Byrne Wins And Easton On Podium At Assen
Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and the Penrith-based Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Team bounced back from a first race crash to claim his 58th career BSB win to ensure he remained at the top of the title table with just two rounds to go following round ten of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Assen in The Netherlands today.
The triple MCE BSB Champion endured a frustrating weekend as a crash in Datatag Extreme Qualifying saw him well down the grid and that frustration wasn’t eased when he crashed out of the opening race of the day in damp conditions to record his first non-finish of the year aboard the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
Although uninjured in the spill, the 37-year old Londoner saw one of his main rivals, Ryuichi Kiyonari, finish in second place in the race to take a major bite out of his championship lead at the first round of the title-deciding Showdown stage.
However, the second race saw much more favourable conditions and, after a race long battle with Japanese ace Kiyonari, the Isle of Sheppey rider left it until the very last corner on the very last lap to make his move and dived up the inside going into the chicane to seal a crucial win.
It was Byrne’s first win in 13 races and his first since Knockhill in June to make it seven victories for the season going into the penultimate round at Silverstone in two weeks time.
Team-mate Stuart Easton enjoyed one of his best weekends of the year with the Hawick rider taking his second podium of the season to strengthen his grip on the BSB Superbike Cup. The Scottish ace took a brilliant third place in an eventful first race, which saw him tear his way through the pack from 15th on the grid, and followed this up with a strong sixth in the later dry race where he was again well in touch with the podium places.
The results keep the 30-year-old in seventh overall to open up a 23-point lead over James Ellison behind him.
Shane Byrne: “We were in a very difficult situation in race one having missed out on the wet practice on Saturday and it was a nightmare but I’d worked my way up to third and felt reasonably secure only to crash out near the end. It gave me more work to do in the second race but once I’d got on the back of Kiyo, my main concern was trying to decide when to make a move. The pace for the first half of the race wasn’t that strong but in the second half, Kiyo stepped it up and I knew it would go to the end. I had terrific mid-corner and exit speed just before the chicane but knew if I passed him he’d come straight back so I decided to leave it until the very last lap so he wouldn’t have chance to respond so it was fantastic to pull it off and eke out a bit of gap in the points table.”
Stuart Easton: “I said after Donington that I wanted to spray some champagne again before the season ended and I got to do that today, which was great. To be honest, I wanted both races to be dry and when the rain came for the first race I was a bit gutted as I’m not the biggest fan of the wet. We had really good pace in the dry so I wasn’t sure how I’d fare in the wet but it all worked out well and I’ll take a podium however it comes. I just didn’t quite have the pace to go with the front group in the second race but it’s been a good weekend with two top six finishes and I’ll be looking for more of the same between now and the end of the season.”
Paul Bird: “Shakey came out of the blocks fighting after crashing out in the opening race and I’m pleased he managed to get the victory. He’s been plugging away in recent rounds without winning so it was an important result. Stuart is continuing to show some great end of season form and he topped that with a podium today. All in all, we had a good weekend, some others fared a lot worse than us.”
MCE British Superbike Championship Race One – 17 laps
1 Josh Waters (Suzuki)
2 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
3 Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
4 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
5 Christian Iddon (Bimota)
6 Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki)
DNF Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two – 18 laps
1 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
3 Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha)
4 Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki)
5 John Hopkins (Suzuki)
6 Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after ten rounds)
1 Byrne 587 points
2 Kiyonari 575
3 Brookes 536
4 Bridewell 531
5 Linfoot 524
6 Walker 505
7 Easton 176
The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki MCE British Superbike Championship Team is running alongside the PBM MotoGP Team with riders Michael Laverty and Broc Parkes. Additionally, Paul Bird is running a full campaign in the REIS BTRDA Rally Series as well as selected International events in his Ford Focus WRC07. Both bike racing teams are sporting the colours of British Racing Green in deference to the team’s proud British heritage.
For more information, please visit www.britishsuperbike.com and www.britishsuperbike.com
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
WATERS & TYCO SUZUKI WIN AT ASSEN BSB
Josh Waters raced to his second British Superbike Championship victory of the season for Tyco Suzuki at Assen’s TT Circuit in the Netherlands in the Australian’s first-ever appearance at the famous Dutch venue.
Waters backed-up his first race win with a solid eighth place in race two, where his team-mate John Hopkins finished fifth. ‘Hopper’ had been in the early hunt for podium honours, but struggled to hang onto the leading quartet after using the best of his tyres in the early laps.
