— BSB 2013 – Round 1 – Brands Hatch Indy Circuit
— Byrne wins BSB Opener
British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race one result:
1. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki)
2. Alex Lowes (Honda) +1.376s
3. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +6.207s
4. Jon Kirkham (BMW) +9.009s
5. Tommy Bridewell (Honda) +9.326s
6. Keith Farmer (Kawasaki) +13.351s
7. Chris Walker (Kawasaki) +13.681s
8. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +13.814s
9. PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) +16.980s
10. Josh Waters (Yamaha) +20.505s
British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race two result:
1. James Ellison (Yamaha)
2. Alex Lowes (Honda) +1.997s
3. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) +5.904s
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +11.507s
5. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +15.974s
6. Jon Kirkham (BMW) +21.280s
British Superbike Championship standings after Brands Hatch:
1. Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) 41
2. Alex Lowes (Honda) 40
3. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 27
4. James Ellison (Yamaha) 25
5. Jon Kirkham (BMW) 23
6. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 21
7. Chris Walker (Kawasaki) 17
8. Keith Farmer (Kawasaki) 16
9. PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) 11
10. Tommy Bridewell (Honda) 11
Shane Byrne began the defence of his MCE Insurance British Superbike crown by taking the opening race win of the season on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, but a mistake as he tried to challenge for the lead in the closing stages of the second race arguably cost him the double as James Ellison celebrated victory.
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Byrne started from pole position to take the lead after a flying start, but Aussie Josh Brookes forced his Tyco Suzuki ahead on the fifth lap. However Byrne fought back and regained the lead at half distance, en route to his sixth victory in as many appearances at the Kent circuit.
“I had a big headache and stress ahead of the race as it was the first one of the season,” admitted Byrne. “I made a good start, but I was steady to start with and wanted someone to come through and set the pace. I was happy to follow Josh for ten or so laps and then had the pace to dig in and take the victory.”
Alex Lowes, making his debut for Samsung Honda, took second place ahead of Brookes in a race that was red-flagged on the final lap after an incident involving James Westmoreland and Dan Linfoot, the latter sustaining a cracked pelvis.
Ellison meanwhile had a dramatic opening race after making ‘a schoolboy error’ as just prior to the start of the warm up lap his visor had detached from his helmet and he was wheeled off the grid for it to be fixed. He then incurred a ride through penalty for taking an incorrect grid position at the start of the race.
The consolation for the Cumbrian rider, making his debut with the Milwaukee Yamaha team after a year in MotoGP, was that he set the fastest lap to earn pole start for the second race. He then led and set the pace in the second race before holding off the late dramatic challenge from Byrne to take the win.
Byrne, who has a single point lead in the title stakes, explained: “James had a bit of a bobble at Surtees and I thought ‘this is it, my chance’. I got alongside him, but he peeled back quicker than I expected. I just clipped his back wheel but managed to stay upright and finish third.”
Ellison took his seventh career MCE BSB victory ahead of Lowes and Byrne while returning triple champion Ryuichi Kiyonari brought his Samsung Honda home in fourth place, just ahead of Brookes.
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race 1 – 16 laps
1 Stuart Easton (Yamaha)
2 Billy McConnell (Triumph)
3 Alastair Seeley (Kawasaki)
4 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki)
5 Glen Richards (Triumph)
6 Graeme Gowland (Yamaha)
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race 2 – 26 laps
1 Alastair Seeley (Kawasaki)
2 Billy McConnell (Triumph)
3 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki)
4 Luke Jones (Honda)
5 Glen Richards (Triumph)
6 Graeme Gowland (Yamaha)
Championship standings (after one round)
1 Seeley 41pts
2 McConnell 40
3 Wilson 29
4 Easton 25
5 Richards 22
6 Jones 21
Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship (24 laps)
1 Adam Jenkinson (Kawasaki)
2 Filip Backlund (Kawasaki)
3 John McGuinness (Honda)
4 Peter Ward (Kawasaki)
5 Hudson Kennaugh (Kawasaki)
6 Lee Jackson (BMW)
21 James Egan (Kawasaki)
Championship standings (after one round)
1 Jenkinson 25 pts
2 Backlund 20
3 McGuinness 16
4 Ward 13
5 Kennaugh 11
6 Jackson 10
Pirelli National Superstock 600cc Championship (22 laps)
1 Joe Collier (Triumph)
2 Jordan Simpkin (Yamaha)
3 James Lodge (Kawasaki)
4 Tim Hastings (Kawasaki)
5 Callan Cooper (Kawasaki)
6 Niall Campbell (Yamaha)
DNF Harry Hartley (Kawasaki)
Championship standings (after one round)
1 Collier 25pts
2 Simpkin 20
3 Lodge 16
4 Hastings 13
5 Cooper 11
6 Campbell 10
— Paul Bird Motorsport Report
Reigning champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team got their MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship title defence underway in fine style at Brands Hatch this weekend with the Kent rider taking a victory and a third place respectively in the two 30-lap races to leave the opening round with the series lead.
