BROOKES’ TITLE HOPES DENTED AT SILVERSTONE His first mechanical retirement for Tyco Suzuki in almost two seasons put a halt on Josh Brookes’ British Superbike title aspirations for the Northern Ireland-based team, during the penultimate round at Silverstone yesterday. Brookes took fifth place in the second encounter, one place ahead of his 20-year-old American team-mate PJ Jacobsen, who had a phenomenal weekend as a BSB rookie, with fourth place in race one after posting an impressive front-row start during qualifying. Obviously disappointed at seeing his 2013 British Superbike title bid come to an early conclusion, Brookes – who is now 58 points behind series leader Shane Byrne – said: “I’m disappointed again. In practice and qualifying I had some chatter issues that didn’t really go away, although they certainly got better in the races, which is a positive. “Our general package wasn’t just quite good enough to compete at the front this weekend. It has been before, but for whatever reason, we’ve either lost some pace or I’ve lost some form – or the other guys have just found extra performance from their machines. “At the minute I just can’t match what I’ve been able to do in the past. Race one was out of my hands, but in race two, PJ wanted to get ahead of me, and fair play to him, but it created a gap and once you lose that draft on the front guys, then the race for the podium is over really.” Jacobsen was pleased with his weekend’s work at Silverstone and added: “The weekend was really good for me and my GSX-R1000 was working really well from qualifying into the two races today. In race one I was up dicing with Bridewell and finished just eight seconds off the winner, and my race-pace was pretty good. “The second race was a bit of a struggle in the beginning but I managed to get in behind Brookesy and we diced-it-up a little bit. The boys at the front got away, but I tried to pass Josh at the last corner on the last lap but he just came back past me on the outside. It is what it is and we can take the positives from Silverstone going into the final round now at Brands Hatch.” Said Team Manager Philip Neill: “We are obviously very disappointed to see our championship aspirations virtually come to an end for 2013 here at Silverstone today; although if I’m honest, I think we had a very steep hill to climb in terms of our championship hopes, with the damage having been done in previous rounds. It’s never nice to see them end with a ‘DNF’ for Josh, but we have to be realistic and say that we never really challenged the front-runners for pace all weekend. “For whatever reason, Josh seems to have lost some pace in recent rounds and it’s something we need to address before Brands Hatch, as we would still like to go out on a high. It’s been a long, hard season for Josh and he’s had some fantastic races both in BSB and on his road racing debut this year on GSX-R machinery. Unfortunately we’ve fallen that little bit short with our championship challenge this year again. All we can do is re-group as a team and come back next year and go again. “What can I say about PJ, other than he was majorly impressive again this weekend. He showed great pace all weekend and continued to amaze people with the lap times that he can turn in. He was right on the pace with the leaders in every session, proving that the GSX-R package is as good as anything out there. “Yes, he still has a bit to learn in terms of race craft, but that is to be expected for a 20-year-old rookie learning new circuits on a Superbike. He was very unlucky to miss-out on a second successive BSB podium in the first race and had a good battle in the second race. He is coming on in leaps and bounds and we’re now looking forward to seeing a good strong end to the championship for him at Brands Hatch.” British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, race two result: 1. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 2. Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) +0.012s 3. Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +3.686s 4. James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) +6.916s 5. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +7.507s 6. PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) +7.597s 7. Jon Kirkham (Buildbase BMW) +14.060s 8. Matteo Baiocco (Rapido Sport Racing Ducati) +22.419s 9. James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) +23.609s 10. Jakub Smrz (Padgetts Honda) +26.118s British Superbike Championship standings ahead of Brands Hatch finale: 1. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 604 2. Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) 603 3. James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) 562 4. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 546 5. James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) 534 6. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Samsung Honda) 522 More, from a press release issued by Marty Nutt’s publicist: Nutt ends 2013 season as Ducati 848 Challenge Champion Castlerock’s Marty Nutt put in two superb rides at Silverstone at the weekend to end his 2013 season in style as he was crowned the Ducati 848 Challenge Champion. Coming into the final round with a 12-point advantage, second and fourth place finishes were enough for the JHP/Nutttravel.com Ducati Coventry rider to clinch the title, his eventual winning margin being a healthy 27 points. After qualifying in second, Marty slotted into third place in the early stages of Saturday’s race as arch rival Railton fought his way through the pack from a lowly 13th on the grid. Briefly slipping back to fifth on the third lap, Marty quickly regrouped as Railton moved up to second and by the fifth lap the pair were again running nose to tail. Keen to ensure the points gap remained, Marty intended to make a move on Railton in the closing stages but his cause was aided when the Kings Lynn rider ran into gearbox issues, eventually finishing sixth, so with Marty finishing in second, his lead rose to a more comfortable 21 points with just one race remaining. Starting from pole position for Sunday’s race, Marty only needed to finish 12th to clinch the title but the intention was to continue from where he’d left off on Saturday and he slotted into fourth place at the end of the first place. However, with the action at the head of the field getting rather