In race one, Waters came through from his fifth-row grid spot to take a well- deserved victory aboard his Tyco Suzuki GSX-R1000. With rain falling just before the start, Waters’ crew made the correct tyre and set-up choice; which afforded him the confidence to carve his way through the pack.
A late and exciting battle with Ryuichi Kiyonari had the huge crowd on the edge of their seats, but the hard-charging Aussie delivered on the final lap to take a hard-fought-for victory.
Josh Waters:
“I’m ‘rapt’ to have taken another win for Tyco Suzuki and I really enjoyed the conditions. Coming here for the first time I’d have been happy with solid single figure top-10 finishes but the boys really have perfected a top-class wet-weather set-up on the Tyco Suzuki GSX-R1000 and I just dug in, kept it upright and yeah, I’m really happy to get another BSB win. I made a poor start in race two and got caught-up and maybe was a little frustrated, but I’m satisfied enough with my weekend’s work and we can take away a lot of positives.”
John Hopkins:
“I’m really frustrated as I know I had the pace for the podium if not the win, but I really had to use up the best of my front tyre running deep into the turns to stay with the front four. Staying in the draft on the straights was pretty tough and once the front tyre went off, we were tucking the front everywhere and I couldn’t risk crashing. Yeah it’s a tough one. Through the fast-flowing stuff I could hang with them no problem but on the straights we were losing-out. But we did what we could today and just have to regroup and look to Silverstone for that podium finish.”
Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“A great gutsy win from Josh Waters in race one when he could so easily have settled for a finish in very difficult conditions. We have to take into consideration it was the lad’s first time here at Assen, which is no easy track to perfect, and eighth in race two is also a good effort considering he had a sluggish start.
“John was hampered by his tyre-choice early in race one, but when the track started to dry he was coming through very quickly on the intermediate rear; had it stayed dry I’m certain he would have been top-five at least. That’s part of the gamble in those conditions and unfortunately for John, like many others, he lost out.
“In race two it was great to see him battling at the front-end in the dry with Kiyo and Shakey. Unfortunately he couldn’t turn it into a podium finish, but we will analyse his thoughts on the race and the data and see what we can improve for Silverstone in a fortnight.”
British Superbike Championship, Assen, race one result:
1. Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki)
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW) +0.184s
3. Stuart Easton (Kawasaki) +23.904s
4. James Ellison (Kawasaki) +24.637s
5. Christian Iddon (Bimota) +29.741s
6. Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki) +37.273s
7. Jed Metcher (Kawasaki) +38.068s
8. Howie Mainwaring (Kawasaki) +49.647s
9. Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha) +50.861s
10. Lee Jackson (BMW) +52.446s
British Superbike Championship, Assen, race two result:
1. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW) +0.152s
3. Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha) +0.460s
4. Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki) +4.170s
5. John Hopkins (Tyco Suzuki) +8.759s
6. Stuart Easton (Kawasaki) +12.203s
7. James Ellison (Kawasaki) +17.729s
8. Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki) +30.241s
9. Filip Backlund (Yamaha) +32.308s
10. James Westmoreland (BMW) +33.060s
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing Triumph:
More Podiums For McConnell And Gowland At Assen
The Gloucester-based Smiths Triumph continued their assault on the 2014 Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Assen in Holland over the weekend and whilst Saturday’s race didn’t quite go to plan, Sunday’s most certainly did with Billy McConnell and Graeme Gowland giving them their fifth 1-2 result of the season, meaning Australian ace McConnell now leads his team-mate by 12 points at the top of the championship table.
The weekend started well for the team when Gowland set pole position for Saturday’s ‘Sprint’ race, comfortably inside the lap record and with Adelaide’s McConnell in fourth, hopes were high. However, rain prior to the race made conditions extremely difficult and it all went wrong for Hexham’s Gowland two thirds of the way round the opening lap when he crashed out on the factory-backed Triumph Daytona 675R, fortunately without injury. McConnell, meanwhile, fared little better and struggled home in 11th place although he was later promoted to tenth when local Dutch rider Chris Nobel was excluded for a technical infringement.
It left Graeme and Billy in seventh and 12th respectively on the grid for Sunday’s ‘Feature’ race, which turned out to be a scintillating affair as the two team-mates, along with a host of other riders fought tooth and nail for the win. Positions changed all the time but as the race neared its conclusion, the duo looked like they’d done enough to finish on the podium with the only doubt still being who would win. Graeme grabbed the lead going into the chicane with a late-braking attempt which didn’t quite work out allowing ‘Skippy’ to take full advantage and to take his fifth win of the season whilst Graeme came home a close second.
