Another successful weekend for the BMW S 1000 RR racers: a title, wins and podiums.
Raffaele De Rosa is crowned champion and Maximilian Scheib celebrates the race win at the season finale of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup – Michael Rutter is victorious at the finale of the British Superbike Championship, with Christian Iddon and Ian Hutchinson claiming podium finishes.
Munich (DE), 19th October 2016. Jerez de la Frontera in Spain and Brands Hatch in Great Britain: these were last weekend’s destinations for the BMW teams and the experts from BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Their outings have once more been successful with the next title win for the BMW S 1000 RR, as well as two race victories and further podium finishes. Raffaele De Rosa (IT) was crowned champion in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup (STK1000). Maximilian Scheib (CL) competed in the STK1000 race in Jerez with a wildcard – and celebrated a sensational win. Brands Hatch was the venue for the grand finale of the 2016 British Superbike Championship (BSB). In the Superbike class (BSB SBK), Christian Iddon (GB) claimed a second place on the podium. In the race for the Superstock class (BSB STK), Michael Rutter (GB) celebrated a great victory, while Ian Hutchinson (GB) joined him on the podium in third. With their results, the RR riders collected more points for the 2016 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy (see full rankings below).
MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in Jerez, Spain.
The penultimate round of the 2016 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) was held in Jerez de la Frontera (ES) at the weekend. Jordi Torres (ES / Althea BMW Racing Team) scored the best results of the BMW S 1000 RR riders. He ended both races in eighth position. His team-mate Markus Reiterberger (DE) was ninth and 14th. Joshua Brookes (AU / Milwaukee BMW) also claimed a top ten result, finishing race one in tenth place. In the second encounter, Brookes was 12th.
FIM Superstock 1000 Cup in Jerez, Spain.
The famous Jerez circuit also staged the 2016 season finale of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup (STK1000) – with stunning success for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family. The newly crowned champion races a BMW S 1000 RR. Raffaele De Rosa (IT) and the Althea BMW Racing Team secured the title after an exciting season. De Rosa had arrived at Jerez in second overall, but, by finishing the last race in fifth place, he passed his rival Leandro Mercado (AR) in the standings and won the championship crown with an advantage of three points.
There was also reason to celebrate in Jerez for another BMW team: the Graphbikes Easyrace SBK Team and rider Maximilian Scheib (CL). The Chilean, who was runner-up in the 2016 FIM CEV Superbike European Championship (CEV), competed with a wildcard in the STK1000 race. He impressed everyone with a stunning performance. In qualifying, Scheib set a new lap record on his BMW S 1000 RR. In the race, he stormed to a fantastic win, his first in the series.
British Superbike Championship in Brands Hatch, Great Britain.
The British Superbike Championship (BSB) held its 2016 season grand finale in Brands Hatch (GB) at the weekend. In the Superbike class (BSB SBK), three races were contested to wrap up the season. The finale saw another podium finish for one of the BMW Superbike riders: Christian Iddon (GB) claimed a strong second place in race one on his Tyco BMW S 1000 RR.
In the final race of the Superstock class (BSB STK), the RR was once more victorious. After a brilliant performance in difficult conditions, Michael Rutter (GB / Bathams SMT) celebrated a great win. He also set the fastest race lap. Ian Hutchinson (GB / Tyco BMW) joined him on the podium in third. Fourth place went to Adam Jenkinson (GB / NEI Motorsport), while champion Taylor Mackenzie (GB / Buildbase BMW Motorrad) crossed the line in sixth.
Mackenzie had secured the champion’s title in September at the penultimate round in Donington (GB). Hutchinson ended the season second overall. In the 12 races held this year, victory went to the BMW S 1000 RR on ten occasions.
2016 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Current Standings.