fraught, Marty decided to opt for caution over valour and dropped back to fifth, one place behind Railton. Keeping a close eye on his rival, Marty concentrated on bringing the bike home to clinch the Championship and, with Railton dropping back to eighth, that’s exactly what he did, crossing the line in fourth place. Although it brought his superb record of finishing on the podium in every race to an end, it all meant Marty was crowned the 2013 Ducati 848 Challenge Champion with 304 points, 27 clear of Railton. Speaking later, a delighted Marty said; “I’m absolutely over the moon to win the title and although it would have been nice to have done it in more style on Sunday, common sense kicked in and I just did what I had to do. The top six of us in the Championship have often had a bit of a buffer to the riders behind so I just sat in ‘no-man’s land’ although I don’t think I’ve looked behind as much as what I did in that race!” “The bulk of the hard work was done on Saturday where I just pushed as hard as I could. Obviously I felt for Jonathan who seemed to be struggling for gears but the points I gained there made Sunday’s job that bit easier. I’ve got to say a massive thanks to everyone in the team, especially Ricky Hackett. The bike has never missed a beat all year and you’d be hard pushed to find a mechanic anywhere in the paddock with such a superb record. My confidence was still building at the beginning of the year but once the first win came, the season really took off and with such a great team behind me, we did the job we all set out to do!” Marty intends to defend his crown next year with full details expected to be announced in the New Year. More, from a press release issued by Team Honda Racing: Team Honda Racing 4th and 5th in ASBK Championship 7th October – Team Honda Racing finish the Australian Superbike Championship in 4th and 5th place after a trying season of racing in 2013 was wrapped up at Phillip Island over the weekend. The Honda team entered Round 7 confident of a strong finale to their difficult 2013 campaign and indeed looked set to achieve this going into the first race of the day. #27 Jamie Stauffer got a very good start off the line in Race 1 and spent much of the race battling hard for 1st place. Leading many times during the race, the Honda rider looked strong for victory, however it was not meant to be as his grip levels fell, Stauffer could not hold strong and finished the race in 4th place. Team mate and Superbike rookie, #34 Josh Hook finished in 5th place. Race 2 was held on a drying circuit after significant rainfall and there was a mixture of tyre choices amongst the field with Team Honda Racing opting for a slick tyre to wage their final assault for the ASBK season. The race predictably saw those using wet tyres begin strongly and both Stauffer and Hook bided their time until their tyre came in and grip levels allowed them to move through the field. This they did, but with few laps remaining in the race the pair finished 5th and 6th respectively. The 2013 ASBK season was hard fought for Stauffer after a crash in testing early in the year saw him carry a pelvic injury through the remaining 4 events, however this did nothing to deter him in his efforts to accumulate points, saying “This year wasn’t as successful as I hoped going in of course and being injured early on definitely didn’t help, but that’s racing sometimes. We had a bit of a difficult season regardless with a little bad luck here and there and just didn’t quite make our way back. It is disappointing for the team having worked so hard. I would like to thank them for their efforts during the year, they certainly worked hard. We still have the MotoGP support races to compete in and I am looking forward to that event very much. The crowds are huge, there is terrific atmosphere and I know the Honda CBR1000RR will be competitive.” Josh Hook, in his first year onboard a Superbike has raced extremely well and takes 5th place in the Superbike Championship. Hook: “I would really like to thank Team Honda Racing for all the support and hard work throughout the season. It was a huge year and I have really enjoyed racing onboard the Honda CBR1000RR. The opportunity has been fantastic and a big thank you must go to Honda Australia and all our team sponsors for their invaluable support. We have one more event at Phillip Island with the MotoGP and I can’t wait to compete for Team Honda Racing at such a huge event. I am really looking forward to finishing the year off competing in the support races in front of the International crowd.” Motologic owner and Team Honda Racing team Principal, Paul Free is disappointed by not taking home the Australian Superbike title in 2013 with his Honda team, but knows that in the world of racing one can only look forward. Free: “We did not have a successful campaign this year. For one reason and another, ultimately it was not our year. I am very proud of the entire team for all the hours spent and the riders for giving it their all. We would like to give our thanks to Honda Australia and all our team partners for everything they do to support the team. We now move towards the 2013 Tissot Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island in a couple of weeks. Although not part of the championship, the MotoGP is a very valuable event and we are extremely focused on winning the races in the support category. After the MotoGP plans for our 2014 ASBK campaign will be in full swing. There is much to do and although the on track season is winding down the team will remain hard at work to ensure our title assault next year is a success.” More, from a press release issued by Halsall Racing: More points for Halsall Racing Team at Silverstone THE Bolton-based Halsall Racing Kawasaki team picked up more points as the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship headed into the penultimate round at Silverstone. Australian new arrival Josh Waters ended the day with two 12th places while Lee Costello had a mixed weekend as he scored a 14th and a 17th. Waters and Costello had qualified in 15th and 17th spots respectively for Sunday afternoon’s opening race, and it was Bolton’s Costello who got the better getaway, launching himself up to 12th in the first lap. Waters had a slower start but soon settled into a solid rhythm, picking up a handful of places in the first few laps. He passed