Billy McConnell: “Saturday’s race was a nightmare and having never ridden around Assen in the wet and with no wet practice, it was tough going. It was the same for everyone and I chipped away as best I could but tenth was a terrible start. The last two years here haven’t been great and I’ve had some bad results so I thought it was going to be the same again but everyone around me has been working to get my confidence back and to win on Sunday was very emotional for me. I’d been fast all weekend in the dry and to end up with the race win after such a tough race is fantastic. I braked as late as I could going into the chicane so when Graeme came by, I was ready to pick up the pieces and it couldn’t have worked out any better for me.”
Graeme Gowland: “Qualifying went really well and I felt great as the bike and team were working superbly but the weather chucked something at us on Saturday and it was really difficult. Half of the track was bone dry and half was wet so I opted for what I felt were the best tyres and although I got the lead straightaway, I got caught out without warning and down I went. I was fortunate not to lose a big chunk of points on Billy but it meant I had to make up for it in Sunday’s longer race. I thought I’d done enough to win so it was a bit disappointing to end up not winning but having been in the gravel the day before, the podium has kept me in the title hunt and with 100 points still up for grabs there’s everything still to play for.”
Rebecca Smith: “It’s a major relief to be leaving Assen with some good results as we’ve never had much success here. After Saturday’s race though I thought it was going to be a case of ‘here we go again’ but thankfully it all turned out good with another 1-2 for the team. Conditions on Saturday were not ideal, which made it a bad situation for everyone and Graeme made a small mistake on the first lap whilst Billy had to dig deep to salvage some points. With Alastair Seeley winning, it tightened up the championship as well. Sunday’s race was superb and it couldn’t have been any closer whilst it more than proved that both Billy and Graeme will be worthy champions and with a 1-2 and Seeley back in sixth, the championship table looks a lot healthier again. We can all look forward now to Silverstone and with just four races left, we’re edging ever closer to what we set out to achieve at the beginning of the year.”
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race One – 11 laps
1 Alastair Seeley (Yamaha)
2 James Rispoli (Yamaha)
3 Luke Jones (Triumph)
4 Glenn Irwin (Kawasaki)
5 Kervin Bos (Honda)
6 Jake Dixon (Yamaha)
10 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
DNF Graeme Gowland (Smiths Racing Triumph)
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race Two – 12 laps
1 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
2 Graeme Gowland (Smiths Racing Triumph)
3 Luke Mossey (Triumph)
4 Luke Stapleford (Triumph)
5 Luke Jones (Triumph)
6 Alastair Seeley (Yamaha)
Championship Points (after ten rounds)
1 McConnell 332 points
2 Gowland 320
3 Seeley 277
4 Irwin 245
5 Jones 230
6 Stapleford 221
More, from a press release issued by Luke Mossey Racing:
Luke Mossey
TT Circuit Assen
www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
After his double podium at Donington Park, Luke Mossey was eager to get to a circuit he thoroughly enjoys riding, TT Circuit Assen. The rider from Cambridge racing in the Motorpoint British Supersport series was running well all weekend but the weather conditions played a huge part in his results. He gained ninth in the sprint race on Saturday and a great podium place in third on Sunday.
In the dry conditions Luke was setting some fantastic lap times and placed his Teccare Profile Triumph in second place on the grid for the opening race. The rain came shortly before the race and this threw the riders into making difficult decisions on tyre compounds. With half the track being wet and half dry, Luke opted for an intermediate rear and wet front tyre. In the tricky conditions Luke dropped back to 13th but was able to fight his way back through to ninth at the end of the 11-lap race.
For race two Luke started from fifth place on the grid, the race was cut short to 12 laps after the initial race was red flagged after a first turn crash. Luke got a good start and was through to second by the end of lap one, by lap three he took the lead and led until lap eight. The racing was fraught and one of five people could have won it, Luke was pushed back to fifth at one point but was able to take advantage on the last lap to gain a strong third place.
Luke Mossey – “I was really gutted about the result yesterday and knew today I had to make amends, I managed to get to the front and wanted to try and make a break but I was struggling a little with the front end of the bike. Once again it was some awesome Supersport racing and hope everyone enjoyed it, those boys out there don’t give an inch and it’s really important to keep focused and pushing hard.
