RND 2 – BYRNE DOUBLES

— Byrne doubles Thruxton

Race one result:
1:Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2:Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.301s
3:Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) +0.663s
4:James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) +6.415s
5:Jon Kirkham (Buildbase BMW) +6.533s
6 James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) +6.778s

Race two result:
1:Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2:Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) +0.245s
3:James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.656s
4:Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.757s
5:Michael Rutter (Bathams Honda) +1.819s
6:Keith Farmer (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +1.908

Championship standings after Thruxton:
1:Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 91
2:Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) 76
3:Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 66
4:James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) 51
5:Jon Kirkham (Buildbase BMW) 42
6:James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) 27

Shane “Shakey” Byrne became the most successful rider ever in the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship as he completed a winning double at Thruxton to take his career victory tally to 44, one more than rival triple title winner Ryuichi Kiyonari.

“Winning that second race was very important to me as I wanted to become the most successful rider in the championship but there was nothing easy about it,” said Byrne. “Alex Lowes was pushing me all of the way, but even though the race was red-flagged early I have done the double and that makes me a happy man.”

The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider was always at the sharp-end of the action at the super-fast Hampshire circuit, though in the opening race he had to make a determined move on the final lap into the last corner to pass Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes who was relegated to second place.

Byrne explained: “I had a bit of problem with the brake and the bike started to vibrate and I was a bit nervous and getting out of shape, but I got Josh back at the chicane and I then thought there is no way you are going to come past me again!”

Samsung Honda’s Alex Lowes, who had started from pole, took third place ahead of the Buildbase BMW duo of James Westmoreland and Jon Kirkham, whilst James Ellison fought back from a fifth row start to claim sixth as his team-mate Josh Waters had crashed out unhurt early on.

Byrne again made a flying start in an incident-packed second race, which included two Safety Car interventions by the Nissan GT-R, the first of which came after Kiyonari crashed out on the opening lap, and then again as Lee Costello tumbled. The defending champion was leading as the race was stopped after an incident at the chicane involving Karl Harris and Tommy Bridewell, who sustained a leg injury.

— Supersport

Stuart Easton celebrated a double victory at Thruxton yesterday for the Mar-Train Yamaha team as he won an epic eight-way battle for the win in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Feature race after claiming the Sprint race win earlier in the day.

In the Sprint race, which was postponed after heavy rain on Saturday afternoon, Richards had taken the early lead but Alastair Seeley then hit the front with his Gearlink Kawasaki team-mate Ben Wilson in close contention. Easton snatched the lead from the charging pair before the race was red flagged as defending champion Glen Richards crashed out; he was unhurt but the Smiths Racing Triumph caught fire and the team faced a challenge to be ready for the Feature race. Seton Tuning Yamaha’s Graeme Gowland was clipped by the stricken bike but skilfully stayed upright and claim fifth place.

Seeley got a flying start in the Feature race from Billy McConnell and Wilson, with the Gearlink Kawasaki rider taking the advantage before Easton again hit the lead. Seeley fought back to reclaim the position, but Easton was able to make a move to put him at the front whilst McConnell had put in some determined moves to push to third. Easton was holding the lead when the race was red flagged, with the Mar-Train Yamaha victorious from Wilson, who had out drafted Seeley on the previous lap. The Smiths Racing Triumphs of McConnell and defending champion Richards were fourth and fifth respectively ahead of Gowland and Samsung Honda’s Jason O’Halloran.

Easton said: “It was job done which was perfect with pole position and two wins. I was really pleased with my pace in qualifying, but strangely in the races the pace was slower for everybody. To get two wins is all that matters to be fair and the team and bike were faultless all weekend. Thankfully I did my job and brought the fifty points home and we can build a lot of confidence from that. We now move on to Oulton Park, which is my favourite circuit and it can’t come quick enough.”

Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Thruxton, Sprint race:
1. Stuart Easton (Mar-Train Yamaha)
2. Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) +0.248s
3. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) +0.574s
4. Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) +1.406s
5. Graeme Gowland (Seton Tuning Yamaha) +1 lap

Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Thruxton, Feature race result:
1. Stuart Easton (Mar-Train Yamaha)
2. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) +0.201s
3. Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) +0.315s
4. Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) +0.575s
5. Glen Richards (Smiths Racing Triumph) +0.993s

Motorpoint British Supersport Championship standings after Thruxton:
1. Alastair Seeley (Gearlink Kawasaki) 77
2. Stuart Easton (Mar-Train Yamaha) 75
3. Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph) 66
4. Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 65
5. Graeme Gowland (Seton Tuning Yamaha) 41

— Samsung Honda

Samsung Honda celebrated a double podium finish at the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Thruxton today, with Alex Lowes securing a second and third place in the two races. His team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari meanwhile had a more challenging weekend finishing 17th in race one and crashing out unhurt in race two.

In race one Lowes battled hard with the front runners, snatching the lead in the early stages of the race before Shane Byrne and Josh Brookes moved ahead. He eventually took a solid third place. In the second outing, Lowes was pushing for the lead when the race was red flagged due to an incident and he was forced to settle for second place. Kiyonari endured a tough weekend as he secured 17th in race one and crashed out unhurt on the opening lap of race two.

In the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Jason O’Halloran scored two top-ten finishes with a sixth and seventh place. The Australian lost some positions at the start of the race, which meant he had to push hard to make up the time; something that the team and Jason will focus on for Oulton Park.

Havier Beltran – Team Manager
Alex had another two cracking good rides; he used his head to achieve two podiums despite difficult qualifying and limited practice time. I’m really pleased with his progress so credit to him for his focus. Kiyo has had a bad weekend. It is clear that he is not happy with the chassis set-up direction and he doesn’t like the new engine specification and performance. We have some testing before Oulton Park so we have to work hard to get him back on track. In Supersport Jason had two good rides, though giving away too much in the first few corners made it a harder race for him, but he has the pace and that’s something that we can work on.

Alex Lowes
I’ve taken four podium finishes so far and although it wasn’t a win it’s been consistent. It’s nice to get these results here, I’m really happy and these races were very fun. I pushed until the end of the first race; I knew it was going to be difficult. I had a good start to try and get away and then we had a close race right until the end. I was disappointed to be at the back of the three of us. It was hard work; the front was sliding, the rear was sliding, but it was great fun. We made a few changes for the second race and they were good. It has been a good weekend and I can’t wait for Oulton Park.

Ryuichi Kiyonari
I’m very disappointed – this has been a very difficult weekend. We didn’t have much practice and like at Brands Hatch I had problems which we tried to improve. The first race was my mistake, not the bike, and then in the second race I crashed. I highsided, tried to catch it, but went down. Now we have to improve in the next round at Oulton Park – that is not an easy track but we’ll try very hard.

Jason O’Halloran
Race one was good and we made a good step forward but lost too much time and places on the opening lap. In the second race we made another step forward and I felt I had good enough pace to be battling for the podium but again I lost too much time on the opening lap. I gave myself a lot of work to do. I think we still need to improve my feeling with the bike on the opening two laps but other than that my team gave me a great bike today. From Brands Hatch we have moved forward and I’m sure we will continue to do so at the next round.

— Tyco Suzuki

Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes took a second-placed podium and a fourth place at the second round of the British Superbike Championship at Thruxton as pace cars and red flags plagued the two races and inhibited his race strategy.

Teenager PJ Jacobsen joined GSX-R1000 team-mate Brookes on the frontrow for the opening race, but a small mistake on lap one, followed by arm pump in the latter stages left him to fight valiantly for a ninth place finish. The BSB rookie took 11th in the second outing with the result declared after 13 of the scheduled 20 laps when the red flag was deployed.

Brookes opted for the harder SC2 rear Pirelli tyre in both outings, looking to gain a distinct advantage in the latter stages. But with incidents bringing the pace car out in both race one and for an extended period in race two before the red flag, the Aussie didn’t quite take the points he felt he should have from the two outings.

Josh Brookes:

“I don’t want to complain but I am frustrated at the outcome as the red flag in race two especially really destroyed our strategy with the SC2 tyre. We opted for the harder tyre in both races but with so many incidents I didn’t get the chance to really make it pay in race one; and race two pretty-much ended after seven or eight laps behind a pace car. It could have been worse and we could have ended up in the fence like a lot of other guys, so we will just re-group now and look forward to Oulton. We know we can make the Shootout ok; it’s just a matter of stopping Shakey winning so many races.”

