Ryuichi Kiyonari won a high speed dash to the line to head off Gregorio Lavilla in the second race of the eleventh round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship to complete a winning double at Oulton Park that puts him a single point ahead in the title stakes.

The 22 year old Japanese rider took his twelfth victory of the season by inches, officially 0.004 seconds, after a thrilling second race duel with Lavilla during which they swapped the lead several times.

Lavilla seemed to have the upper hand as they charged into Lodge Corner for the final time, but his HM Plant Honda rival was full of fight, leaving his braking until the last possible moment, and putting himself into a good position to enjoy the better drive out of the turn.

But, the Airwaves Ducati held the line to set up a frantic dash for supremacy, with Kiyonari coming out on top, just. “I think maybe I was a little lucky – I didn’t think it was possible to pull him back but my bike is very fast, very good and I always do my best.”

In the opening race, they had fought throughout, trading places, with Kiyonari taking the verdict by some two seconds.

“I knew these races would be close, very hard, and it was no surprise that Lavilla came past me, but that made me determined, more aggressive than normal.

“Now, I have to keep winning the races, finish them all well, and that way the championship will look after itself,” said Kiyonari who is on course to become the first Japanese rider to win the British crown.

The trophy however looks to be out of reach of his team-mate Michael Rutter whose late season run of ill-fortune continued – a sticking rear brake dropped him to tenth in the opener and then he crashed out of the second, to be third overall in the standings, 36 points down on Lavilla.

Rutter and Kiyonari rode with blue armbands on their black leathers as a mark of respect for 14 year old Chris Jones who sustained fatal injuries in a crash at Cadwell Park last month. “I think that he helped on that final lap,” reflected Kiyonari.

The two races at the Cheshire circuit had provided some of the toughest duelling of the season, but they also gave defending champion John Reynolds the opportunity to show his return both to fitness and form after his season had been wrecked before it had even started by a horror crash in testing.

He took a pair of thirds aboard his Rizla Suzuki, with Leon Haslam pushing him hard in each, finishing just adrift, while fifth placings went to Karl Harris, riding Honda, and Glen Richards aboard the Hawk Kawasaki.

Meanwhile, James Buckingham sealed trophy glory in the British Superbike Cup, chalking up another winning double aboard his privateer Quay Garage Suzuki, with his pair of twelfth placings again embarrassing a number of factory supported riders.

Bradley Smith took the victory in the British 125cc Championship race, finishing 0.186 seocnds ahead of series leader Rob Guiver, while second place was enough to put Lee Jackson ahead in the Metzeler National Superstock Championship points, though the race was won by Les Shand.

Cal Crutchlow won the Metabo British Supersport Championship race, but remains third in the standings. Leon Camier, second in the race, heads the standings 182-156 over Craig Jones who finished fourth, adrift of Tom Sykes.

Tommy Bridewell enjoyed his third victory of the season in the Virgin Mobile Cup but Bill McConnell, who finished sixth, leads the series.

Rizla Suzuki

John Reynolds battled for the top honours in both of today’s Superbike races at the 11th round of the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire, eventually scoring two third place podium finishes.

Three riders managed to breakaway from the pack in both races – reigning Champion JR, Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla and Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari. Clearly the class of the field, they set a blistering pace and enjoyed some of the closest racing of the season so far, with Kiyonari eventually prevailing to take two wins.

Rizla Suzuki ace James Haydon started from ninth place on the grid and finished sixth in the opening event before retiring out of the second race after being hit by another rider in the first corner and having his brake lever broken, rendering his Rizla Suzuki unrideable.

Young Suzuki privateer James Buckingham won the British Superbike Championship Cup today, wrapping the title up with two rounds to spare on his GSX-R1000.

You can catch highlights of all of the action on Channel 4 next weekend. Rizla Suzuki will be racing again in the 12th round of the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park in Leicestershire on Sunday, September 25th.