his team-mate on Lap Five and enjoyed a steady rest of race, finally finishing up 12th while Costello crossed the line 14th. In Race Two Josh lined-up in 14th spot with Lee two places behind in 16th. The race followed a similar pattern to the previous for Waters, the Aussie crossing the line 12th at the chequered flag. For Costello meanwhile, it was a tougher battle as he struggled with handling troubles and after running in 18th for most of the race, he made his way up a place to finish the race 17th. Martin Halsall Team owner: “It’s been superb, a great weekend. We’ve made really good progress with Lee again which is great and it’s been nice to see Josh on our bike. Josh just arrived with us last week and he’s had a lot to learn with a new bike but he’s done very well. Now we are just looking ahead to Brands Hatch to see how far we can progress and what we can do.” Josh Waters: “It was quite difficult out there, everyone was riding their best and I was totally new to the bike and the team. I’ve had a difficult year and as a result I’ve got no confidence. I have to say a huge thank you to the team for giving me this chance and I feel we can only move forward now. I’m looking forward to Brands Hatch, it’s a track we’ve been to already this year and hopefully I can get some better results there. Lee Costello: “The first race was good, it was really good actually. The bike was feeling great, there were just a couple of minor problems that were holding me up. We made a few small changes for Race Two and while they did get rid of the initial issues, I ended up with another problem and I was struggling a bit into the corners. In the last two laps of the second race I managed to pull my finger out and pulled back three seconds so that wasn’t too bad. We are definitely moving in the right direction now so I’m quite happy.” MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Silverstone Race One result: 1. Alex Lowes (Honda) 2. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) 3. Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha) 4. PJ Jacobsen (Suzuki) 5. James Ellison (Yamaha) 6. Jon Kirkham (BMW) 12. Josh Waters (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) 14. Lee Costello (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Silverstone Race Two Result 1. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) 2. Alex Lowes (Honda) 3. Tommy Bridewell (Yamaha) 4. James Ellison (Yamaha) 5. Josh Brookes (Suzuki) 6. PJ Jacobson (Suzuki) 12. Josh Waters (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) 17. Lee Costello (Halsall Racing Kawasaki) Championship Points after Round 23 1. Shane Byrne 604 2. Alex Lowes 603 3. James Ellison 562 4. Josh Brookes 546 5. James Westmoreland 534 6. Ryuichi Kiyonari 522 14. Josh Waters 75 22. Lee Costello 18 More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki: Challenging weekend for Quattro Plant Kawasaki but more points for Walker and Burrell The penultimate round of the 2013 MCE British Superbike Championship at Silverstone proved to be a challenging weekend for Quattro Plant Kawasaki but riders Chris Walker and Barry Burrell were able to emerge with some solid points and again show both their skill and determination. It was Burrell who picked up the team’s best finish from the two races, the Bishop Auckland rider taking tenth place in the opening 14-lap race, his fourth top ten finish since joining the team. The ride was particularly impressive given a tough qualifying session had left him back in 21st place and with the 12th fastest lap of the race he was able to start the second race from the more advanced position of the fourth row as opposed to the seventh. Part of a superb nine-rider battle for eighth, which also included team-mate Walker, Barry looked like he’d be able to replicate his first race result when he moved inside the top ten on lap four. However, with the rear tyre spinning on the rim, he was struggling all race for grip and was powerless to halt his slide down the pack, eventually crossing the line in 16th place, just outside the points. Like Burrell, Nottingham’s Walker endured a tough qualifying session as he tried to find a good race set-up and qualified in 14th place, going one place better in the opening race of the day. The second race was a lot better for the wily campaigner and although he just missed out on a top ten finish to ex-World Superbike rider Jakub Smrz, he was able to claim eleventh place at the chequered flag for five more hard-earned points. The results also mean Chris continues to hold on to tenth place overall in the Championship. Pete Extance, Team Manager: “Overall I’m really pleased with the way both riders dug in after poor qualifying and Barry’s ride in race one from 21st to 10th was very impressive; indeed, had it not been for the rear tyre spinning on the rim, he could have done even better in race two. Chris was battling for points all weekend and in usual ‘Stalker’ style dug deep to score 11th and 13th. It was a tough weekend but he again showed he is still prepared to battle right until the very end.” The final round of the series takes place at Brands Hatch, Kent on October 18-20 with three races being held over the weekend. More, from a press release issued by SMT Racing: SMT Racing and Reeves brothers claim British Championship There was both jubilation and despair for SMT Racing at Silverstone at the weekend with Tim and Tristan Reeves wrapping up the 2013 Eastern Airways British F1 Sidecar Championship but Adam Jenkinson seeing his Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship hopes fade. After taking a comfortable pole position, Tim and Tristan took the lead at the first corner of Saturday’s Sidecar race and promptly opened up a near two-second lead. Although they were reeled in by Ben and Tom Birchall going into the final third of the race, the Kent brothers drove the perfect race, controlling affairs from the front and preventing the Birchalls from attempting an overtaking manoeuvre. With a 14th victory of the season for the pair, Tim duly clinched his fifth British Championship but for Tristan, making his return to the sport after a lengthy absence, there was cause for more celebration as it was his first British crown. Sunday’s race was another epic as the two sets of siblings went wheel to wheel for the entire race distance once more. Tim and Tristan again grabbed the