PJ Jacobsen: “Today was frustrating. We had a good opportunity with our front-row grid position in race one but the guys in front seemed to brake early into turn three or four and I ended up having to run wide after lofting the rear wheel in the air. I fought back and top 10 is still a good result but not what I think I could have achieved. Race two was always going to be tough from the fourth row of the grid and with so many laps behind the pace car we were never going to make much progress.”

In the British Supersport Championship, Taylor Mackenzie took 12th and 11th placed finishes from his two outings. In race one the young Scottish rider used the session as extra set-up time as he endeavoured to perfect his feel on the Tyco Suzuki GSX-R600 around the fast and bumpy Thruxton circuit. He made significant progress in race two with his lap times and is now looking forward to Oulton Park at the beginning of May.

Taylor Mackenzie: “We made a tyre change for the second race and it was 100 times better and I was really excited, but then I got stuck behind Scott Smart. I went to pass him and ran on at the chicane, which messed me up a bit. I did feel that I could get back onto the tail-end of the front group, but by the time I got past Scott my tyre was finished. The bike felt a lot better in that second race and we were only half a second off the fastest lap, so I’ve got to be happy with that – although the position is not where I want to be.”

Philip Neill – Team Manager: “In the circumstances it was a solid enough day for all three riders today. In saying that I have to be honest and say that we leave the second round a bit frustrated and disappointed after so many incidents and red flags, which didn’t help our strategy. We had what we believed to be a really good strategy for today, as Thruxton is such a strong circuit usually for Josh, and the boys had done an excellent job setting the bike up for a race duration.

“The goal was to come strong at the end of both races. Granted, Josh was super-strong at the end of the first race but just left the door open on the last lap for Shakey, which cost him dearly. We were very confident for race two and the strategy was not to move to the front until the final few laps, which we were not able to do because of the stoppage. That’s how it goes sometimes, but as I say, we are a little frustrated on a day when we felt at least one win and possibly two was there for the taking.

“PJ and Taylor were also a little disappointed with their performances, but they are building results slowly, which is what I want them both to do, so we have no concerns with either of them. I’m confident both our young riders will come on strong as the season progresses.”

— Paul Bird Motorsport

Reigning champion Shane Byrne and the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team’s quest to retain their MCE British Superbike Championship title continued in round two at Thruxton this weekend where Shakey claimed a double victory and in doing so became the most successful rider in BSB history.

Heavy rain at the Hampshire circuit meant the Datatag Extreme qualifying session was cancelled yesterday so with times taken from the combined free practice sessions, Byrne lined up in third on the grid for the opening race. The 36-year-old triple BSB champion from Sittingbourne immediately slotted into second place before hitting the front a lap later where he was involved in a titanic battle with Josh Brookes and Alex Lowes and although he got pushed back to second on the final lap, he retaliated on the final corner to take a brilliant victory for the Penrith-based team.

Race two saw a series of safety car periods which disrupted the race and on each occasion it was just when Shakey was easing out a lead over the rest of the pack. The fragmented race was eventually stopped after 13 laps and with Byrne being awarded the win it made it a double for the weekend as he amassed 44 MCE BSB victories in total to better the 43 of Japanese ace Ryuichi Kiyonari who crashed out of the race.

For team-mate Keith Farmer, it was a mixed weekend as after qualifying in 12th on the grid; a superb start to the first race saw him running as high as second in the early stages. However, the 25-year-old from Clogher, County Tyrone ran wide along the start and finish on the seventh lap and crashed out fortunately without injury. With the second fastest lap of the race, the reigning National Superstock 1000cc champion was able to start from the second row for the second race and he made it count with sixth place which moved him back up to joint seventh overall in the standings.

Shane Byrne: “To come away with the double is superb and becoming the most successful rider in BSB just adds to that. I really wanted to put on a show in the second race but we just couldn’t get going as the safety car kept coming out every time I’d opened up a gap meaning it disappeared. We had a few problems in the first race with the front brake disc and suspension so I was relieved to get the win but everything was spot on in the second race. The pace was quicker and I felt more comfortable so all in all it’s a great start to the season.”

Keith Farmer: “To bounce back from the first race crash and get sixth in race two was very pleasing and it’s good to come away with another good result under my belt, particularly as I was suffering with a lot of chatter with the front end. The crash was my fault and I just ran slightly wide and touched the white line but other than a sore hand I was OK. I’ve learned a lot more with the bike and the changes we’ve made have been in the right direction whilst there’s plenty of people behind me who should be ahead so it’s good to get these first two rounds done and dusted.”