John Reynolds:
“Those were two hard-fought races and I enjoyed them both immensely. It is the first time this year that we have been able to run at the front and I must say a big thank you to my team for providing me with such a fast race bike.

“We have improved my Rizla Suzuki with virtually every lap this weekend and I have also raised my game and pushed harder than before. We now know we can run at the front and we are not far away from moving up the podium. I certainly want to make the two short steps to the top of the rostrum before the end of the season.”

James Haydon:
“I am absolutely gutted. After the first race we knew we had the pace to run at the front and I was focused on a good start. I got away okay but then in the first corner another rider ran into me and snapped my brake lever. I went on for another couple of laps trying to ride around the problem but there was no chance and I was forced to retire.

“That’s pretty hard to swallow as we have been competitive all weekend. My Rizla Suzuki is sorted – it’s doing what I want it to and my crew and team deserved a better result. Roll on the next round and a bit more luck with it…”

Robert Wicks, Team Manager:
“It’s been a great effort from the team today and another two podiums are a well-earned just reward for JR’s performances. He was able to run at the front with the two main Championship contenders and that gives us all great heart. He felt a bit weaker through the slow corners than his rivals but was able to catch them up through the faster sections. We’ll work on improving that for him in time for the next round.

“James did a good job with a strong sixth place finish in race one. His lap times were quick and we were all convinced if he got a better start he could be in contention for the podium. Unfortunately we never got to find out as a broken brake lever meant he couldn’t use the front brake and he was forced to retire. He suffered the same problem during the team’s first visit to Oulton Park earlier this year and that’s just pure bad luck.

“We need to direct more focus at our qualifying performances. If James had qualified on the front or second row of the grid then he may have avoided being struck by a slower rider and collected results more representative of his true race pace.

“Momentum is building for Rizla Suzuki and with two rounds to go we are more competitive than ever this year. We are looking forward to Donington Park in a fortnight’s time.”

HM Plant Honda

Ryuichi Kiyonari raced to a magnificent double victory for HM Plant Honda Racing at Oulton Park to take the lead in the 2005 Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Third in the points table at the start of the day, Kiyo took a maximum 50 points at round 11 after two race-long battles with Gregorio Lavilla.

Kiyonari made good use of his front row qualifying position to take the holeshot on his HRC-prepared CBR1000RR Fireblade. The 22-year-old Japanese star led for six laps, before title rival Lavilla moved past on the entry to Shell Oils Corner.

After retaking the advantage at the end of lap nine on the way into Lodge Corner, Kiyo was unable to shake off the determined Spaniard until the closing stages of the 18-lap race. A series of consistent lap times – inside Sean Emmett’s outgoing lap record – gave Kiyo a decisive advantage to record his 11th victory of the season.

He was forced to work even harder for race win number 12. After taking the holeshot once again, the HM Plant Honda was relegated to second position on lap five at Cascades by an eager Lavilla. There was a similar pattern to the first leg, with Kiyonari tracking down the Ducati rider before moving back in front on the long drag over Hilltop five laps later.

The close riding formation of the leading two riders in the 13-round British Superbike series promised a grandstand finish – and so it proved as they traded places over the last four dramatic laps of the 2.692-mile Cheshire circuit. Lavilla held a slight advantage as they moved on to the last lap and Kiyo left his challenge until the last corner.

As Lavilla defended his position at Lodge, Kiyo’s race-winning strategy resulted in him taking a wide line into the right-hander. The superior power and handling characteristics of the factory HM Plant Honda were used to best effect as he powered over the finishing line alongside Lavilla to take the narrowest of victories – only 0.004 seconds separated the battling duo at the chequered flag.

Kiyonari’s good fortune was in stark contrast to the frustration of his HM Plant Honda Racing team-mate Michael Rutter. The 32-year-old Midlander had started the day two points behind Lavilla, but could only finish tenth in race one after a technical problem with his rear brake restricted his progress from the third row of the grid. The second race ended prematurely for the luckless Rutter who crashed out of contention on lap four at Foulston’s chicane.