Having claimed pole position, Byrne was again in sparkling form and confirmed his intentions in the opening race aboard the Minxflix.com-backed Kawasaki ZX-10R as he shadowed Josh Brookes in the early stages before making his move at half race distance. From there, he was able to gradually edge away from Alex Lowes and eventually took the chequered flag by just over a second to clinch his 42nd career British Superbike race victory for the Penrith-based PBM team.
In the second encounter later in the day, the race followed a similar pattern although this time, the 36-year-old triple BSB champion from Sittingbourne chased the pace-setting James Ellison. Byrne was looking for his seventh successive Brands Hatch victory and with three laps to go, made a move but Ellison covered it and Byrne subsequently ran wide onto the grass before rejoining and crossing the line in third place.
For 25-year-old Ulster team-mate Keith Farmer, it was a promising weekend in what was only his second race outing on a Superbike. Having qualified in a brilliant fifth place, the reigning National Superstock 1000cc Champion ran as high as third in the opening race before dropping back to sixth at the chequered flag. In race two, the rider from Clogher in County Tyrone made a poor start but held on to finish tenth at the chequered flag to reflect a solid performance which saw him eighth in the title race after the opening round.
Shane Byrne: “It’s nice to get the first two races and pre-season nerves out of the way and to come away with a first and a third is a good start and I’m happy with how the day’s gone. The first race couldn’t have gone any better to be fair and once I decided to make my move I was able to open up a bit of a cushion over Alex. I was biding my time in the second race as well and thought James had presented me with an opportunity but he tipped in earlier than I anticipated and it was very close! Luckily we had a gap to the rest of the field and I was able to rejoin in third so with a win and a third, and a one point championship lead, its all been good.”
Keith Farmer: “The aim for this weekend was to put in a solid performance and to come away with a couple of top ten results and that’s exactly what I’ve done. We showed some good pace in qualifying and ran with the leaders in race one but I struggled a little with arm pump in the latter stages. Race two saw me not get a good start so it was always going to be a battle but to hold a top eight placing in the championship after round one is brilliant. Hopefully we can continue the learning curve next weekend at Thruxton and a big well done to the team and Shakey for a superb performance.”
Paul Bird, Team Owner: “Shakey leading the championship and Keith inside the top eight after the opening round is certainly job done this weekend. We’ve had good pace all weekend and we know from last year we have an exceptional package with the Kawasaki with Shakey on board. He costs a bit more than some in the paddock but he’s worth it and but for a bit of bad luck, he’d have had a double victory. Keith is a real talent and when you consider this was only his second ever time racing a Superbike, he has done magnificently well and brought it home as instructed in both races. We’ll go to Thruxton next weekend in confident mood and look to build on our success in round two.”
PBM, Britain’s most expansive and diverse motorsport team are also competing in the MotoGP World Championship with Ulsterman Michael Laverty and Colombian Yonny Hernandez. Both riders are contesting the Claiming Rules Teams (CRT) series where Hernandez will compete on the team’s updated-specification Minxflix.com Aprilia ART and Laverty will be aboard the revolutionary brand new PBM-chassised Minxflix.com Aprilia for his debut season which starts in Qatar this weekend also.
