British Superbike Series: Rispoli Runs Clean Races, Moves Up in Standings
Daytona, Fl., July 6th 2015
James “The Rocket” Rispoli endured another successful weekend on the track in the 5th round of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at the KnockHill Circuit in Scotland. While most Americans were at home celebrating Independence Day with fireworks, James was in Scotland tearing up the racetrack and fighting his way up the standings in his very own booming way of celebrating his home country.
After narrowly avoiding a crash early in the first race on Saturday, James was able to muscle his way all the way back to 5th place after falling to 13th early on. With a 6th place finish on Sunday, James gained enough points to move into a tie for 6th place in the overall Championship standings.
“While the racing was a little frustrating all I can do is smile knowing that my fans appreciate my efforts and the efforts of Team Traction Control”, James exclaimed.
“In two race weekends we went from 14th place in the series to 6th place, a few points out of 5th.”
Don’t miss out on the next race at Brands Hatch, England as the “The Rocket” looks to overtake 5th place in the overall standings. Catch all the action beginning July 17 and watch as James continues to make Americans everywhere proud
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Mixed fortunes for Quattro Plant Kawasaki at Knockhill
The Quattro Plant Kawasaki team enjoyed a mixed day at Knockhill on Sunday, where they were contesting the fifth round of the British Superbike Championship, with Luke Mossey scoring his best result of the year so far but Howie Mainwaring Smart failing to add to his points tally.
Luke put in one of his best qualifying performances of the year to start the first 30-lap race from tenth on the grid but Howie found himself back in 19th and with a lot of work to do from the seventh row. The duo experienced differing fortunes in the race too as Luke occupied a top eight place throughout the race, eventually taking the chequered flag in eighth for his best BSB result to date. However, there was disappointment for Mainwaring Smart as he crashed out at half race distance having battled his way through to 12th.
Race two saw Luke line up in sixth on the grid but Howie was reluctantly forced to withdraw due to engine damage sustained in the first race. Cambridge’s Mossey flew the flag more than valiantly though and with his confidence soaring after his eighth earlier in the day, he was lying in a brilliant sixth place when the race was stopped on lap 19 due to rain.
With the race decided over an 11-lap dash, the 22-year old was on course for an even better result as he moved from sixth on the opening lap to fourth two laps later. He was running comfortably in the position until the penultimate lap when, cruelly, he hit a false neutral going into the first corner and crashed out.
Luke Mossey: “I’m obviously gutted to have crashed out of fourth in the second race as that would have been a superb result given the riders that were behind me but, overall, I’m really happy with how the weekend’s gone. I’ve found some good pace here at Knockhill and am getting more and more used to the bike so I’m happy and the team are happy. I was able to run comfortably with established BSB race winners and if it hadn’t have been for finding a false neutral it would have been two top six results. Like I say though, I’m happy and can’t wait for the next round.”
Howie Mainwaring Smart: “We’ve been making progress all year so it’s unfortunate that that’s come to an end this weekend. Our pace was pretty good but, unfortunately, I crashed out of the first race and although the boys did everything they could to get it fixed, it was only running on three cylinders when they fired up. It’s a shame but we’ll put it behind us and look forward to Brands, which is a strong circuit for me, and look to get back in the top six there.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “It’s been an excellent weekend for Luke and one where he really came of age. After a strong showing in qualifying, he put in a great first race and rode well throughout to deservedly take eighth. It was pleasing to see him start from the second row in the second and he was looking good in sixth when the rain began to fall. In the re-start, he rode even better, keeping triple BSB Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari behind him, and it was only cruel luck that prevented him from claiming a brilliant fourth place.”
“For Howie, practice and qualifying didn’t go to plan but in the first race he rode well to come from 19th on the grid to 12th. He was well on course for a top ten finish but, unfortunately, he crashed out. The bike wasn’t too badly damaged but the engine itself must have taken a fair whack as it was only running on 3 cylinders and we had no time to rectify it. We’ll move forward to Brands now with great optimism for Luke and with the firm aim of getting Howie back into the top six.”
The sixth round of the Championship takes place at Brands Hatch on July 17-19.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
IDDON & BENNETTS SUZUKI TOP-10 AT KNOCKHILL BSB
Bennetts Suzuki’s Christian Iddon bounced back to finish 10th in the second race at Knockhill for the fifth round of the MCE British Superbike championship, after he was forced to retire in race one.
It was an up-and-down weekend for the team at the Scottish circuit, with both riders making progress in free practice. Iddon was consistently inside the top-six in Friday’s sessions, but a crash in the second qualifying session left him 15th on the grid. After a good start, a loose throttle cable ended his race early and also meant he would start from 21st and row seven in race two.
Another good start and opening lap saw Iddon make up a number of positions and was soon battling inside the top-10, but drops of rain meant the red flags came out. Eleventh on the grid for the restart, Iddon was again inside the top-10 but lost two places on the final laps to finish 10th.
Christian Iddon:
“We’re just getting all of our bad luck at once; with us when it rains it pours. It’s no one’s fault, it’s just one of those things, sadly. In the second race I got a good start and we were fighting for the top-10. The red flags pushed me back to 11th for the restart but I still thought we could have a go. Everyone’s working so hard, but we’re just not getting the rewards. It might not look like it but we’ve made massive inroads with the bike and we just want to get the season back on track.”
