Steady NW200 meeting for Martin Kirmington’s Guy Martin recorded two top six finishes at Saturday’s International North West 200 road races but left Northern Ireland disappointed not to have added to his haul of podium places around the 8.9-mile road circuit. The Hydrex Honda star took 5th in the Superstock race and 6th in the Superbike although he was denied two further opportunities for glory when the feature Superbike and second Supersport races were cancelled. Opening practice on Tuesday saw fine conditions and Guy had a solid evening’s work although he, like many others, was suffering with high-speed stability on the Superbike machine. Any hopes of improving his grid positions on Thursday were dashed when intermittent drizzle prevented anyone from putting in any fast laps although he did have the satisfaction of being the fastest Superbike rider in the damp. So, his times from Tuesday determined his grid positions and he lined up in 10th, 12th and 12th in his respective classes and with considerable work to do. In the opening Superbike race, Guy got a great start from his fourth row position and moved in to 8th at the end of the opening lap. A lap later he was up to 6th with the leading pack of 5 riders firmly in his sights but any hopes of climbing higher were dashed when the red flag came out at the end of the third lap and he had to settle for sixth. The first Supersport race followed for Guy but it would proved to be disappointing as he was forced to retire at the end of the second lap, electrical problems affecting the power of the engine. On to the Superstock race and Guy again leapt from the fourth row to move into the top six and, as heavy rain began to fall at the beginning of the third lap, he was up to fourth. However, with the weather worsening, the race was stopped just as the leaders started their fourth lap and the results given at the end of the second, placing Guy in 5th. In what had been a trying day for the organisers, the wet weather closed in even more and with poor track conditions, the decision was then made to cancel the final two races. Speaking later Guy said: “It hasn’t been an easy day for anyone but I’m slightly disappointed with how I rode today. We had a few problems with the big bike on Tuesday and although Thursday evening was damp, we made huge strides forward and I was feeling confident heading into the races. I knew a good start was going to be crucial in all of my races as I had a lot of work to do from the fourth row of the grid but although I did just that I was riding a bit ragged.” “Beacuse of that, I was making quite a few mistakes and that allowed the front group to get away. We sat down and had a good chat about things afterwards and I concentrated really hard on being smooth and felt a lot better for it. The Supersport bike was getting slower and slower so I opted to pull in but the Superstock race was a lot better and I felt confident in the damp that I could have got on to the podium. The red flag came out though as the rain got heavier but I was ready to race in the final two races of the day as the Pirelli wets would certainly have been up to the job. Like I say, it wasn’t a great day for anyone but we’ve learnt some more and can now really focus on the big one – the TT.” Guy’s next meeting is the Isle of Man TT Races with first practice taking place on Saturday 30th May. More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: BAD WEATHER FRUSTRATES HYDREX HONDA’S MARTIN AT THE NORTH WEST 200 Heavy rain and high winds throughout the week brought chaos to the 2009 Kennedy International North West 200. Practice sessions were cancelled and on race day two races ended prematurely with the red flag and, especially disappointing, the second Superbike and Supersport races were abandoned. Guy Martin, riding the Hydrex Honda machines, had mixed results. A technical issue in the first Supersport race forced him back to 12th place but later in the afternoon, despite difficult qualifying positions, he moved up thorough the field to finish 5th in the Superstock race and 6th in the first Superbike race. Guy Martin “After Tuesday we were positive coming into today but the Supersport was disappointing. It’s frustrating to race on the roads and never see a chequered flag because of a red flag or bad weather. In Superbike and Superstock we got better The Superstock bike’s performance is awesome. We have refined it from last year and each time I go out on it, it is better. There’s no doubt I learned a lot this weekend and I really hope to take this experience forward. It’s frustrating not being able to get out for those last 2 races but it would have been dangerous so we have to take the week’s experience and build on it at the TT in a few weeks time.” Shaun Muir (Team Owner)”I feel for Guy and the team. Our preparation had been fantastic and coming into the day’s racing we all felt good. We can control many things but not the weather. It’s the same for all teams but this made preparation hard. Guy still performed brilliantly to come from some of his starting positions to where he finished. We are confident though that with the team spirit we have, Guy will be looking for silverware at the TT”. The team is now preparing for the next two rounds of the British Superbike