Byrne Extends Lead After Brands Hatch Podium
The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Team extended their MCE British Superbike Championship lead at round five of the series at Brands Hatch this weekend with Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne claiming a second place in the opening dry race with a fifth place finish in the second race which was held in damp conditions.
Aboard the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R for the Cumbrian-based team, the 37-year-old from Sittingbourne overcame problems during practice and qualifying to claim his fourth pole position of the season for the opening 20 lap race at his local track.
Byrne, who has won 13 times around the Kent Grand Prix track, led for almost three quarters of the race but it was close throughout as he constantly had Ryuichi Kiyonari, James Ellison and Chris Walker breathing down his neck. Kiyonari hit the front on the 16th lap and he held on to take the win with Shakey in second, only a tenth of a second adrift to claim his ninth consecutive podium comprising six wins and three second places.
With the storm clouds gathering overhead, the second race started in spectacular fashion for the triple MCE BSB champion when Ellison crashed out in front of him and his Kawasaki clattered into the side of Byrne, who amazingly stayed on board. The race was immediately stopped and when it did get underway again, the rain had arrived with Shakey the early race leader. However, the tricky conditions meant Byrne opted for caution and a safe points haul eventually taking the chequered flag in fifth place. With his main championship rivals finishing behind him, Byrne was able to extend his title lead further to 92 points, increasing his important Podium Credits tally to 39, a lead of 25.
Team-mate Stuart Easton was keen to consolidate his top six position in the title race but had a tough weekend and slipped back to eighth overall after managing only a best finish of tenth. The 30-year-old Hawick rider found it difficult to get a good set-up with the bike in the hot weather during qualifying and finished back in tenth place in the first race. A better result looked on the cards in the second wet race for the reigning British Supersport Champion but a mistake saw him run off the track and by the time he rejoined the race he was outside the top 20 before eventually battling back to 14th place at the finish.
Shane Byrne: “It’s been a hard weekend and although I managed to take the pole position I had to work really hard as we were constantly making changes with the bike to try and get it to work how I wanted it to. I really enjoyed the first race and fair play to Kiyo, he rode really well. I led for the first part of the race but once he came by I knew I had to try and pass him as he was really strong coming out of the last corner. I tried a couple of times on the last lap but there wasn’t a real opportunity to do anything so I settled for a safe second. The second race got off to the worst start when James crashed in front of me and the bike caught my brake lever and trapped my hand between the handlebar although, luckily, there was no major damage to my fingers. In the re-start, we had difficult conditions to contend with in the wet so the plan was to stay out of trouble as my main title rivals were all behind me. Another podium would have been great and whilst second and fifth could have been better, I was able to pick up the ‘King of Brands’ trophy also so the weekend ended on a good note.”
Stuart Easton: “For some reason, we struggled all weekend to find a good set-up with the bike and no matter what we tried; I just wasn’t feeling 100% comfortable out there. Tenth was the best I could manage in the first race but we changed all the settings for race two and the bike felt immediately better, probably the best it had done all weekend. I got a great start and was running inside the top six before the race got red flagged but I had a good grid spot for the re-start and was hopeful of a good result. Again the start went well but after I’d been pushed back a couple of places I made a mistake at Surtees trying to make up ground. I joined in almost last place but kept going until the end and picked up what could be a couple of valuable championship points.”
Paul Bird, Team Owner: “For the first time in five meetings we’ve not scored a win but Shakey still managed to extend his lead so it’s far from a disaster. The team worked hard to allow him to get pole position and he was fighting with Kiyo in race one for the win but sensibly settled for second which is what he needs to do at this stage in the championship. He knew all his major title rivals were behind him in race two so again it was a case of just bringing the bike home in difficult conditions. Stuart struggled this weekend so after his Knockhill podium, we need to get him back up to speed but he’ll be fine at Thruxton, as will Shakey, the both of them won two races each there last year.”
MCE British Superbike Championship Race One – 19 laps
1 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
2 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
3 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
4 Chris Walker (Kawasaki)
5 Dan Linfoot (Kawasaki)
6 Josh Brookes (Yamaha)
10 Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two – 15 laps
1 Josh Waters (Suzuki)
2 Richard Cooper (Kawasaki)
3 Keith Farmer (Kawasaki)
4 Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha)
5 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
6 Jon Kirkham (Kawasaki)
14 Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after five rounds)
1 Byrne 221pts
2 Brookes 129
3 Ellison 124
4 Kiyonari 107
5 Bridewell 101
6 Walker 96
8 Easton 82
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.
The next round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship takes place at Thruxton over the weekend of August 1/3rd. For more information, please visit www.britishsuperbike.com and www.britishsuperbike.com
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Linfoot stars at Brands as Mainwaring picks up first points of the season
The Brands Hatch circuit in Kent hosted round five of the MCE British Superbike Championship at the weekend and it proved to be a good meeting for the Quattro Plant Kawasaki team with Dan Linfoot scoring his best result of the season and team-mate Howie Mainwaring picking up his first points on his comeback from injury.
Having shown excellent form in qualifying, Linfoot was somewhat unlucky to only line up in tenth place and on the fourth row of the grid for the opening race but an excellent start saw him jump up to eighth at the completion of the first lap. This soon became seventh and when Yamaha team-mates Josh Brookes and Tommy Bridewell briefly touched, the South Milford based rider took full advantage to move up to fifth and pull away. The front four riders were tantalisingly just 1.5s ahead but try as he might, Dan was unable to close the deficit and settled for fifth, his best result of the season thus far.
