around the 2.43-mile GP circuit to keep him in 11th place overall in the title table. After having a hectic couple of weeks where he’d been away to Suzuka, Japan for the 8-Hour World Endurance round (where he unfortunately retired) and then attend both a dealer day and a track day, John showed no signs of fatigue during qualifying around the GP circuit and a time of 1m29.847s saw him lie in 10th place after Saturday’s opening qualifying session. He improved his time to 1m29.531s later in the afternoon and although this kept him in 10th, it did close the gap to polesetter Howie Mainwaring to just 0.658s. Subsequently, hopes were high for the 15-lap race but a slightly sluggish start meant it was going to be a hard race for John and instead of being in the top ten he found himself back in 14th place at the end of the first lap. Locked in battle with the Kawasaki trio of David Johnson, Leon Hunt and Patrick Medcalf, as well as the Aprilia of Marshall Neill, John was lying in 13th place when the red flag came out on lap 11 due to a heavy rain shower. The race was subsequently declared a result and John was awarded the place and 3 Championship points. Speaking later John said: “We had a new bike for the meeting as the old one was sold after the last round at Oulton Park and it felt really good throughout practice and qualifying. I was more than happy with the pace I was running and I felt that a top ten position, at least, was on the cards and was looking to get in the top six. The Brands GP circuit is one of my favourites and the weather was pretty good so I felt strong going into the race. However, I didn’t make the greatest of starts and then rubbed shoulders with a couple of boys through the first corner which allowed a couple more to get up the inside on the run up to Druids and in this class you have to be 100% on it from the start – just the slightest hesitation off the line and you get punished.” “As a result I was only just inside the top 15 at the end of the first lap and gave the front runners too much of a head start. There was something like 3 seconds covering the top ten at one stage and I should have been mixing it with them but, instead, I was in the group a few seconds further back and although I worked my way up to 13th when the red flag came out, it was frustrating as I know I could have been a lot higher this weekend. On the plus side, it’s more points on the board and the bike’s flying so it bodes well for the last 4 rounds of the Championship. I’ll now head off to the Ulster GP where I’ll be reunited with my TT-winning Superbike so, as well as rides on the Padgetts machines, I’ve a busy week ahead and I’ll be looking for some strong results there.” As mentioned, John now heads to the Ulster Grand Prix where he’ll be riding the Honda TT Legends Superbike in addition to the Padgetts Superstock and Supersport machines. Practice gets underway on Wednesday. More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: Doodson Motorsport Brands Hatch GP Doodson Motorsport debutant Glenn Allerton was tantalisingly close to a podium finish at his first attempt in the British Superbike Championship before misfortune saw his Evo BMW run dry of fuel on the final lap at Brands Hatch. With regular rider Tom Tunstall still recuperating following a broken pelvis, Australian Superbike Champion Allerton was drafted into the Doodson team only days before the eighth round of the British Superbike Championship. Staged on the demanding 2.4mile Brands Hatch GP circuit, learning the track was only one of the challenges facing the 30 year old from Sydney. Fresh to the Pirelli slick tyres and with the schedule reduced from three to two days on track, time was not in favour of the Aussie. Allerton’s pace was immediately impressive, having posted the third fastest Evo time in the opening free practice, however FP2 saw the Australian lose the front end of the BMW S1000RR into Druids bend, after only a few laps – luckily escaping without injury. With just over an hour before qualifying and despite the team’s best efforts, there were was not enough time to repair the damage caused to the Doodson Motorsport BMW, leaving the likeable Australian placed last on the grid for race one. Only moments before Saturday’s race start, a rain shower wreaked havoc for tyre selection and the choice of a front wet only lasted a few laps before the front gave up on the drying track. Pitting to change the front tyre along, with a large portion of the grid, Allerton ended the race as seventh Evo and ruing the lack of dry track time. Sunday’s first race was fully dry and gave Allerton a chance to gain more vital time, ending the 20 lap outing in seventh but crucially doubling his experience around the Kent circuit. With further tweaks to the machine for the third race, Allerton launched off the line and cut his way straight up to fourth by the end of lap one. After passing American Jake Zemke for third on lap five Allerton started to pull along a four rider battle for the rostrum. With Zemke taking the place on Lap 18, Allerton had him well in his sights until the bike started to cut out with half a lap remaining and abruptly causing Glenn’s helmet to smash through the screen, before he could nurse the bike back home to sixth. “I came to BSB confident I could get the bike on the Evo podium. It’s been a challenge to come to a new circuit that’s not easy to learn and I was picking it up pretty quick but the accident put us back with time on the track. The team worked really well to get the bike back together as fast as they did as there was a lot more damage than first appeared and a short turn around.” “Sunday’s first race was difficult as we didn’t have the set up. A lot is different to the BMW I have in Australia, there’s a whole bunch of variables that are different with the tyres, suspension package, and electronics that I had to get used to” “The second race I was happy with, I got a good start and set a good pace and looked like I was going to be on the Evo podium and the first BMW home, but had the problem with the fuel, all in all I was happy with how it went considering it has been a learning weekend.” “Hopefully we can test and get the feel of the bike closer to how I’d like it and I’m sure we’ll get better results in the future”. Glenn will now fly back home to Australia where he looks to extend his 56point lead in the Australian superbike championship. The next round of the British series takes place at Cadwell Park over the August bank holiday weekend [27th-29th August].