Series; Donington Park on Monday 25th May and Thruxton on Sunday 31st May. The Isle of Man TT Festival is, as always, during the first two weeks of June. More, from a press release issued by Uel Duncan Racing: Trio of top tens for Johnson at NW200 Uel Duncan Racing’s Gary Johnson took three top ten finishes at Saturday’s International North West 200 road races, the first International meeting of the 2009 season. With strong winds and rain showers severely interrupting the day, the Broughton rider was able to record a best finish of 8th in the Supersport race whilst he also took a brace of ninths in the Superbike and Superstock events. A mixture of dry and wet weather during the two evenings of practice on Tuesday and Thursday meant that all riders were searching for the ideal set-up and Johnson was no exception. The 28-year old was struggling with high-speed stability on the Honda Superbike and was subsequently having to roll off the throttle along the high-speed straights. The opposite was the case with the Superstock machine and Gary actually lapped quicker on this than on the Superbike. When the grid positions were finally decided, Gary found himself in 5th for the Superstock race, ninth for the Supersport and a somewhat lowly 20th for the Superbike.class. However, although Thursday evening was damp, he was still able to test the changes he had made to the Superbike and was confident of climbing up the leaderboard on race day. Saturday saw the rider’s worst nightmares come true as the weather constantly changed from dry to wet, and back again, from lap to lap but a great start in the opening Superbike race saw Gary moved from his 20th place starting spot to 10th at the end of the first lap. He was up to ninth a lap later and was beginning to put extreme pressure on the group in front of him but any hopes of improving were extinguished when the race was stopped at the end of the third lap. With the results being taken at the end of the second, Gary was placed in ninth although he was confident it would have been significantly higher had the race gone the full distance. An even better start in the following Supersport race saw him up to 4th half way round the first lap but as the pack thundered towards the Magherabuoy chicane he was slightly late on the brakes and it was enough to see him to take to the slip road. Relegated to 10th, he fought his way back up to 8th and was only one and a half seconds adrift of fifth place when the chequered flag came out at the completion of the shortened four-lap race. In the Superstock race, Gary again found himself in ninth when the race was red flagged, this time due to heavy rain, with the result again given after just two laps. That would prove to be the last action of the day as the remaining two races were cancelled due to the worsening weather. Speaking later, Gary said: “It’s been a bit of a washout today and the strong winds and rain have really made it a nightmare but, overall, I’m pleased to have come away with three top finishes inside the top nine. We got very little practice time and were struggling a bit with set-up, as were plenty of other riders, and that just meant I couldn’t have pushed as hard as I would have liked. Having said that though, we made a lot of headway with all three bikes and left the meeting a lot stronger than when we got here so that augurs well for the TT.” “I really enjoyed the Supersport race and was just annoyed with myself for making the mistake at the chicane as I felt really comfortable running at the front. I was still battling with people like Michael Rutter and Ian Hutchinson and managed to beat them in the Superbike race, which is no bad thing as they’re both winners around here, especially Rutter who’s won 12 times. The brakes were a bit slack on the Superstock bike and I ran on at the Metropole so we need to sharpen them up a bit but when the rain started to fall I wasn’t going to stick my neck. I was beginning to see the dangers and when conditions are like that you don’t get any second chances on the roads so I wasn’t unhappy when they decided to cancel the last two races. It hasn’t been a great week with all the weather issues but I’ve come away with three top ten results and have made a lot of improvements to the bike so I’m happy enough.” Gary and the Uel Duncan Racing team now head to the Isle of Man TT Races, with first practice taking place on Saturday May 30th. The races run from June 6th to June 12th. More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: More NW200 success for McGuinness Morecambe’s John McGuinness ensured he had another successful day’s racing at the International North West 200 road races on Saturday when he finished third in the opening Superbike race for yet another podium finish. The HM Plant Honda rider also took a close fourth in the Supersport race and finished sixth on the Padgetts Honda in the 250cc race. Practice saw both dry and wet conditions but John fared better than most and with a good set-up on all of his machines, he was able to post some strong times on Tuesday, the only dry session of the week. Second fastest on the Superbike, at 120.994mph, he also placed fourth on the 250 and seventh on the Supersport and was looking good heading into Saturday. Strong winds and