The second race was red flagged twice before it finally got underway in anger and although he initially slipped back to tenth, Dan was up to sixth on the third lap. It looked like this would be the position he’d finish in but with just four laps to go, fellow Kawasaki rider Jon Kirkham pushed him back a spot to seventh. With his best weekend haul of points thus far, twenty, Dan’s now moved on to 90 points and back up to seventh overall in the Championship table.
Team-mate Mainwaring looked like he’d turned his season around after an excellent first race result before bad luck again intervened. The Aylesford-based rider qualified in a strong 11th place and then battled for a top ten finish throughout the opening race where he was part of a five-man group battling for ninth. The 27-year old briefly fought his way to the front of the group but he ultimately had to settle for a good 11th at the chequered flag for his first points of the season.
However, just when his season had got up and running, a technical problem saw him crash heavily on the opening lap of the second. Although he was battered and bruised, he was otherwise ok and there was thankfully no damage to his previously injured shoulder.
Dan Linfoot: “I’m really pleased with today’s results, especially the fifth place in the first race and that was probably my best ride of the season so far. I normally get stuck behind people and end up running their pace rather than my own but once I got up to fifth, I immediately pulled away from the group I was battling with. I’d gained confidence from my qualifying performance, when I did the lap time all on my own, and to finish just four seconds behind the race winner was extremely satisfying. With a better grid spot, I was really looking forward to race two but the rain made it quite difficult to control the power of the bike although seventh was still a good result for me, points wise, and it’s kept me a strong position in the Championship.”
Howie Mainwaring: “It’s been a bit of an up and down weekend, the highlight obviously being my first race result and first points of the season. I was pleased with how the race went despite having a few suspension issues but we changed the settings for race two and the bike felt strong before the race was stopped for James Ellison’s crash. I was confident of improving on 11th but I felt my foot slip off the peg at Hawthorn and all I can remember after that is tipping into the next corner and going down. I’m a bit battered and bruised but my old shoulder injury stood up to the test and felt fine. Like I say, it’s good to get my first points of the season so I’m looking forward to the next round at Thruxton.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “It’s been another excellent weekend for Dan and he’s ridden solidly throughout. Having topped Q2, he was a little bit disappointed to have slipped back to tenth in the final qualifying segment but a good start from the fourth row saw him make up a number of places and that’s how the race continued for him. Fifth was a great result and nothing more than he deserved and he backed it up with a solid seventh in race two in what was difficult conditions. He’s growing in confidence with each and every outing and he’s looking strong in seventh overall in the Championship.”
“Howie showed great promise, and progress, all weekend and after a great qualifying performance, he repeated the 11th place in the first race for his first points of the season. Obviously, we were all hoping for more of the same in race two but, unfortunately, a broken hose clip caused him to crash early, thankfully without any major injury. We’re all looking forward to Thruxton so thanks once again to all our sponsors and roll on the next round.”
Thruxton in Hampshire hosts the sixth round of the series on August 1-3.
MCE British Superbike Championship Race One – 20 laps
1 Ryuichi Kiyonari (BMW)
2 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
3 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
4 Chris Walker (Kawasaki)
5 Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
6 Josh Brookes (Yamaha)
11 Howie Mainwaring (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
MCE British Superbike Championship Race Two – 15 laps
1 Josh Waters (Suzuki)
2 Richard Cooper (Kawasaki)
3 Keith Farmer (Kawasaki)
4 Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha)
5 Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
6 Jon Kirkham (Kawasaki)
7 Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
DNF Howie Mainwaring (Quattro Plant Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after five rounds)
1 Byrne 221pts
2 Brookes 129
3 Ellison 124
4 Kiyonari 107
5 Bridewell 101
6 Walker 96
7 Linfoot 90
24 Mainwaring 5
More, from a press release issued by Sixteen26 PR & Media:
SIDEWAYS TO VICTORY FOR UNSTOPPABLE BUCHAN AT BRANDS HATCH
Round 5 – Brands Hatch GP:
Danny Buchan took his fourth win from just five races in this season’s Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc class, after an enthralling 16-lap battle around the Brands Hatch GP circuit earlier today.
The Tsingtao Kawasaki rider qualified on pole position at round 5 and was commanding throughout, but a late charge from series contenders Lee Jackson and Jason O’Halloran, brought the best out of the 21-year-old, who went on the take the win – despite a huge speedway-esque slide coming out of the final turn on the last lap.
Speaking afterwards a delighted Buchan said: “I’ve never really got on with the GP track here at Brands even though it’s my favourite circuit. The goal was to come here and take away as many points as I could, so to take the win is immense for me and the Tsingtao Racing Team.
“The ZX10R was superb throughout the race, even though I thought we might struggle in the heat. Yes I got it a bit sideways on the final turn, but I held on for the win.”
Recounting the race he concluded: “I put in a few fast laps early on and thought it would be enough to gap the field, but came round to see ‘plus zero’ on my pitboard and thought, ‘what have I got to do here?’ Every lap was like a qualifier but I’m delighted to have extended my lead in the championship to 34 points over Jason.”