Josh Waters was looking for a solid points haul in race one after improving the bike and his times all through practice. After an intermittent problem he retired in race one, but raced to 15th in race two.
Josh Waters:
“It’s been a frustrating weekend results-wise but we’ve further improved the bike and we are definitely moving in the right direction. It’s so tight around Knockhill and the times are so close, but we’re taking the positives away from the changes to the bike and we’ll keep working at Brands Hatch.”
Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“We couldn’t have had a worse race one to be honest. We started the weekend strongly but had a bit of a nightmare. On Josh’s bike there was nothing immediately obvious with anything but the team worked hard to change the engine for race two as a precaution. We’ll go back to base and take a look at everything. But with the problems we had, the grid spots for race two were worse than our qualifying positions.
“In race two Christian got his head down as was looking strong and fighting for a position inside the top-10. The red flags came out for the rain and he was 11th on the grid for the restart. He was again fighting for a good finish and was in eighth with two laps to go but unfortunately got pipped in the closing stages and finished 10th. It’s not what we were looking for at the start of the weekend but after the round we’ve had I’m happy to get a solid finish under our belt.”
Race One: 1. Shane Byrne 2. Stuart Easton 3. Josh Brookes 4. Jason O’Halloran 5. Michael Laverty. DNF. Christian Iddon (Bennetts Suzuki). DNF. Josh Waters (Bennetts Suzuki).
Race Two: 1. Shane Byrne 2. Stuart Easton 3. Josh Brookes 4. Ryuichi Kiyonari 5. Jason O’Halloran. 10. Christian Iddon (Bennetts Suzuki). 15. Josh Waters (Bennetts Suzuki).
More, from a press release issued by Milwaukee Yamaha:
Double podium finish for Milwaukee Yamaha at Knockhill
Josh Brookes continued his run of podium finishes in the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship by claiming a pair of third places at Knockhill in Scotland at the fifth round of the season.
Brookes had started on the front row of the grid for the opening race and held a pace to battle for the podium positions. The Milwaukee Yamaha rider had been pushing hard for second place in his quest to move ahead of Stuart Easton, but as he approached the Hairpin on lap 26 the yellow flags were out following a crash. Michael Laverty made a pass to push Brookes back to fourth, but following a review by Race Direction he was later issued with a one second penalty, promoting the Milwaukee Yamaha rider back to third.
Broc Parkes was determined to move forward after qualifying in 23rd on the grid but he was left battered following a crash in warm up. In the race the Australian continued to climb the order to finish 14th and salvage two points.
In race two Brookes was eager for more and was again in the leading group, but the race was red flagged after a short rain shower. The race resumed in dry conditions and Brookes was back in the hunt for the podium. He again battled against the PBM Kawasaki’s of Shane Byrne and Stuart Easton to finish third and maintain second place in the overall standings.
Parkes again endured a tough second race and improved his pace to finish in 14th position.
Josh Brookes
“We weren’t in a position to win this weekend and all we can do is try and improve things ready to try and come back stronger at the next rounds.
“I will watch the races at home and improve myself and look where I went wrong or even where I can improve to be better too. It is not the win that we were looking for today, but I am pleased to be on the podium for my sponsors and supporters.”
Broc Parkes
“I am pretty happy to leave Knockhill to be honest and get to Brands Hatch as it wasn’t the easiest of weekends. I found more pace in race two as I got more familiar with the bike and circuit but I am still not happy with the results and definitely want more at Brands Hatch which is one of the circuits I know well.”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Kawasaki:
The Be Wiser Kawasaki team was left flying solo at round five of the MCE British Superbike Championship when fans favourite Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker crashing heavily on Friday and was ruled out for the rest of the weekend. It was left to youngster Danny Buchan to represent the Be Wiser team. Danny was sixth in race one and eighth in race two.
Danny Buchan had a solid weekend at Knockhill and was improving during every session, he made some huge developments and the team made some big steps forward. It was a great confidence boost to see Danny make it to the final qualifying session and he was consistently putting in some respectable times. He eventually finished qualifying in eighth place for the opening British Superbike race.
In race one Danny got a good start and was seventh after the opening lap, the safety car was deployed for four laps to clear debris off the circuit and Danny got stuck back in when the race got underway. By lap ten he had moved up to sixth place and rode a great race to finish the 30-lap race in a solid position.
He started from his first front position of the year for race two in third position; the youngster was slightly fazed by this and he dropped back to seventh after lap two. He was pushing hard but was unable to catch the riders in front, the rain started on lap 18 and the race was red flagged. On the 11-lap re-start Danny got a much better start and fought hard for 11th laps to gain another good top ten position of 8th.
Chris Walker had some more bad luck this weekend and had a fast crash on Friday afternoon landing heavily against the Armco barriers. He visited the medical centre on Saturday morning and they sent him to hospital for further tests and scans. It was discovered he has damaged several ribs on his spine and sternum, a broken finger and some ligament damage on several limbs. He missed all proceedings on Saturday but had set a time to allow him to start from the back of the grid.
He rested on Saturday and after a medical inspection on Sunday morning he was declared unfit to race. He sustained some very painful injuries and between the medics and the team they decided it was best he did not take part in the races at Knockhill, his first missed race since Snetterton 1994.