Status: 19th October 2016
Pos. Name (Nat.) Series / Class Points
1 Jordan Szoke (CA) CSBK 410.00
2 Vincent Lonbois (BE) IRRC 407.36
3 Michal Prášek (CZ) AARR STK 395.60
4 Sébastien Le Grelle (BE) IRRC 374.55
5 Taylor Mackenzie (GB) BSB STK 360.82
6 Kenny Foray (FR) FSBK SBK 344.04
7 Maximilian Scheib (CL) CEV 338.80
8 Michael Dunlop (GB) BMW RRC 332.30
9 Pekka Päivärinta / Kirsi Kainulainen (FI) SWC 331.70
10 Benjamin Colliaux (FR) FR EU 329.33
11 Ian Hutchinson (GB) BMW RRC 327.50
12 Lukáš Pešek (CZ) AARR SBK 325.60
13 Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FR) FR EU 318.27
14 Didier Grams (DE) IRRC 303.91
15 Raffaele De Rosa (IT) STK1000 270.57
16. Jan Bühn (DE/IDM STK/255.23), 17. Michael Rutter (GB/BSB STK/251.27), 18. Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NL/IDM STK/239.23), 19. Joshua Elliott (GB/BSB STK/232.18), 20. Matteo Ferrari (IT/CIV/214.00), 21. Ben Young (GB/CSBK/211.71), 22. Danilo Lewis (BR/BRSBK/211.11), 23. Michel Amalric (FR/FR EU/202.57), 24. Lance Isaacs (ZA/RSA SBK/202.57), 25. Cyril Brunet-Lugardon (FR/FR EU/198.62), 26. Michael Laverty (GB/BSB SBK/192.40), 27. Martin Choy (BG/AARR SBK/189.20), 27. Christian Iddon (GB/BSB SBK/189.20), 29. Michael Leon (CA/CSBK/186.00), 30. Richard Cooper (GB/BSB SBK/183.60), 31. Jordi Torres (ES/WorldSBK/181.20), 32. Stefan Kerschbaumer (AT/EWC STK/180.62), 32. Bastien Mackels (BE/EWC STK/180.62), 32. Dominik Vincon (DE/EWC STK/180.62), 35. Denni Schiavoni (IT/CIV/172.40), 36. Mike Roscher/Anna Burkard (DE/SWC/167.26), 37. Mathieu Gines (FR/IDM SBK/156.11), 38. Miloš Cihak (CZ/AARR SBK/145.20), 39. Colin Butler (CA/MSC SBK/143.20), 40. Petr Bicište (CZ/IRRC/137.09), 41. Martin Tritscher (AT/AARR STK/135.60), 42. Marek Hartl (CZ/AARR STK/132.00), 43. Adam Jenkinson (GB/BSB STK/125.09), 44. Marc Neumann (DE/IDM STK/121.38), 45. Hernani Teixeira (FR/FR EU/117.85), 46. Madjid Idres (FR/FR EU/116.15), 47. Lee Jackson (GB/BSB SBK/114.80), 47. David Datzer (DE/IRRC/107.09), 48. 49. Julien Brun (FR/FR EU/101.38), 50. Léon Benichou (FR/FR EU/100.92), 51. Nasarudin Mat Yusop (MY/MSC STK/99.60), 51. Joshua Brookes (AU/WorldSBK/99.60), 53. Santiago Barragán (ES/CEV/99.49), 54. Luca Vitali (IT/STK1000/98.50), 55. Chrissy Rouse (GB/BSB STK/97.45), 56. Markus Reiterberger (DE/WorldSBK/97.20), 57. Marco Nekvasil (AT/IDM STK/94.00), 58. Roberto Blazquez (ES/CEV/89.20), 59. Hudson Kennaugh (ZA/BSB STK/88.00), 60. Garrick Vlok (ZA/RSA SBK/87.71), 61. Arnaud Friedrich (DE/IDM STK/85.69), 62. Steve Rapp (US/AMA SBK/83.20), 63. Leon Jeacock (GB/BSB STK/75.64), 64. Alex Olsen (GB/BSB STK/71.27), 645. Lee Johnston (GB/BMW RRC/71.00), 66. David Bouvier (FR/FR EU/69.19), 67. Daisaku Sakai (JP/MFJ/68.75), 68. Camille Hedelin (FR/EWC SBK/67.35), 69. Alastair Seeley (GB/BSB SBK/65.20), 70. Bertrand Boyer (FR/FR EU/64.00), 71. Rob McNealy (GB/BSB STK/59.45), 72. Karel Abraham (CZ/WorldSBK/58.80), 73. Manu Dagault (FR/FR EU/57.23), 74. Maxime Bonnot (FR/FSBK SBK/56.00), 75. Clive Rambure (FR/EWC SBK/54.53), 76. Björn Stuppi (DE/IDM STK/53.38), 77. Jeremy Cook (US/AMA STK/52.53), 78. Shinya Takeishi (JP/MFJ/50.75), 79. Dominic Chang (SG/MSC STK/48.80), 80. Ronald Slamet (ZA/RSA SBK/48.00), 80. Sam West (GB/BMW RRC/48.00), 82. Barry Teasdale (GB/BSB STK/46.55), 83. Jakub Smrz (CZ/BSB SBK/44.00), 84. Yuta Kodama (JP/MFJ/40.75), 85. Martin Jessopp (GB/BSB SBK/40.60), 86. Michal Šembera (CZ/AARR SBK/40.40), 87. Rene Skalicky (CZ/AARR STK/39.00), 88. Michal Bidas (CZ/AARR STK/38.40), 89. Dominique Platet (FR/EWC SBK/37.59), 90. Michal Fojtik (CZ/AARR STK/36.80), 91. Ben Godfrey (GB/BSB STK/34.18), 92. Ricky Lee Weare (ZA/RSA SBK/33.71), 93. Eric Vionnet (CH/STK1000/30.75), 94. Davo Johnson (AU/BMW RRC/29.80), 95. Nicolas Senechal (FR/EWC SBK/29.77), 96. Dominic Herbertson (GB/BMW RRC/28.00), 97. Federico D’Annunzio (IT/STK1000/26.75), 98. John Krieger (ZA/RSA SBK/24.29), 99. Derek McGee (IE/BMW RRC/22.40), 100. Etienne Nelson (ZA/RSA SBK/22.29), 101. Evert Stoffberg (ZA/RSA SBK/20.86), 102. Matthieu Lussiana (FR/WorldSBK/19.80), 103. Adrián Bonastre (ES/CEV/19.00), 104. Justin Gillesen (ZA/RSA SBK/18.86), 