PODIUM DELIGHT AS HASLAM AND JG SPEEDFIT KAWASAKI DOUBLE UP!
7th August 2016 – After a slow start to the weekend, the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team made a welcome return to the MCE British Superbike Championship podium, with Leon Haslam taking a brace of second places around the iconic Brands Hatch circuit
Having had a difficult time at Snetterton and Thruxton, the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team worked tirelessly ahead of Brands Hatch to solve the problems they were experiencing and heading into the weekend Leon Haslam, James Ellison and Peter Hickman were confident of a better showing. It was a relatively slow start for all three riders during practice, as they continued to work through the various new components and settings.
Continuing to take steps forward with every session, the trio were able to steadily improve during qualifying, with Peter securing twelfth on the grid for the opening race, James in tenth and Leon progressing through to Superpole to secure sixth place.
With warm and sunny conditions gracing race day, the Brands Hatch circuit was packed with fans and it was a fantastic start for Haslam in the opening race, as he leapt off the second row to run second into the first corner. Fighting with the front three throughout the twenty lap race, Leon challenged eventual winner Byrne right to the very end, securing a well-earned second place and his first podium since Knockhill. It was a different story for James and Peter however, who both struggled during the race but were able to still bring it home to secure tenth and 11th.
With their fastest laps from the opening race setting their grid positions for race two, Leon was promoted to third, James sixth whilst Peter slipped back to 14th. Getting a fantastic start both Leon and James were running in the leading group throughout the race, with Leon going on to claim another podium with second. Unable to match his initial pace as the tyres wore, James slipped back to ninth whilst Peter was narrowly pipped to a top ten, claiming 11th again.
The Brands Hatch round also saw the GBmoto Racing team launch a brand new app, designed specifically to bring its fans closer to the action. To download it, simply search ‘GBmoto’ in the App store or Google Play.
Pleased with a return to the podium, Leon Haslam said “After first practice I would have jumped at the chance for two podiums! It’s been a bit of a tough weekend, and we’ve have kind of been on the back foot a little but full credit to the team for turning it around for today.
I honestly expected a little more from that second race and thought we might have been able to get the win, but we just had a small problem during the opening half but luckily it cleared. The bike was handling fantastic, and although we didn’t have an answer for Shakey I think we took a big step forward this weekend. We need to go away and assess a few things to fix the small issues we had, so we can head to Cadwell and fight for the win!”
Disappointed with a tough weekend, James Ellison added “I’m gutted really. The tests we had earlier this week were really positive and it felt like we had made a big step forward but it just didn’t seem to translate to this weekend. The bike is clearly capable of winning and I know we can do it, but we just had a few problems this weekend overall which prevented us from really showing what we can do. It’s definitely disappointing to be leaving here back out of the Showdown but I’m certain we’ll bounce back at Cadwell Park.”
Equally disappointed after a tough weekend, Peter Hickman added “This was definitely one of our weakest rounds of the year, which is a real shame. It was certainly a big learning curve for us, we tried something for race two but it didn’t really work and we just can’t seem to make use of the bike on a new tyre. It’s certainly something we need to look at but we’re still not a million miles away from the Showdown and Cadwell is one of my favourite rounds so I’m confident we’ll be back in the mix over the Bank Holiday weekend!”
New GBmoto Racing Team Manager Terry Rymer joined the team for the first time this weekend, “It’s been a really great weekend joining the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team, obviously coming into a team mid-way through a season can be daunting but everyone has made me feel really welcome and they’re a great bunch of really professional guys and girls. It’s been a mixed weekend, on one hand we’ve had our backs to the wall slightly and have really been up against it – the team have been working non-stop after Thruxton so there was certainly a bit of pressure on us this weekend. But on the other, Leon had a fantastic day and rode the wheels off the bike and to walk away with two podiums is a real credit to him and the team in the garage. James and Peter had some issues and weren’t able to show what they can really do but we know how fast they are.
We now move onto Cadwell Park, where we’ll be aiming to get both James and Peter back into the mix, they’re not far outside the Showdown and I’m not giving up on getting them in! Overall, it’s been brilliant to join a high profile team such as JG Speedfit Kawasaki, and I’ve really enjoyed the weekend and being back in green and can’t wait for the next round!”
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Mossey takes third BSB podium of 2016 for Quattro Plant Kawasaki
Bournemouth-based Quattro Plant Kawasaki were in action at Brands Hatch at the weekend for round seven of the British Superbike and Supersport Championships and whilst riders Luke Mossey, Filip Backlund and Andrew Reid experienced mixed fortunes, Mossey took his third Superbike podium of the season to edge ever closer to the top six Showdown positions.
The Cambridge resident ran in the top four for the majority of the free practice sessions and when it came to qualifying on Saturday afternoon he put in a superb performance. Overcoming a broken throttle cable in Q2, he successfully made it through to Superpole and with a lap of 1m25.383s, he claimed a stunning pole position for Sunday’s opening 20-lap race.
