Round six 7/8 July Oulton Park HILL OUTGUNS RIVALS AND NOW TARGETS THE TRIPLE IN CHESHIRE Results Race one: 1: Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 2: Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +4.508s 3: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +10.339s 4: Noriyuki Haga (Swan Yamaha) +15.746s 5: James Westmoreland (WFR Honda) +16.256s 6: Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) +16.803s Championship standings: 1: Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 184 2: Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 170 3: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 169 4: Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda) 122 5: Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) 87 6: Ian Lowry (Padgetts Honda) 79 Report Tommy Hill made a flying start to the triple header sixth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park and having won the opening race on Saturday afternoon is aiming to complete the hat-trick at the Cheshire circuit in Sunday’s races. The Swan Yamaha rider had earlier claimed the pole start and he made good use of it. He led from the opening lap and then pulled clear of the pursuing pack when Michael Laverty crashed out of second place on the fourth lap, with his Samsung Honda lying on the circuit. Shane “Shakey” Byrne and Josh Brookes who were running in close contention to Laverty had to take avoiding action, clashing fairings but maintaining their momentum as they pursued Hill who was en route to his third victory of the campaign. Brookes riding the Tyco Suzuki sensationally snatched second place on the final corner of the final lap from Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Byrne to moved into second place in the standings, 14 points down on Hill. “That was a fantastic result, just when we wanted. Now we have to keep moving forwards, working on all areas and trying to improve but this is a good job done,” said Hill. “Now we have to concentrate on the next two races here, keep working at it and hope for more of the same.” Brookes worked hard for his second place: “It was a crazy old race Michael went down, “Shakey” moved across to miss him, I went on the grass and then I tried hard to catch him. I had practiced the move coming into the last corner a lot and then finally made it stick.” Byrne had to settle for third while Noriyuki Haga gained ground to take fourth ahead of James Westmoreland after both Alex Lowes and Ian Lowry had crashed out of contention earlier in the race. For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: SWAN YAMAHA FLY TO OPENING WIN AT OULTON PARK Swan Yamaha celebrated victory today in the opening MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship race of the weekend in the triple-header event at Oulton Park as Tommy Hill claimed victory with Noriyuki Haga securing a solid fourth place. Hill had claimed pole position for the first race race at the Cheshire circuit before a sensational performance saw him win for the third time in his title defence. Hill had taken the lead on the opening lap but when Michael Laverty crashed out of second place. The pack, which included Haga, was forced to take evasive action. Hill then had a lead which he held until the finish whilst Haga regrouped to score a fourth place and move to within a single point of a position inside the top six in the overall standings. Hill said: “I really wanted that win and to start the weekend with that was the best possible start after getting the pole position earlier. There are a few areas we need to polish up on but it was a good race and I need to thank the Swan Yamaha team. I didn’t really know what was happening behind me; I just saw the gap on my board but I just kept my head down and did the job. It was a fantastic race and hopefully we can have more of the same tomorrow.” Haga said: “It was a nice race for me; I had a fantastic start as I was in the leading pack and I was sixth but when Michael (Laverty) and Ian (Lowry) crashed in front of me I lost distance to the riders in front. I tried to close up to them, but the bike was moving around quite a lot and I didn’t want to risk a crash because I needed the points. I had a big gap behind me and so I was happy to take fourth because now I am just one point from the top six. We need to make some changes for the next races but tomorrow is another day and now I just need two good races.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes showed true Aussie grit in the opening British Superbike race at Oulton Park today, taking second place away from championship rival Shane Byrne at the final corner for 20 valuable points and two additional podium credits. GSX-R1000-mounted Brookes now holds second place in the championship standings just 14 points and eight podium credits behind race winner Tommy Hill and will start tomorrow’s opening race from the second row of the grid in fifth position. Team mate Alastair Seeley’s poor luck at the Cheshire venue continued: The Carrickfergus rider had converted his second-row grid-position into a potential top-five finish, before having to retire at the end of lap eight when the back brake locked solid on his Tyco Suzuki. Seeley’s misfortune drops him to 10th place in the championship standings – 12 points outside the all-important top six. Seeley will start tomorrow’s second race alongside his team-mate on the second row of the grid in sixth place. Josh Brookes: “I’d like to say I knew I had it covered but it was a crazy race out there today. When Michael Laverty went down I was unsighted, so when Shane Byre lifted to avoid him I got bumped onto the grass. That let Tommy get away at the front but I worked my way back onto ‘Shakey’s’ back wheel, but the only place I felt strong enough to make the pass was the final corner at Lodge. Fortunately all went to plan.” Alastair Seeley: “I’ve plenty of luck here at Oulton… just a pity it’s bad luck. I made a decent start, stayed out of trouble and when I got into a rhythm, the front group was coming back to me a bit, especially Nori. I thought they’d maybe start to have some tyre issues late in the race so I was confident of pushing through and maybe challenging for top three or four. I came into Druids and thought I’d gone back a gear too many as the bike was backing in; then the same thing happened only worse at Lodge. I looked down and saw the back brake disk glowing red hot, so that was my race run. I’m happy how I’m riding so hopefully we can pick up where we left off in tomorrow’s two races.” Oulton Park, race one result: 1. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 2. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +4.508s 3. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +10.339s 4. Noriyuki Haga (Swan Yamaha) +15.746s 5. James Westmoreland (WFR Honda) +16.256s 6. Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) +16.803s 7. Chris Walker (Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki) +17.070s 8. Peter Hickman (Buildbase BMW) +17.070s 9. Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +17.389s 10. Barry Burrell (Buildbase BMW) +30.100s British Superbike Championship standings (after Oulton Park race one): 1. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 184 2. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 170 3. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 169 4. Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda) 122 5. Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) 87 6. Ian Lowry (Padgetts Honda) 79