Ian Lowry secured his fourth British Supersport podium of the season at Oulton Park in Cheshire yesterday, taking third place behind Glen Richards and Hudson Kennaugh while Michael Laverty posted two top-ten results in the British Superbike races. Double TT winner Cameron Donald was making his Oulton Park debut in the Superstock races, securing seventh in race one and tenth in race two. Ian Lowry: “Today was a bit of a disaster for both me and the team. I had a good race pace but I kept hitting false neutrals, which cost me a lot of time: about four seconds on the leaders over three laps and it upset my rhythm. I got it back together with five laps to go but it was too late to make an impression on Glen and Hudson. I did make the podium, which is always good for Relentless, Suzuki and our sponsors. A big shout to the boys in the team who did a great job for me this weekend.” Michael Laverty: “After showing that I could set the pace in the BSB class at Mallory it was a disappointing weekend for me. I really struggled this weekend and after the problem we had with the tyre spinning on the rim in race one I was just looking forward to the second race. Our settings for race two are where I should have been on Friday, but I was just a bit behind the ballpark this weekend at Oulton. Hopefully we can right all the wrongs and get my GSX-R1000 Relentless Suzuki back to the front of the pack at Knockhill.” Cameron Donald: “I got caught out with the weather in qualifying, so I knew it would be tough having to fight through from 20th place on the grid. I just stayed patient and picked them off and improved my lap times through both races. Obviously I would have been happier running at the front but it’s another track I’ve learnt for next season. I must say a big thank you to John Reynolds who came to help me this weekend and my fellow countryman Glen Richard for passing on his experience.” Philip Neill – Team Principal: “It has been a frustrating weekend for us and the weather interruptions didn’t help. However, we must be positive about Ian’s performance in the Supersport class with his fourth podium of the season – that gave us something to smile about. He has shown consistency and maturity but unfortunately his championship rivals have now stretched their lead slightly. Ian showed good early and late pace in the race but the blip in the middle cost him a chance of a potential win. “Michael Laverty’s results this weekend are not a disaster but after being so strong at Mallory, it would be fair to say that our expectations are now much higher. We will be looking for Mallory type performances from now to the end of the season which will hopefully get us the top six results Michael and the GSX-R1000 Relentless Suzuki are more than capable of. “Cameron Donald had a difficult task trying to learn one of the most technical tracks of the year in awkward conditions. The weather halted his qualifying progress, but coming from 20th on the grid to score two top ten results is positive enough. Finally, I’d like to congratulate our fellow Suzuki rider Tom Sykes on an awesome performance this weekend with his first BSB wins.” Supersport Result: 1 Glen Richards [Triumph]; 2 Hudson Kennaugh [Yamaha]; 3 Ian Lowry [Relentless Suzuki]. More, from a press release issued by Buell: BUELLS ENDURE AT MOTO-ST BARBER 500K Buell Teams Score Pair of Podium Finishes in SST and GST classes Leeds, Ala. (July 21, 2008) The No. 8 Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing Buell 1125R earned the pole position and finished on the SuperSport Twins podium at the Suntrust MOTO-ST Barber 500K at Barber Motorsports Park July 19-20 after a late-race pit stop problem cost the team the race lead and a shot at a second-straight overall win. After starting on pole and leading the first five of the race’s 93-laps, the No. 8 Buell 1125R ridden by Shawn Higbee and Mike Smith regained the overall lead late in the going but lost the position during its final pit stop when the team had trouble with the rear brake caliper during a rear tire change. The No. 75 Touring Sport Ducati 848 won the race. “There was something unusual with the rear brake caliper; I think the brake pad popped out of the carrier,” Higbee said after the race. “It [the brake pad] was really hot and they had a hard time getting it back in. It cost us a little bit. It seemed like eternity when you’re sitting there. “Otherwise, the Buell 1125R was running strong. Fuel strategy really played into this race. We were really close to a two-stop strategy. We ended up pitting early to take advantage of the yellow but it may have cost us our two-stopper because at the end we had to come in and that wasn’t planned. But that’s the fun and challenge of endurance racing.” In the BMW Motorcycles GrandSport Twins class, the No. 70 Buell Firebolt XB12R of James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing sponsored by H-D/Buell of Appleton finished third. Riders Jeff Johnson and Paul James steadily worked their way up the order to finish on the final step of the podium and earned the PIAA Lights Award for biggest improvement in class, having started the race in seventh position. The No. 7 Richie Morris Racing/Hal’s Harley-Davidson Buell XB12R piloted by Clint Brotz and Bryan Bemisderfer finished fifth. The No. 77 Touring Sport Ducati PS1000LE took the class