As most know I do tend to struggle in mixed weather conditions, sadly in the past I’ve sustained some serious injuries in mixed or wet weather conditions. I know with age, time and experience that will improve but in recent seasons I have missed several races through injury so I was pleased to finish the race yesterday in what were awful conditions for any rider to race on. Once again I would like to thank everyone in the Teccare Profile Triumph team plus all the sponsors that are helping me this year. I can’t wait for Silverstone, I managed to take a win there last year and it would be nice to do the same again this year.”
Personal Sponsors 2014
Sidi, Shoei, GB Racing, SMV, Teccare, Motul, Hel, Samco, Brembo, Gi-Moto, Doodson, Sabre Sport, K Tech, JMC, Krombacher
Twitter – LukeMossey12
Facebook – www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
More, from a press release issued by Jake Dixon Racing:
Jake Dixon – Assen
www.facebook.com/JakeDixonRacing
18-year-old Jake Dixon from Dover had a mixed weekend on his first trip to the Assen Circuit in Holland at round 10 of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship. Jake briefly led the opening sprint race on Saturday before finishing the race in sixth and finished in 11th in the main feature race on Sunday.
It was always going to be difficult for Jake at the ultrafast GP circuit to keep with the speed of the front runners. Jake ended up qualifying in 11th place for the opening sprint race on Saturday, just prior to the Superbike qualifying session the rain came. Come the race half the track was wet and half was dry, Jake’s team opted for full wet tyres. He got an awesome start and led for the first two laps, he was passed on lap three by Seeley and was riding exceptionally well, the track began to dry and Jake struggled for grip, he slipped to sixth at the end of the 11 laps.
He was placed in 11th place for race two on Sunday; he had a crash during morning warm up due to a much cooler track but thankfully Jake and his bike were ok. In the dry conditions, Jake was struggling for top end speed on his Yamaha and it was difficult for him to make ground on the riders in front of him. Despite his best efforts he ended up finishing in 11th place at the end of the 12 laps.
Jake Dixon – “I knew this weekend would be tough for us as our bike doesn’t have the top end speed it needs to fight with the front runners. I was quite lucky on Saturday when it rained as it played into my favour; I got an awesome start and managed to lead the race for a bit whilst the track was fully wet.
We’d chosen full wet tyres for the race and this helped me in the first stages of the race but as soon as it started to dry no matter how hard I pushed I was slipping backwards through the field. I was still really pleased to be up near the front for the majority of the race and happy to get sixth in the end.
I knew in the dry on Sunday it would be a different story, even looking at the speed trap times it was always going to be tough for us to be anywhere near the front sadly. I crashed in morning warm up but it didn’t stop me putting in every effort in the race but it just wasn’t meant to be. Hopefully I can be back near the front and the two remaining rounds of the season.”
2014 Personal Sponsors
Shoei – Daytona – Forcefield Body Armour – Ovendens – Mutleys – Feridax – Transtore Logistics – Herbalife (www.jdrnutrition.com) – WIZ Racing – www.freestylextreme.com – anyone wishing to sponsor Jake this season with product or funding please get in touch – [email protected]
Team Sponsors
Appleyard – Macadam – Doodson – Yamaha
Facebook – www.facebook.com/JakeDixonRacing
Twitter – @DixonJake
More, from a press release issued by Gearlink Kawasaki:
Gearlink Kawasaki
TT Assen Circuit
www.facebook.com/GearlinkRacing
Motorpoint British Supersport
The Gearlink Kawasaki team had a varied weekend in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at TT Circuit Assen. Glenn Irwin had a mixed weekend with a great fourth in the sprint race on Saturday, but sadly crashed out of fourth place in the main feature race on Sunday. His team-mate Luke Hedger had a tough weekend and a wrong tyre choice in the opening race saw him finish in 20th place in race one and 10th place on Sunday.
Glenn was riding well all weekend at the TT Circuit Assen and was consistently setting good times in all the sessions. He ended up qualifying in seventh place for the opening sprint race on Saturday and when the heavens opened no riders knew what tyre choice to run with, as half the track was wet and half dry. Glenn opted for full wets, got an amazing start and broke away with Graeme Gowland who grabbed the hole-shot. Gowland crashed out and Glenn had to take evasive action, which put him on the gravel, crossing the line in 14th position after lap one. Glenn really got his head down and pushed his way through the pack and by lap seven he was in second position. Opting for full wet tyres Glenn struggled for grip in the closing stages of the race with the track rapidly drying out but still managed to finish in a very creditable fourth.