For all the results click here:-
http://www.tsl-timing.co.uk/event/152704
Danny Buchan – “I’m really pleased with the weekend at Knockhill and two solid top ten position and it was what we really needed. I felt very comfortable this weekend and the Be Wiser team once again worked really hard to help me improve each time I went out on the bike.
I felt really strong in both races and back to my old self and these two results are great for the confidence and I know my pace was really consistent in both races which also was a good motivator for me. I can’t thank the team enough for all their help and input they have put into me I really appreciate it and want to wish my team-mate Chris a speedy recovery.”
Chris Walker – “I’m so disappointed not to have raced at Knockhill this weekend; this is the first race I have missed since 1994 and that was only because they ran out of spares. I’m sorry to the team and still not 100% sure on what happened but certainly know I’m feeling very second hand. I will be resting and ensuring I will be back fit and fighting for Brands in a couple of weeks.”
Tommy Hill – Team Manager – “Firstly it was a huge shame not to have Chris racing for us this weekend as he has shown some really good form recently. He is very bashed up and we all wish him well and a speedy recovery for Brands.
It was left to Danny to fly the flag for the team and he did a great job here at Knockhill. His times were strong and proved he has the pace of the top riders. He has a fairly big disadvantage with his height as this has proved a hindrance this weekend but it is something we are looking at working round on the bike and making changes for him.
He was very consistent in practice and had a great qualifying session and he continued to improve his times all weekend. We are really pleased with his results this weekend and will help him to keep this form for the remaining races of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Michael Rutter’s publicist:
Rutter gets back in the BSB points at Knockhill
After his highly successful Isle of Man TT Races campaign, Bridgnorth’s Michael Rutter was back in British Superbike Championship action at Knockhill at the weekend with the Gearlink Kawasaki rider taking a best finish of 13th from the two races.
Having missed the previous round at Snetterton, Rutter spent most of Friday re-familiarising himself with the ZX-10R Kawasaki but, together with the team, continually made progress and with a time of 49.126s, he qualified for the opening 30-lap race in 20th place albeit just 0.4s outside the top ten.
A solid start to race one saw Michael move inside the top 20 but by lap ten, he’d moved up to 15th and inside the points, a combination of his own overtaking manoeuvres and a couple of riders crashing out allowing him to do so. Fighting to the end of the 30-lap race, he moved up two more places by the time the chequered flag came out to claim 13th place and his first Championship points of the season.
With a good first race under his belt, Michael started from 17th for the second race and immediately moved up to 13th place once more. Here he remained for the first ten laps before being shuffled back to 18th a few laps later but on lap 19 the race was stopped due to rain and restarted over just 11 laps. The race was over in a flash and Michael ended up in 18th place setting his best lap of the weekend, 49.052s, towards the end of the race.
Michael Rutter: “We’ve made some good progress with the bike this weekend and each time we’ve gone out, we’ve improved. Our aim in qualifying was to get inside the top 20 which, despite the closeness of the times, we duly did and that put us in a good place going into the two races. If someone had offered me two top twenty finishes at the beginning of the weekend, I’d have taken them so to finish 13th and get my first points of the season is very pleasing.”
“I’m especially pleased for the team as they’re working so hard and although a few people crashed out and handed me a couple of places, you’ve got to finish to score points. The bike was overheating a bit in the second and with the restart only being 11 laps, it was hard to get going. I couldn’t quite get into my rhythm but 18th wasn’t too bad and we were running with some good company throughout and lapping consistently. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the bike again and the Brands GP circuit is one I always enjoy so we’ll look to make further progress there.”
The sixth round of the series takes place in two week’s time at Brands Hatch, Kent.
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing Team:
Podium For Dixon And Points For McConnell At Knockhill
The Smiths Racing Team endured reasonable fortunes at Knockhill in Scotland over the weekend with Billy McConnell claiming valuable points in the MCE British Superbike Championship and Jake Dixon salvaging an important podium in the Motorpoint Supersport Championship.
Aboard the Smiths BMW, Aussie McConnell found himself up against it all weekend as a bout of chicken pox left him severely under the weather and left his participation in doubt. However, the Adelaide rider fought bravely on race day and, after taking 18th in qualifying, he was rewarded with 12th place in the opening race for the double British Supersport Championship-winning Gloucester-based team.
Starting from 11th on the grid for race two, the 28-year-old reigning British Supersport Champion was lying in 13th place when it was stopped due to rain just after half race distance. Restarted over just 11 laps, he was lying in a similar position and on for more hard-earned points but a mistake at the hairpin saw him run off track, eventually finishing in 21st position.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s Motorpoint British Supersport ‘Sprint’ race saw Dover resident Dixon, aboard the factory-backed Triumph Daytona 675R, start from the front row of the grid and he immediately grabbed the lead. By the fifth lap he’d been pushed back down to fourth but as the race went into the closing stages he was back into the podium positions, aided by setting a new lap record. However, with just four laps to go he crashed out, fortunately without serious injury.
Starting from pole position for today’s 26-lap ‘Feature’ race, Jake slotted into second place behind Glenn Irwin in the early stages although by lap five he’d been pushed back to fourth as a safety car period allowed the front group to bunch back up. As soon as the race was back underway. the 19-year-old set another new lap record to reclaim fourth place and when Luke Stapleford made a mistake, he gratefully grabbed third, which became second at the chequered flag following an excellent final corner move which saw him get the better of Irwin.