It’s a fitting performance from Danny in front of his new personal sponsors EPAYME
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Race Results
Winner: Danny Buchan [Tsintao Racing Kawasaki]; 2nd – Jason O’Halloran [Honda] +0.116sec; 3rd – Lee Jackson [BMW] +1.580sec; 4th – Hudson Kennaugh [BMW] +1.977sec; 5th – Filip Backlund [Kawasaki] +6.664sec; 6th – Josh Elliott [Kawasaki] +20.758sec
Championship Points
Danny Buchan 120
Jason O’Halloran 86
Lee Jackson 66
Filip Backlund 57
Hudson Kennaugh 51
Josh Elliott 41
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing Team:
Double Podium For Gowland At Brands Hatch
The Smiths Triumph Racing Team endured mixed fortunes at round five of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend with Graeme Gowland taking a brace of second places but team-mate Billy McConnell suffering a first race crash and seeing his championship reduced further with a sixth place in race two.
Northumberland rider Gowland and Australian McConnell lined up in second and fourth places respectively for Saturday’s 12 lap Sprint race and the duo maintained their positions in the opening two laps. By lap three, Adelaide’s McConnell was up to second but a lap later his race was over as he crashed out at Druids so it was left to Allandale, near Hexham rider Gowland to fly the flag for the Gloucester-based 2012 British Champions.
This he did and for the remainder of the race as he was locked in battle with Alastair Seeley and despite never being much of a gap, the Ulsterman held on for the win with Graeme, aboard the factory-backed Triumph 675R machine, just a fraction behind in second place.
It all meant the championship table had closed up considerably prior to today’s 18 lap Feature race and it was to change further by the conclusion of the race as Seeley and Gowland battled all the way for the lead with McConnell down the order in sixth.
Just like Saturday’s race, there was nothing between Seeley and Gowland but try as he might, the Geordie was unable to get close enough to make a pass stick and he had to settle for his second runner-up spot of the weekend. McConnell, meanwhile, slipped back to seventh at one stage before fighting back to claim sixth place and what could prove to be ten valuable championship points.
McConnell still leads the Motorpoint British Championship by ten points from Seeley with Gowland a single point further back in third with 14 races still to go.
Graeme Gowland: “I’m disappointed not to have won a race this weekend but at the same time, I’m happy as I came into the meeting 41 points off the championship lead and now I’m only 11 points away from Billy. I felt like I had a bike good enough to win but whilst I could draw alongside Alastair, I just couldn’t quite get enough drive out of the corners to make a pass happen so had to settle for a close second in each race. With Alastair’s wins I’ve dropped a spot to third overall but there’s now only 11 points between the three of us with everything to play for. We’ve a really busy period of racing coming up and I’m really looking forward to be racing week in week out and building on our points tally.”
Billy McConnell: “It’s been a very tough weekend for myself although it started off well as the bike felt good and I was confident of being up there. In the first race, I made a good start and I went into Druids 1kph slower than the previous lap but trailed the front brake for a bit longer and down I went. We made a few changes before today’s race but I didn’t feel good with the front end and whilst I could run a decent pace on my own, when I was in amongst other riders, I couldn’t. I got a finish and I’ve kept my championship lead so we’ll go away, look at a few things to see how we can improve and move forward once more.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “The weekend started well for the team and we had high hopes of scoring some good results even though the changeable weather made it difficult for everyone. Both of the riders qualified well but Billy’s crash dented his confidence a bit although he rode a solid race today to score some solid points and maintain his championship lead. Graeme rode fantastically well all weekend and he can consider himself unlucky not to have won one of the races but with a brace of seconds, it’s really closed the championship up. We’ve got a busy period ahead of us with the meetings coming up so we’ll look forward to the next round at Thruxton now and getting back on to the top step.”
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race One – 12 laps
1 Alastair Seeley (Yamaha)
2 Graeme Gowland (Smiths Racing Triumph)
3 Luke Jones (Triumph)
4 Jake Dixon (Yamaha)
5 Luke Stapleford (Triumph)
6 Luke Mossey (Triumph)
DNF Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race Two – 18 laps
1 Alastair Seeley (Yamaha)
2 Graeme Gowland (Smiths Racing Triumph)
3 Luke Jones (Triumph)
4 Jake Dixon (Yamaha)
5 Luke Stapleford (Triumph)
6 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
Championship Points (after five rounds)
1 McConnell 162pts
2 Seeley 152
3 Gowland 151
4 Stapleford 124
5 Jones 119
6 Irwin 118
The next round of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship takes place at Thruxton over the weekend of August 1/3rd.
More, from a press release issued by Jake Dixon Racing:
Jake Dixon – Brands GP
www.facebook.com/JakeDixonRacing
It was a consistent weekend for 18-year-old Jake Dixon from Dover at round five of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship on the Appleyard Macadam Doodson Yamaha at Brands Hatch GP this weekend. Jake secured his first ever qualifying pole position for the opening sprint race and gained a fourth in that and fourth in main feature race on Sunday.
Jake who was looking forward to competing at his most local circuit of Brands this weekend and was eager for a couple of strong results. He rode a fantastic qualifying session on Saturday morning and in the drying conditions he secured a great pole position. Although a little nervous Jake got his head down in the first race and despite a steady start he pushed hard and once he settled down his lap times were some of the best of the race, finishing in fourth at the chequered flag.
Starting in fourth for the main race Jake got another good start and pushed hard during the race but just was not able to keep with the leading trio and took another solid fourth.