105. Gauthier Duwelz (BE/STK1000/17.25), 105. Lim Ho Gon (KR/MFJ/17.25), 107. Heinrich Rheeder (ZA/RSA SBK/16.14), 108. Daniel Cooper (GB/BMW RRC/16.00), 109. Janez Prosenik (SI/EWC SBK/15.65), 110. Michal Filla (CZ/IDM STK/15.54), 111. Pedro Rodriguez (ES/CEV/12.60), 112. Sabine Holbrook (DE/AARR SBK/7.60), 113. Eric Dagault (FR/FR EU/7.38), 114. Pierre Bezuidenhout (ZA/RSA SBK/6.57), 115. Thomas Toffel (CH/STK1000/5.75), 116. Jacques van Wyngaardt (ZA/RSA SBK/5.71), 117. Pascal Meslet (FR/FR EU/4.92), 118. Valter Patronen (FI/CEV/4.80), 119. Matej Smrz (BSB SBK/ 4.60), 120. Elwyn Steenkamp (ZA/RSA SBK/1.14), 121. Christophe Costes (FR/FR EU/0.00), 121. Stefan Dolipski (DE/AMA STK/0.00), 121. Ryan Farquhar (GB/BMW RRC/0.00), 121. Marcel Irnie (CA/CSBK/0.00), 121. Aaron League (US/BSB STK/0.00), 121. Joan Sardanyons (ES/CEV/0.00), 121. Tomas Svitok (SK/AARR STK/0.00)
More from a press release issued by GR Motorsport/Team WD-40:
TAZ MACKENZIE and GR MOTOSPORT, CROWNED BRITISH SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONS AT BRANDS
October 19th, 2016
The Dickies British Supersport 600;- Entering the season finale with a 12 point lead in the championship meant Tarran’s rivals had all the hard work to do if they wanted to challenge the Stauff Connect Academy/Team WD-40 rider. Taz qualified 3rd for the Saturday Sprint Race, where in a determined mood he put together a fantastic race and last lap to grab 2nd on the line extending his Championship lead going into Sundays main feature event. His last lap, the fastest of the race would also give Taz a pole position start.
A 21-point lead ensured his main Championship rival James Westmoreland had to win this feature race to have any chance of taking the Title away from Mackenzie. Taz made a blistering start to lead the charge around the 2.4 mile Kent circuit for the first time, Things started to get really hectic on the second lap and Tarran settled his Kawasaki ZX6r into 4th place. Westy made a mistake coming out of Druids hairpin crashing out of the race and bringing a red flag stoppage, ending his Championship challenge!
Now ‘Dickies British Supersport Champions’ both the Team and Tarran wanted to finish the season on a high in the restart of the shortened race. Again Starting from the front row Taz made a great start and dropped in behind the on form Bradley Ray to pull away from the pack, both entering the last lap and some 3 seconds ahead of the perusing pack, it became a straight forward race to the flag with Brad having the advantage, Taz lined it up perfectly to out brake his rival into the last corner and charge to the chequered flag – The perfect Gentleman’s set:- Pole Position, Race Win, Fastest Lap and Championship Title.
Tarran Mackenzie: – I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my season! After extending my lead to 21 points with a second place in Saturdays Sprint Race, I was fairly certain I could get the job done on Sunday, as I only had to finish in 12th position. On Sunday I started from Pole and managed to hole shot. I got knocked back to 4th and then the red flags came out due to James Westmoreland crashing, with James out I became Champion which meant I could relax and enjoy the last race of the season with no pressure. Bradley Ray and me pulled away at the front by 3 seconds, I sat behind him for the whole race until the very last corner where I out braked him and came across the line to win my final race of the season! A perfect way to end my season with 5 race wins and 15 podiums! I can’t thank all of my team enough for their hard work throughout this year as well as my personal sponsors, family and friends.
Championship Points,
Tarran Mackenzie 363,
James Westmoreland 317,
Bradley Ray 313,
The MCE British Superbike Championship: – Josh had picked up an injury in training before the event which made the whole weekend very difficult. The Team had made some more great improvements to the Team WD-40 Kawasaki ZX10r which unfortunately Josh was not able to get the most out of. His performance again shows the Teams potential even with the injury just missing out on points.