— Milwaukee Yamaha Report
Milwaukee Yamaha’s James Ellison celebrated a race win on his return to the MCE British Superbike Championship at the Brands Hatch season opener, bouncing back from a disappointing opening race whilst Josh Waters scored a top ten finish.
In the first race Ellison suffered a dramatic start as he had a problem with his visor and was forced to start the warm up lap from pitlane. He lined up in his original grid position, but was given a ride through penalty for not starting at the back of the grid. However in race two Ellison made amends and stormed to the front of the pack and despite coming under pressure from race one winner Shane Byrne claimed the victory. Australian Waters had his first taste of MCE BSB racing today, claiming a tenth place in the first race, but had a tough second outing and had to settle for fourteenth place.
Ellison said: “It was great to bounce back in the second one from the schoolboy error in the first race as it was really disappointing. It is bittersweet as we didn’t show what we were capable of in the first one as I could do the times consistently but knew we had to get a good start and step up. I was a bit surprised at the pace we were all able to run and I knew Shakey was behind me. I could hear him behind me and I am a bit surprised I got away with it in the end, but I definitely heard the close call going into Surteees! I had a bit of a moment at Graham Hill Bend and I thought that was going to be enough for Shakey to try and make a move but we were lucky and held onto it. I really enjoyed being out the front with the other guys and full credit to the Milwaukee Yamaha team as we have had an impressive start to the season.”
Waters said: “It has been a bit of a tough one for me but I also think that I have learnt a lot this weekend and it is good for me to get these races under my belt. I didn’t qualify well and that made it really difficult for race one. I was able to move up the order and then I was happier in race two as I was in the battle for ninth place and try and push a bit harder. I need to congratulate the rest of the team and also James for the win in the second race as that shows what everyone in our garage is capable of and we want to come back stronger at Thruxton.”
Milwaukee Yamaha team owner Shaun Muir concluded: “After the disappointment of the first race for James to comeback with such a hot and consistent pace was something that was truly impressive so all credit to him. He got his just rewards in that second one. Josh meanwhile had his first taste of how tough this Championship is and we know he can progress throughout the season. I need to complement them both on their attitudes this weekend and for our first round as Milwaukee Yamaha we have rewarded all of our partners with hopefully the first of many wins this year.”
— Tyco Suzuki Report
A slightly frustrated Josh Brookes holds third place in the British Superbike Championship standings after the opening round of the season at Brands Hatch. The Tyco Suzuki rider took third place in the opening encounter, after having led in the early laps, and followed it up with a lonely fifth place in race two.
Young American PJ Jacobsen had a solid debut in the British Superbike class and holds a top ten position in the championship standings after taking ninth and twelfth placed finishes on his full BSB debut.
Josh Brookes:
“I’m fairly happy with the weekend and I don’t want to use not having track time as an excuse, as no one really has coming into this round. We worked through with a new set-up on suspension and it wasn’t perfect straight away, but by the time we got to race day we were in a good range and the tyre lasted pretty well for us in both races. My GSX-R1000 Superbike was running clean and crisp and I don’t think we could have got much more out of it. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to secure the results we wanted this weekend, but we will move onto the next round at Thruxton and see how it goes – it’s a long season ahead.”
PJ Jacobsen:
The first race was really good but 30 laps really was a bit different for me and I didn’t really know what the Superbike class was going to be like in a race situation – but yeah, it was good. I just concentrated on being really smooth and maybe didn’t push so hard in the first race but ninth at the end was absolutely great. In the second race I got tangled up with someone going into turn one and basically that was the race over for me, in terms of trying to better my place from race one. I just concentrated on putting in consistent lap times and although I’m a bit disappointed it was a good start to the year.”
Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“As Josh says, we didn’t quite get the results we wanted from the weekend but there are a lot of positives to be taken away from the first round; not least no broken bikes, which is of paramount importance on back-to-back weekends. We will need to have a look at certain areas that we must improve on, but all in all we are third in the championship after round one, so we will not complain.
“PJ had a good solid debut in BSB: he qualified well, dealt with the pressure of riding in the premier class and his race one result was more than impressive for a rookie who has had limited track time. In race two he got pushed wide into Paddock Hill and it put paid to any chances of improving on race one, but we are delighted with his attitude and application and it couldn’t have been a much better debut.”