Jake Dixon – “I’m really happy with how I have ridden here at Brands all weekend we have made some huge improvements with the Yamaha and I hope this form continues for the rest of the season. We are biting at the podium now and just hope it won’t be long before I can get up there. The riders in front of me this weekend just seemed to have a little more power down the long back straights, this might be a problem at Thruxton but I hope we can overcome that. Thanks again to the team for all their hard work this weekend. I have also managed to get a new sponsor with www.freestylextreme.com and look forward to building up a working relationship with them.”
2014 Personal Sponsors
Shoei – Daytona – Forcefield Body Armour – Ovendens – Mutleys – Feridax – Transtore Logistics – Herbalife – 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 IN Competition Racing:
IN competition Racing
Brands Hatch GP
www.facebook.com/INcompetitionracing
It was a solid weekend for young Irishman David Allingham this weekend at Brands Hatch in round five of the Motorpoint British Supersport Evo Championship. David who has never rode at the Brands GP track before gained fourth in the sprint race in the Supersport Evo class and backed it up with a great third place on Sunday in the main feature race.
The youngster from Northern Ireland was eager to learn and put in a good time during practice and qualifying at Brands. In each session David improved on his times and was able to qualifying in fifth place for the Motorpoint Evo sprint race for the 12-lap race. He got a good start and was up to second in the Evo class at one point. He took around a second off his time from qualifying and was eager to improve in race two. In race two his times were once again better and this time he was in contention for the win, he rode a smooth and consistent race to bring the IN competition Racing Yamaha home in third place.
David Allingham – “I sometimes forget this is my first season racing at BSB level and each time I want to be quick instantly, as any rider does. The team worked hard this weekend to help me find a good set up here at Brands but I was losing a lot of time in the first sector, I had to try and relax and let my times come. In both races I went faster again and I’m really pleased with my progress by the end of the weekend. I suffered with really bad arm pump in the second race so I need to strengthen my arms before the next round at Thruxton. Once again I would like to thank all my team and sponsors for helping me this season, it’s much appreciated.”
2014 IN COMPETITION RACING TEAM SPONSORS
EHA GROUP – BMOR – INCOMPETITION – MODE PERFORMANCE – GB RACING ENGINE COVER – PRO BOLT – PIPE WERX – SILKOLENE – MAXTON – HEL – RARE BOY – MAG EUROPE
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Kawasaki:
Be Wiser Kawasaki Team
Brands GP
The Be Wiser Kawasaki team had a positive weekend at the MCE British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch GP this weekend. In the Pirelli National Superstock 600 race Joe Collier secured a fantastic second place and Nick Anderson gained a strong fourth. In the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 race Josh Day was 13th.
In the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship Josh Day was struggling during the qualifying sessions and ended up starting from 24th place on the grid. He got a good start and was up to 16th place after the opening lap, he continued to make progress through the field and pushed his way through to 13th.
Josh Day – “It was a tough weekend I couldn’t find a good set up in qualifying and so I ended up far too far back on the grid for my liking. I had a lot of work to do and I had to try and get a good start and get my head down to get into the points. I’m frustrated and hope I can make amends at the next round.”
In the Pirelli National Superstock 600 class the Be Wiser Kawasaki riders Joe Collier and Nick Anderson rode a superb race and finished in the end with second and fourth place respectively. Both riders were looking set for a podium position at one point and they pushed hard for the 14-lap race.
Joe had a few issues in qualifying and was not able to qualify well in ninth place and so left himself with a lot of work to do during the race today. He got a great start and was on the back of a freight train of riders for the win and he knuckled down and pushed himself forward. Nick Anderson had a great qualifying session and finished in fourth and was away with the leaders, he struggled on top speed down the straights and despite a frantic effort he had to settle for fourth.
Joe Collier – “I’m really pleased with the result as I hit a bit of a block in practice and qualifying and wasn’t able to push any harder and move forwards. We made a few changes overnight and the bike felt much better today. I knew I had to push hard from the start so the leaders didn’t bridge a gap. I worked hard and I certainly had to fight for my position. I’m so happy with a podium as after qualifying I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, thanks to all the Be Wiser Kawasaki team.”
Nick Anderson – “I’m so gutted I wasn’t able to get on the podium today I really did work hard and do everything I possibly could to try and push forwards but sadly my size and weight for a 600 machine was a hindrance today. As for the bike we have made huge steps forward and I feel really happy and comfortable with the Be Wiser Kawasaki and can’t wait to get to Thruxton.”
Team Owner/Manager Alan Greig – “With the soaring weather conditions on Friday and Saturday the bikes were running too hot and slightly down on power. Nick had a great qualifying session and Joe struggled to push himself higher up the grid during the qualifying sessions. Josh really struggled and ended up in 24th which made the race very difficult for him.
Josh Day really had to work hard to get 13th place but if he’d been able to qualify better, with that race pace he would have been fighting up towards the front end of the field. Josh is feeling happy after the race and found the pace he was looking for all weekend and we hope he can take this to Thruxton and have a consistent weekend there.
Nick and Joe both rode a fantastic race in the 600 class to get 4th and 2nd was a brilliant result for the Be Wiser Kawasaki team. If Joe had been able to qualify higher he might have been able to push for the win, he rode exceptionally well to secure another consistent podium. Nick and Joe were swapping places throughout the race and at one point both riders were in a podium position, which was certainly a nerve wracking experience.