Billy McConnell: “It’s been another tough weekend but for vastly different reasons and getting chicken pox certainly wasn’t in the script! I looked like something out of a horror movie with all the spots and getting my helmet on was extremely painful although when I was riding it wasn’t too bad. I did feel more fatigued than normal though and Knockhill’s a demanding circuit at the best of times. I gave it my all in both races and picked up a few more points so am looking forward to testing at Mallory next week and then bouncing back at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time.”
Jake Dixon: “It’s been a tough couple of rounds and although I’ve been fast and consistent this weekend, crashing out of the first race was a massive disappointment. With increased lean angle and a bit more gas, I got fired off and it wasn’t the best way to start. The second race was a lot better but, to be fair, I should have won it. I was caught napping when the pace car pulled in and although my pace was good when I got going, I’d left it too late. Second place gets me back on track so massive thanks to the team for all their hard work in repairing the bike.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “It’s been a challenging weekend in more ways than one and it was nice to see Billy get two finishes given his condition. There was no pressure from us and it was his decision to ride but it was hard going for him without doubt. A heavy crash on Friday didn’t help but he scored good points in the first race and was on track to do the same in the second until he ran on at the hairpin. Jake made a mistake in the first race which cost him a lot of points in the championship and the boys worked late into the night repairing the bike so big thanks to them. He put in a good ride today to finish second and we’re all looking forward to the next round at Brands Hatch.”
More, from a press release issued by Taz Taylor Racing:
17-year-old Taz Taylor from Mansfield riding for the RS Racing KTM team had a stunning weekend at round five of the HEL Performance Motostar British Championship at Knockhill Circuit. He secured a fantastic double race win, the first double race win by any rider in the Championship this season.
After a crash and a win at Snetterton the other week he was eager to get to the Scottish circuit and fight for a couple of strong race results. The youngster from Mansfield was on fire throughout the practice session on Friday morning and during the first qualifying where he set the fastest lap. With horrendous weather on Saturday morning and damage to the circuit the race organisers cancelled their second qualifying session and went from Friday’s times.
Starting from pole position Taz totally dominated the race and at one point over the 16-lap race had a 3.9 second advantage from Scott Deroue, which around the short 1.2-mile circuit is huge. Taz led from start to finish and took his fourth win of the season for his RS Racing KTM team.
For race two he started from third on the grid and with the heavens opening just before their race it was declared wet. Having no wet practice over the weekend they were given only two warm-up laps to find a good set-up on the bikes. Racing on full wets, Taz got an amazing start and was leading into turn one, he had a strong lead for the first opening laps and then was being pushed by current British Champion Ed Rendell for the lead. Taz held off the challenges from Ed but then was being caught by his main rival of the year Scott Deroue. For the final four laps Scott was eager to push Taz into making a mistake and the pair were once again swapping positions. The pair were virtually side by side on the penultimate lap and Deroue just edged ahead but Taz made a very calculated move into the final hairpin and took a fantastic race win by 0.2 from Scott.
Taz Taylor – “In the first race I was just able to get away and get a good lead from the start but it is tough at the front sometimes when you don’t have a marker to follow so I was trying to keep as consistent as possible and not let the chasing pack catch me.
In the second race I didn’t know what was going to happen as I’ve never ridden a Moto3 bike round here in the wet and we had no wet practice so it was an open playing field. I got a great start and just wanted to get away like yesterday and towards the end of the race I saw on my lap board indicating that someone was catching me. I knew it would be Scott and I had to prepare myself for a bit of a battle and where I might be able to make the pass. I followed Scott for a couple of laps into the hairpin and knew that is where I would have to try and make the pass. I was late on the brakes and got through on him to take the win but it’s a great feeling and good to have a battle again with him.
I just want to thank everyone again for their help and support and if anyone would like to help my bid of racing at the British MotoGP at Silverstone then please get in touch.”
For race results click here:-
http://www.tsl-timing.co.uk/event/152704
2015 TAZ TAYLOR RACING SPONSORS
K.C.S, Hookless Holiday Homes, D.L.R, FLG, A-Plant, Eclipse Motorsport, JKT, Shoei, Sidi, Putoline, BD Site Services, Mike Ashton, G.Jones Services, Paul Derbyshire, Forcefield, Two Wheel Centre, Snowy, The Tyre Shop, 4TheWeekend Barbershop.
Facebook – www.facebook.com/RaceTazTaylor
More, from a press release issued by Collier Racing:
Joe Collier racing on the Haribo Starmix Triumph had another podium filled weekend at round five of the Motorpoint British Supersport Evo Championship. Joe gained a second place in the opening sprint race on Saturday and managed to go one better in the second race on Sunday by taking another win, his sixth win of the season.
Joe once again was having another strong weekend and was consistently fast throughout the weekend. However, after second practice on Friday the team were asked to make some changes to Joe’s bike by the scrutineers, the first time he got to test this was during qualifying. It was quite a big issue concerning the brakes and so Joe was forced to learn to ride with this new technique quite quickly. He still managed to qualify 11th for the opening Sprint race and despite a poor start he was able to work his way through the pack. Learning his new braking system quickly Joe was soon carving his way through the Evo field and was able to take another podium with a second place.
For race two he started from seventh place on the grid and he got a good start and got away with the front pack. He led the Evo race from start to finish, for the full 26-laps he was pushing hard and managed to also gain a great seventh place overall in the main race. He is now has a very healthy lead in the Evo Championship standings and is lying in fifth place in the main Championship standings.