— Smiths Triumph Report
The Gloucester-based Smiths Triumph Racing Team enjoyed an excellent start to their Motorpoint British Supersport Championship defence at Brands Hatch this weekend with Billy McConnell claiming two hard fought runner-up spots and reigning champion Glen Richards a brace of fifths.
The Australian duo qualified in a superb first and second for Saturday’s 18-lap Sprint race which saw Billy claim pole position for a second successive year as the race got underway in dry but cold conditions.
The initial race had to be re-started after a four-rider crash which saw the two Smiths Triumph riders hold third and fourth in the early stages. As the race progressed, McConnell closed in on leader Stuart Easton but couldn’t do anything to pass the Scotsman so had to settle for second with Richards back in fifth at the chequered flag.
Today’s longer 26-lap Feature race saw a ferocious seven-rider dice for the lead until Easton crashed out as Billy and Glen occupied fifth and sixth respectively in the first third of the race. McConnell hit the front on lap 18 but was unable to make the break with positions changing place all the way until the end. On the final lap, it was still anybody’s race but it was Alastair Seeley who had the edge at the flag with Billy just getting the better of Wilson for second. Richards took fifth just 0.9s behind the race winner such was the competition.
Billy McConnell: “It’s going to be another close British Supersport season and this weekend has served up two hectic races once more. We still have some work to do to the new Triumph Daytona 675R but it handles like a dream so to come away with two seconds is brilliant and it’s a good start to our season. Full credit to the team for all the work they’ve done with the bike and to be so close to the front so early bodes well for the rest of the season. Of course, I’d have loved to have won this weekend but we’re in the ballpark and with a bit more power to come from the bike, we’re going to be well placed and I’m really looking forward to the year ahead.”
Glen Richards: “We’ve got some good, solid points this weekend but you always want to win so I know there’s plenty more to come from me and I need to get myself dialled back into racing again. It’s been one of those off-seasons where the weather’s been against us and with a new bike; we’ve needed that dry track time more than ever. Overall, I’m happy with the bike though and we just need to iron out a few little things here and there and we’ll be there. We were at the pointy end this weekend so if both the bike and myself can make some little improvements, we’ll soon be back on the box.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “We’re a lot further forward than where we expected to be at this stage of the season with the brand new Triumph Daytona 675R and all the development work that’s been required so full credit to the team especially Jason Jones and John Trigger for all the hours they’ve been putting in. With a new bike, you need as much testing as possible but the weather’s put paid to that so to put the bikes in first and second in qualifying was an unbelievable start.
“The red flag went against us in Saturday’s race but the boys got two solid results and then Billy put in a superb ride today so for him to come away with two seconds this weekend is great and a lot better than this time last year. Glen was in the ballpark as well but we know he’s more used to being on the podium, at least, so we’ll look to get everything that little bit more dialled in for Thruxton and get both bikes in the top three.”
— Moto Breakers (Levi Day)
The Moto-Breakers Kawasaki team had a successful weekend at the opening round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit this weekend. James Lodge racing in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship secured the team’s first podium of the season by gaining a confident third place, his team-mate Levi Day gained ninth in the race and Jonathan Lodge was 16th in the National Superstock 1000 race.
James Lodge who is competing in his second year in the Championship got his season off to a good start and managed to set consistent lap times throughout the weekend that put him in third place on the grid during the qualifying sessions. Young Australian Levi Day has a year of learning the UK circuits and put in a good performance during qualifying to put the Moto-Breakers Kawasaki in seventh place on the grid for the 22-lap race.
Levi got an awesome start and was through to third after the opening lap with James sat behind him in fourth. Levi fell back through the field and dropped back to 12th at one point before fighting back through to ninth at the finish. James rode a good and consistent race setting good lap times and moved through to third place by the end of the frantic race.
James Lodge – “It was a good weekend for me this weekend and I’m really pleased to get my first podium of the season and the season off to a strong start. I was struggling with arm pump a bit this weekend and it’s something I’ve not had when I have been testing through the winter so we need to make some changes to the bike before Thruxton so I don’t get it there as that’s a hard circuit. I want to keep consistent this season and push hard all year and get good points.”