Josh Hook: – “Leading into brands hatch I broke my foot in 3 places dirt track training so that being said it was always going to be a hard weekend physically, I was disappointed i had to carry this injury in the final round because we had a good direction with the bike from Assen and we definitely found something which was much better than previous events, so I was happy we made a big step with the bike. Thanks to team WD-40 for all their support this year, coming in Half way through the season was always going to be hard but together we have shown signs of brilliance so a huge thanks to my team.
Josh Hook #16 Team WD-40 Superbike at Brands hatch
Brent Gladwin, GR Motosport Managing Director: – “Its been 3 years since we were last able to say that we are British Champions, and who would have believed it could be possible again just 8 short months ago when we had the problems we did.
2016 Dickies British Supersport Champions sound good to me.
The Stauff Connect Academy has done a fantastic Job with 15 podiums, 5 race Wins, 4 fastest laps. Rider Championship, Team Championship, Rookie Rider and Team Championship and it’s nice to be able to deliver Kawasaki’s first British Supersport Title in 26 years. The Team gave Taz the bike and confidence to do his job and Taz gave the Team his skill and enthusiasm to WIN the Title ‘BRILLIANT’
The Superbike Team has had a challenging time in what is the world most competitive series, yet we have led races and had top ten finishes. We will be announcing some exciting Superbike news soon when our bikes will again be on show at EICMA in Milan.
I have to congratulate and thank everyone, all their hard work this season made this possible and I am proud of you all.
Finally Thank you to all our sponsors, our families and our fans who have helped make this all possible.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
BENNETTS SUZUKI SIGNS-OFF 2016 WITH BRANDS TOP-5
The Bennetts Suzuki team and Tommy Bridewell ended the 2016 MCE British Superbike championship season with a top-five finish at the Brands Hatch triple-header following an eventful and unpredictable weekend.
Bridewell qualified on pole position for the first of the weekend’s races, which started in dry conditions but was red-flagged early on with the team battling for the race lead. Restarted twice, eventually in wet conditions, the race ended with Bridewell taking the chequered flag in fifth place.
Sunday’s action got underway in mixed conditions and on a drying track. After a tricky opening half of the race that saw Bridewell drop to the latter point-scoring positions, he recovered as the race went on, coming back through the pack to finish in eighth place.
The final race of the 2016 British Superbike season was again not without drama, as the first attempt to run the season finale was red-flagged. Track contamination at Hawthorn delayed the restart, which eventually got underway as a 10-lap sprint race, but with a ‘no overtaking zone’ at the end of the back straight onto the GP section of the Brands Hatch circuit.
Bridewell made a strong start, but a mistake at Druids saw him run wide, costing him lots of time and also track position. Showing the fighting spirit he’s shown all season, he put his head down, and even with the race running over a shortened distance, he recovered to take another eighth place.
Tommy Bridewell:
“That was an okay way to end the year. The weather’s really played havoc with us this weekend because we improved the bike and were fast in the dry and fast in the wet, but I need to improve my performance when it’s the in-between. As I got into it in both of today’s races our lap times were up there with the fastest out there, and we could catch people, pass them, and gap them, but by coming from so far behind there was only so much I could do. The results this weekend haven’t been what we were hoping for, but we’ve had a good year. We’ve had some bad luck, but through the second half of the season especially, we’ve been fast. Our biggest area of weakness this year was the initial punch out of corners. I think I’ve only ever really been passed in a straight line this year, because on the brakes and in the corners we’ve been so strong and the bike’s been brilliant. But I’ve had a great year with the team, I’ve had a lot of fun with everyone and really enjoyed my racing.”
Martin Halsall – Team Owner:
“This weekend’s been a bit up and down, not too unlike our season to be fair. It can sometimes take a bit of time to get going with new riders in a team, but after a little bit of a slow start, we’ve been a consistent runner at the sharp end of races in the second half of the season. Some bad luck has also cost us, and certainly cost us a place in the Showdown this year, but on the whole, if you look at the form guide over the second half of the year, Tommy has been one of the fastest riders out there, all on the outgoing GSX-R1000. We were confident going into this weekend, and it was brilliant to get Pole in qualifying. Come the races, all three took place in some fairly iffy conditions, ranging from treacherous on Saturday to the in between stuff we’ve had today, and we’ve seen what it can do to the field, with lots of regular front-runners struggling at various points, so to get fifth and a pair of eighths isn’t bad. We were hoping for more, but the weather can make it a bit of a lottery, so we’re happy to have a solid end to the year.
“Now I will go away and start preparations for 2017. I have a lot to consider and a lot of work to do to make sure we have a team structure and package in place for next year to make sure we can build on our performances this year and push on to fight for the Showdown and hopefully the championship in the future.”
Race One Result: 1. Peter Hickman, 2. Christian Iddon, 3. Glenn Irwin, 4. Dan Linfoot, 5. Tommy Bridewell (Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000).