The 23-year old made the perfect start to grab the lead and by the end of lap three, he’d extended his advantage over Leon Haslam and Tommy Bridewell to just over a second. The gap remained constant for the next few laps as Luke controlled the race from the front but gradually the leading pack bunched up and by half race distance just 0.5s separated the leading trio.
A safety car period subsequently followed after team-mate Filip Backlund crashed at Clearways and it became a straight 10-lap race until the end. Luke slipped back to second on lap ten and two laps later this had become fourth with Shane Byrne and Leon Haslam both finding their way past. Try as he might Luke was unable to retake any of the riders in front of him but with Bridewell crashing out on the final lap, he was promoted back up the order to third and thus claim the final podium position.
Lining up in pole position once more the second race, Luke moved into third place on the first lap and this soon became second as he overhauled Haslam. As the race wore on, the close racing saw Luke shuffled back to fifth and another safety car period again worked against him. He ended up taking the chequered flag in seventh place but he’s now moved up to joint seventh overall in the title race, just three points adrift of the top six.
Prior to his first race crash, Backlund had already endured a challenging weekend and his fastest time during practice and qualifying came in the very first session on Friday morning. With a time of 1m27.533s in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session, he lined up in 27th place for Sunday’s first race and although he’d moved to 22nd by lap seven, the crash ended his race early. It also meant his day ended early as he was forced to miss the second race due to the effects of the spill..
With three races on the schedule, it was a busy weekend for Dickies British Supersport Championship rider Andrew Reid and having arrived on the back of a double victory at the previous round at Thruxton, hopes were high of a repeat performance. However, Saturday’s two races proved to be extremely challenging as the Northern Irishman took seventh and eighth places.
Championship leader Tarran Mackenzie won both races which put greater emphasis on Sunday’s ‘Feature’ race and a much better start saw Andy slot into fifth place in the early stages. There was little to choose between the leading pack of nine riders and when the safety car came out on the seventh lap, everything closed up even more. However, when the race got back underway, Andy had to contend himself with sixth place at the chequered flag although with Mackenzie crashing out he’s still only 24 points adrift.
Luke Mossey: “I got the perfect start in the first race to grab the holeshot and although I knew the pace wasn’t that quick, I felt comfortable leading and began to pull away a bit. The safety car upset my rhythm though and I dropped back quite quickly to fourth but I was pleased to end up with another podium. The bike was working great and I was able to start race two from pole again but I was a bit disappointed with the end result and after the safety car pulled in I had no grip left for the extra three laps. Overall though, it’s been a good weekend and to be just three points off the Showdown places now is a terrific boost for all of us.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “It was a very mixed weekend for the team but Luke took two superb pole positions and then a great third place in race one. It should have been a similar result in race two but the pace car seemed to cost us dearly. However, Luke ended up in a solid seventh place and is now just three points off a Showdown position. Filip struggled this weekend with his pace and then had a big crash coming into Clearways in the first race. Fortunately, he wasn’t too badly hurt and was discharged from hospital this evening. For Andy, it was a case of a lack of mid-range power but he rode incredibly hard for his results so we need to do some work on his engine to ensure we are back on the rostrum at Cadwell.”
The series now takes a three-week break before resuming at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire on August 27-29.
MCE British Superbike Championship Standings (after seven rounds)
1 Shane Byrne (Ducati) 231pts
2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki) 206
3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda) 175
4 Michael Laverty (BMW) 137
5 Dan Linfoot (Honda) 135
6 Richard Cooper (BMW) 125
7 Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki) 122
27 Filip Backlund (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki) 2
Dickies British Supersport Championship Standings (after seven rounds)
1 Tarran Mackenzie (Kawasaki) 204pts
2 James Westmoreland (Yamaha) 198
3 Andrew Reid (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki) 180
4 Luke Jones (Triumph) 140
5 David Allingham (Yamaha) 122
6 Benjamin Currie (Yamaha) 117
More, from a press release issued by ePayMe Yamaha:
Strong showing for ePayMe Yamaha at Brands Hatch
The ePayMe Yamaha were back in full force at the latest round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch last weekend as John Hopkins returned from injury alongside Broc Parkes.
The pair had a solid start to the weekend, building momentum and gathering feedback from Parkes after his recent appearance in Suzuka for the Eight Hour Endurance event. The Australian delivered the team their strongest performance of the season so far, qualifying for Superpole and securing fourth place on the grid to head the second row. Hopkins meanwhile returned from his shoulder injury and qualified in 15th place
In the opening race Parkes was battling inside the top five, proving the pace of the ePayMe Yamaha and crossed the line in sixth place to complete his first race with the team. In race two the Australian was pushing for a repeat performance, however with a different feeling after some changes for the second race, he finished 13th to add to his points tally.
Hopkins put in a gritty performance in the opening race to run a solid pace, despite still not being at full strength in his shoulder, which later forced him to retire from race two.
Hopkins said: “It was great to be back with the team at the weekend, although I knew it was going to be tough as I was only able to start my strength training again just before the event. You just forget how strenuous the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit is on the right side of your body, especially with the heavy braking right-handers.
