MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Round nine Cadwell Park 27-28-29 August DEFENDING CHAMPION KIYONARI UNDER PRESSURE AT CADWELL PARK TITLE-FIGHTER DECIDER Reigning MCE Insurance British Superbike champion Ryuichi Kiyonari is under pressure as he prepares for a make or break ninth round at Cadwell Park this August Bank Holiday weekend in his bid to secure the crown for a record fourth time. The HM Plant Honda rider is one of eight riders chasing the remaining three places among the top six in the standings who will then become the ‘Title-Fighters’ who will battle for the title in the final three round Showdown of the series. Kiyonari’s team-mate and current leader in the overall standings Shane Byrne has already secured his place as a ‘Title Fighter’ together with Samsung Crescent Suzuki’s John Hopkins and Tommy Hill aboard the Swan Yamaha. The three races at the Lincolnshire circuit, the first on Sunday which was postponed from Oulton Park and the usual two on Bank Holiday Monday, are all about scoring podium credits for Byrne and Hill which will prove vital in the outcome of the title. Hopkins however will not race this weekend as he continues his recovery from the finger injuries he sustained at the Brno round of MotoGP. Byrne said: “I am definitely looking forward to getting back out again on the HM Plant Honda. We had a test last week but unfortunately it didn’t go completely according to plan. We didn’t have some new parts we had planned on testing and then the second evening it rained! That said though, we were able to get some laps around Cadwell Park on the first evening and it did give us some things to think about. This weekend is the team’s home round so I am keen to do a good job for them there, as they have had strong results there in the past, and I want to be pulling in those Podium Credits. Then it’s all about the Showdown!” The pressure this weekend will be on the eight riders who have a mathematical chance of making the cut ahead of the Showdown. Michael Laverty riding the second Swan Yamaha is currently in fourth place in the standings, 33 points clear of the drop zone whilst Josh Brookes is less secure in fifth place for Relentless Suzuki. The Australian has recently tested at the circuit to ensure that he is ready to challenge for wins in what promises to be a dramatic three race battle for supremacy. That leaves Kiyonari in sixth place and a precarious five points ahead of the vastly experienced Michael Rutter aboard the Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati. Kiyonari has also tested at Cadwell Park, the home circuit for his Louth-based team, in an effort to return to podium finishing form. The defending champion has only scored one victory at the Lincolnshire circuit to date, although has packed in seven other podium finishes, and that should give him confidence at this crucial stage of the season. Kiyonari said: “We tested again before Cadwell Park as we needed to make more improvements for this weekend from me and the HM Plant Honda. This is the home round for me and the team and I know I need to push here for results in order to fight for the championship. We have lots of ideas for improvements and have been trying very hard as I know this is going to be a very tough round because there are lots of riders who are trying to be in the top six for the Showdown. We will be doing everything this weekend to get back on the podium again as I want to be winning again and I have to try and do that here. The most important thing for me is to be inside the top six for the Showdown.” Rutter is poised to strike and in a good run of form having snatched two podiums in addition to five top five finishes in the previous two rounds and he goes into these races knowing that he has all to gain and nothing to lose. Gary Mason who is currently eighth in the overall standings aboard the MSS Colchester Kawasaki is equally bullish about his chances. Rutter said: “This is of course going to be an important weekend for me and the Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati team, but we are not putting ourselves under any pressure as we will be doing everything we can as usual to get results. We are only five points adrift of Kiyonari in sixth and 16 off Brookes so we are still in with a shot that’s for sure. I can only go out and do my best and if they struggle then we can take the advantage as anything can still happen. The position is there for me to take so all we can do is go out at Cadwell Park and give it everything at the Rapid Solicitors’ home round.” Jon Kirkham who took his maiden BSB victory at Croft back in May, needs to re-kindle that form if he is to join his team-mate Hopkins in the top six while Peter Hickman is hoping to make local knowledge count on his home circuit in a last attempt to put the Tyco Honda among the ‘Title-fighters’. An outside chance of still securing a place as a ‘Title Fighter’ is the former four times runner-up in the BSB title stakes Chris Walker riding the Pr1mo Kawasaki, so expect to see the Nottinghamshire rider making life difficult for the rest as he goes all out to grab an all important top six place in the standings. Aussie Glen Richards is confident that he can continue the consistent run of form that has taken him comfortably into the lead in the chase for the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO class title but the WFR Honda rider is well aware of the strong form of his team-mate Graeme Gowland who has won four of the previous five races. MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings ahead of Cadwell Park: 1. Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 255 (THROUGH TO SHOWDOWN) 2. John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 231 (THROUGH TO SHOWDOWN) 3. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 210 (THROUGH TO SHOWDOWN) 4. Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 163 5. Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 146 6. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 135 ——————————————————————————————————————————— 7. Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) 130 8. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) 115 9. Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 112 10. Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) 98 For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com Tickets for the August Bank Holiday round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park cost £30 on Bank Holiday’s Monday race day and £15 on qualifying day (Sunday). For more information and to book visit www.cadwellpark.co.uk or call 0843 453 9000. More, from another press release issued by British Superbike Championship organizers: FUCHS-SILKOLENE BRITISH SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP Local hero Wilson set to continue championship clash with Seeley The countdown to the Cadwell Park August Bank Holiday weekend (27-29) continues as local hero Ben Wilson from Boston prepares to resume his rivalry with Alastair Seeley in their quest to lift the Fuchs Silkolene British Supersport Championship title after an epic last round at Brands Hatch. The pair have been inseparable all season and at Brands Hatch the clash continued as the title contenders continued to dice for the lead in an intense battle of supremacy with Seeley eventually coming out on top, despite coming under increasing pressure from Wilson in the dying stages. As the championship moves to Cadwell Park and Wilson’s home round, he holds a 43 point advantage over Seeley after his lead was marginally reduced at the last round with Seeley’s double victory. Wilson has taken six wins so far this season to Seeley’s five and with nine races still remaining both riders know that they can’t afford to give an inch. Wilson said: “We had a great race between myself and Alastair at Brands Hatch but I want to get him back this weekend at my home track. I have had some good races at the circuit in the past and I know we still have a lead but I need to keep that if I want to win the title for the Gearlink Kawasaki team.” Billy McConnell missed out on the feature race at Brands Hatch after a crash in morning warm up but the Oxford TAG Triumph rider is expected to return at Cadwell Park and will want to perform strongly in a bid to maintain his third position in the overall standings ahead of his team-mate Paul Young. Sam Warren lies fifth following his lone podium finish at Brands Hatch for the Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton team, but Jack Kennedy could also be a podium threat as he bids to make up for lost ground when he was sidelined through injuries sustained at Thruxton earlier in the season. Jimmy Hill is also determined to make amends after he crashed out of a potential podium finish last time out, whilst Matthew Whitman will be looking for a repeat of his maiden podium finish at Brands Hatch. Fuchs Silkolene British Supersport Championship standings ahead of Cadwell Park: 1. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 308 2. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 265 3. Billy McConnell (Oxford TAG Triumph) 148 4. Paul Young (Oxford TAG Triumph) 141 5. Sam Warren (Bike Interceptor Yamaha by Seton) 140 For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com