Joe Collier – “It was another really good weekend. We did have to make several changes to the bike from the request of the scrutineers and I only tried it for the first time in qualifying so it was all a bit new for me.
Both races were good, I was a little disappointed with my race one result but it is another podium and some more solid points. I was placed in a good grid position for the second race so this gave me a little help, I got a good start and you have to work hard constantly at Knockhill to keep focused and to stay in a good position. I knew Marshall was close as my board just said plus 0.1 or 0.2 so I had to keep my head down and work hard to the end.
Once again a huge thank you to all my team and sponsors for all their hard work over this weekend and it’s mega that I’m lying in fifth in the Championship standings.”
2015 Personal Sponsors
MC Motors – KGN Pillinger – Gemini Control Systems – Robin Hood Harley Davidson – Triumph World – Black Horse Finance – Silkolene – Daytona – Shoei – RST Leathers – Knox – Teng Tools – Jap4Performance
More, from a press release issued by Sixteen26 PR & Stonewall Communications:
LAW MAINTAINS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AFTER KNOCKHILL BATTLE
Mason Law maintained his series lead after taking third place in today’s Pirelli National Superstock 600cc race at Knockhill in Scotland. The race was stopped at two-thirds distance due to inclement weather conditions.
The NMT No Limits Kawasaki rider started the race from pole position but is happy to come away with enough points to maintain his championship lead, with a return to Brands Hatch just a fortnight away.
Mason Law:
“Today was one of those days where third place was better than an early bath! Drizzle at the start of the race meant I adopted a steady pace, which dropped me back to fourth.
“I started to find my feet and put in some solid laps and managed to get into third; then rain started to fall and the race was red flagged and the result was called. It’s been a strange weekend but we will take the points and look forward to getting back to Brands Hatch in two weeks.”
More, from a press release issued by Luke Mossey Racing:
Luke Mossey – Knockhill
Quattro Plant TECcare Kawasaki
www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
Luke Mossey and the Quattro Plant TECcare Kawasaki team secured a strong eighth place in race one of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Knockhill and was unlucky to crash out a brilliant fourth place in race two.
Luke was having another good weekend and was riding well in the practice sessions on Friday; the times the Superbike riders were setting were so close that 0.1 made a huge difference. Luke once again had a great qualifying getting through the first two qualifying sessions and making it to the final ten. He ended up qualifying in tenth for the opening Superbike race on Sunday.
In race one Luke got a good start and was up to eighth after the opening lap, after the safety car returned to pit lane after an incident Luke had to battle with Tommy Bridewell and after the 30 laps Luke finished in a solid eighth. His lap times were consistent throughout the race and it secured him sixth place on the grid next to the current British Superbike Champion, Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne.
Luke struggled off the start and was ninth after lap one but by lap five made his way up to sixth; on lap 18 of the 30-lap race the rain started and the race was red-flagged. After a small break the track dried and was re-started as an 11-lap race. Luke started from sixth place and got a good start, he worked his way passed Kiyonari and then made a move on Michael Laverty and was up to a fantastic fourth place. On the penultimate lap Luke was unfortunate to crash out of what would have been his best Superbike result; he certainly showed the pace and looked very comfortable on the bike.
Luke Mossey – “I’m really disappointed to have crashed out of fourth place for the team more than anything. Everything has been going really well this weekend and I felt so comfortable of the Teccare Quattro Plant Kawasaki and the team really worked so hard to find a good set up for me on the Superbike here at Knockhill.
I was really pleased with another solid top ten position in race one and was feeling confident for race two as we just kept improving on the times throughout the weekend. I felt really strong in race two and was a bit worried when the rain started but it soon dried up. I got a good start and made a couple of clean passes on Kiyo and Michael and I felt good, I just tucked the front and that was my race done. I’m just really sorry to the team and my sponsors and hopefully we will bounce back at Brands.”
Personal Sponsors 2015
TECcare, Sidi, Shoei, GB Racing, SMV, GiMoto, K-Tech, Krombacher, JMC, Moto Gear, ALS, John Wyatt, Graham Godward, Carl Hunter, Ben Brew
Twitter – LukeMossey12
Facebook – www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
More, from a press release issued by Gearlink Kawasaki:
It was another mixed weekend for the Gearlink Kawasaki team at round five of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Knockhill Circuit. Glenn Irwin had a fantastic weekend and took a win in the sprint race on Saturday and a solid third place on Sunday. Luke Hedger on the satellite team gained a sixth and eighth place. Ben Wilson once again was unfortunate to crash out of both races.
Glenn Irwin worked hard throughout the weekend and after a long delay due to adverse weather conditions they finally got out for qualifying. He was able to qualify in fourth place just 0.1 off pole sitter Luke Stapleford. Glenn got a fantastic start in the opening Sprint race and was away near the front. He had a dice with Luke Stapleford and Jake Dixon exchanging positions several times on the opening laps. By lap three Glenn was out to the front and rode a fantastic race to hold off several challenges from behind to take his second consecutive win of the season.