holeshot and although they led the majority of the race, there was never more than inches between the two outfits – Tim and Tristan quicker through the corners with fortunes reversed along the straights. They managed to keep the Birchalls at bay until the sixth lap when they hit the front for the first time but on the final lap they re-took the lead through Becketts. Positions changed hands once more at Stowe and so at the chequered flag the Birchalls got the verdict from Tim and Tristan by half a second. However, for the second meeting in a row, there was disappointment for the opposite side of the garage as Jenkinson could only manage 13th place in the penultimate round of the Superstock Championship. The Knutsford rider qualified in 11th place and never got the Kawasaki ZX-10R working to his liking all weekend, dropping as low as 15th in the 10-lap race. He managed to claw back two places at the chequered flag but with Championship rival Hudson Kennaugh taking second place, the South African now holds a formidable looking 20-point lead with just the final round at Brands Hatch – and only 25 points –remaining. For Reeves though, it was jubilation and a delighted Tim said; “Having taken a year out from the World Championships this year, we decided to give the British Championship our full attention and it’s great to win the title again, not just for myself, but for the team also. I’m chuffed to bits. The race was really hard, as I knew it would be, as Ben and Tom have won the last 7 World Championship races on the trot and I cooked my tyres a bit in the early laps, pushing too hard. I had to nurse them through the middle part of the race but we got through the difficult part and was able to push again in the last couple of laps. I’m driving better than ever and it’s great to give Robin and SMT Racing some good coverage. They – like all my other sponsors – have been so supportive all year long and it’s been a superb season.” Team owner Robin Croft added; “There’s obviously delight in the team with Tim and Tristan being crowned British Champions. They’ve achieved exactly what they set out to achieve and everyone in the team is delighted to be associated with them and their Championship win. On the other side of the garage it was a frustrating weekend all round. The weather on Friday hampered us in terms of set-up and Adam obviously qualified further down the grid than he would have liked and such is the talent in the class if you’re not on the front two rows, it’s going to be hard work. That’s what happened in the race and being 20 points adrift going into the final round it’s going to be a tall order but we’ll all give it 100% and see what happens.” Both Championships conclude at Brands Hatch, Kent on October 18-20. More, from a press release issued by Chrissy Rouse’s publicist: Chrissy Rouse Triumphant Triple Challenge Champion Chrissy Rouse has now settled any dispute – he is the champion of the Triumph Triple Challenge. In the second race of the weekend at Silverstone, Rouse had to battle hard once again after qualifying third. It was a tense and nerve-wracking race, everyone was pushing hard and it looked as though it could have gone a number of ways. It was Aleix Aulestia, who had secured pole from the previous race, who got the holeshot and made a fantastic drive away from the rest of the pack. It wasn’t to last though as Aulestia came down at Farm putting Phil Atkinson into the lead. There was more chaos to follow as five more riders went down on lap one! Wildcard rider Bob Collins and Gary Beardsley went down and soon after Luke Shelley, Sam Middlemas and Jesse Jones also collided. Rouse and Pett were passed Atkinson on lap one with Sam Cox, Charlie King and Dan Helyer behind him. The racing was so close and on lap two Pett managed to go round the outside of Rouse. A three way battle was underway between the top three riders who continued to make moves on one another. Rouse was not giving up the lead on his championship winning race and passed Pett again but the rider from Norfolk was soon back in the lead. The two cup riders, Cox and King, were now passed Atkinson too and making the race even more interesting. They both made a move on Rouse for second but only Cox was successful, he then made an attempt on Pett for the lead but wasn’t quite able to make it stick. Rouse was passed Cox but the rider from London took the position back. The riders were pushing it so close to the line it seemed possible they could crash and ruin all their races but the championship leader was on a mission and soon through again, he then moved onto Pett, retook the lead and set a new lap record in the process! Rouse crossed the line victorious and the new champion with an unbeatable 71 point lead. Helyer and King had the pace coming through the last corner and both passed Cox putting them in third and fourth after Pett. Rouse was elated with his victory and his team met him on track, putting a number one sticker on his Stratstone Triumph bike. He commented: “It was a very difficult race! I was under strict instructions from the team not to do anything stupid which I didn’t really do! I made a few stupid moves where I probably could have crashed but I was just so determined to win the race. I’m just delighted it worked out, with all my friends and family here as well – it’s just mega. “After the full season, there has been a lot of stress and to win it has just got all that weight off my shoulders. Plus, obviously, winning the prize makes it quite a big deal!” Pett said he felt so close to winning but is still pleased that he’s solidified his position as second in the championship: “I thought I did it! I knew I had to break the slip stream and I thought I’d done enough. I thought they haven’t come passed me yet so I must have pulled a bit of a gap. The same as last year, me and Chrissy were battling but he kept sneaking through. I thought I’d done enough going into that last lap that but he got me. I nearly had a go at him on that second to last corner but I thought both of us could go down. Aleix unfortunately crashed and Phil was way back but it was good for my championship.” Helyer and King, who both shone early on in the season, were back on their game this weekend after a couple of difficult races at previous rounds. Helyer commented: “It was a good race, I had to come from sixth or seventh back in the pack. I did