frequent rain showers would play havoc with the day but John got his day off to a steady start in the re-started 250cc race. Second before the race got stopped, John didn’t have such a flying opening lap in the re-start but he still rode strongly to bring the little Honda home in a solid sixth place. On to the first Superbike race and a great first lap saw John take the lead and he led the pack round at the completion of the first 8.9 miles. He was relegated to third on the second lap by teammate Steve Plater and Suzuki’s Bruce Anstey but it was anyone’s race until the red flag came out at the end of the third lap. Results were taken at the end of the second lap and John was awarded third for his 16th NW200 podium. The first Supersport race would prove to be John’s final outing of the day as poor weather saw the final two races cancelled but he continued with the good form that he has shown throughout 2009 so far when he finished in fourth, just three seconds off the win and only 0.5s adrift of another rostrum. Talking about his day, John said: “It’s been a strange old day and the weather really has played havoc with everything. The wind was gusting all the time whilst the showers we kept getting meant one minute you were riding on dry tarmac, the next it was soaking wet so it really made racing difficult. I made a great start in the first part of the 250cc race but in the second, I got mugged a bit at York Corner and couldn’t seem to make any headway. It was great to get out on the little bike though and I was happy with sixth.” “In the first Superbike race, I was really happy with my riding and felt strong at the front but Steve and Bruce just managed to break the tow a little bit so I lost a little bit of ground. Third was good though for my first race on the big bike this season and I couldn’t have been happier with the performance of the bike. It was the same with the Supersport and it was flying along the straights so it bodes well for the TT. I was hopeful of overtaking Michael Dunlop but he was extremely late on the brakes at Juniper so I had to settle for fourth.” “It was a shame the final two races got cancelled but there’s not a lot we can do about the weather and conditions really were tricky – safety has to come first in those situations. Like I say, I was really happy with how I rode so roll on the TT!” Prior to the TT, John is back on British Superstock Championship duty with Round 4 taking place at Donington Park on Monday May 25. More, from a press release issued by Les Shand’s publicist: Shand impresses at North West 200 Les Shand put in some impressive rides at Saturday’s International North West 200 road races, the highlight being 8th place in the Superstock race, less than three seconds adrift of the podium. Riding his 2007 R1, he was also the first Yamaha to finish and had the satisfaction of setting the second fastest lap of the race. Mixed weather during Tuesday and Thursday evening practice meant that the grids were formed, in the main, from Tuesday’s times. Les had enjoyed good outings on both evenings with the R1 Superstock machine, briefly holding onto first place on Thursday, but had experienced problems with the front forks with his Supersport machine. The final 600cc session was cancelled so Les found himself in 8th for the Superstock, 17th for the Superbike and 20th for the Supersport. In the opening Superbike race on Saturday, Les pulled through from 18th on the opening lap to 15th by the end of the second but just when he was looking to challenge Ian Lougher in front of him, the race was stopped and the result declared. Subsequently, he was placed 15th although he was still the first Superstock machine home. The first Supersport race was also stopped on the opening lap but in the re-start Les fought his way up to 15th once more. The Superstock was always going to be Les’ best chance of a top ten result and so it proved. Ninth on the first lap, a lap of 120.257mph on the second, the second fastest lap of the race, moved him up to 8th and he was rapidly closing in on the group in front of him who were battling it out for the final rostrum position. However, Les was denied a top six finish when heavy rain began to fall and the race was stopped but 8th place, less than 3 seconds adrift of third place, was a superb ride. The final two races were then cancelled as the rain worsened and the circuit was deemed un-rideable. Commenting about the day, Les said: “It’s been an up and down day but given the standard of competition and machinery out there today, I’m pretty pleased with my results. I had a bit of a coming together with Olie Linsdell at York Corner in the first race but I got my head down and was closing in on Ian Lougher on the AIM Superbike when the race was stopped although I was still pleased to be the first Superstock machine to finish.” “I was glad the Supersport was stopped as I made a poor start and got mugged at the first corner so I was right at the back of the first wave. On the restart, I got stuck in and moved up a fair few places but it was always going to be tough after the problems we’d had in practice and it’s hard to come from that far back on the grid. In the Superstock race, I was well chuffed with how I was riding and although I wasn’t pushing that hard, I