win. James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing retained its points lead in the GST class, now leading by a one-point margin over the No. 77 Touring Sport Ducati Team. “This is our seventh consecutive GST class podium, a streak that dates back to last year at Road America,” said James. “That’s a statement about the durability and reliability of our Buell Firebolt XB12R as well as the dedication and determination of our entire team. We want this championship.” To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com. More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mladin, Spies & Jordan Suzuki’s Yates Sweep Laguna Podium Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Hayden returns to racing, cards top-5 finish Round 12 AMA Superbike Series Monterey, California Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca July 18 – 20, 2008 Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing’s Mat Mladin celebrated his fifth AMA Superbike win of the year and his 68th such career victory at Monterey, California’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday afternoon. The six-time AMA Superbike Champion put in an impressive ride on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000, finishing 10 seconds in front of his teammate Ben Spies. Defending, two-time AMA Superbike Champion Spies started from pole position (his fifth of the year and 21st of his career) and got the holeshot in the 28-lap race, but having just finished a remarkable eighth place in the day’s earlier MotoGP race was passed by his teammate and finished in second place. Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates, meanwhile, put in a great ride, moving through the pack to capture the final spot on the podium. Finally, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden returned to racing after having been out due to injury for more than two months. The former AMA Supersport Champion raced his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 to a more-than-respectable fifth-place finish. Mat Mladin: “It was a good race for us. We felt pretty comfortable with the limited time we’ve had on the racetrack. We felt like we had a good bike in the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-1000 and this morning we just needed to sort out exactly what tire we wanted to use. I think everybody went with something pretty similar. I think we had a good pace, and then just got in front of Ben and put my head down and tried to make a break, and that’s what happened.” Ben Spies: “It was a good race. We got a decent start, but Mat came by and we tried to get behind him and get into a rhythm. But he kept stretching and stretching the gap and we just didn’t have the pace today we didn’t have the speed at all. Once we got a good gap on third place, we just hit the cruise control and brought home second place. There was no way we could run with Mat today, there was no need to do anything silly, and so it was a pretty uneventful race, really.” Aaron Yates: “The race was pretty good. We didn’t have the best starting position but we got off the line pretty well on the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 and got past a few guys. I just tried to pick people off with every lap, tried to keep chopping away and take it up to a podium position.” Tommy Hayden: “It felt good to get out there racing again. It was all right for my first race back. I guess I have to accept that I’m a little bit rusty on my racing. I wasn’t quite aggressive enough with making the passes when I needed to. But overall, it’s good to be back and come back with a solid result that gives me something to build on for the rest of the year. Hopefully, now we can just keep improving.” AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 2. Ben Spies, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 3. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 4. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 5. Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 6. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki 7. Neil Hodgson, Honda 8. Jason Disalvo, Yamaha 9. Eric Bostrom, Yamaha 10. Miguel Duhamel, Honda AMA Superbike Points Standings: 1. Ben Spies, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 2. Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing 3. Jamie Hacking, Kawasaki 4. Neil Hodgson, Honda 5. Jason Disalvo, Yamaha 6. Eric Bostrom, Yamaha 7. Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki 8. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 9. Geoff May, Jordan Suzuki 10. Scott Jensen, Suzuki More, from a press release issued by Honda: AMA Superbike Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Sunday July 20, 2008 Weather: Cool, sunny Temperature: 17-degree ambient Crowd: 46,879 The American Honda team of Neil Hodgson and Miguel Duhamel began the second half of the AMA Superbike season with a difficult race in the combined AMA/MotoGP weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Hodgson finished seventh and Duhamel tenth in the Superbike race held just after the 11th round of the MotoGP World Championship. Running with the MotoGP class gives added exposure, but at a cost. Rather than the usual allocation of practice and qualifying, the AMA Superbikes were limited to two half hour practice sessions prior to Sunday morning qualifying. With cool, foggy