Kiyonari has taken the lead in the British Superbike Championship for the second time this season. He had previously led over the first two rounds after winning the first four races at Brands Hatch and Thruxton. He missed the next two rounds through injury but his fourth double victory of the year has propelled him back to the top of the points table once again. Rutter is now 37 points behind in third after leading the championship for the majority of the season.

The series resumes at Donington Park in two weeks – where Kiyonari scored an impressive double victory at the end of last season – and will conclude on 9 October at Brands Hatch.

Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I am very happy to take two wins at Oulton Park. I expected some close racing today after the times recorded on race tyres in practice. Lavilla pushed me hard in both races.

“I kept my cool in the first race after he went past me, and once I had moved back into the lead, I was determined to stay there. I felt that the HM Plant Honda and Michelin tyres gave me the edge over race distance.

“However, I was lucky to win second time around. I rode with my head and used the drive of the CBR1000RR Fireblade to best effect throughout the race. I had to work hard and I was rewarded with the closest of victory of my career.”

Michael Rutter: “It was another bad day at the office for me. I had an early problem with my rear brake in race one which meant that it wasn’t working as efficiently as I would have liked. In race two, I lost the front going into the chicane and had to watch the rest of the race from the sidelines.”

Karl Harris

Two solid performances at the 11th round of the ultra-competitive Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park rewarded Karl Harris with more valuable points today. After qualifying on the second row of the grid for the two 18-lap races, the Yorkshireman scored eighth and fifth place finishes respectively aboard the Honda-Racing.co.uk CBR1000RR Fireblade at the 2.692-mile Cheshire circuit.

Despite a good start in race one, Harris was unable to improve on his seventh place qualifying position. Although he propelled himself to sixth position on the Dunlop/BLD-backed CBR1000RR Fireblade during the early laps, he couldn’t make up any further ground and had slipped back to eighth at the chequered flag.

The second race of the day brought Sheffield-based Harris better luck. Another good start off the line helped him to move quickly through the close-knit pack to sixth place.

The determined 25-year-old Honda-Racing.co.uk rider then passed Tommy Hill on lap 16 and managed to hold his fifth place position for the remaining race distance. Harris’s consistent performance today adds another 19 points to his championship tally and retains his top six position in the 13-round series overall.

Karl Harris: “It was tough out there today. Personally, I think I had two good races – I was happy with both of my starts off the line. However, the set-up on the Honda-Racing.co.uk CBR1000RR Fireblade in the first race meant that I couldn’t make up as much ground from my starting position as I had hoped.

“It was much closer in the second race though. I’m reasonably happy with fifth place, but I would have liked to have had another podium finish here again.”

Vitrans Honda

John McGuinness was back in the points this weekend at Oulton Park in round 11 of the British Superbike Championship. Riding the Vitrans Honda for only the second time this season, John finished in 15th and 16th in the two races to claim one championship point. Indeed, with all the mechanical problems he'd endured earlier in the season, it was the first time he’d completed a British Superbike race since round 3 at Mallory Park, back in April.
Although not as high as they would have liked, both John and the team were pleased with their progress and will look for more at the final two rounds.

After heavy rain showers blighted Friday’s free practice sessions, Saturday dawned dry and bright and John ended the first qualifying session in an encouraging 12th place. Conditions were better still for final qualifying and the lap times fell for the whole grid including John’s and he posted a best time of 1m 37.768 seconds. He was only 1.4 seconds adrift of the pole position time of Gregorio Lavilla but he had slipped back to 14th place overall, good enough for a fourth row start.

With good conditions greeting the riders on Sunday, John had a solid ride in the first race although he missed out on a point when he finished in 16th, just half a second behind Tristan Palmer who claimed the final championship point. Another decent start in the second race saw him running on the edge of the points and he eventually came home in 15th, just behind Richard Wren and Steve Brogan, to add one point more to his championship tally.