was closing in on the group fighting it out for third quite comfortably. I’d just overtaken Conor Cummins for 7th and had Ian Hutchinson and Guy Martin firmly in my sights when the race was stopped so I was slightly disappointed although it was definitely the right decision to stop the race as we were all on dry tyres and it was raining quite heavily.” “It was a shame the final two races got called off as I was all set to race and felt confident in how I could have gone but it wasn’t to be. I’d like so say a personal thank you to Darren Sellings, Steve from D-Tech Site Services and Ally of Bike Paints for all their mechanical support during the week and also to Callum McDonald (Oak Tree Contracts) and Bob Henderson for the loan of the bikes and finally to Tom French, Andy Wilby and Sure Safe for their loyal sponsorship.” More, from a press release issued by Conor Cummins’ publicist: Cummins shows strong form in Ireland Manxman Conor Cummins was in excellent form at the International North West 200 road races on Saturday and really shone in the Superbike class, despite riding over a kerb that was seen by thousands on TV! Back in the colours of McAdoo Kawasaki Racing, the highlight of the day for the Ramsey resident was a 5th place in the Superbike race where he was battling with the factory HM Plant Honda’s and Relentless by TAS Suzuki’s. Practice was very much an up and down affair for the 22-year and although he qualified strongly for the Superbike and Superstock races, 9th in each, he failed to put a lap in on the Supersport machine meaning two starts from the third row and one from the back of the grid. Wind and rain plagued race day but Conor got his day off in the best possible way with an excellent fifth in the Superbike race. A great start saw him slot into fifth almost immediately and he was right in the hunt for the lead against Steve Plater and John McGuinness (HM Plant Honda’s) and Bruce Anstey and Cameron Donald (Relentless by TAS Suzuki’s) but hopes of climbing higher were dashed when the red flag came out on the third lap after an incident. Nevertheless, fifth place in such high-class company was a fine effort and he backed this up with 13th in the Supersport, a strong performance after starting from the rear of the grid. In the final race, the Superstock, Conor was well placed in 7th when the red flag came out due to heavy rain and the result declared at two laps. The remaining two races were then cancelled as the weather worsened Speaking later Conor commented: “I was really happy with how I was riding in the Superbike race and it was great to be battling it out at the front although, to be honest, it’s where I hope and expect to be now. The only riders that beat me were the factory Honda and Suzuki boys, which is no bad thing, and I felt really strong running with them so felt confident that if the race had run the full distance I could have challenged them even more. The only drama was when the rear tyre suddenly let go coming out of Church Corner. I don’t know if I hit a damp patch or something but I was completely out of the saddle and because I was sideways I was heading for the kerb. I straightened the bike up as best I could but just ran over the edge of the kerb – all the enduro riding I’ve done over the winter certainly came into use! It didn’t slow me down too much though and by the end of the lap, I’d closed back to the back of Cameron.” “We had a lot of problems with the Supersport bikes on Tuesday and when I went out on the number one bike it started throwing out fluid so I got back to the pits and switched to the spare but that then went and did the same thing. As a result, I was on the back row of the grid and to make it worse I got the worst possible start and was a long way back going into York Corner. I did the best I could and worked my way up to 13th, which wasn’t too bad given where I’d started. The Superstock was going well and I felt strong and hopeful of moving higher as the race wore on but, once again, the red flag came out as the rain was really lashing down. It hasn’t been a great day for the NW200 in general but I’ve been happy with my results and how I was riding so I can’t wait for the TT.” Prior to the TT, Conor turns his attentions to this weekend’s British Superstock Championship round at Donington Park where he will be back on board the Team Blackhorse Yamaha. More, from a press release issued by Tim Reeves’ publicist: More podium success for Reeves Tim Reeves had his second race meeting of the year aboard his LCR F1 Suzuki at the weekend when he was competing in the second round of the German F1 Sidecar Championship. Competing at Oschersleben with brother Tristan in the chair once more, Tim ensured it was another good day when he finished second to Markus Schlosser and Adolf Hanni in the 17-lap race for yet another podium. The Kent duo fought through the pack tremendously after making a poor start and they soon had the leader Schlosser in their sights. However, on the tenth lap, Tim had a slight coming together with a backmarker as they lapped them and the contact was enough to significantly damage the wheel arch. With the offending carbon fibre torn from the outfit, Tim had to ease back in the last third of the race yet he still brought the machine