He was placed in ninth place for race two on Sunday, once again the British Supersport race produced another amazing battle and Glenn was involved in it fighting for a podium position. He was up against the dominant Triumphs and pushing so hard to stay with them. Climbing up to third place on lap ten Glenn was locked in a five bike battle for a podium spot and sadly tucked the front end going into the final chicane and crashed out of fourth.
Luke Hedger was struggling to find a set up on his Gearlink Kawasaki, he has never ridden a Supersport machine at the Assen circuit and found it difficult to learn the track and get the feeling he required on the bike. He qualified in 13th place for the sprint race but having never ridden in the wet at Assen he opted for full wets but sadly the track dried and he dropped back to 20th. He was placed in a lowly 30th place for the second race on Sunday, the youngster got an amazing start and was 14th after the opening lap, pushing hard he worked hard to get through and finish in a very worthy 10th position.
Glenn Irwin – “The first race was certainly entertaining and I worked beyond belief to push my way back through the pack. I didn’t want to hit Graeme (Gowland) so went off the track into the gravel to avoid him, I re-joined in about 19th, got up to 14th after lap one. I then just had to get my head down, I was on full wets and I pushed my way through to second at one stage. The track started drying and my bike was moving all over the place in the closing stages, I can’t complain at fourth on a pretty much dry track.
I’m disappointed to have crashed out of race two but really pleased with the pace we managed to find. Many people don’t realise how hard I have to push to try and keep with the power and speed of the Triumphs and I have to ride the wheels off the Gearlink Kawasaki to be in with a chance. I must thank the entire Gearlink Kawasaki team, we made some mega changes for warm up and it gave me a lot of confidence, I pushed hard, a little too hard and made a mistake and crashed out. Thanks again to everyone for supporting me and if anyone wishes to support me please look at my account on SoFund.co.uk.”
Luke Hedger – “It’s been a difficult weekend but really pleased that I managed to end the weekend with a top ten result. We have worked hard all weekend but I struggled to get comfortable on the bike as it’s the first time I have ridden a 600 around Assen. Both Glenn and I ran full wets in race one but I just didn’t feel confident to push too hard and risk crashing.
For that reason I ended up in 30th place on the grid for race two, luckily I got a mega start and was able to make up several places in the opening laps. I worked hard and felt much happier on the bike in race two and we made a lot of progress and changes, onwards and upwards at Silverstone and Brands. Thanks again to the Gearlink team all my sponsors especially 1st Choice Flooring.”
Ben Wilson once again was trying to master his Gearlink Kawasaki around the technical, fast Assen circuit. He managed to qualify in 23rd place, in the wet conditions Ben got an unbelievable start and was through to seventh place after lap one. As the track began to dry Ben was unable to match the pace and dropped back to 16th, the heavens opened again and Ben worked hard to get back through to a very solid 13th place. Sadly in the second race Ben was caught up in a first lap incident and was forced to retire to the pit lane at the end of the opening lap.
Ben Wilson – “It was another tough weekend for us with the bike and having no data or set up coming here. We were lucky that the rain came in race one as it always evens up the field a little; I got a great start and was up with the leading bunch in the first few laps. We worked hard and it was good to get some points. Race two was a nightmare as I got caught up in a first lap crash which did some damage to my bike so I had to pull into the pits.”
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “Whilst it has been a tough weekend, all three riders did their best in the changing weather conditions.
Ben had some consistent pace in race one but suffered lack of grip in the wet so finishing in 13th place was a good result as he managed to secure some points, Ben was just unfortunate in the second race to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Glenn and Luke showed promise over the weekend and in the sprint race it was always going to be a gamble on the choice of tyres.
In race two Glenn was fighting throughout the whole race to secure a podium place and was just unlucky to make a mistake on the last lap and crash out. Luke’s result in race two was really good considering he started off so far back on the grid.”