In race two he started from second place on the grid behind Jake Dixon and he got a great start and was once again leading the race. The safety car was deployed on lap 10 after Ben Wilson crashed out heavily. When the car returned to the pits Glenn was caught out instantly by Kyle Ryde over the line into turn one. Glenn stuck on the back wheel of Kyle Ryde and despite losing some time initially was able to re-group and pull him closer. The pair got stuck behind a back-marker which allowed Jake Dixon to sneak underneath Glenn into the hairpin on the last lap.
Ben Wilson was having a good weekend and his practice and qualifying times saw him running up near the front again. He managed to qualify for race one in sixth place for the 18-lap race. He had a great start and was looking to fight for a podium but caught the back wheel of a rider into the hairpin at the end of the opening lap, crashing out and ending his race.
Luke Hedger once again on the satellite Gearlink Kawasaki team had another consistent weekend and was sixth in race one. In race two the former Superstock 600 Champion had a problem on the out-lap, he pulled into pit lane and the team worked frantically to get him out, he started the race from pit lane, dug deep and secured a solid eighth place.
Glenn Irwin – “It was really good to fight for the win at Knockhill and once again I feel confident and competitive. The Gearlink Kawasaki team have once again worked really hard to make adjustments and improvements to the bike and I feel we have a great package now. To take the win and fairly is a great feeling and I want to thank everyone involved in making that happen.
It was another great weekend and again we have managed to make massive improvements. I messed up on the last lap in the second race. The back-marker brought Jake up close to us and he got underneath me on the last corner. I’m really pleased with the progress we have made and so pleased to be back fighting at the front, roll on Brands. I would like to dedicate my podium results to Dr John Hinds he was a great asset to the sport and will be sadly missed.”
Ben Wilson – “I’m just gutted and there aren’t any words to really describe how I feel about the last two race weekends. It’s just heart-breaking as I just want to do well and get some good results but that went wrong again this weekend. I need to have further x-rays and scans to determine what damage I have done to my shoulder but hope to be back out at Brands.”
Luke Hedger – “The weekend was good, I did struggle to find a set-up that suited me here but we worked hard and the Gearlink Kawasaki felt good in the races and I managed to go faster in each session. It was a shame I had to start the last race from pit-lane but everyone rallied round to get me out on the track and I really appreciate their help and I managed to salvage eighth place and some good Championship points.”
MCE British Superbike
Michael Rutter returned to the Gearlink Kawasaki team this weekend at the Knockhill Circuit riding the Kawasaki ZX-10R and he made some more improvements to the bike qualifying in 20th position on the grid for the opening race on Sunday. He had a great first race and managed to get the team their first ever Superbike Championship points when he secured 13th place. In the mixed conditions in race two he finished 18th.
Michael Rutter – “It was good to be back riding with the team again this weekend and we are continuing to make improvements on the bike and this weekend were able to secure a couple of Championship points. It is interesting working with the team and helping them make steps forward with their Superbike.”
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “It was another mixed weekend for the Gearlink Kawasaki team but certainly a much better one in development with the Supersport bikes.
Glenn had a fantastic weekend with his win on Saturday and third place on Sunday and we are now equally leading the Championship, with joint points with Luke Stapleford. Glenn was on a high this weekend and we knew he would go well. He has the hunger and also is riding superbly in all the sessions. We have made some very good progress with the bike and hope this will continue for the rest of the year and it will allow Glenn to keep fighting for the title.
It was another really tough weekend for Ben and he crashed out of both races, he is trying so hard for a result and maybe pushing a little too hard. He had a big off in the second race and will undergo further scans to see what damage he has done but we hope to see him back at Brands and fighting for that podium he so wishes for.
Luke did not race at Knockhill last year and once again gained a couple of very solid results and points. He was injured last season so missed this round. He got eighth today from pit-lane which was a great result and his times were fast and he is certainly making very good progress.
Michael secured our first points this season on the Superbike in the opening race and we have continued to make developments on the bike and his input in invaluable.”
2015 GEARLINK TEAM SPONSORS
AKRAPOVIC – B & C EXPRESS – DAYTONA – DAMEN LEATHERS – DBR – FERIDAX – FORCEFIELD – GALFER – GB RACING – GEARLINK LTD – GOODRIDGE – JOHNY WILLS PHOTOGRAPHY – K-TECH – MWR AIR FILTERS – NGK SPARK PLUGS – OCTANORM – PERFORMANCE PARTS – PERFORMANCE FRICTION BRAKES – PRO-BOLT – R & G RACING – RENTHAL – ROCK OIL – SAMCO SPORT – SCORPION – SHOEI HELMETS – SIGMA PERFORMANCE – SINNIS – SKIDMARX – SOLO SIGNS – TTS SURFACING LTD – TSUBAKI – VALE LIVESTOCK – WWW.1STCHOICE-FLOORING.CO.UK
More, from a press release issued by Josh Daley Racing:
Josh Daley had a dramatic weekend at Knockhill circuit in the Motorpoint British Supersport Evo Championship. The youngster was having a good first race but was unfortunate to crash out and he race two he had another big crash that knocked him out, thankfully no major damage except concussion and a broken bike.
Josh once again was riding well and had improved on his times from the Scottish circuit from last year and he managed to qualify 6th Evo and 15 on the main grid for the first Supersport race. He got a good start and was working through the pack but sadly crashed out on lap three when he ran wide and hit the wet grass crashing out.
For the second race he started from 18th on the grid and got a good start and was up to sixth Evo rider and was looking strong, he made a mistake on lap six which pushed him back to 11th. The safety car deployment helped him gain a place to 10th but he crashed out heavily on lap 17 knocking himself out and left with concussion.