Levi Day – “That was a tough day today, I got a mega start and was really pleased to be up near the sharp end but for some reason my visor started to steam up early on in the race. This didn’t happen all weekend in practice or qualifying so not sure why it did in the race, I had to lift the visor slightly to get some air in so I could see but by that point I’d dropped back through the field. I managed to get back into a rhythm and work my way back through to ninth.”
Jonathan Lodge made his debut race in the National Superstock 1000 class at Brands Hatch and having to learn and alter his riding style from a 600 machine did a good job. The 26-year-old from Holmfirth improved his times throughout the weekend and qualified in 18th place for the 24-lap race. He got a good start and made some good passes and was unlucky to miss out on the points.
Jonathan Lodge – “It’s been a good weekend, I’m disappointed not to have got in the points at Brands but we definitely made some progress through the weekend and by the end of the race I felt really comfortable. It’s hard adapting my riding style to the bigger bike but I really enjoyed riding the Moto-Breakers Kawasaki and really looking forward to getting to Thruxton next weekend and getting some more laps on the bike and hopefully get myself in the points.”
— Seton Tuning Yamaha (Mark Wilkinson)
Seton Tuning Yamaha’s Graeme Gowland and Mark Wilkinson made a solid start to the long 2013 campaign as Brands Hatch Indy circuit in Kent hosted the opening round of the season (5-7 April).
In the ultra-competitive Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Graeme ‘Gowla’ Gowland looked impressive from the outset onboard the number 81 Seton Tuning Yamaha YZF-R6.
With two returning and one defending Supersport champions in the mix, the 27 year old Northumbrian drew first blood over the opposition as he headed the timing sheets after free practice at the close of play on Friday.
A tough qualifying session on Saturday morning showed the depth of quality of the Supersport field, with just 1.1 seconds covering the top 15 riders. Gowla’s time of 47.320s was just shy of half a second from pole, but would see him start from p7 on the grid for the Sprint race scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Gowla made a strong start from the lights as the field tentatively negotiated the short yet highly demanding 1.2mile Indy circuit for the first two laps of the season. A red flag incident involving O’Halloran and Brown on lap 2 saw a 16 lap re-start in original qualifying grid positions.
As Wilson stole the holeshot, Gowla made another solid start, locking horns with Cooper, Irwin and Jones. A mistake from Irwin on lap 13 allowed the Seton Tuning Yamaha rider to capitalise, elevating his Yamaha up to 7th position then into 6th for eight championship points, with a move past Jones on the final lap.
Gowla’s fastest lap time of 47.293s pushed him back one slot on the grid for the Main Event. Seeley took the holeshot from teammate Wilson into Paddock Hill, and Gowla maintained grid position for the opening exchanges of a fast-paced, frenetic race. With the front six riders beginning to break clear, Gowla seized his opportunity to pass Irwin into Paddock Hill on lap 3, and began to hunt down the leading pack.
As the race approached mid-distance, Gowla grabbed the tails of the leaders to became firmly ensconced in the dice for the podium. However, with all six riders running near identical lap times, Gowla was forced to settle for sixth place at the flag crossing the line as top Yamaha, as Seeley took his first win of the season.
[Mark Wilkinson #56]
Mark Wilkinson #56
Teammate, Mark ‘Wilko’ Wilkinson surpassed all expectations with a sterling performance that saw the young Australian rider secure his highest result for Seton Tuning Yamaha, in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 season opener.
Wilko’s debut season as part of a three-pronged assault on the title in the testosterone-fueled class in 2012 proved to be a very steep yet rewarding learning curve. Revisiting the scene of his first taste of British championship racing, the plucky 23 year old looked to improve upon the respectable top 20 finish secured in the wet last year.
Buoyed by strong performances in pre-season testing, and returning to a circuit he now has a good knowledge of, Wilko was determined for a strong start to his 2013 campaign.
Qualifying in 18th position did not deter Wilko as the lights went out for the start of the 22 lap encounter. A brilliantly executed start and opening lap had Wilko listed as p12 as the riders rounded out the first lap.
