Stand-in Rizla Suzuki racer James Haydon finished fourth in the second race at Oulton Park today after an inspired effort to get onto the podium in treacherously-wet conditions. Haydon, deputising at Oulton Park for the injured British Superbike Champion John Reynolds, was never lower than fourth in the race and enjoyed a titanic struggle for the podium with Honda’s Karl Harris and Michael Rutter. He finished just one-tenth off the rostrum as Ducati’s Leon Haslam took the win. In the first race, Haydon got off to strong start and was third into the first corner. He clashed with another rider, damaging his brake lever and forcing him to run off the track. But he finished the first lap in 20th and fought his way back to eighth by the end, carving his way through the pack. Scott Smart started slowly in the first race but battled back to ninth, setting his own personal fastest laps right at the end of the event. In the second race, he struggled with his wet-weather rear tyre as the track dried and he was forced to retire on lap 16. Rizla Suzuki now travels to Mondello Park in Ireland for the fifth round of the British Superbike Championship on Sunday May 15th. Haydon will replace Reynolds at this round as the British Champion continues his recovery from a broken right leg. James Haydon: “That was fantastic – thank you so much to Rizla Suzuki for letting me ride here today. I really enjoyed myself. The wet but drying second race was tricky but my Rizla Suzuki was giving me so much feedback that I was hanging the back out in Kevin Schwantz-style and grinning under my visor. I tried hard and almost had a podium. “In the first race I had a bit of contact in the first corner with a couple of other riders and that broke a part of my brake lever. I only found out at the chicane when I went for the lever and it wasn’t there! I ran on, kept it upright and fought back to eighth. I am sure I could have ran with the leaders. The Rizla Suzuki is a great bike and my thanks to ‘JR’ for letting me race it as he is healing.” Scott Smart: “I am disappointed with my results today. In race two I retired when I realised that I wasn’t going to score points and was struggling with my tyre choice. “Race one was hard but I found something in myself as that race wore on and did my own fastest laps right at the end. If the second race had been dry, then I was well up for a battle and had a strong GSX-R1000 Suzuki that was capable of a result. The luck was against us but that will change.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “It is great to see Rizla Suzuki racing at the front again. This is where we belong as a team. Well done to James for such dedication, commitment and professionalism this weekend. He deserved a podium finish and narrowly missed out, but that gives him something to aim for at the next round at Mondello. James is doing a fantastic job standing in for ‘JR’, who we hope will be back racing fit for round six at Croft in June. “Scott was ill this weekend and struggling physically. Saying that, he showed real pace towards the end of the first race and set the third fastest lap right on his last lap, which is an incredible effort. He is starting to show the form and speed we all know he has and at Mondello Park we will be looking for a reversal of his fortunes and for him to be fighting up at the front.” Race One Results: 1: Michael Rutter (Honda) 29:43.001, 2: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +3.797, 3: Karl Harris (Honda) +5.171, 4: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +5.290, 5: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +6.426, 6: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +7.294, 7: Gary Mason (Honda) +16.935, 8: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +21.606, 9: SCOTT SMART (RIZLA SUZUKI) +21.729, 10: Kieran Clarke (Honda) +22. 430. Race Two Results: 1: Haslam 32:41.250, 2: Rutter +1.031, 3: Harris +3.594, 4: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +3.761, 5: Julien Da Costa (Kawasaki) +23.928, 6: Richards +27.035, 7: Steve Plater (Kawasaki) +33.294, 8: Clarke +33.616, 9: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +33.814, 10: Michael Laverty (Honda) +47.750. DNF SCOTT SMART (RIZLA SUZUKI). Championship positions (after four of 13 rounds): 1: Rutter 164, 2: Lavilla 108, 3: Richards 104, 4: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 100, 5: Haslam 100, 6: Harris 80, 7: Sean Emmett (Yamaha) 70, 8: Thomas 65, 9: SCOTT SMART (RIZLA SUZUKI) 43, 10: Mason 39. 14: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) 21, 17: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 16. More, from a press release issued on behalf of Stobart Honda: TOP TEN PLACINGS FOR STOBART HONDA AT OULTON Stobart Honda riders Gary Mason and Michael Laverty recorded a top ten finish each at a weather affected round four of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship held at Oulton Park in Cheshire today. 