weather in the mornings, and warm afternoons, it made finding a race set-up difficult. On the third of 28 laps, Hodgson ran afoul of a front end issue. The Englishman wasn’t sure if it was a bad front tire or front suspension problem. Either way, the front end of his CBR1000RR was chattering all over the track. There was little he could do except hang on for the next 25 laps. In a bid to improve on his 11th place qualifying position, Duhamel and his crew tried a completely different set-up. The gamble didn’t pay off. Duhamel was at the back of the five-rider pack contesting fifth, though within striking distance of Hodgson, who was seventh in the pack. Finishing seventh cost Hodgson third in the championship, which he’d held until now, though he need only wait two weeks for the chance to gain back the position when the series resumes at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Today’s race was won by Mat Mladin (Suzuki) from teammate Ben Spies. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) finished third. Neil Hodgson 7th It was either a faulty front tire or something went majorly wrong with the front forks. It just felt different from the minute I was on the track. It was chattering it’s brains out and I’d had no chatter all weekend. It was just a disaster. From lap three on I thought, oh no, this isn’t good. It was hopping across the track. It’s the first time we got it majorly wrong. Just a shame it happened in front of the GP crowd. There was nothing I could do. I just had to deal with what I had. Afterwards, the team looked at the data and they couldn’t believe I kept on riding. I had to ride really sort of safe. I had to use different lines, I had to turn in early. It was hopping across the track. It was weird, it was really, really weird. It had to be the tire because we didn’t change anything in the forks. I haven’t had a bad tire all year. Miguel Duhamel 10th Today’s race went OK. All this weekend we had such limited time. we ventured on to a new set-up which was totally different for us and it was working good. For today’s race we changed it significantly, because obviously we want to do well. we’re always thinking at least podium. We came a little way from that. But we were right there with Roger (Hayden), Neil (Hodgson), (Jason) DiSalvo and Eric (Bostrom). We were all a train coming in. The bike felt good. I was able to push it pretty hard and knowing that this is a brand new set-up, hopefully we can make it better for the next race and be even more competitive. American Honda Road Race Manager Ron Heben A struggling day for the American Honda team. And it started out when we didn’t qualify well. It was obviously our goal to run up front and put the CBR1000RR on the box and when we qualified 8th and 11th it makes life difficult with the contingent of riders we have They raced hard, but the set-up wasn’t what we like. So we have to go back and look at the data and see where we miscued and get ready for Mid-Ohio. Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 4. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 5. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 6. Roger Hayden (Kawasaki) 7. Neil Hodgson (Honda) 8. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 9. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 10. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) Championship Standings: 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 411 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 375 3. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 319 4. Neil Hodgson (Honda) 317 5. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 288 6. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 276 7. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 263 8. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 259 9. Geoff May (Suzuki) 218 10. Scott Jensen (Suzuki) 204 More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: YOUNG RACES SUPERBIKE AT LAGUNA SECA Team M4 EMGO Suzuki didn’t conclude their weekend at Laguna Seca in the manner that they hoped, but Blake Young was still able to gain valuable information in Sunday’s Superbike race that will help prepare him for September’s Superstock season finale. Young qualified 15th for the day’s 28-lap Superbike final aboard his Superstock-spec GSX-R1000, clocking the fastest time in his group with a lap of 1:26.726. However, the Wisconsin native got caught up in a first lap multi-rider incident, knocking him off course and dropping him to the back of the field as the race was just beginning to unfold. He managed to regroup and battle his way up from 21st to 16th aboard his Pirelli-shod racer at the checkered flag. Young said, “The main goal of riding Superbike this weekend was just to get some testing in. Still, I wanted to put in a pretty good race result and get to race with some of those guys because you always learn some things when you ride in Superbike. But we had that little incident in turn two. I got hit but I kept the bike up and ended up riding it off. “Basically, after that we just tried to ride a pretty good race stint and put in some hard laps, Superstock distance. We just tried to get a feel for the bike and figure some things out about how to make the bike better. I wanted to make sure when I came in I could tell my guys what we had to do to improve the bike. “We definitely got tons of data. I think coming back here we’re going to be in pretty good shape.” Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will return to action, with the Superstock and Formula Xtreme classes rejoining the schedule, in two weeks time at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on August 1-3. More, from a press release issued by AIM Yamaha: AIM YAMAHA OULTON PARK REPORT Both AIM Yamaha Supersport riders suffered problems during the seventh round race in the 2008 Fuchs/Silkolene British Supersport championship at Oulton Park but Ian Hutchinson managed to complete the 16 round encounter in 11th place while Steve Plater was forced to retire at three laps distance. The two qualifying periods were run in differing weather conditions; wet for the first session followed by a dry run later in the day, which was to set the grid for the start of the 16-lap race on Sunday. Plater rode through to sixth place and was all set for a second row start where he was sure he could produce a strong result. As the race got underway Plater latched onto the back of the leading group in fifth place and the five soon pulled away from the following pack. But by lap three he was seen to slow and begin to lose touch, dropping back into the clutches of the riders behind him. At the end of lap three he retired into the pits complaining the bike was losing power and it was decided to call it a day to prevent further damage. Meanwhile Ian Hutchinson completed his qualifying down in 19th place for a fifth row start. And although he was left with a lot of work to do he produced a string of fast laps to pick up places to ninth by lap 11. But he encountered a problem with the front brake lever, which had come loose forcing him to slow and drop back to cross the finish line in 11th place. STEVE PLATER TEAM COORDINATOR I have no idea what caused my bike to slow; it will be stripped down next week in an effort to solve the problem before the next round at Knockhill. I won’t be available for the Knockhill race as I have a prior commitment in World Endurance. A decision will be made nearer the time as to who is to ride the bike in my absence. Hutchy had a problem with the brake lever when a nut became dislodged and he had to hold the brake together while trying to outpace his opponents during the final three laps. Consequently he lost a bit of ground but still managed to consolidate 11th place and bring a further five championship points back to the team. Championship standings after seven of 12 rounds: 1st Glen Richards 141; 2nd Hudson Kennaugh 116; 3rd Ian Lowry 95; 4th Steve Brogan 75; =5th James Westmoreland 61; =5th Chris Martin 61; 7th Steve Plater 45; 8th Ian Hutchinson 42. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: JORDAN SUZUKI’S AARON YATES EARNS PODIUM FINISH IN PREMIER CLASS Yates is three-for-three at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CA Michael Jordan Motor Sports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates earned a third place podium finish in the premier AMA Superbike class today at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. This is Yates’ third consecutive podium finish in three outings at the famed 2.238 mile Laguna Seca road course. Last season at Laguna, Yates qualified for a front row start in the September AMA Superbike event and earned third place podium finishes during both the MotoGP and AMA weekends. Earlier today, Yates qualified his Suzuki GSX-R1000 with a time of 1:24.703 and started the 28-lap (100K) Superbike race from the third row in ninth place. “Our starting position wasn’t very good, but we got off the line good,” stated Yates. “The bike just got better and better, and we were able to turn it into a podium finish.” Yates was able to pass six riders to give Suzuki a podium sweep. Teammate Geoff May, who competes in the premier class on a production-based Suzuki GSX-R1000, qualified his motorcycle for 10th position with a time of 1:25.162, crossing the finish line in 12th place. In his first season with Jordan Suzuki, May has earned three podium finishes, including his first AMA National win. Today’s event gave May valuable track time to prep for the team’s return to Laguna Seca for the AMA Championship’s full class schedule September 27th and 28th. He is currently ninth in the AMA Superbike standings and third in overall points in the AMA Superstock championship. This season, Yates has earned five top five finishes and an additional four top eight finishes. Today’s strong finish moves Yates into seventh in overall Superbike points, only 25 points from the top five. He is leading the AMA Superstock championship, which resumes August 1-3, 2008 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. For more information on the team or to purchase team merchandise, visit the race team website at www.23race.com. To learn more about the weekend’s events, visit www.laguna-seca.com. More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: STEVE PLATER OULTON PARK Woodhall Spa ace Steve Plater failed to secure his third podium in a row when his AIM Yamaha developed a fault forcing him to pull in at the end of lap three of the Fuchs/Silkolene British Supersport race at Oulton Park on Sunday. The two qualifying periods were run in differing weather conditions being wet for the first session followed by a dry run later in