have the pace I just had to wait for the right chances to come and luckily they came and I made my way through to the front. I made a massive mistake with one lap to go I thought the last lap flag was out and started celebrating across the line but there was still another lap to go!” King admitted he had struggled with confidence this weekend, understandably after his huge crash at Donington Park, but made a great return. He had also been competing in Superstock 600 at Silverstone meaning he had to work twice as hard, he commented: “It’s been a bit of a rough weekend, I’ve never been to Silverstone before and I was just riding as hard as I could to get back to where I was especially with all sorts of things going through my head about confidence and whether I still had it in me and that just proves it’s still there.” King has now moved up to second in the cup class championship, just 1.5 points behind leader Scott Picthers and Helyer is now in third. Despite coming sixth Pitchers set the fastest lap of the race breaking the lap record just moments after Rouse had. We also spoke to Cox who came so close to his first top three of the season and about how it felt to be close to the top again: “On the one hand I’m obviously gutted because I was second at one point but on the other hand I’m on the podium again. A first and a third, if you’d offered me that at the beginning of the weekend I probably would have taken it! I can’t really complain it was nice to be up there with the front pack. “At one point I thought I could have won it when I was behind Phil but my fuel light came on with five laps to go so I had that playing on my mind. It was something you don’t want to be thinking about when you’re battling with the best boys in the series! It’s a good confidence boost for Brands at the end of the season so we’ll see what we can do there.” There are still two races to go in the Triumph Triple Challenge at Brands Hatch in two weeks time. There the rest of the championship will be settled. It’s unbelievably close in both the main championship and the cup class. Follow @TriumphTC or like Triumph Triple Challenge on Facebook for more information and updates in the run up to the final round. More, from a press release issued by Ace Cafe T3 Racing: It was another great weekend for the Ace Cafe T3 Racing team and their rider Rob Guiver who came away with the cup win in both races and the full 50 points available for the weekend. See below the race reports for Saturday’s sprint race and the feature race on Sunday. Sprint race: Rob Guiver consolidates his British Supersport Cup lead Guiver consolidated his lead of the British Supersport Cup class championship in yesterday’s sprint race when he took the win once again for the Ace Cafe T3 Racing team. Guiver was by far the strongest cup rider, finishing 12th overall in the race and improving on his qualifying time by a second. His closest cup class competitor was Tommy Dale who finished 15th and four seconds behind the rider from Essex. Off the line Guiver got a great start and ended up battling with Danny Buchan and Scott Smart eventually overtaking them. We caught up with him after the race: “I made a really, really good start, I was in a good position for the first turn. I managed to get passed a few riders. When I was in 14th I had a good battle with the riders in front and I managed to get passed them meaning I finished twelfth and won the cup! It’s a brilliant result and the bike is going really well.” Team Principal Tony Scott also spoke to us about the result and what it meant to the team: “I’m really pleased with how that went! Two main reasons, we’ve got two seasoned riders out there – Buchan and Smart – Rob was in front of them plus he got a great start. I thought he’d do well at Silverstone because of his 125GP high speed corner stuff. He likes high speed circuits; he knows how to keep the gas on. His times were very good, I think he had a second improvement on qualifying. I was very pleased with that and I think Rob will be too because that was a position that was won and not by default. That was a good straight race and he was in front of some good names!” Guiver was 65 points ahead of Bjorn Estment after Saturday’s race. For more race updates like T3 Racing on Facebook or follow @T3Racing on twitter. Feature Race: Double win for Guiver at Silverstone Rob Guiver and the Ace Cafe T3 Racing team ended the penultimate round of British Motorsport on a high collecting the first place trophy and the team trophy once again. Guiver is now well placed to win the championship at Brands Hatch next round with his 45 point lead over Bjorn Estment. Guiver started Race 2 in 16th and got another great start but struggled to get heat into his rear tyre. He ran wide and found himself in 19th at the end of lap one behind Estment and it seemed his championship aspirations could be in jeopardy. He was going much faster than the riders in front of him and soon picked off Estment before Kervin Bos crashed and the safety car was brought out. Guiver continued to battle with Estment who passed him again on lap six but the Ace Cafe racer sneaked back passed him and moved on to pass Danny Buchan. On lap nine Guiver set the fastest lap for a cup rider of 2:12.036 and was chasing down Scott Smart. With just two laps to go it wasn’t enough time to make a move on Smart but Guiver felt he had it in him. He commented: “I had a good start but I got pushed a bit wide on turn six I think and then I just couldn’t get any heat into my rear tyre. When I got into it, it heated up and was fine but then the safety car came out and I had the same problem again the two laps after! But once I got some heat into it it was absolutely fine and I could get going and start picking some riders off! It was a good result but I think I could have done at least three or four positions better than that.” Team Principal Tony Scott was extremely happy with the way the weekend had panned out: “It’s a really odd situation with points and dropping rounds that we could not go to Brands Hatch and come away the champions. But that wouldn’t be cricket, it’s not racing, so we’ll go to Brands Hatch and get the points we need and hopefully it’ll be enough. At the moment we’ve got one hand on the trophy but we’ll just have to see what we can do.” The final round of British Supersport will take place in two weeks time (18th – 20th October 2013). Guiver will be racing at 16.20 on the Saturday and 13.30 on Sunday. For more information and race updates follow @T3Racing on twitter or like T3 Racing on Facebook. More, from a press release issued by Birchall Racing: Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall took a win and a second place plus set a new lap record on their very first visit to Silverstone in the penultimate round of the Eastern Airways British F1 Sidecar championship at the weekend to claim 45 points and move into 11th place in the rider standings after contesting just two rounds of the series. Free practice was spent learning their way around the 3.6-mile circuit and the Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers then went on to secure a front row start to the first race in second position. As the race got underway The Reeves brothers got a better start and sped off with Ben and Tom in pursuit. As the race unfolded Ben was gradually edging closer and closer to the leaders and in an effort to get on terms broke the existing lap record with a 2m 12.634s lap – 99.54mph. Despite their best efforts they were not able to pass the Reeves brothers and crossed the finish line for second place just half a second adrift. Because of delays in the solo classes the second sidecar race was reduced to eight laps instead of the scheduled nine. Once again Ben and Tom set off from a front row grid position but this time they got the hole shot into turn one although they were unable to hold station as Reeves went past before the end of the lap. There followed a monumental battle between the two riders -both former world champions – and on lap six Ben got to the front and made the move stick. Although Reeves tried his best to get back ahead he was unable to beat the flying Birchall brothers who crossed the finish line for the win with half a second to spare. “That was one of the best races we have ever been in,” said Ben. “We both rode hard but fair and won one apiece. We congratulate Tim and Tristan Reeves for winning the championship again this year. The Crescent Suzuki engine is a rocket ship and has been perfect all weekend. We have to thank all our sponsors for their continued support and hope they enjoyed watching these two races as much as we enjoyed riding in them.” Now Ben is happy with the reliability and performance he will be working closely with John Baker to further develop the engines in preparation for an assault on both the World and British F1 championships in 2014. The calendars are currently being finalised and will be issued in due course. The F1 programme is now concluded for 2013 and it is nice that the team has gone out on a high note with a win and a new lap record from their final meeting. Ben and Tom have one more meeting to attend and that is the Stars at Darley meeting next weekend – October 13 where they will be riding their TT winning F2 outfit. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: TEAM SUZUKI WINS AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKES Team Suzuki’s Wayne Maxwell clinched the 2013 Australian Superbike Championship at Phillip Island in Victoria on Sunday, making it back-to-back ASBK titles for Suzuki and the GSX-R1000. Maxwell claimed Superpole on Saturday with a new national best lap-time of 1:32.274 around the scenic 4.445-kilometre circuit, before clinching the title in Sunday’s opening 12-lap affair with a 0.014s victory. Later on in the afternoon Maxwell, competing with the number one plate, claimed a fighting third position in mixed conditions to seal the runner-up overall for the round. “I didn’t start the season strong, but certainly gained momentum mid-season and it’s a credit to all of Team Suzuki,” Maxwell reflected. “It was awesome to do the fastest-ever Australian Superbike lap around here in qualifying; and then to clinch the championship with victory in race one was a dream result. “It’s been a special first year with Suzuki and I’ve fit in really, really well. I have to say a massive thanks to the whole team; Phil, Lynne, Warren, Hayden and Graham, plus Robbie, who has been a great team-mate. Also thank you to all of our associated sponsors – the championship has been a real team effort.” Team Volvo Group Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden was also in top form at Phillip Island, qualifying third and rounding-out the top three in a thrilling first race. Second in race two cemented the five-time New Zealand Superbike Champion third overall for the round and championship. “It was a bit of a tough round, but we had a cracker race in that first race,” Bugden said. “That second race was a bit of a gamble; it was in terrible conditions. Overall in 2013 it’s been a great year. For Team Suzuki, we have been the only two riders who have been on the podium at every round, so it’s a credit to the team at Suzuki. “I was a bit disappointed we couldn’t get a 1-2 for the team, but we’re happy enough. I just want to say a big thank you to Hayden who is in my corner; and the whole Team Suzuki.” Both Maxwell and Bugden featured on the podium at all seven rounds during the 2013 ASBK season, resulting in one of Team Manager Phil Tainton’s most successful years on record at Team Suzuki. “It’s one of our best seasons ever, if not the best,” said Tainton. “We had the guys on the podium at every round, they shared wins and worked really well together throughout the season as great team-mates. “Wayne adapted to the GSX-R1000 and rode it exceptionally well, while Robbie rode the best I’ve seen him ride in his whole career. The team around me has made the operation run like clockwork and as Wayne said, it’s a real team effort.” Team Suzuki will now turn its attention to the 2013 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix support races to be held at Phillip Island in Victoria on October 18-20th. 2013 QBE Australian Superbike Championship Results: 1. Glenn Allerton 45 2. Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki) 44 3. Robbie Bugden (Team Volvo Group Suzuki) 38 4. Jamie Stauffer 33 5. Josh Hook 31 6. Ben Henry (Cube Racing Suzuki) 30 7. Beau Beaton (Racers Edge Performance Suzuki) 28 8. Ben Burke 25 9. Glenn Scott 24 10. Phil Lovett 23 Superbike Championship Standings (after seven of seven rounds): 1. Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki) 268 2. Glenn Allerton 234 3. Robbie Bugden (Team Volvo Group Suzuki) 231 4. Jamie Stauffer 213 5. Josh Hook 198 6. Glenn Scott 156 7. Beau Beaton (Racers Edge Performance Suzuki) 155 8. Linden Magee 141 9. Phil Lovett 126 10. Ben Henry (Cube Racing Suzuki) 119 More, from a press release issued by Team WD-40: DOUBLE CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION FOR TEAM WD-40 Joe Francis completed a remarkable first season for Team WD-40 after wrapping up the Monster Energy Motostar and Moto 3 championships at Silverstone. The 15-year-old, Backford near Chester, secured the points he needed by finishing fifth in the Moto 3 class to spark wild celebrations among Team WD-40 and GR Motosport. But the jubilant scenes continued as Tommy Aquino recovered from a horrific fall in qualifying, climbing off his sick bed to narrowly miss a podium finish in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000. He eventually finished in fifth place to keep his hopes alive for a top three finish in the championship. Grafham rider Jon Railton finished in 18th place just outside the points. Motostar Francis was crowned the double champion at Silverstone after winning the Monster Energy Motostar and Moto 3 titles. He rode a conservative race, carefully keeping an eye on the riders in front of him to know what he had to do to win the championships. Fifth place in the Moto 3 class, seventh overall, was enough to claim Team WD-40’s first British championships as his closest rivals, Tarran Mckenzie and Tom Carne could only finish 4th and 8th overall, respectively. The 15-year-old qualified in fifth place after a fall in qualifying, but he and the team knew what was required to secure the silverware. Knowing he had to finish within two places of rival Mckenzie, Francis always had him in his sights while making sure he brought the bike home. “I can’t quite describe how I feel about winning both championships”, said a stunned Francis. “It’s been a season of tough challenges and I couldn’t have done it without the support of Team WD-40, particularly my mechanic’s Danny Wright and Tom Wood, team manager Brent Gladwin and mentor Roger Marshall. “Their work and words of advice have played a huge role in winning the championships and I couldn’t have done it without them and the rest of the team. “Of course the support from my family has been immense and it really has been a team effort to end the season with two championships. “Team work is key to any success and there is no team I can think of that has worked so hard together to put together a championship winning bike. “The race itself was hard because I had to focus on where I finished in relation to Tarran, and not worry about being at the front of the race. “Brent and Roger were brilliant in explaining what I had to do and help me remain focused on the most important job of all – bringing the bike passed that chequered flag in one piece.” “We have one race left at Brands Hatch but it’s fantastic to be able to say we are British Champions! Now I have to get back to my school work and look forward to Brands as I want to go out on a high and claim another win.” Superstock 1000 Despite nursing a bruised back and ankle following a very heavy fall in qualifying, Tommy Aquino battled the pain barrier to secure a brilliant fifth place in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000. Aquino was looking good for a front row place on the grid when he was launched from his bike during the second qualifying session. The impact his body suffered on landing caused severe bruising to his back and meant he finished qualifying in 15th place. Painkillers, rest and a massage proved to be the tonic he needed to start the race and he then went on to deliver one of his best performances of the season. In the shortened ten lap race Aquino was quickly up to the top ten and by lap five he was in a four way battle for the podium places. As the effect of the painkillers wore off the battle for second and third place went down to the last lap, and despite a late push he narrowly missed out on the podium by just over a second. “I’m aching all over and can hardly move now, but I actually enjoyed the race,” said Aquino. “It was so frustrating to take such a big hit and it was always going to have an impact on the race itself.” “We had the pace for a top three finish, even a win, so with the crash and subsequent injuries finishing in the top five was a really good result. “There is still a possibility of third place in the championship, but for now I’m going to get my body right!” The sister bike, ridden by Jon Railton, qualified in 18th and after dropping a couple of places on the first few laps, he fought back to just miss out on a points finish. It was such a close race that Railton was only 14 seconds behind Aquino when the chequered flag came out. He said: “I had a good race and it goes to show that in the Superstock 1000 you can be so close to the front in terms of time, but still be far down in terms of places. “I’m hoping to get back to claiming some points in the final race meeting at Brands Hatch in two weeks.” Comments Team WD-40’s manager, Brent Gladwin, said: “The weekend has been one of the most memorable in my career, not only for Joe’s brilliant double championship, but to see Tommy be helped on to his bike and produce a miraculous performance. “When we started this team back in March we wanted to win races and see how the championships unfolded. “As the season went on we could see Joe, Tommy and Jon develop and become more in tune with the team, which then delivered numerous race wins and many podiums. “The highlight for Team WD-40 will obviously be winning two championships with Joe, but winning both races at Cadwell Park and watching Joe, Tommy and Jon produce brilliant performances despite injuries will also be remembered fondly. “The celebrations will be short-lived as we have another race weekend to compete in and hopefully see Tommy go for a top three finish in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000. “Once that meeting at Brands Hatch is over we’ll then start planning for 2014 and hopefully more success for Team WD-40. “The reason we have enjoyed a great season is down to everyone working together, pulling in the same direction and helping achieve the title of British Champions.” “We’ve had brilliant sponsors and support this season which has contributed greatly to the success of the team, It is