Race Two Result: 1. James Ellison, 2. John Hopkins, 3. Peter Hickman, 4. Dan Linfoot, 5. Leon Haslam, 8. Tommy Bridewell (Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000).
Race Three Result: 1. James Ellison, 2. John Hopkins, 3. Shane Byrne, 4. Leon Haslam, 5. Christian Iddon, 8. (Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000).
More, from a press release issued by Öhlins Racing AB:
ÖHLINS CELEBRATE SEVENTEENTH BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH SHANE BYRNE
Öhlins Racing AB are celebrating a hard won 17th British Superbike Championship as Shane Byrne took his fifth title at Brands Hatch this weekend. It was an especially successful weekend for the Swedish suspension company as they won three other important British titles, in the 40th Anniversary year for the brand.
The MCE British Superbike (BSB) is held in high regard by manufacturers as one of the most prestigious motorcycle racing series in the world, with star names and factory supported efforts. Öhlins was therefore extremely pleased to not only win the blue riband Superbike class but also three support classes.
Byrne and his PBM squad switched to Ducati power for this season and along with Öhlins suspension they turned their Panigale R machine into a perfectly balanced handling machine, also well recognised for conserving tyre life. The team utilised RVP 25 front forks and a RSP 40 rear shock along with support in the paddock from Öhlins to take the title.
In the more technologically and budget restricted support classes Öhlins products also won through with the soon to be released for 2017 ‘FKR’ cartridge kits in the forks and TTX GP rear shocks being the favoured set-up for the other three Champions.
Tarran Mackenzie battled to a popular British Supersport title in his rookie year on his Stauff Connect Academy Kawasaki, following in the footsteps of his famous father Niall, who took three BSB titles in the 90’s for Yamaha and Öhlins!
South African sensation Jordan Weaving (NMT No Limits Kawasaki) took the Superstock 600 title with support from long time Öhlins Centre KAIS. In fact KAIS owner Andy White collected the team award on the podium, illustrating the regard the team had for his efforts.
Leon Morris won the Ducati Trioptions Cup on his Ducati 899, run out of Öhlins Centre P&H Motorcycles, with backing from international DJ Carl Cox.
All in all I has been a rewarding season for Öhlins as they increased their paddock support structure to enable them to help more teams across the 200+ rider paddock.
Öhlins DTC General Manager and area sales manager for the UK Chris Witter was on hand to award each Champion with a special 40th Anniversary Öhlins watch, saying; “This is a fitting end to another great season of racing in the British Superbike Championship. The series continues to attract top level riders and teams throughout the paddock and competition is fierce from manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers such as ourselves. Huge congratulations to Shane, Tarran, Jordan and Leon alongside the Öhlins Centres and technicians who have supported them. We also had some very exciting conversations with teams wishing to run our products for next season, so it’s been a great weekend!”
Öhlins British Superbike Championship Successes
1996 – Niall Mackenzie – Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha YZF750- Öhlins
1997 – Niall Mackenzie – Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha YZF750- Öhlins
1998 – Niall Mackenzie – Cadbury’s Boost Yamaha YZF750- Öhlins
1999- Troy Bayliss – INS GSE Ducati 996 – Öhlins
2000- Neil Hodgson – INS GSE Ducati 996 – Öhlins
2001- John Reynolds – Reve Red Bull Ducati 996 – Öhlins
2002- Steve Hislop – MonsterMob Ducati 998 – Öhlins
2003- Shane Byrne – MonsterMob Ducati 998 – Öhlins
2004- John Reynolds – Rizla Crescent Suzuki GSXR1000 – Öhlins
2005- Gregorio Lavilla – GSE Airwaves Ducati 999 – Öhlins
2008- Shane Byrne – GSE Airwaves Ducati 1098 – Öhlins
2009- Leon Camier – GSE Airwaves Yamaha YZF-R1 – Öhlins
2010- Ryuichi Kiyonari – HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR – Öhlins
2011- Tommy Hill – Swan Yamaha – Öhlins
2013- Alex Lowes – Samsung Honda – Öhlins
2015- Josh Brookes – Milwaukee Yamaha – Öhlins
2016- Shane Byrne – Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R – Öhlins
For more info on the full line-up of Ohlins products visit www.ohlins.com
More, from a press release issued by Quattro Plant Kawasaki:
Stevens and Charlwood and Quattro Plant Kawasaki take British Sidecar Championship
Quattro Plant Kawasaki concluded their British Championship season at Brands Hatch at the weekend and it proved to be a successful two days of action as Ricky Stevens/Ryan Charlwood clinched the Hyundai Heavy Industries British Sidecar Championship for the second successive season.
Driving the Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki, the duo qualified in second place for Saturday’s opening race behind Championship rivals Tim Reeves/Gregory Cluze and although they briefly slipped back to fourth they were soon up to third and the three podium positions were extremely hard fought. Reeves and Cluze grabbed the win from Ben Holland/Lee Watson by 0.051s with Ricky and Ryan just two tenths of a second further back in third.