“It felt good to get my head back into it and I was happy with the pace all things considered, as I hadn’t ridden since Knockhill and was still was not back to my full strength. It is so close out there that 0.5s off puts you right down the order.
“In race one I really gritted my teeth and we were still running consistent times at the end of the race but my shoulder was on the limit of my strength at that point and I unfortunately had to retire from race two because I didn’t have that strength.
“The injury is healed up completely so now I have the break between now and Cadwell Park to regain the strength before the next races so we should be back to 100 percent. We are also hoping to have a test before then too which will be really important for that round.”
Parkes said: “I felt like the weekend went well and we have to look at the big picture. This was the first time I had actually raced, because at Snetterton I was involved in the crash at turn two. To get into Superpole again and qualify fourth was better than I had initially expected but a great result for me and the team.
“We changed something after warm up and in the race I was really in the mix with the guys and was running in the top five until the very end of the race when I got done and ended up sixth, but it’s so close in this championship.
“In race two we made another change between races and then for the first time in the weekend I kept feeling like I was going to lose the front and a few times I did rescue it. I was in a big battle with Dan Linfoot and Christian Iddon at the end and they have both been on the podium this year, so it just shows how tough these races can be, but I am happy with the progress we are making.
“We had some good input from what I experienced with the Yamaha at the Eight Hour which the team are working with and hopefully we can take another step forward.”
Team owner Tommy Hill commented: “The weekend started well with Broc and John being back with the team. We had our best qualifying result of the season with Broc being in Superpole for the second time in as many appearances and starting fourth.
“In race one Broc made some great moves and really had a fight on his hands and only just missed out on the top five. It was a tougher race two, but we had some really great feedback from Broc after his experiences in Suzuka for the Eight Hour.
“John again showed his speed to be setting some really consistent times but deep down we all knew it was going to be a tough weekend for him coming back from injury. In race two he just didn’t have the strength and had to retire. The break now before Cadwell Park will be good for him and he will come back stronger at the next round for sure.”
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing:
Points And Progress For Smrz At Brands Hatch
Gloucester-based Smiths Racing BMW were in action at Brands Hatch this weekend for round seven of the 2016 MCE British Superbike Championship and it proved to be a solid weekend for the team Jakub Smrzwith Jakub Smrz picking up more championship points.
The Czech Republic rider had been in excellent form during the free practice sessions and he headed into Datatag Extreme Qualifying yesterday in tenth overall aboard the Smiths Racing BMW. With the eighth fastest time in Q1, 1m25.860s which was his quickest lap of the weekend, hopes were high of making it into the final Superpole session for the fastest nine riders. However, those hopes were dashed in Q2 when a technical issue forced him out.
The bad luck meant he lined up for the first 20 lap race in 17th on the grid, although ninth in morning warm-up was a more accurate picture of his pace and position. A sluggish start to the race saw Smrz complete the first lap in 20th place but just as he started to move forward, the double British Supersport championship-winning team’s bad luck returned and he crashed out on the fourth lap at Druids.
Uninjured in the crash, it put him on the seventh row of the grid for the second race and with work to do once more, but he soon moved up into the top 15 and in a points scoring position. At half race distance, he moved up into 13th although fellow BMW rider Jake Dixon overhauled him in the closing stages meaning he had to settle for 14th at the end of the race.
Jakub Smrz: “It was a great weekend in some respects as the ideas the team had with the bike worked really well and straight away I was able to run top ten pace with only little changes required. The flip side is that I didn’t ultimately get the results I felt we deserved. The technical issue in Jakub Smrzqualifying was our first of the year and was just one of those things. I put myself under pressure in the first race and made a bad start, eventually crashing out but the team did a great job with the bike and I was able to fight hard and get a result and some more points. I didn’t get as many points as I would have liked this weekend but I’m really happy with the job the team did this weekend and the bike is definitely feeling like how I want it to.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “We definitely turned the corner with the bike this weekend and it’s just a shame the end results don’t reflect the progress both Jakub and the team have made. We were running in the top ten for much of the weekend and felt this could be our finishing positions but the technical issue in qualifying put us on the back foot. It meant Jakub’s starting position wasn’t a true reflection of where he should have been but he battled hard throughout and it was pleasing to see him rewarded with points in race two.”
MCE British Superbike Championship race one (20 laps)
1 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
3 Luke Mossey (Kawasaki)
4 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
5 Lee Jackson (BMW)
6 Broc Parkes (Yamaha)
DNF Jakub Smrz (Smiths Racing BMW)
MCE British Superbike Championship race two (22 laps)
1 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
3 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
4 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)
5 Richard Cooper (BMW)
6 Lee Jackson (BMW)
14 Jakub Smrz (Smiths Racing BMW)
Championship Standings (after seven rounds)
1 Byrne 231pts
2 Haslam 206
3 O’Halloran 175
4 Laverty 137
5 Linfoot 135
6 Cooper 125
20 Smrz 21
The next round of the series takes place at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on August 27/29th. For more information, please visit www.britishsuperbike.com and www.smithsracing.co.uk.