As the race settled into its natural rhythm, Mark became embroiled in a five rider battle for the remaining top ten positions. Knocked back from 11th to 14th mid-race, Mark re-grouped as he began to slowly move his Seton Tuning Yamaha back up through the order. Posting his fastest lap of the race on lap 15 (48.616s) as he moved into 12th, Wilko could taste the exhaust fumes of the top ten.
A series of decisive passes elevated the Yamaha rider up to sixth as the race headed towards the closing stages. With a gap of almost five seconds ahead, Wilko held off the constant advances of Campbell and Fisher for three laps but was pushed back to eighth on the run in to the chequered flag.
The team will head to the ultra-fast circuit of Thruxton in Hampshire next weekend for Round 2 (12-14 April).
Phil Seton, Team Principal: “That was a good solid start for both riders. Graeme’s first race was a little disappointing but we changed the set-up for Sunday and it improved the bike dramatically. By the time Graeme had caught the front six his tyre was pretty much used up, so he did brilliantly to keep the pace until the end. We’re now firmly in the mix and Graeme and the bike are clearly competitive.
For Mark, that was not only his best finishing position but also his highest qualifying, so his weekend is full of positives. Mark put in a great ride in the race and it was very exciting for us to watch, just a shame he missed out on sixth.
A big thanks to the whole Seton Tuning Yamaha team that worked tirelessly throughout the weekend. We’ve got a number of new faces in the team and the first round is always a little tense but everyone pulled together to make it a highly enjoyable and smoothly run opening round. Roll on Thruxton and a level playing field where we know our bikes will be strong.”
Graeme Gowland #81: “I’m happy with the weekend. We have come away from Brands with two solid results and I can take some confidence from race 2 after bridging the gap to the front bunch and running with them for rest of the race. I’m looking forward to Thruxton now where the Seton Tuning Yamaha R6 can really stretch its legs.”
Mark Wilkinson #56: “Solid weekend for me at Brands Hatch. I struggled a little early in the weekend getting back into UK mode with the crazy weather but come race day the Seton Tuning Crew were able to get me more and more confident on the bike. We learnt a lot from this weekend that we will continue to move forward with. The race was really good for me. I was more confident pushing the bike and getting more out of it consistently throughout the race. To come away with 8pts is a good start to our championship campaign and I’m really looking forward to Thruxton next weekend for round 2 of the championship! I’d like to thank Dan, Phil and the entire Seton Tuning Team for their efforts this weekend as well as a big thank you to everyone back in Australia for their support and to my sponsors Plaza Auto Sales, GSAutomotive, ROMPdesign and PJT Security for the help in 2013!”
— MWR Kawasaki Report
The MWR Kawasaki team missed out in the opening rounds of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc and 600cc Championships at Brands Hatch today with both James Egan and Harry Hartley unlucky to leave the Kent circuit without any points on the board.
South African James Egan was making his debut on the team’s Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship following on from two years in the Triumph Triple Challenge. Qualifying inside the top 30, the rider who hails from the
KwaZulu-Natal province made solid progress throughout the 24-lap race and a sensible performance saw him rewarded with 21st at the chequered flag.
Burnley team-mate Hartley was taking part in his first four-stroke race having previously contested the 125cc British Championship and qualified in a solid 12th place for the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship aboard his Kawasaki ZX-6R. The 16-year-old made a good start but slipped back to 15th in the early stages of the race before fighting his way up to the edge of the top ten when the fuel pump broke putting him out of the race with just six laps to go.
James Egan: “It’s been a real shock to the system seeing how competitive the class is and with our entire testing programme taking place in the wet weather, we’ve had to use this weekend as a dry test session. We haven’t really been looking at points or positions; we’ve just been concentrating on trying various combinations with the bike to find a setting we’re happy with. The race today was a great learning exercise and we’ve now got some valuable data and a platform from what we can now build on. It’s a long season and we can now start moving forward.”
Harry Hartley: “I felt really comfortable out there today and was just biding my time behind the group in front of me when the fuel pump went. It’s a disappointing end to what had been an otherwise strong weekend but it’s just one of those things and we’d shown good pace up until that point. The 600 suits me more than the 125 and the team are doing an awesome job so we’ll hope for better luck and a top ten position next time out.”