Nick was able to gain third on the last lap but had it taken away in the closing stages of the race, he rode so well and deserved a podium position but hopefully this will give him the confidence for the next rounds. They all should be proud of their results today, we are as a team very pleased with all three riders. I must praise Joe for his sportsmanship on the grid when he dismounted his bike prior to the race and went and wished his team-mate Nick good luck, that attitude in this environment is highly commended.”
2014 Sponsors
Be Wiser Insurance – Kais Ohlins – Kawasaki Motors UK – B&C Express – Renthal – Britool Expert – Dickies – Activ 8 – Anglia Interiors – Cups Direct – Eazi Grip – Foulger Transport – Garnell Nutrition – GR Race Graphics – GB Racing – HM Quickshifter – HM Racing – University of Lincoln – No Limits Track Days – PR Trackbike Hire – Samco – Sani Clad – Tanker & General – The Shires Inn – Venhill – Direct Distribition – SBS – Saville – Jarbtech
More, from a press release issued by Josh Daly Racing:
Josh Daley Racing
Brands Hatch GP
www.facebook.com/JoshDaleyRacing
It was a difficult weekend at Brands Hatch for the Josh Daley Racing team at round five of the Motorpoint British Supersport at the Brands Hatch GP circuit this weekend and young Josh was unfortunate to have two non-finishes in both races.
Josh who has recently swapped teams and is now running out of a truck with the help and support of his Dad, Andy, worked hard all weekend to make progress and secure some confident results in the Supersport Evo class.
Josh was riding well throughout practice and qualifying and was placed in sixth place in the Evo class for the opening 12-lap race. He got a good start and was riding well but was forced out with a mechanical problem from ninth place. In the second race he worked hard and got a good start, he was sitting in eighth place when he was once again forced out with the same gearbox problem.
Josh Daley – “I am really frustrated that I wasn’t’ able to gain the results I had hoped for a Brands. Dad and I choose after Knockhill to run our own set-up and it’s very difficult doing it yourself but we hope things will be all good for Thruxton in a few weeks’ time. I felt good on the bike but both times I made sure I pulled in before I did any major damage to the engine. I hope we can get things sorted and back out there ready for Thruxton. I would like to thank my Dad for all the effort and commitment he has put in this weekend and all my personal sponsors who have continued to help us.”
2014 JOSH DALEY RACING TEAM SPONSORS
FLEETSMART UK LTD – PUTOLINE OILS – NO FEAR ENERGY DRINKS – LINDSTRANDS LEATHERS – SHARK HELMETS – WEISE GLOVES – DAYTONA BOOTS – IMPACT SAFE T ARMOR – KAYS WELDING SUPPLIES LTD – MFG CONSTRUCTION LTD – FJG LOGISTICS LTD – TOILETSPARES.CO.UK – E2E SOLUTIONS – MOTORCYCLE CENTRE ORRELL – INTEK ADHESIVES – SPPEDYCOM.CO.UK – LBF SOLUTIONS – JONES IT UK – HVH FITNESS – WICKEDDIPS NW – PRF RACEKITS – CLUB 88 MEMBERS
More, from a press release issued by Luke Mossey Racing:
Luke Mossey
Brands Hatch GP
www.facebook.com/LukeMosseyRacing
At round five of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Brands Hatch GP, Luke Mossey on the Teccare Profile Triumph had a steady weekend with a sixth and eighth place respectively in the two races.
Luke had a few issues with the bike in the really hot temperatures on Friday during practice and was a little cautious in the mixed conditions during qualifying on Saturday; he ended up qualifying in 13th place for the Sprint race. He got a good start and worked his way through the pack in the early stages on the race putting in some strong lap times, finally finishing the race in sixth place.
This placed him in fifth place on the grid for the feature race on Sunday; he got a good start and was making in-roads on the leading pack when he had a huge moment coming out of the final turn at Clearways whilst lying in fourth place. This dropped him back through the pack and took a few laps to regain his momentum and he crossed the line in eighth place. He is now lying in seventh in the overall Championship standings.
Luke Mossey – “Although my results don’t show it I’m actually fairly happy with the results today as this is the first time in a couple of years I have two races finished at Brands and left without injury so that’s pretty cool, I hope now that’s me over my Brands Hatch demons. It’s a shame as I do really like the track, I made a mistake in race two today which dropped me back several places and I just wasn’t able to get back into a rhythm. I am really looking forward to getting to Thruxton in a couple of weeks as it’s a circuit I really enjoy riding.”
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 SMT Racing:
Fifth place for Backlund and SMT Racing at Brands
Filip Backlund and the SMT Racing Kawasaki team enjoyed a strong day’s racing at Brands Hatch on Sunday with the Swedish ace finishing in fifth place in the fifth round of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship.
The 24-year old qualified in fifth place around the 2.43-mile Kent venue, just half a second adrift of pole setter Danny Buchan, and it was in this position that he completed the first of the 16 laps. As had been the case in practice, the front five riders of Buchan, Lee Jackson, Hudson Kennaugh, Jason O’Halloran and Filip were the class acts of the field but try as he might, Filip was unable to find a way past reigning Champion Kennaugh and he remained in fifth place for the entire race distance crossing the line 6.6s adrift of race winner Buchan.
The results mean Buchan continues to lead the way on 120 points with Filip maintaining his fourth place overall having moved on to 57 points.