home for a fine second place in front of all of his German sponsors. Talking about the race, Tim said: “It was good to have another run out on the F1 outfit and it was really good for Tristan to get some more laps under his belt. Having been out of the chair for over two years, his racing fitness and sharpness is getting better all the time so we’ll be really on it at the next round. It would have been great to have got the win today but the slight collision we had with the backmarker denied us the opportunity although we were still secure in second. I’m feeling really good at the moment and can’t wait to get back on the F2 outfit at Jurby this weekend and it should set us up nicely for the TT.” Tim will be re-united with Patrick Farrance on the F2 machine at Saturday’s Jurby Road Races where he will once more go head to head with arch rivals Nick Crowe and Dave Molyneux. More, from a press release issued by Indianapolis Ducati: DUCATI INDIANAPOLIS RIDERS SWEEP TWINS CLASSES AT GRATTAN RACEWAY Ducati Indianapolis / Carrmoto sponsored riders swept both expert and novice Heavy weight Twins Superbike and Super sport races at the WERA North Central race weekend held at Grattan Raceway (counter clockwise) on 17 May 09. Mike Flis ran away with the Expert Heavy Weight Twins Super Sport race while Mike Books took the Heavy Weight Twins Superbike win after a race long battle with fellow Indy Ducati riders Mike Flis and Gene Burcham. Flis finished second in the race while Burcham took third, completing a Carrmoto sweep of the podium. First year novice Andrew Sidwell won both Heavyweight Twins superbike and supersport races in the novice class. To cap off a perfect weekend, Mike Books posted the fasted V-twin lap of the weekend a 1:24.321 – on a Carrmoto prepped Ducati 848 with stock suspension. Matt Carr (Ducati Indianapolis Co-owner): “It was pretty cool to see three of our bikes all running nose to tail in the Expert class and Andrew leading the Amateur class at the same time. What was most interesting to me was that while all four bikes were 848’s, not one was identical in the setup department. We are trying a few different setups with all the bikes and trying to find what works for each rider. We have come along way since last year with Mike Flis and Gene doing most of the development riding and it was great to see Mike Books back out on the track after winning three WERA championships last year on a Carrmoto tuned R6. He enjoyed his ride on the 848 and is looking forward to riding it again. Andrew continues to impress with his ability to learn new tracks and get up to speed quickly. For more information, race reports, photos’s and track days, go to www.indyducati.com. More, from a press release issued by Damian Cudlin’s publicist: TOP 10 AGAIN AT INFINEON AMA Damian Cudlin put in another solid performance at Infineon’s AMA round on the weekend, securing another top 10 finish for the Paradigm Racing Team. In his second appearance aboard the Paradigm R6, Cudlin set out to make his mark in the hotly contested Daytona Sportbike class, at another venue he’d never seen before. In an impressive display of learning circuits quickly, the young Aussie instantly made his presence known in practice before narrowly missing out on a second consecutive Superpole berth. Nevertheless, Cudlin took his 14th position grid slot with a lap time just 1.1seconds from pole. In a chaotic opening lap, an incident between four riders brought out the safety car, ‘freezing’ proceedings for the next 4 laps of the race. As the re-started race got back underway, Cudlin settled into 13th place and engaged in an entertaining battle with Roger Hayden, Chris Fillmore and Taylor Knapp. Gaining track knowledge and experience with every lap, Cudlin stayed right in the hunt, eventually crossing the line in a solid 11th spot. “The race was tough in that heat but we did pretty well under the circumstances and managed to move up a bit in the race.” Cudlin said. “I’ve been playing catch up all weekend learning the tricks to this place, but my team has done a great job for me and hopefully I can go even further in race 2.” The Paradigm Team made some adjustments overnight which put Cudlin in a confident mood going into Sunday’s second race. In searing heat, the 22 lap race got underway in front of a boisterous crowd and the pace proved to be hot from the outset. Getting shuffled back to 15th place in the opening laps, Cudlin gave himself some work to do in the race but a determined fight back saw a steady rise up the leader board. Disposing of Danny Eslick with 3 laps to run, Cudlin upped his pace in the closing stages and secured a 10th place finish. “That race was even tougher than the first, as the conditions made it very difficult, but I came home strong and picked em off at the end.” Cudlin explained. “We’re still a bit away from where we want to be, but we’re building on our experience all the time and I think a top 5 finish isn’t far away. These Paradigm guys have been great to work with and I’m really excited to see where this team is going. I can’t wait for Road America.” Despite missing the Atlanta AMA round, Cudlin now sits 13th in the AMA standings and will continue his chase at the next round of the AMA series in Wisconsin, on the June 5/6/7th.