It meant they went into Sunday’s final race of the season with a 29-point advantage over Reeves/Cluze although wet weather meant the eight lap race was a nervy affair for all concerned. Reeves and Cluze again took the win but third place overall for Ricky and Ryan was enough for them to win the Championship by eleven points and they ended the season with an impressive four wins and 17 podiums from the twenty races.
British Superbike Championship riders Luke Mossey and Filip Backlund didn’t have the best of days on Saturday and although the former qualified in third place, he could only finish 13th in the wet, 15-lap race that was held later in the day. It was even worse for Swedish rider Backlund though as he crashed out at high speed along with Howie Mainwaring Smart and although he suffered no broken bones his 2016 season ended there and then
Sunday again saw damp conditions around the 2.4-mile circuit although a dry line was rapidly appearing for the first 20-lap race. Luke had to start from the sixth row of the grid and was back in 15th place at the conclusion of the first lap but a series of good overtaking manoeuvres saw him up to tenth by lap six.
The Cambridge rider was pushed back to 12th with just a handful of laps to go but with less than four seconds covering nine riders positions were changing all the time and he fought his way back up to tenth at the chequered flag. That left just the final race of the season to negotiate and this became a ten lap sprint after an oil spill caused the original race to be stopped. It was another hectic race and on this occasion Luke claimed ninth place to end his year with another top ten finish and an excellent sixth place overall in the Championship table.
Ricky Stevens: “We’re absolutely over the moon to be 2016 British Champions but it was certainly hard work especially in Sunday’s race where conditions were treacherous – it was the longest eight laps we’ve ever had! It was a long weekend and up and down throughout but we got the job done and being champions is all that matters. A big thank you to all our sponsors and roll on 2017 where we’ll be looking to make it three in a row.”
Luke Mossey: “It hasn’t been the final round that I’d hoped for but conditions have been tricky all weekend and we ended up having three stop start races. When Jason crashed in front of me in race one I had to pick the bike up and run off the track and we had to start from quite low down on the grid for Sunday’s races. I managed to claim two top ten finishes though and have to be pleased with how my year’s gone. I was thrilled to make the Showdown and I’ll be doing everything to be back there in 2017 and improve further still.”
Filip Backlund: “It’s been a tough year and ending it early this weekend has summed up how my luck’s gone, especially at these last few rounds. It was a high speed crash and I was lucky to escape with no major injuries but I had little option other than to sit Sunday’s races out. My team have worked so hard all year and I was determined to give them some good results this weekend but, sadly, it wasn’t meant to be and I’ll look forward to some rest now and ensure I come back in 2017 fully fit and raring to go.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “It’s absolutely brilliant that the sidecar squad have retained their British Sidecar Championship and the whole team have worked hard all year. They’re such a professional outfit and have gained their reward so we’re really proud of what the boys have achieved and we’re delighted to have the team’s first ever British Championship. For the Superbike boys it was a tough weekend especially for Filip who had an unfortunate crash, through no fault of his own, in race one which put him out for the rest of the weekend. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in the paddock in 2017.”
“Luke’s weekend started well with a good qualifying performance but he lost a lot of time in race one when Jason O’Halloran crashed in front of him and he had to run off track. He fought his way through to 13th and then scored two solid top ten finishes on Sunday. We’re extremely pleased with sixth overall in the Championship and a Showdown position so we’re looking forward to more of the same in 2017. The team’s plans for next year are currently being finalised and we’ll hopefully be able to announce everything at the NEC next month.”
Final British Sidecar Championship Positions (after 10 rounds)
1 Ricky Stevens/Ryan Charlwood (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki) 397pts
2 Tim Reeves/Gregory Cluze (Yamaha) 386
3 Ben Holland/Lee Watson (Kawasaki) 337
4 Chris Walker/Ashley Hawes (Kawasaki) 305
5 Rob Biggs/Ben Ransley (Suzuki) 174
6 Rupert Archer/Steve Thomas (Suzuki) 172
Final British Superbike Championship Positions (after 12 rounds)
1 Shane Byrne (Ducati) 669pts
2 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki) 640
3 James Ellison (Kawasaki) 610
4 Dan Linfoot (Honda) 602
5 Jason O’Halloran (Honda) 568
6 Luke Mossey (Quattro Plant Teccare Kawasaki) 550
29 Filip Backlund (Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki) 2
More, from a press release issued by RAF Regular & Reserve BMW:
Solid end of season for Seeley and RAF Regular & Reserve BMW
The RAF Regular & Reserve BMW team concluded their British Superbike Championship season at Brands Hatch at the weekend and it proved to be one of the best meetings of the year for Alastair Seeley as he scored points in all three races including another top ten finish.