Filip Backlund: “I made an ok start and was fourth into the first turn but Lee Jackson came by at high speed and pushed me back to fifth almost straightaway. I regrouped although the first three riders made a break in the early laps and I did all I could to overtake Hudson Kennaugh to close the gap. When you’re so evenly matched with the rider ahead of you though, it’s not easy to do that and it comes down to the small, minute details. I kept pace with Hudson for the first two-thirds of the race but he then began to edge away and so I had to accept fifth.”
“I did my best and pushed hard all race whilst it was an incredibly fast race, particularly from the first three riders. It’s how it is at the moment but all the team are working so hard all of the time and everybody is doing a great job. We just need to continue with what we’re doing and the hard work will pay off I’m sure.”
Alec Tague, Crew Chief: “Filip’s been 110% happy with the bike all weekend and he’s ridden perfectly, the team’s worked perfectly and the bike’s worked perfectly so I have to say it’s probably his best ride of the season. He qualified well and broke the lap record nine times in the first ten laps, which shows how hard he’s riding and how the pace has moved on this year. Last year’s race was 15 laps and if you look at Filip’s first 15 laps today, he was 14s quicker than the 2013 race winning time of Hudson Kennaugh, so the pace this year is phenomenal. We’re all working hard and we’ve a great team environment and atmosphere so we’ll just keep doing the same and continue to aim for the number one spot.”
The sixth round at Thruxton, Hampshire takes place on August 1-3.
Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship – 16 laps
1 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
2 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
3 Lee Jackson (BMW)
4 Hudson Kennaugh (BMW)
5 Filip Backlund (SMT Racing Kawasaki)
6 Josh Elliott (Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after five rounds)
1 Buchan 120pts
2 O’Halloran 86
3 Jackson 66
4 Backlund 57
5 Kennaugh 51
6 Elliott 41
More, from a press release issued by Gavin Hunt’s publicist:
Brilliant Brands for Hunt with best ever British Championship result
Manxman Gavin Hunt enjoyed his best ever British Championship meeting over the weekend with the Nei Motorsport Kawasaki rider taking a brilliant seventh place at Brands Hatch in the Pirelli Superstock 1000cc Championship race. It was the best ever British Championship result for the Douglas-based rider and enabled him to leap up to 14th overall in the Championship table.
The weekend started off in good fashion for Gavin when he placed 15th in Friday’s opening qualifying session but Saturday saw him put in his best performance this season as he took almost three quarters of a second off his lap time to move up to eighth. It meant he would start Sunday’s 16-lap race from the middle of the third row, his best ever starting position in the Championship.
The benefit of a good qualifying position could be seen immediately when Gavin slotted into seventh place at the completion of the opening lap and by lap three he’d moved up to sixth having overhauled Michael Robertson. The front group had made a break by this time with Gavin having a good gap over the group of riders battling for seventh but Josh Elliott and Freddy Foray began to reel him in and for the final third of the race, the trio battled for sixth place. Briefly pushed back to eighth, Gavin regained a place on the 13th lap when Foray crashed out and he duly crossed the line in a brilliant seventh to claim nine points and his best ever Championship result.
Gavin Hunt: “I’m really pleased with today’s result and the weekend’s been pretty faultless from start to finish. I said at the last round how important it was to have a good qualifying position and to get eighth played a big part in how the race panned out – going into Druids on the opening lap with only half a dozen riders in front of you compared to 15 is a much better feeling! I got a good start and although I got baulked a bit going into the second corner, I got stuck in and had soon worked my way up to sixth. By that time though, the front riders had escaped and I was kind of in no man’s land so it did me a favour when Josh came by.”
“I was a bit worried there might have been a whole group of riders coming up behind me but I got in behind Josh and then Freddy and had a good gap to the pack behind me. You had to be really careful going into Druids and I was taking it steady through the first sector and making the time up in the back part of the circuit. The bike was absolutely perfect and it’s great to end the weekend with my best ever British Championship so a big thanks to the team for all their hard work. The next round is at Thruxton, which is a circuit I really enjoy so I’m looking forward to getting there and building on this weekend’s result.”
The sixth round at Thruxton, Hampshire takes place on August 1-3.
Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship – 16 laps
1 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
2 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
3 Lee Jackson (BMW)
4 Hudson Kennaugh (BMW)
5 Filip Backlund (Kawasaki)
6 Josh Elliott (Kawasaki)
7 Gavin Hunt (Nei Motorsport Kawasaki)
Championship Points (after five rounds)
1 Buchan 120pts
2 O’Halloran 86
3 Jackson 66
4 Backlund 57
5 Kennaugh 51
6 Elliott 41
14 Hunt 12
More, from a press release issued by Marty Nutt’s publicist:
Nutt takes best finish of the year at Brands
Castlerock’s Marty Nutt scored his best result of the year in the Ducati TriOptions Cup at the weekend when the reigning champion took second place in the opening race around the Brands Hatch GP circuit. The Ducati Coventry/JHP Racing/Nutttravel.com rider then backed this up with fourth in the second race to maintain his third place in the Championship table.
Having qualified in fourth for Saturday’s opening 10-lap race, Marty was immediately embroiled in a four-man battle for the lead along with regular sparring partners Dennis Hobbs, Leon Morris and Rob Guiver. Sitting at the back of the quartet for the opening half of the race, Marty moved up to third on the seventh lap and with two laps to go he was up to second as he pushed series leader Morris back to third. Try as he might to overhaul race leader Hobbs, Marty had to settle for a strong second place and with the second fastest lap of the race, it meant he would start Sunday’s race on the front row.