25 year old Mason ran with the leading bunch in the first leg before ending up in seventh place whilst team mate Laverty clawed his way through the field from a poor start to end up in tenth place in race two aboard the Vodka Kick and The Mob backed Stobart Honda Fireblades. Laverty also finished in thirteenth in race one but sadly Mason crashed out during leg two which was held in wet conditions. “The first race was really good, but in the second one I was a bit steady as it felt like riding on ice for the first couple of laps. I got settled in and started building my confidence up in the wet and then I just slid off when I ran a little bit off line. I hoped the bike would still be running so I could restart but I couldn’t. Apart from that the bike felt good and I’m looking forward to Mondello” said Mason. Meanwhile Laverty commented “I lost a lot of ground at the start and I started to come pretty strong mid race but I could see the tyres were starting to de-laminate so I rolled it back and just kept it steady to the end. Not a brilliant day, but certainly not the worst. I’m looking forward to Mondello Park and I think I can be a lot stronger there.” The meeting also marked significant progress for the Paul Bird Motorsport Team and the boss was reasonably pleased with the day’s work. “Michael hasn’t ridden the Superbike in the wet before so he has done OK. It’s been a half decent day really. Gary threw it away, but overall I’m quite happy with the performances and we’re going in the right direction. Hopefully we are going to be able to move forward again at Mondello Park.” The third member of the Stobart Honda Team, Jeremy McWilliams, was absent from Oulton Park due to injury and is hoping to return for Mondello Park in two weeks time. Superbike Race One Result 1, Michael Rutter (Honda) 29m43.001s, 2, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +3.797s, 3, Karl Harris (Honda) +5.171s, 4, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +5.290s, 5, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +6.426s, 6, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +7.294s, 7, Gary Mason (Stobart Honda) +16.935s, 8, James Haydon (Suzuki) +21.606s, 9, Scott Smart (Suzuki) +21.729s, 10, Kieran Clarke (Honda) +22.430s, 11, Steve Plater (Kawasaki) +27.111s, 12, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +27.208s, 13, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +27.366s, 14, John Laverty (Honda) +28.655s, 15, Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) +30.881s. Superbike Race Two Result 1, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 32m41.250s, 2, Michael Rutter (Honda) +1.031s, 3, Karl Harris (Honda) +3.594s, 4, James Haydon (Suzuki) +3.761s, 5, Julien Da Costa (Kawasaki) +23.928s, 6, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +27.035s, 7, Steve Plater (Kawasaki) +33.294s, 8, Kieran Clarke (Honda) +33.616s, 9, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +33.814s, 10, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +47.750s, 11, Sean Emmett (Yamaha) +51.325s, 12, Jon Kirkham (Kawasaki) +1m00.348s, 13, Tristan Palmer (Kawasaki) +1m08.134s, 14, Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) +1m08.928s, 15, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +1m16.224s. Bennetts British Superbike Championship Standings (after Round 8) 1, Michael Rutter (Honda) 164pts 2, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 108pts 3, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 104pts 4, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 100pts 4, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 100pts 6, Karl Harris (Honda) 80pts 7, Sean Emmett (Yamaha) 70pts 8, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 65pts 9, Scott Smart (Suzuki) 43pts 10, Gary Mason (Stobart Honda) 39pts 11, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) 28pts 17, Jeremy McWilliams (Stobart Honda) 16pts 2005 BSB Race Dates R1: 2628 March, Brands Hatch, Kent (Indy) www.motorsportvision.co.uk R2: 810 April, Thruxton, Hants www.barc.net R3: 2224 April, Mallory Park, Leics www.mallorypark.co.uk R4: 30 April2 May, Oulton Park, Cheshire www.motorsportvision.co.uk R5: 1315 May, Mondello Park, Co Kildare www.mondellopark.ie R6: 35 June, Croft, N Yorks www.croftcircuit.co.uk R7: 2426 June, Knockhill, Fife www.knockhill.co.uk R8: 810 July, Snetterton, Norfolk www.motorsportvision.co.uk R9: 19-21 August, Silverstone, Northants www.silverstone-circuit.co.uk R10: 27-29 August, Cadwell Park, Lincs www.motorsportvision.co.uk R11: 911 September, Oulton Park, Cheshire www.motorsportvision.co.uk R12: 2325 September, Donington Park, Leics www.donington-park.co.uk R13: 79 October, Brands Hatch, Kent (GP) www.motorsportvision.co.uk