2014 GEARLINK TEAM SPONSORS
AKRAPOVIC – B & C EXPRESS – CN TRADING (GLENN) – DAYTONA (BEN) – DAMEN LEATHERS – DBR – FORCEFIELD – GALFER – GB RACING – GEARLINK LTD – GOODRIDGE – JAMES JAMIESON CONSTRUCTION (GLENN) – JOHNY WILLS PHOTOGRAPHY – K-TECH – KTtapeuk.co.uk – MARK TALBOT (GLENN) – MEGASTORE247 (GLENN) – MET HEALTHCARE (GLENN) – MWR AIR FILTERS – NGK SPARK PLUGS – OCTANORM – PERFORMANCE PARTS – PERFORMANCE FRICTION BRAKES – PRO CLEAN – PRO-BOLT – R & G RACING – RENTHAL – ROCK OIL – SAMCO SPORT – SHARK HELMETS – SHOEI HELMETS (LUKE) – SIDI (LUKE) – SIGMA PERFORMANCE – SINNIS – SKIDMARX – SOLO SIGNS – TIM TODD SURFACING – TSUBAKI – VALE LIVESTOCK – WWW.1STCHOICE-FLOORING.CO.UK (LUKE)
More, from a press release issued by Mar-Train Racing:
SATURDAY RACE WINNER SEELEY OUT OF LUCK IN ASSEN FEATURE SUPERSPORT RACE
Alastair Seeley fought back bravely to take sixth place in today’s British Supersport feature race at Assen, after being forced off the track during the re-started middleweight encounter – following an early red flag incident.
A race winner on Saturday, the double British champion came through from outside the top ten in today’s middleweight encounter. But despite running similar lap times to the leading quintet, the damage had already been delivered when he was forced onto the grass, as he explained.
Alastair Seeley:
“I got shunted off the track in the re-start and went grass tracking. I came back on in about 12th place and just worked my way back up through the field. It’s a shame because the lap times I was running were around the same as the front guys, so without the incident we could have been with the front five.
“It’s onwards and upwards now to Silverstone, which is one of my favourite tracks and we know the Mar-Train Yamaha works well there also. We have clawed some points back here at Assen so we must remain positive. A big thanks as always to the whole team for their hard work and thanks to the support from all our sponsors.”
Tim Martin – Team Principal:
“After yesterday’s big effort I have to admit today is a little disappointing. Alastair did what he could having been ran off the track early on, but yes it does dilute yesterday’s race win a little. All we can do is arrive at Silverstone as a team with the same positive attitude; look to come out of the traps strongly and there’s no question the goal will be two wins and see where that leaves us going into the final round. Thanks to all the team for a big effort this weekend.”
Championship Points
Billy McConnell 332
Graeme Gowland 320
Alastair Seeley 277
Glenn Irwin 245
Luke Jones 230
Luke Stapleford 221
More, from a press release issued by INcompetition Racing:
INcompetition Racing
TT Assen Circuit
www.facebook.com/INcompetitionracing
At round ten of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, David Allingham on the INcompetition Racing Yamaha had a varied weekend at the TT Assen Circuit. He secured seventh place in mixed conditions in the opening sprint race and was eighth in the main race on Sunday.
The young Irishman has never ridden at the Dutch circuit previously and was eager to get out on the super-fast GP track. He spent most of Friday practice sessions finding his way around and also trying to find a set up that worked best. He qualified in 28th place on the grid and 10th Evo rider; he got a good start and worked his way up to fifth place in the Evo class and 21st overall out of 40 riders. With the track being half wet and half dry, David choose to run full wet tyres and with the quickly drying track David slipped back in the last two laps to seventh at the end of the 11 lap race.
The INcompetition team made several changes overnight and David started from 27th on the grid for race two and in the dry conditions he was keen to gain a strong result. He pushed hard all the way through and ended up finishing in eighth place in the Evo Championship and 20th place overall setting the Evo lap record in the process, he is now fifth equal in the Championship standings.
David Allingham – “Although I didn’t get the results I was hoping for here at Assen it was great to come to such an incredible circuit and race here. We seemed to struggle this weekend to find a good set up, we changed the gearing several times but at least now we have some data for next year. Adrian made several changes overnight and the bike felt really good in warm up and during race two.
I knew this weekend would be difficult, it’s a very hard track to learn but I have enjoyed it. I am slightly disappointed with the results but hopefully I can finish the season on a high at Silverstone and Brands. Thanks to all my team for helping me, especially Adrian who has helped me so much this year plus all my sponsors who have helped me to get here.”