The second race around the 2.43-mile GP venue started well as he initially slotted into second place but by the end of the opening lap, Marty had been pushed back to third by Hobbs. On the fourth lap, Guiver overhauled Marty going into Paddock Hill Bend, subsequently pushing him wide onto the rumble strips, and fourth place was ultimately where he finished despite pushing hard all the way to the end. With 33 points from the two races, Marty remains in third place overall at the half way stage of the series although he’s now 61 points adrift of Morris who continues to set a ferocious pace.
Marty Nutt: “It’s been a weekend of two halves with an excellent first race followed up by a frustrating second. It felt really good to be racing at the sharp end again on Saturday and none of the positions were handed to me and although we had a slight technical problem with the bike cutting out at low revs, everything worked out well in the end. At the top of the rev range, the bike was fine and I had a good battle with Leon for second. We exchanged places a few times but I was strong on the brakes and once I made the pass stick, I was able to edge away to take my best result of the year.”
“Sunday’s race was definitely frustrating though. The bike was absolutely mint and there was nothing at all that I would have changed if I could run the race again but no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I just couldn’t match the pace of the front three. I felt good and the new front tyre we fitted was the right decision but I couldn’t go with them. After taking second on Saturday, it’s a shame I couldn’t have followed it up with another podium so it’s going to be a big ask to retain the Championship now. We’re only at the halfway stage of the series though so there’s plenty of racing to go and you just never know in racing – we’ll keep trying that’s for sure.”
The series now has a three week break before resuming at Oulton Park on August 8-10.
Ducati TriOptions Cup Race One – 10 laps
1 Dennis Hobbs (Ducati)
2 Marty Nutt (Ducati Coventry/JHP Racing/Nutttravel.Com Ducati)
3 Leon Morris (Ducati)
4 Jonathan Railton (Ducati)
5 Darren Fry (Ducati)
6 Alastair Fagan (Ducati)
Ducati TriOptions Cup Race Two – 10 laps
1 Leon Morris (Ducati)
2 Rob Guiver (Ducati)
3 Dennis Hobbs (Ducati)
4 Marty Nutt (Ducati Coventry/JHP Racing/Nutttravel.Com Ducati)
5 Sean Neary (Ducati)
6 Jonathan Railton (Ducati)
Championship Points (after four rounds)
1 Morris 176pts
2 Hobbs 153
3 Nutt 115
4 Guiver 93
5 Fry 81
6 Neary 73
More, from a press release issued by Mar-Train Racing:
‘DOUBLE DOUBLE’ FOR MAR-TRAIN RACING AT BRANDS & SCARBOROUGH
Alastair Seeley recorded a double British Supersport victory this weekend on the Brands Hatch GP circuit during round 5 of the UK series, with his team-mate Dean Harrison making it a ‘double double’ for Mar-Train Racing with two additional Supersport wins between the hedges at Oliver’s Mount in Scarborough.
Seeley’s double British Supersport success on the Mar-Train Yamaha leaves him just 10 points behind series leader Billy McConnell – having taken 40 points out of the Smith’s Triumph rider at Brands over the weekend.
Harrison’s Scarborough Supersport double makes it four wins for the Yorkshire lad in Mar-Train Racing livery in as many weeks, setting him up well for the forthcoming Metzeler Ulster Grand Prix.
Alastair Seeley:
“What can I say, the Mar-Train Yamaha was faultless all weekend, so thanks to the team for taking me testing to iron out a few little problems, which has really given me great confidence in the package again. A double win is always pretty special but to have pulled 40 points back on Billy and moved up to second in the championship means I’m now really looking forward to Thruxton.”
Tim Martin – Team Principal:
“I could get used to this! We always knew the pedigree of the Yamaha R6 package and also how good Alastair is as a rider, it’s just taken a while to get them both to work together as we would have liked and the end result is a double this weekend. It has justified the work we’ve put in as a team away from the racetrack and also in testing. We really do go racing to win and after today we are right back in the title race.
“Over at Scarborough Dean continues to do a good job for Mar-Train Racing on the roads. The lads a class act, as he has shown all year, especially at the Southern 100 at the start of the month. I’m now looking forward to seeing if we can get in amongst the factory-backed teams at the Ulster Grand Prix and I know Dean is also looking forward to the challenge.”
More, from a press release issued by Gearlink Kawasaki:
Gearlink Kawasaki
Brands GP
www.facebook.com/GearlinkRacing
It was a mixed weekend for the Gearlink Kawasaki team at round five of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch GP circuit. Ben Wilson ended up gaining 17th and 15th place respectively in the two superbike races.
During the practice and qualifying sessions Ben was once again struggling to find a suitable set up on the Gearlink Kawasaki, with no Superbike data at the majority of circuits it is certainly becoming a difficult learning year for them. The team only discovered before race one that there was an issue with the shock and then in race two a mis-fire saw Ben not be able to ride to his full capacity in the wet conditions.
Ben was only able to qualify in 25th place for race one, he got a fantastic start but was only able to secure 17th, just outside the Championship points. He was lifted to 17th place on the grid for the second race and after several delays with an accident and the changing weather conditions it was looking like it may play in the favour of Ben when the heavens opened, declaring the race wet. Ben was off to a good start but soon started to suffer with a mis-fire on the bike and had to settle for 15th place.