Mark Webster, Team Owner: “Although we haven’t come away with any points this weekend, we leave Brands Hatch with two solid two races under our belt and with two new riders in the team, I’m happy with the progress we’ve made. Like most teams, we haven’t had any dry track time and for Harry, Friday was the first time he’d ridden the bike in the dry. To qualify 12th was an excellent effort and only a bit of misfortune denied him a top ten finish.
“James has struggled to find a dry set-up and with the 1000cc class being so competitive, small changes to the bike can make huge differences but he had a solid race and has learned a lot so we’re confident of moving forward. We had no crashes in what, at times, were extremely difficult conditions and with the next round only a few days away, we can put into practice what we’ve learned this weekend and look to move up the leaderboard immediately.”
— Gearlink Kawasaki Report
The MCE British Superbike season kicked off this weekend and it was a strong start to the year for the Gearlink Kawasaki Team running in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship. This year long term Gearlink Kawasaki rider Ben Wilson is joined by former British Supersport Champion Alastair Seeley racing on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. Alastair gained a stunning third and first place place and Ben secured fourth and third places in the two Supersport race
The extremely cold weather conditions on Friday hindered progress and the team missed the first session due to the freezing track temperatures. However it was slightly warmer on Saturday morning for qualifying and Alastair qualified on the front row in fourth and Ben was 0.1 behind in fifth. The first sprint race on Saturday afternoon got off to an exciting start after the initial race was cut short due to a red flag, on the re-start Ben Wilson got an awesome hole-shot and led the race for the first three laps. It was a very close race and Ben and Alastair were soon swapping green paint work and dicing for third position, they swapped positions on several laps and Alastair took third and went down to a photo finish with Billy McConnell for second with the pair being split by only 0.007 over the line.
Their times from race one put Alastair on pole for race two and Ben in second position, as the lights changed green the two Gearlink Kawasaki riders shot out of the gate with Alastair first into turn one and Ben a close second. It was one of the most exciting British Supersport races in years with seven riders battling it out at one point for the overall win. It was the two stunning green Gearlink Kawasaki’s that were fighting for the number one place. Ben managed to get through to the front and was holding his own despite a few challenges from Luke Jones and Alastair. Ben was leading the race and swapping positions with his team-mate, Luke and Billy McConnell and was back at the front for the final lap, a mistake out of Graham Hill Bend cost him and Alastair seized the opportunity to take the lead and the eventual race win, with Billy second and Ben in third, with only 0.4 splitting the top three.
Alastair Seeley – “It’s been a really mega weekend for myself and the Gearlink Kawasaki Team, it’s good for my confidence after having a tough 2012 season to get back on the top step of the podium. We’ve not had much testing time and so it’s a great result for us all and to leave here leading the Championship is a great feeling. The team has worked really hard and we got a good set up early in the weekend, I felt strong from the start and I’m really happy with the results we got here. I’m looking forward to getting to Thruxton it suits my style and it has similarities of the North West for me, I enjoy racing there and hope we will be able to get similar results there.”
Ben Wilson – “Well it’s been a pretty good start to the year for me, already better than 2012 so hopefully we can work on this and progress and move forward. I felt much better on the bike this weekend and despite losing a bit of time during qualifying after I suffered a small technical problem I was happy to qualify where I did. I got good starts in both races and we made a wrong tyre choice for the restart of race one after it was red flagged and I struggled a little with grip but I was excited about race two and knew I had a good set up on the bike. The second race was certainly tough and this year is going to go down to the wire, I’m angry at myself for the mistake I made on the last lap and handed the win away but I know I raced well and held my own and fought back throughout the race. I can’t wait to get to Thruxton and some more time out on the bike.”
Pirelli National Superstock 600s
In the Pirelli Superstock 600 class Nicole Mc Aleer was unfortunate not to be allowed to race, she qualified in 41st place but they only allowed 38 to line up on the grid, she drastically decreased her lap times throughout the weekend and will now concentrate on Thruxton next weekend.