the day, which was to set the grid for the start of the 16-lap race on Sunday. Plater rode through to sixth place and was all set for a second row start where he was sure he could produce a strong result. As the race got underway Plater latched onto the back of the leading group in fifth place and the five soon pulled away from the following pack. But by lap three he was seen to slow and begin to lose touch, dropping back into the clutches of the riders behind him. At the end of lap three he retired into the pits complaining the bike was losing power and it was decided to call it a day to prevent further damage. “I have no idea what caused the bike to slow, it will be stripped down next week in an effort to solve the problem before the next round at Knockhill,” said Plater. Meanwhile Steve has a busy few weeks ahead of him as he jets off to Suzuka in Japan today (Monday) to compete with Yamaha Austria in the World Endurance eight hour race at the high profile circuit. “I have never ridden there before,” said Plater. “But both my teammates, Steve Martin and Igor Jerman have so they will be able to pass on their extensive track knowledge to me. Suzuka is one of the most difficult circuits to learn but although it is challenging, it is also one of the best and safest circuits in the world and I am relishing the thought of racing there. The Suzuka eight-hour race is a huge event on the racing calendar and the Japanese class it as higher profile than MotoGP.” On his return from Japan Plater has a week’s respite before setting off to Oschersleben in Germany for the next eight-hour World Endurance race for Yamaha Austria on August 9, an unfortunate date clash with the Knockhill round of the British Supersport championship. Following that he returns to the UK to compete at his home circuit of Cadwell Park where he will ride the AIM Yamaha R6 in the Supersport race at the British Superbike championship round on August 26. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hacking Takes Over Third-Place in Superbike Points at Laguna Seca Monterey, Calif. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking rode a hard-fought 28-lap race to finish fourth during the AMA Superbike race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. His finish in Monterey, along with a string of recent podium finishes, has helped him move into third place in the points standings. Teammate Roger Hayden enjoyed his first race back since injuries from a crash at Barber Motorsports Park in April took him out of the action. Hayden rode a great race to finish just outside the top five. Kawasaki Under the Kawasaki Tent Long Term Effect Hacking’s efforts in the Superbike race continued to pay off as he climbed up another position in the point standings. He rode smart and made his mark against the competition to finish with a two-point gap over fourth place. “We got a great start,” said Hacking. “The bike launched perfect. There was a little bit of position switching at the beginning of the race and I tried to put some decent laps on the bike. I was a little wore out, but my main goal was to finish in front of (Neil) Hodgson to get ahead in the championship standings.” Double Duty The endurance of Hacking was tested on Sunday as he pulled double-racing duty. Hacking made his MotoGP debut at 2:00 p.m., riding a 32-lap race, only to turn around and race a 28-lap race at 3:45 p.m. He showed no sign of exhaustion and made the weekend a successful one all the way around. He finished 11th in the MotoGP race. “With the very limited time we had on the ZX-RR, I felt like the weekend went pretty good,” said Hacking. “It was only a week ago we were in Japan and now we are here. Going back and forth between bikes was a little difficult at first, but we got it together and I managed to block out the other bike once we got down to the Superbike race.” First Race Back Hayden looked very impressive in his first race back since fracturing his pelvis and back, along with losing his left pinky. He qualified seventh and finished a strong sixth place. “My first race back went pretty good,” said Hayden. “I got an decent start and then got shuffled back. I was a little back, but got into a rhythm and made my way into sixth. I was on the end of the group battling for third. With about 7 or 8 laps to go my mind got a little lost, but I brought it home in sixth and I’m pretty happy with that.” Adjustments After completing his first race since Daytona, Hayden can now make the adjustments needed to keep up his results competitive. “It was my first full-race back and afterward I was a little sore in some places,” said Hayden. “There are muscles that I only use when I ride and I can now adjust my training accordingly. I’m so happy to be back and I’m really looking forward to the next race at Mid-Ohio.” Kid in a Candy Shop For Hacking, racing in the premier MotoGP class was a dream come true. “I got to ride with the best riders in the world,” said Hacking. “It was a pleasure to race with the guys that I have only watched on TV. I got a kick out of racing with (Ben) Spies too. I can’t get away from him. I loved every minute of it.” For all the pictures, videos and most recent Kawasaki racing action, visit www.kawasaki.com/racing Results AMA Superbike Series Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, Calif. July 20, 2008 AMA Superbike Class 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 2. Matthew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 4. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 6. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 7. Neil Hodgson, Isle of Man, UK, Honda 8. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha 9. Eric Bostrom, Malibu, Calif., Yamaha 10. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda AMA Superbike Points Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 411 2. Matthew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki, 375 3. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 319 4. Neil Hodgson, Isle of Man, UK, Honda, 317 5. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 288 6. Eric Bostrom, Malibu, Calif., Yamaha, 276 7. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 263 8. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 259 9. Geoff May, Gainesville, Ga., Suzuki, 218 10. Scott Jensen, Longmont, Colo., Suzuki, 204 25. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 48 More, from a press release issued by SMT Honda: SMT Honda back in the points at Oulton SMT Honda got their British Superbike Championship season back on track at Oulton Park on Sunday when Tom Grant secured the team some more, valuable points when he finished 15th in the opening 18-lap race. The 20-year old was having his third outing for the team and, despite not having ridden since Donington Park in May, the youngster again impressed with his speed and style. With both practice and qualifying held in intermediate conditions, which saw dry and wet weather during each session, Tom qualified the Honda Fireblade in 18th place with a time of 1m39.046s but, always more recognized as a racer rather than a qualifier, hopes were high of getting in to the top fifteen come race day. Sure enough, despite a sluggish start that saw him go backwards rather than forwards, he regrouped well and soon got himself on to the back of the group battling for 10th place. Just as it looked like he would continue to move forward, he encountered a major rear wheel problem, due to the tyre having spun on the rim, and, with terrible chatter and vibration through the corners, he had to the pace. He eventually got pushed back to 15th on the final lap but this was still good enough for another hard earned championship point. In the second race, Tom had a good battle with fellow Honda rider Guy Martin but the duo missed the break in the opening laps and Tom had to settle for 19th place at the chequered flag. Speaking afterwards, team owner Robin Croft said: “It’s been a case of what might have been this weekend. Tom didn’t get much dry time on the bike during practice and with him not having ridden for a while, we’ve been on the back foot a little bit. Nevertheless, he put in a solid performance in the first race and, despite a horrendous start, he put in some strong laps to run with the group of riders battling for tenth place. Unfortunately, the tyre had spun on the rim though and just as he was planning on making a move, he had to ease off the pace as the vibrations were causing major problems. Still, it was another championship point.” “In the 2nd race, Tom got a good start but the front group soon developed a gap and although he could run a good, almost identical pace, it wasn’t possible to bridge the gap. It was a little disappointing and frustrating for Tom but it’s simply been a lack of time on the bike that has prevented us from gaining more points this weekend.” The next round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Knockhill in Scotland on August 10th. More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: McGuinness fights hard at Oulton but still no points Morecambe’s John McGuinness put in a fighting performance in round 7 of the British Supersport Championship at Oulton Park on Sunday but it was a case of déjà vu for the Padgett’s Honda rider as he again finished in 16th place to once more miss out on some championship points. The Cheshire circuit endured a mixture of conditions over the 2 days of practice and qualifying but with final qualifying held in the dry, John was able to put in a time of 1m40.593s to claim 13th on the grid. He was just over a second off pole position, which again highlighted the competitiveness of the 600cc class this season. In the race itself, John got bumped back to 17th on the opening lap and although he was riding as hard as he possibly could, he was unable to make an impression on the riders in front of him. The status quo was maintained throughout the race and, indeed, it proved to be one of the more lacklustre Supersport races as very little overtaking took place and it ended up being a lonely race for John. With Paul Young retiring on the 11th lap, he was promoted up to 16th and here he remained as he took the chequered flag after 16 tough laps. Talking back in the paddock, a disappointed John said: “I couldn’t have ridden any harder than what I did in that race but, for some reason, it’s just not happening for me on the short circuits this year. I’m pushing hard and feel like I’m riding well but unfortunately, the lap times aren’t reflecting that. As I’ve said before, the class is probably the hardest it’s ever been and it’s tough out there but the bike and team are working well so it’s just down to me to work harder.” “The