Ben Wilson – “This year has been so frustrating, we never seem to get any luck it seems and it’s very difficult going to each circuit with no information at all and we have to start from scratch. On top of this we seem to have had some silly little problems happen which has hindered our track time and set up time. I just so hope we can start moving forwards and in the right direction at the remaining races, we are all desperate for a good result and hope we can achieve that.”
Motorpoint British Supersport
In the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Luke Hedger, who returned to Brands after injury secured a solid qualifying place of eighth with his team-mate Glenn Irwin just one place behind him in ninth. Glenn got a good start in the sprint race and was able to set some strong lap times to finish the race in a creditable seventh, Luke also rode well and finished in 10th.
This placed Glenn in ninth for race two and Luke in 11th, Glenn was locked in a race with current Championship leader Billy McConnell and moved through to seventh at the end of the 18-lap race. Luke worked hard on his first race back to gain a good 10th place.
Glenn Irwin – “It was a positive weekend for me at Brands as it’s always a track in the past I have struggled at. I went the fastest I have ever been round there this weekend which is a huge confidence boost for me. I was struggling with grip on the front end but I am sure that is something we can work on to get right. The Gearlink Kawasaki team once again worked really hard to help me and make me feel comfortable and confident here.”
Luke Hedger – “It was really nice to be back with the Gearlink Kawasaki team this weekend and out on track again. It feels like a long time since I raced properly so I am happy with the way it all went. After coming back after such a long injury it’s good to come away with two top ten places. I had a small bike problem but it cost us a lot of time and most of one session trying to find the problem but at least nothing went wrong during the races. I can’t wait to get to Thruxton and keep moving forwards.”
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “It was another difficult weekend for us in the Superbike class with Ben and really hope our luck might take a turn for the better. It has been a struggle from start to finish with set-up problems. We found a problem in the rear shock but only just before race one. Once this was sorted Ben’s times really improved and it raised him up higher on the grid only to suffer with a mis-fire in race two. We thought with the rain it might help Ben but then this small problem with the bike cost us several places.
It was a good weekend for the Supersport riders this weekend and the riders have done really well. Glenn was racing at a circuit he does not feel confident on and he secured two very solid results and achieved some good race times. Luke was a welcome return this weekend and to come back and get two strong results from such a long injury was great and hope we can move them both forwards at Thruxton.”
2014 GEARLINK TEAM SPONSORS
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More, from a press release issued by Jayson Uribe’s publicist:
Uribe Consolidates Championship Position With Solid Ride At Brands Hatch
The BSB Motul British Motostar championship returned to Brands Hatch in Kent for the 5th round of the series with American teenager Jayson Uribe looking to build upon an already impressive season.
After a podium finish last time out in Scotland, the second so far this year, Uribe was optimistic of another front running ride aboard his FPW Moto 3 Honda but a technical problem that ruled him out of FP1 coupled with him feeling under the weather put him on the back foot.
However the team worked hard salvaging 14th place on the grid, before a brace of overnight changes saw Jayson lapping 2.5 seconds faster in the morning warm-up ahead of the race.
From the start of the race Jayson was able gain a couple of places before slowly moving up the order, competing half race distance well inside the top ten.
With four laps to go Jayson was closing in on 125cc championship leader Ed Rendell for 7th on the road but an incident on track brought out the Red flags cutting short any chance of further progression.
Nevertheless Jayson continues his record breaking run of BSB Motostar point scoring finishes with yesterday’s 8th position overall and a solid 5th position within the Moto 3 category to consolidate his 3rd position overall in the championship standings.
Round 6 will take place at the fastest circuit on the calendar, Thruxton, in a fortnight.
Jayson Uribe – 3rd in BSB Motostar Standings: “Brands Hatch was a challenge for me this time around. On Friday morning I completely missed FP1 because of a clutch problem. I knew something was still wrong in FP2 because we had changed nothing from the set up that we ran at Knockhill, but the bike was reacting completely different. I was really struggling to keep the bike on line and I could not pull the gears that I knew I should be pulling. Qualifying 1 brought mixed conditions that started out wet but ended up with a dry line. Our suspension set up was not right for those conditions and I had a lot of trouble with the back end sliding and losing traction. Qualifying 2 was also a struggle, because I was trying so hard to improve my lap times that I was consistently missing my brake markers and running off track. We had deep debriefing session on Saturday and we reviewed all of the data. We changed the oil in the forks and swapped to a different motor for the race. I went 2.5 seconds faster than my qualifying time in the warm-up which was a big confidence boost for the race. In the race I had a good start, and within 3 laps I was in 8th. I slowly started closing the gap to 7th and with 3 laps left, I was less than a second behind Ed. Unfortunately though the race was red flagged on the lap that I was looking to make a pass but all things considered I was glad to finish 8th overall, and 5th in Moto 3. It was not an easy weekend, but we pulled through and managed a decent finish to keep my 3rd overall in the standings with a comfortable cushion to the guys behind. I am looking forward to Thruxton in 2 weeks, and in the meantime I will be spending some time with the team to see if we can pinpoint exactly what was going on with the bike and to discuss how I can improve my riding so that I can achieve the results that I believe that we are capable of. Thanks again to everyone who supports me.”