Having qualified in 14th place for Saturday’s opening race of the weekend, Alastair was confident of a good result although the first two attempts at running the race were halted by a number of crashes and rain. Cut to 15 laps, it was a case of third time lucky and the Carrickfergus rider was soon up to 11th place in the wet race only to drop back to 17th soon after due to an off-track excursion.
However, by half race distance he was back up to seventh and although he slipped back to ninth on lap 11 due to a moment when the rear wheel came round on him, he duly held on to the position for another top ten finish.
Sunday again saw damp conditions at the Kent venue although when the first Superbike race came to the line, a dry line had appeared with the weather improving all the time. Starting from 13th on the grid on this occasion, a solid start by Alastair saw him lie in 14th in the early stages of the race and although he dropped back briefly to 16th when he got pushed wide by Richard Cooper he soon regrouped to climb back up to 13th.
By half race distance he moved up to 12th and although he was unable to climb any higher, it was one of his strongest rides of the year, finishing less than three seconds adrift of fifth place. That just left one more race to negotiate and this was cut to ten laps after an oil spill and the 37-year old made it three points scoring finishes from three rides as he took 13th place.
The points haul saw Alastair end the year in 21st overall with team-mate Jake Dixon, making good progress from injury, in 16th.
Alastair Seeley: “At the Oulton Park round we found a good set-up with the bike but the crash at Donington Park a week after set us back a bit and I’ve had to build my confidence back up. I’ve had a good feeling with the bike all weekend here at Brands and with one of my better qualifying performances we were in the area where we wanted and needed to be so I was able to have three decent races.”
“Conditions were very tricky in the first race and the bike was backing in quite a bit which led to a couple of moments so, all things considered, ninth was a good result. It was a bit patchy in Sunday’s opener but I got a good 12th and then the last race was a stop start affair with just ten laps taking place in the end. I got some more points though and it’s been a solid end to the season with some good progress so thanks to all the team for their work during the year.”
Lee Hardy, Team Owner: “It hasn’t been a bad weekend at all and it’s good to end the season with points in all three races. Alastair’s qualifying position for each race was good despite numerous interruptions and he had good pace in both the wet and the dry. He was happy with the bike and in a good place whilst we were more than happy with his performances and how he rode over the course of the weekend.”
“It’s been a tough year with a number of ups and downs and it’s a shame things haven’t worked out at every circuit we’ve visited. Alastair’s confidence took a dip so it’s been nice for him to end the season with a series of good results and he’s finished the year with his head held high. A big thank you must go out to all our sponsors that have been involved and without their support or help none of it, BSB or roads, would be possible so we’re looking forward to working with them again in 2017.”
The BSB season may be over but the team still have one more outing with the Macau Grand Prix taking place on November 17-19.
MCE British Superbike Championship race one (15 laps)
1 Peter Hickman (Kawasaki)
2 Christian Iddon (BMW)
3 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)
4 Dan Linfoot (Honda)
5 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)
6 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
9 Alastair Seeley (RAF Regular & Reserve BMW)
MCE British Superbike Championship race two (20 laps)
1 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
2 John Hopkins (Yamaha)
3 Peter Hickman (Kawasaki)
4 Dan Linfoot (Honda)
5 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
6 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
12 Alastair Seeley (RAF Regular & Reserve BMW)
MCE British Superbike Championship race three (10 laps)
1 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
2 John Hopkins (Yamaha)
3 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
4 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
5 Christian Iddon (BMW)
6 Dan Linfoot (Honda)
13 Alastair Seeley (RAF Regular & Reserve BMW)
Final Championship Positions (after 12 rounds)
1 Byrne 669pts
2 Haslam 640
3 Ellison 610
4 Linfoot 602
5 O’Halloran 568
6 Mossey 550
16 Dixon 50
21 Seeley 37
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Mika Perez, the year of a great champion
Mika Perez is the winner of the 2016 Wil Sport European Junior Cup, powered by Honda. With a fourth place finish in today’s second race of the double-header season finale at Jerez, the recently turned 17-year-old from Altea, a town located on the south eastern coast of Spain near Alicante, sealed the ultimate prize of what is the last-ever edition of the series.
After racing minibikes in the Valencian Championship in 2007 at the age of eight, Perez quickly rose through the ranks and by 2012 he had already won the national ‘Cuna de Campeones’ MiniGP140 title. In 2013, he made a one-off appearance in the European Junior Cup as a wildcard lined up by Honda Spain. The following year, Perez impressed many by finishing sixth in his first full EJC season, which was followed by a difficult second campaign in the championship.
In 2016, Perez has been a master of consistency as he claimed one win, three second places and one third in the first six races. After a first missed title point in Magny-Cours a fortnight ago, when he was fourth at the chequered flag, Mika entered the Jerez double-header with a 25-point advantage over Paolo Grassia.
The Italian got the better of him in race one to take another five points away from his lead, but in race two Perez smartly managed the championship situation to cross the line fourth a result that rewarded him with the final victory.
Perez can now enjoy his well deserved EJC Championship success before embarking on the next step of his motorcycle-racing career.