Josh Daley – “It was a bad weekend for us at Knockhill, which all started from the race truck breaking down on the way to the circuit on Thursday. We struggled for set-up in free practice one and two but we seemed to make some good changes for qualifying and I managed to qualify in 15th place.
My sprint race was cut short after equalling my qualifying time on the first flying lap but I ran wide when I was battling for position in the opening laps and crashed onto the grass which was like a swamp after all the heavy rain and down I went.
I was 18th for the feature race on Sunday and got a good start, after gaining a few positions I hit a false neutral into the hairpin and I ran into the gravel. When the safety car came out it allowed me to catch up to the pack in front of me. In the lap after this when the race got re-started I set my fastest lap I’ve done around Knockhill but the lap after I lost the front at turn 7 and crashed heavily.
I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone of my sponsors and the Club 88 supporters. Roll on Brands!”
2015 JOSH DALEY RACING TEAM SPONSORS
INTEK ADHESIVES & SEALANTS – DEVELOP (WWW.DSALES.EU) – FLEETSMART UK LTD – PUTOLINE OILS – NO FEAR ENERGY DRINKS – LINDSTRANDS LEATHERS – SHARK HELMETS – NEVIS MARKETING – DAYTONA BOOTS – IMPACT SAFE-T ARMOR – KAY WELDING SUPPLIES LTD – FJG LOGISTICS LTD – TOILETSPARES.CO.UK – MOTORCYCLE CENTRE ORRELL – MTC EXHAUSTS – SPEEDYCOM.CO.UK – LBF SOLUTIONS – JONES IT UK – HvH FITNESS – GB RACING – PROBOLT – HEL – CLUB 88 MEMBERS – ENVIRONMENT & POWER TECHNOLOGY LTD
Facebook – www.facebook.com/JoshDaleyRacing
More, from a press release issued by Josh Elliott’s publicist:
KNOCKHILL VICTORY HELPS ELLIOTT EXTEND CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
British championship leader Josh Elliott dedicated yesterday’s Superstock victory at Knockhill in Scotland to Doctor John Hinds, who sadly passed away on Saturday after a freak incident at Skerries Road Races.
“Despite extending my lead in the championship, today is tinged with sadness,” said young Elliott after his Knockhill victory. “And for that reason I would like to dedicate my win to Irish Motorcycling’s ‘flying Doctor’, John Hinds, who tragically lost his life this weekend, providing medical cover at the Skerries Road Races. He will be sorry missed.”
The 21-year-old’s win at the Fife venue was his third this season on the Morello Racing Kawasaki, and with second-placed finishes in the other three meetings this year so far, the Ballinamallard lad has stretched his lead at the top of the table to 37 points.
“It’s awesome to win again and with both Alastair and Hudson crashing out, I’ve been able to gain some good points today,” said Elliott, speaking of his main championship rivals Alastair Seeley [Tyco BMW] and Hudson Kennaugh [Trik Moto BMW], who crashed out before half distance.
Recounting the race, the Fermanagh lad said: “My strategy was to get to the front as soon as possible. I kept calm and tried to be as consistent as possible and it paid off. The BMWs were really quick along the straight, but once I knew they were both out, I rode my own race, keeping my eye on the pit board, and brought the bike home.
“We’ve extended our title lead by a good chunk today and maintaining consistency is what you need to do to win these championships, so we’ll keep plugging away.”
Championship Points [after round 6 of 12]
Josh Elliott 135
Hudson Kennaugh 98
Alastair Seeley 47
Luke Quigley 56
Michael Robertson 48
Jess Trayler 47
Josh’s next race is at Brands Hatch on July 19th for round 7 of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship.
More, from a press release issued by Chrissy Rouse Racing:
Rouse sixth after epic Scottish battle
CHRISSY Rouse crossed the line sixth in Sunday’s Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship race as rain once again stopped play at Knockhill.
The Geordie race ace enjoyed a hard-fought scrap with five other riders for 14 laps around the Dunfermline circuit, until the race was stopped early as heavy rain fell.
The weather had already played its hand throughout the weekend. On Friday it was a glorious hot and sunny day, and Rouse managed to end first qualifying in eighth place, and hoped to build on this during Saturday’s qualifying to better his grid spot.
But Saturday morning brought severe weather, with monsoon-like rain which damaged some of the track surface, leading race chiefs to axe second qualifying. As a result, Rouse lined up eighth on the grid for what was to be a 22-lap race.
After a hot and sunny morning, small spots of rain started to fall as the bikes lined up on the grid, although it wasn’t heavy enough to warrant wet tyres. At the green light he got a slow start, dropping a couple of places and leaving him with a bit more work to do in his bid to climb up the order.
By the end of the first lap he was running ninth and made a move on Malachi Mitchell-Thomas for eighth moments later, before passing Jordan Weaving to move into seventh at the hairpin. But it wasn’t to be an easy race, as Mitchell-Thomas and Weaving fought back.
At the end of the third lap he had dropped to ninth and was coming under pressure from Bradley Ray behind, as the four riders jostled for position. But Rouse was feeling confident and soon realised the hairpin was his favourite place to pass, searing past both Mitchell-Thomas and Weaving on Lap Seven.