However current 125 Motostar British Champion Luke Hedger had a good weekend and secured some good Championship points gaining 13th in 22-lap race. Luke who qualified in 11th place after a very progressive weekend adapting to the 600 machine, he made progress in every session rode a strong race. The youngest from Yate got a shocking start and dropped to 20th position after the opening lap and left himself a lot of work to do. He got into a rhythm and set some very good lap times slowly working his way past through the fierce pack to finish in 13th.
Luke Hedger – “This weekend was a great experience for me, the race was good, but a whole new level for me, there is a lot of elbow bashing. I’m not used to that so it took me a little by surprise and know what to expect for the rest of the season now. I got a bad start and had to work hard to pass people but it was good and I really settled in and worked hard to get into the points. I’d like to thank the Gearlink Kawasaki team for all their help and support this weekend.”
Nicole Mc Aleer – “It has been a real learning curve this weekend, sadly I felt like I was a session behind in every session, but each time I went out on the bike my times improved as well as my confidence. I had a great weekend with the Gearlink Kawasaki team and I can’t wait for Thruxton.”
Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “We came here to Brands a little bit blind now knowing what to expect as we’d done no testing in the dry conditions. Ben had a small technical problem during qualifying and lost vital track time so we were pleased he qualified in fifth despite his problems. It was great to get a podium in the first race with Alastair and then we went even better on the main race day with a win and third. It’s great and we’re really pleased with the outcome this weekend, it’s a great achievement for the whole team. So much work was put in over the winter and to leave with three podium finishes makes the hard work all worthwhile, we’d like to continue this form and progress throughout the season but we know it won’t be easy judging by the quality of both races.
Luke did a great job in the Superstock Championship; his first race on a 600, no issues, no crashes and points is a great start to the season for him. We were really pleased with him qualifying in 11th place and despite a bad start he put some great lap times in during the race and we know this year is a learning curve for him and we will continue to help move him forward throughout the season.
Nicole worked hard all weekend and we are happy with her progress, we have put no pressure on her, she has gelled with the Gearlink Kawasaki well this weekend and improved her lap times every time she went out on track. We hope as the season progresses we will bring her up to the level and speed we know she is capable of.”
— PR Racing Report
After the long anticipated start to the 2013 BSB Championship, PR Racing Kawasaki rider, Karl Harris, sat on row three of the grid for round one of the championship in the first of the day’s two BSB races around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit.
In an opening round that saw a mixture of highs and lows for the #68 Yorkshire man, from hitting the dirt in morning warm up, an early bath in race one from a low side and a front row start and P7 finish in race two, Karl said. “I am happy to come away with championship points from the weekend. Like most teams, the weather over the winter months played havoc with out testing programme, so coming to the opening round and securing points is an important start to our championship. “When asked about his retirement during lap 14 in race one he said. “I went a little wide at Surtees, which saw me dumped to the floor. Fortunately, the lads managed to get the bike repaired and ready for race two.”
For the second BSB race of the afternoon Karl added.” I was confidant of a good line in to turn one from my front row start (having recorded the fourth fastest lap in race one), but that door was firmly closed by Brookes early in the race, not wanting to ditch the bike for a third time in one day, I just eased off and refocused.” In his three way tussle for 6th place that lasted for over a 3rd of the race, Karl added. “I was happy with the pace of the bike. However, I lost my rhythm when a bike in front dumped a load of fluid on the track which meant I lost time against Kirkham, as I was unsure if it was oil or just water? I also missed a gear when battling with Walker going in to the last few turns and again lost a bit of time, but managed to get in to the right gear and push for 7th place.” He continued. “It has been a good result to finish the round with decent points. I would like to thank the team for all their hard work repairing the bike so quickly and I can only apologise for the spills.”
Team Principal John Jameson commented.” We are pleased with both the team’s performance on and off the track. The team worked tirelessly to get the bike repaired after each off, and Karl jumped back on the bike for race two and brought it home in P7.”
“The damage to the bike has been expensive, including the scraping of two body kits, but Karl has apologised and hopefully, that is all now behind us. Karl has been pushing hard all weekend, which has been reflected in his lap times, but we need to make sure he and his crew remain focused on building on the great start to the championship and our sights are now firmly set on Thruxton.”