Name: Mika Perez
2016 Racing number: 8
Birthdate: 05/10/1999
Birthplace: Altea (Spain)
2016 Wil Sport European Junior Cup, powered by Honda – 1st – 1 win, 1 pole position, 4 seconds, 2 thirds
2015 Pata European Junior Cup, powered by Honda – 18th
2014 Pata European Junior Cup, powered by Honda – 6th – 1 podium
2013 Pata European Junior Cup, powered by Honda – 1 race
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing BMW:
Smiths BMW End Season In Style At Brands Hatch
Gloucester-based Smiths Racing BMW concluded their MCE British Superbike Championship season at Brands Hatch this weekend where it proved to be one of their best meetings of the year asRyuichi Kiyonari Jakub Smrz and Ryuichi Kiyonari both scored points in all but one of the three races, with Kiyonari taking the best finish in seventh.
Having qualified in 12th and 21st respectively for the first 20-lap race held yesterday, the duo were hopeful of a good result but a combination of crashes and rain meant the race was stopped twice before being re-started for a third time over the shorter distance of 15 laps. Conditions were difficult throughout with a number of riders falling but the duo managed to keep upright with ‘Kuba’ taking the best finish of the two in tenth with ‘Kiyo’ in 14th.
Today again saw damp conditions around the 2.4-mile Kent circuit but a dry line had appeared by the time of the second race of the weekend, this time held over 20 laps, came under starters order. It was again Smrz who showed best and he ran inside the top ten for much of the race, but in the closing stages, he got pushed back to 11th whilst Kiyo came through to take the final championship point in 15th.
The Japanese rider had the fifth fastest lap of the race to give him a second row start for the final race of the season which gave him a great chance of ending his season with a strong result. A brilliant start elevated him up to third and he was still in this position on lap five when the race was stopped due to an oil spillage.
Re-started over 10 laps, the former three-times champion again ran in third place initially but by lap four he’d been pushed back to eighth before reclaiming seventh from Peter Hickman which matched his best result of the season. For team-mate Smrz though, it was an unhappy end to the season as he crashed out at Sheene Curve on lap four, fortunately without injury.
Jakub Smrz: “Obviously the last race wasn’t so good and I touched the engine casing on a kerb which caused me to crash. Up until that point we’d had a good weekend and the progress we’ve Jakub Smrzmade since the beginning of the year has been massive. If we’d have started the year with the bike we’ve finished with, our results would have been a lot better. It’s been a really competitive season and the results haven’t been what any of us have wanted but it’s also been an enjoyable year and even at difficult times, the team have given 100%. I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone at Smiths Racing BMW so a big thank you to everyone.”
Ryuichi Kiyonari: “It’s been quite difficult swapping teams and manufacturer two thirds of the way through the season so it’s nice to finish with a good result. I struggled a bit in qualifying with the set-up of the bike but the team never stopped working for me and tried many changes. All the riders have been very fast this year but we showed our old form in the last race and it felt nice to be running at the front. Seventh wasn’t where I wanted to finish as I go racing to win but I’ve really enjoyed my time with the team and a big thank you to everyone at Smiths Racing BMW.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “It’s been a long season and we’ve definitely found ourselves up against it a lot of the times but the whole team never gave up and gave 100% throughout. Even when it got really difficult everyone gave their all so I must thank everyone for their hard work and effort. Kuba had two good rides this weekend so it was a shame he crashed in the last one whilst it was nice to see Kiyo running close to the front in race three. The season hasn’t quite gone to plan but it’s still been enjoyable so we’ll regroup and look to come back stronger in 2017.”
MCE British Superbike Championship race one (15 laps)
1 Peter Hickman (Kawasaki)
2 Christian Iddon (BMW)
3 Glenn Irwin (Ducati)
4 Dan Linfoot (Honda)
5 Tommy Bridewell (Suzuki)
6 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
10 Jakub Smrz (Smiths Racing BMW)
14 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Smiths Racing BMW)
MCE British Superbike Championship race two (20 laps)
1 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
2 John Hopkins (Yamaha)
3 Peter Hickman (Kawasaki)
4 Dan Linfoot (Honda)
5 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
6 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
11 Jakub Smrz (Smiths Racing BMW)
15 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Smiths Racing BMW)
MCE British Superbike Championship race three (10 laps)
1 James Ellison (Kawasaki)
2 John Hopkins (Yamaha)
3 Shane Byrne (Ducati)
4 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)
5 Christian Iddon (BMW)
6 Dan Linfoot (Honda)
7 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Smiths Racing BMW)
DNF Jakub Smrz (Smiths Racing BMW)
Final Championship Positions (after 12 rounds)
1 Byrne 669pts
2 Haslam 640
3 Ellison 610
4 Linfoot 602
5 O’Halloran 568
6 Mossey 550
17= Smrz 48
20 Kiyonari 42