2014 IN COMPETITION RACING TEAM SPONSORS
EHA GROUP – BMOR – INCOMPETITION – MODE PERFORMANCE – GB RACING ENGINE COVERS – PRO BOLT – PIPE WERX – SILKOLENE – MAXTON – HEL – RARE BOY – MAG EUROPE – SC TARMAC
More, from a press release issued by Michael Hill Promotions:
Uribe Claims 7th At The Cathedral Of Speed
Jayson Uribe claimed a hard fought 7th position in the annual trip overseas that saw the BSB Motostar competitors at the iconic Assen circuit for the latest round of the 2014 championship yesterday.
After a trouble free weekend Jayson qualified 11th on the grid of 44 riders that included several Dutch competitors including a number that contest the ultra-competitive CEV Spanish and Red Bull Rookies series.
Making several places off the start Jayson completed opening lap in 10th before moving into 9th half way around lap 2.
Jayson a settled into a rhythm and was soon fighting hard with championship rival Jordan Weaving, the pair riding smart avoiding any unnecessary contact as they worked together to close the gap to the leading bunch.
By half distance Uribe had joined the scrap for 6th but with several riders ahead of him not involved in the fight for the BSB crown the American was conscious of making a mistake. However Lap 9 saw a coming together with one of the Dutch riders saw Jayson forced off the track, but after taking avoiding action he was able to continue despite losing positions because of the incident.
As he continued to push to claw back the time lost Jayson almost crashed on the penultimate corner of the lap but thankfully was able to use his skill to stay aboard.
A lap later saw a red flag which brought a premature end to the race meaning Jayson was classified 7th. In the championship standings, he now holds a commanding 30 point advantage over James Hobson, who failed to finish in the Netherlands meaning Uribe can guarantee himself an overall top 3 position in the standings at Silverstone in a fortnight.
Jayson Uribe – FPW Honda: “I had a great weekend at TT Circuit Assen. The bike ran great all weekend and we got our first top ten in the speed traps of the year. I definitely learned a lot in tactics for qualifying and how to get good slipstreams. Free practice went well and we didn’t have any major problems. Unfortunately in Quali, instead of getting slipstreams from other people, I gave people a slipstream which actually slowed me down and left me 11th on the grid which was a little bit behind where we should have been. In the race I got a good start and I tried to be clever with Jordon Weaving by not battling too much so that we could catch the riders in front of us. When we closed the gap, an awesome 4 rider battle ensued. It was great fun to be involved in such a fight but unfortunately, one of the Dutch riders crashed trying to make a pass on the inside of me which pushed off the track, and then I lost the front in the second to last corner and was so lucky it came back. I’m sorry the other rider crashed but I’m happy I didn’t join him. It was a hard race but we added another 9 points to our points tally and with just two races left I can guarantee a top 3 overall placing at the next round. Bring on Silverstone!”
More, from a press release issued by Team Traction Control:
TTC’s Supersport Podium at Assen
James Rispoli brings home the silverware for Team Traction Control
A brilliant performance from our young American sealed a superb second place in Saturday’s Sprint race at the legendary Assen TT circuit.
Team Traction Control’s Dutch debut delivered the team’s first Supersport silverware, with James Rispoli finishing second in Saturday’s Sprint race. Rispoli and his Yamaha R6 soon got to grips with the fast Assen TT track, bagging some quick lap times and enjoying a great late chase to decide which podium step he would eventually take.
“The weekend for us was great from the get go. I really gelled with Assen. I love how fast it was,” says James. “To be able to give back to the team their first SS podium feels amazing,” he continues. “To see the American flag raised felt so good as well as getting my first career international podium! Looking forward to many more!”
Our belief is paying off!
Team Principal Paul Bolwell commented: “I’m so chuffed for all the lads, this result is testament to our belief to change bikes mid-season, it’s recognition for the immense work done behind the scenes by Team Manager Grant Bunting and his crew.”
“This is a tough series, no doubt about that, and to get this in our debut season is awesome, James rode really well and used his head, I’m proud of him today!” says Paul. “A huge thanks to the chaps at Monster Energy, Fly By Nite and Muc-Off for their support, without them, this wouldn’t have happened.”
As soon as the race finished Team Owner Keith Flint was on the phone to Paul as they made their way to the podium. “Flinty was buzzing, he’s made up,” says Paul. “It’s probably a good thing he wasn’t there for the TV interviews given the colourful banter… joking aside though, he’s gutted not to be there, but, in his words: ‘today’s all about the team’. Keith loves racing and this is what he made him want to set the team up – podiums!”