my pleasure to say a heartfelt ‘THANK YOU’ to everyone listed below and ALL my TEAM ! Amy Briggs, of team sponsors WD-40 Specialist Motorbike, said: “It’s been a simply fantastic first season as title sponsors of the team and we’re delighted to see Joe claim both British Championship titles at Silverstone. “He rode exactly as he should have done although it was very nerve-wracking for us all until he passed the chequered flag. “Everyone at WD-40 Specialist Motorbike sends huge congratulations to Joe and hope he can sign off the season in style at Brands Hatch. “Tommy also had the team jumping up and down during the Superstock 1000 race and it was great to see him finish so strongly, within a just a few bike lengths of another podium finish, when we all saw the difficulty he had actually getting on the bike to start” More, from a press release issued by RPSraceteam.com: 4 Wins and 5 Championships for Kelsey RPSRaceTeam.com lead rider Danny S. Kelsey entered the 9th round of the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s Sprint Championship Series with the unique opportunity to clinch all 5 class championships he participates in. Kelsey and the team looked forward to this as it would help meet many of the team goals and allow Kelsey to compete uninhibited during the final round of the CMRA Championship Series. The plan (like many things in motorcycle road racing) was easier said than done. The team was struggling a bit to setup the DP Brakes and Silkolene sponsored GSXR-750 and GSXR-1000. As the team woke up Sunday for the final practices, water covered the 2.9 Texas World Speedway road course. The team skipped practice as the track was drying and the first race would definitely be “dry”. Kelsey took the sighting lap on the race before B Superstock as his “practice”. With the starting lights putting the packed 750 Superstock class into turn one, Kelsey found himself in the lead on his M4 Exhausts and Dynojet equipped GSXR-750. With conditions still a bit tricky, Danny settled in and took 2nd place and his first championship of 2013. Kelsey then took the wire to wire win on his Pirelli shod GSXR-1000 in the A Superstock race as a warm up for the CMRA’s featured event. The Breast Cancer Research Awareness Formula One race promised to be a good battle as several competitors were stepping up their pace, and Kelsey was still trying to work with Crew Chief Marcus McBain to get the optimal setup on the GP Suspension and JRi Shocks fitted GSXR-1000. As the starting lights set the field off into turn one, Kelsey took the point. Company was coming up fast. As Kelsey completed lap one, he was passed and relegated to 2nd place. Kelsey however would not relent. On lap 3, 4, and 5 he dropped his pace to 1:43’s for three straight laps and took the point back. At the finish, Kelsey would win by 2.35 seconds. With Kelsey again winning B Superbike, he now had 3 wins and 4 Championships. The next race A Superbike would be the final event of the day. Kelsey and McBain worked hard to get the team’s big red Suzuki GSXR-1000 a bit more “go” through the 14 turn road course. With competition tight, no mistakes could be made. The opening lap confirmed that the team made a strong move. Kelsey dropped a scorching 1:46.976 from a standing start. He then put down the fastest lap of the CMRA weekend with a 1:43.161 and kept a solid pace and won the final event of the day (and his 5th Championship) by over 16 seconds. The team was very pleased with the results and now is looking to complete the 2013 season by capturing the CMRA’s coveted #1 plate. With an over 75 point lead, Kelsey and the team look to do just that. As 2011 taught the team, ANYTHING can happen on the final event and all efforts are focused on the #1 plate now. LEAD RIDER DANNY KELSEY: “It was a tough weekend to a large degree. I really just wanted to go out and run as hard as I could. At the same time, I owe it to our sponsors to make sure we secure the championship credit they deserve for the tremendous effort they put into our season. I don’t know of any rider that wants to start off the day with a half dry track and I definitely am no exception. It was nice in the afternoon when everything was dry and I was able to focus on just putting in hard laps.” CREW CHIEF MARCUS MCBAIN: “I am fortunate to be working with Danny. He made some really great decisions today, and he put the team in a very good position for the final event of the year. Any crew chief wants a rider like Danny that has both the talent and good decision making skills to always get optimal results.” Kelsey will complete the CMRA series and the season on October 27th in his efforts to regain the number one plate. The team would not be able to compete at this level without the special efforts of KMC Controls, RS Taichi, Pirelli, Dynojet, Vortex, Motoliberty, South Central Race Center, Motopia, M4 Exhausts, DP Brakes, K’s Motorsports, GP Suspension, JRi Shocks, Lone Star Track Days, Shoei Helmets, Hotbodies Racing, Silkolene, Raceworx, RES, Barnett, and Chicken Hawk Racing. More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta: MV AGUSTA DOMINATES AT MAGNY-COURS Varese, 7th October 2013 – The Magny-Cours race was marked by an epic battle between two world champions and the MV Agusta F3, with the MV Agusta F3 leading a number of laps before taking a well deserved third place on the podium. Christian Iddon led the race right from the start before eventually splitting the lead with reigning world champion Kenan Sofuoglu and the new 2013 champion Sam Lowes. After a 20 lap battle Christian finished in third position and obtained his first ever World Supersport podium. The F3 once again responded to the demands of running with the leaders and was able to showcase its exceptionally high level of competitiveness as a result of the perfect set-up of both the engine and chassis. The Englishman was able to demonstrate his true potential with a race long battle for the lead while exhibiting the determination and focus needed to fight for the win all the way through to the final lap. Giovanni Castiglioni, President and Managing Director of MV Agusta, had this to say about the podium: “We are very satisfied with the results obtained in this first season. With the developments that we are working on, we are sure that we’ll be even more competitive next year and able to continually battle with the leaders”.