The scrap continued for another few laps, with Ray once again coming into play. But on Lap 13, Rouse was determined to make amends and stuffed his Team HARIBO Starmix Triumph up the inside into the hairpin.
Ray, who had been ahead of him, ran out wide and dropped a handful of places and then a lap later Rouse made a move on Mitchell-Thomas up to sixth. Seconds later the red flag came out as the rain grew heavier, and a result called, giving Rouse another sixth place finish.
“I didn’t get the start that I wanted because I was hoping to get away with the front group and it didn’t happen,” he said. “But it ended up being a great race, definitely the best one I’ve had so far this year.
“My main place to overtake was down at the hairpin, and I made all of my best moves down there. I had a lot of friends and family here and I knew they were all down there watching so I think it may have spurred me on.
“The last lap was probably my best, the conditions were getting worse and I certainly risked a lot more there. I was happy it went my way and that it was flagged when I was at the front of my group because it was one of those races where it could’ve went any one of five or six ways. I’ve enjoyed it, I’m happy with the result”
Rouse now lies eighth in the championship chase on 39 points. His next race will be at Brands Hatch in Kent over the weekend July 17-19, 2015.
More, from a press release issued by RAF Reserves BMW:
Strong top ten finishes at Knockhill for Hickman
Peter Hickman and the RAF Reserves BMW team got their 2015 British Superbike Championship campaign back on track on Sunday with a brace of top ten finishes taken at the Scottish circuit of Knockhill.
Starting from 11th place, a scrappy opening to the first race saw a number of riders crash out and in the melee, Peter found himself bumped back down to 12th place but by lap five he was back inside the top ten in tenth place. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to make any further passes and with the riders round him all lapping at a similar pace he duly crossed the line at the end of the 30 laps in tenth place.
Hicky found himself back in 14th on the grid for race two and again the opening lap saw him pushed back, this time to 16th, but he’d fought his way back up to 12th when the race was stopped due to rain on lap 19. Restarted over the shorter distance of just 11 laps, the Louth-based rider slotted into 11th in the early stages but he’d moved up two spots by the time of the chequered flag to claim ninth place and his second top ten finish of the day.
Peter Hickman: “I’m pleased to have finished both races inside the top ten but I’m still frustrated as I feel we should be leaving Knockhill with two top six finishes instead. We seemed to have a dodgy tyre in the first race as I had no grip and couldn’t push as hard as I wanted whilst I was up to 11th and making good strides in the second when the rain came. In the re-start, I got away well but could have done with a few more laps as I felt I had the pace to finish higher than ninth. It hasn’t been a bad day and I’ve moved up a few places in the Championship but, like I say, I’m frustrated and if qualifying had gone our way it could have been a different story.”
Lee Hardy, Team Owner: “To finish inside the top ten in both races is pleasing and we’re happy to be back in those positions. Peter was affected by a distinct lack of grip in the first race and it left him deep on the grid in the second but he dug deep and with his pace being strong throughout he was able to take a good ninth. We’re happy with the top tens but also frustrated as Peter’s pace was strong all weekend and he was able to make a number of passes in both races. However, he’s been hindered by starting low on the grid and looking ahead to Brands we need to ensure we get our qualifying strategy right. We need to get Peter on the first three rows and if we can do that, we’ll give ourselves a lot better chance of finishing inside the top six.”
The sixth round of the series takes place at Brands Hatch, Kent on July 17-19.
More, from a press release issued by Team Traction Control:
MORE POINTS FOR TEAM TRACTION CONTROL AT KNOCKHILL
Team Traction Control completed a mixed weekend at the fifth round of the Motorpoint British Supersport and Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championships at Knockhill, with James Ellison Rispoli and Joe Francis adding to their points tally. Andy Reid meanwhile was forced to watch from the sidelines through injury.
Rispoli was eager to fly the flag for Team Traction Control after Reid withdrew from the event as his fractured heel bone caused him too much pain to continue the weekend. He now hopes to be strong enough to return at Brands Hatch. Rispoli meanwhile showed typical determination to score a fifth and sixth place after two hard-fought races in Scotland to elevate himself up the standings.
In the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship Joe Francis was eager to return to the podium, but after losing track time due to the heavy rain, which cancelled qualifying and the experiencing a problem in warm up, he was happy to score strong points in fifth place.
Rispoli said: “The weekend went well aside from the results. We stayed up, raced consistently and earned valuable points. We also managed to move up another two spots in the championship standings. Our goal is to stay consistent, our moral and motivation is high now that I’m starting to come into my stride and we have some momentum.”
Reid said: “I was really disappointed not to make it out on Saturday and Sunday, but we have to look at the bigger picture. I did Friday’s free practice and we weren’t too far off the pole position time, but knew myself I was losing so much time through not being 100 percent fit. The team and myself weighed up the options and the risks and decided to hold off for two weeks and go to Brands Hatch probably at around 90% fit. Another two weeks will make a big difference in terms of how I feel on the bike. I just want to thank everyone for all the support!”
Francis said: “After free practice we felt good and I felt we could build a good pace for the race and hoped it would stay dry. We couldn’t improve our time as we lost the session due to the rain, which was disappointing as I felt we could have found more. I missed most of morning warm up with a technical problem and then it took me some time to find my rhythm. I was closing in for the podium but when it started to rain I had a few moments and that dropped me down the order again. It is important to score points and not make mistakes and score nothing.”