At the conclusion of two hard-fought races, John commented: “Naturally, I’m a bit disappointed with the results as I would have liked to have been a lot higher but I’ve been away from racing for a long time and today’s the first time I’ve finished a short circuit race since April so it’s fair to say I’m a bit race rusty. Qualifying went reasonably well and I was pretty much on the pace but I got stuck in no mans land in both of the races and couldn’t climb any higher.”

“We chose a soft tyre for the first race and it was pretty much gone after 8 laps. It was a battle to finish and I was quite tired at the end of the first race but we’ve made quite a bit of progress with the bike this weekend and I felt a lot better in the second race. I must admit I was hoping for rain today as it would have given me a better chance but I tried hard in both races, right until the very end, and I think we should be a bit higher up at Donington. The team was happy and I’m looking forward to Scarborough now where it would be nice to pay them back. It’s always a good meeting and hopefully Robbie and all the team will enjoy themselves."

There’s now a two-week break before the penultimate round of the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park but John will be back in action on the roads next weekend when the International Gold Cup races take place at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough on Saturday/Sunday 17th/18th September.

Dean Thomas

"Well considering Oulton is one of my favourite tracks I certainly didn't get the results that I was hoping for. I got 11th in the first race and 7th in the second race. With the weather being so mixed this weekend we never managed to complete enough laps to compare it to race distance and get a good race set up.

"We had a couple of issues over the weekend that we never managed to fully sort, it was mainly set up issues with the bike. We made a fair few changes between the two races, which did improve things slightly, but it's something that we are looking into before Donington in a few weeks time to ensure that everything is completely right.

"Oulton is renowned for being hard on tyres and I was struggling early on in both races, which was also hindering my progress. It's definitely been a tough weekend and I've worked extremely hard to get the results I did. I'm not overly happy but I'm sure once we resolve these issues we will be back on the pace at the next round. Glen seemed to be struggling a fair bit today and I finished just in front of him in the second race.

"I'm still lying in a comfortable 7th in the Championship and as long as I can remain in front of Gary (Mason) for the next couple of rounds I should be ok."

Brendan Roberts

Round 11 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship was held at the demanding 2.69 mile Oulton Park circuit. With a tentative start to the weekend, Brendan Roberts slowly worked his way up to speed with a few tips from 3x British Superbike Champion Niall McKenzie.

As the heavens opened for qualifying, Roberts got straight to work on posting a time before the conditions worsened. With an astonishing time of 2:11.56 on his first flying lap, Roberts was over four seconds clear. As the session came to a close there was a 13 rider shuffle that mixed up the grid, this never looked set to knock Roberts off pole as he ended the session 2.34 seconds ahead of Adam Jenkinson.

Turn one saw the R6 Cup of old as there wasn’t an inch to spare, at the front though it was Roberts who sat comfortably behind Jenkinson as they started to gap the field. On lap five Roberts and Jenkinson saw their 1.5 second lead diminish as they started to pass each other at every opportunity, this allowed Tommy Bridewell and Conor Cummins to join the action as the race heated up at the front. With a slight mistake from Roberts as he asked for the power a little too early, this left him high and dry as he went from first to fourth in one lap. Roberts sat and planned his attack, with two laps to go he made his move as he tried to steer clear of the paint was swapping antics. Adam Jenkinson fell on the last lap leaving it a four way battle as James Rose had just joined them, with a late lunge under brakes Rose past Roberts and tagging Cummins in the process. Roberts took advantage of Cummins running wide and took third. After the race Roberts commented, “That was one of the hardest races of the year, it was so close at the front that anyone could have won. I pushed to hard to soon, so I sat back hoping to have a late run on them which worked out well. The Championship has narrowed down to three of us now, with two races left it’s going to be tight at the front.”

Round 12 will be held on the 24th – 25th of September at Donington Park, the fast flowing circuit will suit Roberts as he chases Billy McConnell’s points lead.