Sunday’s red flag
Sunday’s race was a mixed bag of fortune. Sterling work in Saturday’s Sprint race resulted in a season-best 5th place on the grid for Rispoli. But no sooner had the race started, it was red-flagged, meaning a restart. And with that came a dose of bad luck and the clutch being burnt out at the second start. Dropping back to 16th from the start was going to end the chance of another podium, with James battling hard to finish the race in 12th.
TTC leave Assen with many positives: the set-up changes have worked, the bike power and speed is very good, and the whole team is delighted to come away with well-deserved silverware.
“I just want to thank my entire team for all the hard work, and all the people who help behind the scenes,” says James.
Now we begin preparation for Silverstone in two weeks and intend to take the momentum of the podium finish with us.
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Yet another strong BSB round for Quattro Plant Kawasaki
The Quattro Plant Kawasaki team enjoyed yet another strong weekend of racing in round ten of the 2014 MCE British Superbike Championship held at Assen, Holland with Dan Linfoot scoring two more top six finishes and only bad luck preventing team-mate Howie Mainwaring from making it two finishes inside the top eight from his two rides.
Linfoot, one of the ‘Title Fighters’ in the final three round Showdown, was looking to prove he deserved his place amongst the top six Championship contenders and he more than proved that in the two races. Tricky weather and track conditions made life very difficult in the first race and although he ran as high as second at one stage, Dan eventually crossed the line in sixth place as the track dried but he went on to have one of his best rides of the year in the second race.
Throughout the 17 laps, the Yorkshire rider was running inside the top five and, with the fastest lap of the race, he closed right in on the front group of riders battling for the lead. Although he was unable to repeat the podium of Oulton Park earlier in the year, he only narrowly missed out in fourth and with an excellent return of 23 points from the two races it moved him up to fifth overall in the Championship table.
For Mainwaring it looked like he’d enjoy his best weekend of the year as he consistently ran inside the top ten but bad luck hit him in the second race. After a solid performance in qualifying, race day started well for the Aylesford-based rider as he took an excellent eighth place in race one for his best finish of the year and it looked like he’d repeat that feat later in the day. However, half way through the race, a collision with another rider resulted in the fairing on the ZX-10R Kawasaki working its way loose and when part of it detached itself from the machine, he was black flagged from the race and left to ponder what might have been.
Dan Linfoot: “Today has been a positive race day for me and it’s been nice to repeat the form I showed at Thruxton and Oulton Park and prove it wasn’t a fluke. However, at the same time I’m disappointed as I did a great job to get into a fight with the race leaders but didn’t finish the job off by fighting with them for the podium. I genuinely feel like the first loser today but my team did a great job by continually improving the bike over the race weekend and we’ve got five more races still to go to get ourselves back onto the rostrum.”
Howie Mainwaring: “It was always going to be tough with it being my first time at Assen but we improved the bike all weekend and in morning warm-up we found an even better setting. I got a good start in race one and battled through to eighth place in tricky track conditions. In the second race I was running inside the top ten again but Filip Backlund and myself collided and I was unfortunately black flagged as my fairing came loose. It was a shame my race ended in this way but, on the plus side, I was very pleased to be running inside the top ten in both races.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “Assen was a circuit we believed Dan would be strong at after the recent BSB test and he didn’t disappoint. A great qualifying performance led to a good sixth place in race one in very difficult conditions but race two was even better with Dan running in the top four all race long with the leaders just a couple of seconds in front of him. He eventually brought the bike home in a superb fourth position and the results mean he’s closed the gap to Josh Brookes and Tommy Bridewell in the Championship table.”
“Howie had his race head on with a superb eighth in race one and was running in a similar position in race two when he was hit by another rider which broke the fairing and caused him to be black flagged. Both riders put in great rides this weekend with superb work by both crews so thanks to Quattro Plant and all of our sponsors and roll on Silverstone.”
The penultimate round of the series takes place in two weeks time at Silverstone, Northants.
MCE British Superbike Championship Race One – 18 laps
1 Josh Waters (Suzuki)
2 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
3 Stuart Easton (Kawasaki)
4 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
5 Christian Iddon (Bimota)
6 Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
8 Howie Mainwaring (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two – 18 laps
1 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
2 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
3 Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha)
4 Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
5 John Hopkins (Suzuki)
6 Stuart Easton (Kawasaki)
DNF Howie Mainwaring (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after ten rounds)
1 Byrne 587pts
2 Kiyonari 575
3 Brookes 536
4 Bridewell 531
5 Linfoot 524
6 Walker 505
18 Mainwaring 39