short circuit season has been a major disappointment for me, to say the least, and to not have scored a point yet is tough to swallow. We’ve got a three week gap now before the next round so I’ll sit down and have a good, hard think about the job to see how we can move forward and, hopefully, salvage some results before the season’s out.” John’s next meeting will be on August 10th, when Round 8 of the British Supersport Championship makes its way to Knockhill. More, from a press release issued by Guy Martin’s publicist: BSB frustrations return for Martin After experiencing the high of winning at the Southern 100 road races, it was back down to earth with a bang for Guy Martin at round 7 of the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park on Sunday. A tough qualifying session saw the Kirmington rider back on the 6th row of the grid and although he was able to advance forward in both races, he only had a solitary 18th place to show for his efforts. Twenty second on the grid meant it was always going to be tough for the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda star but it looked like he would get some more championship points in the opening 18-lap race when a series of overtaking maneouvres saw him haul himself all the way up to 15th place. However, from mid-race onwards, the machine began to misfire and with the problem gradually getting worse he was cruelly forced to retire at the end of the penultimate lap. In the second race, by the time he had fought his way up to 17th place, there was to big a gap between him and the other riders and he was relegated to 18th on the final lap by the works Rizla Suzuki of Atsushi Watanabe. Speaking afterwards, a despondent Guy said: “It’s just not happening for me on the short circuits at the moment and having run in the top 12 earlier in the year, it’s very frustrating. I couldn’t get anywhere my times that I did here back in May and it felt like the thing was going to throw me off at every corner in practice. The boys worked hard and we got a half decent race set-up so at least I was able to race and not wobble around at the back.” “I made up a few places and it looked like I’d get a point but the bike started misfiring and I had to pull in honestly, these electrical problems are doing my head in! We got a finish in the second race but that’s about all that can be said for it and finishing 18th is definitely nothing to shout about. We’ve got a bit of a gap now before the next round so, hopefully, things will be better at Knockhill.” The 8th round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Knockhill on Sunday 10th August. More, from a press release issued by Ryan Farquhar’s publicist: Farquhar wins again at Kells Ryan Farquhar made it a superb 19 wins for the season on Sunday when he took a double victory at the Kells Road Races, County Meath, claiming both of the Open races on his Harker Racing ZX-10 Kawasaki. To make it an entirely satisfying and successful day, Ryan also finished a close second in both of the Supersport 600cc races, adding another lap record to his continually growing collection. Held on the 2.25-mile Crossakiel circuit, the day saw Ryan and Keith Amor go head to head in all four of the races and such was the closeness of the racing, the biggest winning margin was a scant 0.851seconds. In the first 600cc Championship race, Ryan had to settle for second place on the 600cc Harker Kawasaki only 0.327s adrift of his Scottish rival and it was even closer in the non-Championship encounter later in the day. After 8 hard fought laps, Ryan just missed out on the win by the almost unimagineable margin of 0.097seconds although he did have the consolation of setting a new class lap record at 108.299mph. However, Ryan had his revenge in both the Open and Grand Final races and, once again riding his Superstock machine, he successfully turned the tables on Amor to take the victories by 0.851s and 0.365s respectively. The results saw Ryan extend consolidate his lead in all four of the Championships he is competing for, including the season long Duke Road Race Rankings Championship. Speaking later, a clearly happy Ryan said: ‘It’s been another really good day and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself. The races between Keith and myself were incredibly close and there was nothing between us all day – if I’d have missed a gear he’d have been ahead and vice versa. There were a few spots of rain in the air early in the day but thankfully they never came to anything and we were able to have four excellent races.’ ‘It was all good, clean stuff and, like I say, it was a great meeting. I’ve extended my lead in the four championships, taken a couple more wins and gained another lap record so I’m well chuffed. Both Keith and I proved that the Dunlop tyres are clearly the ones to be on and that’s the fourth meeting in row where I’ve used the same set of tyres – and they’re still able to take me to race wins and lap records, unbelieveable!’ ‘We’re still struggling a wee bit with acceleration on the 600 and the big bike engine will need freshening up before the Ulster GP but, hopefully, it will last out for Faugheen next weekend. The season is going really well so lets hope it syats that way for the remaining meetings.’ Ryan will be back out in action at the Faugheen Road Races this next weekend, Sunday July 27th.