Paul Bird, Team Owner: “It’s always good to get a double and Shakey always looked in control. He’s made a great start to the season and we hope he can continue going into our home round at Oulton Park next month. Keith proved what a talent he is and it was unfortunate that he crashed out of the opening race but it’s all part of the learning process and he’ll just get better as the season progresses.”

— McGuinness Report

Morecambe’s John McGuinness battled hard to score some more Championship points at round two of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship with 14th place around the high-speed Thruxton circuit.

Proceedings at the Hampshire venue were affected by the weather all weekend and after taking fourth in the opening qualifying session, rain on Saturday brought an early end to the final session so John had to settle for a second row starting position.

Conditions had improved considerably for Sunday’s 16-lap race although strong wings created a new hazard for the 40-strong field. A solid start saw John lie in eighth at the end of the opening lap but with damp patches still around the course, conditions were tricky whilst the considerable amount of slipstreaming meant maintaining position was an extremely difficult task. As the race wore on John found himself pushed back to 14th and any hopes of climbing back into the top ten were dashed when the race was stopped early, on the 11th lap. It all meant John was awarded 14th place and two hard earned Championship points.

Speaking later, John said; “The results sheet doesn’t look the greatest and there’s no doubt it’s frustrating to be in 14th this weekend, especially after getting on the rostrum last time out at Brands, but I felt good out there and was racing with some good lads who’ll be up there in the Championship so it shows I’m riding well. We lost a full practice session and I haven’t been here for a couple of years so I was up against it to a certain degree but I feel sharp and I’m getting plenty of miles on the bike so the weekend has been another valuable, worthwhile meeting. It’s off to France now and I’m feeling good so am looking forward to getting back on the Honda TT Legends bike.”

John now turns his attention to the opening round of the Endurance World Championship with the ‘24 Hour Bol d’Or’ taking place at Magny Cours, France this weekend.

— Seton Tuning Yamaha

Seton Tuning Yamaha’s Graeme Gowland and Mark Wilkinson weathered the storm to add more valuable points to the board, as Thruxton in Hampshire hosted round two of the 2013 MCE British Superbike Championship (12-14 April).

Yet another close qualifying session saw Graeme ‘Gowla’ Gowland set to start the 12 lap Motorpoint British Supersport Sprint race from p8 on Saturday afternoon. However, torrential rain and persistent standing water on the track forced the cancellation of the afternoon activities, despite the heroic attempts by track marshals and race control.

Delayed until Sunday morning and reduced down to 10 laps, the lights finally went out for the Sprint at 11.40am. Seeley stole the holeshot from pole sitter Easton, with Gowla elevating his Seton Tuning Yamaha up a spot to round out the top seven.

The opening round at Brands Hatch last weekend proved to set the tone for the season at an early stage, with the ‘usual suspects’ once again battling for podium positions at the sharp end. At mid-race distance, Gowla disposed of Jones for sixth and looked odds-on to make further in-roads to the top five and beyond.

The action at the front proved relentless with lap times tumbling into the 1:17 bracket. Then near disaster struck as the front runners exited Club Chicane and headed for the white stripe and lap 7. Richards’ Triumph let go, crashing spectacularly onto the home straight. With no chance to take avoiding action, the front of Gowla’s YZF-R6 collided with the stricken bike and only a miracle kept the Northumbrian rubber side down. As the Triumph spiralled towards the edge of the circuit it burst into flames, and a red flag halted the race early, giving Gowla fifth and his highest finish of the season to date.

The Supersport Main Event would once again prove to arguably be the race of the day, with any three from a possible ten riders securing the three available podium slots. Gowla’s Sprint time of 1:17.811s elevated the Yamaha rider to fourth on the grid – a position that he would hold for the opening six laps.

Due to concerns from control tyre supplier Pirelli that available tyres would not last the full distance on the abrasive 2.3mile circuit, the race was reduced from 18 to 15 laps. However, a second red flag incident would bring an even more abrupt end to proceedings for the second time in as many races.

Gowla made a blistering start from the lights to maintain grid position despite constant pressure from McConnell and Irwin. McConnell finally forced his way through on lap 7 as Gowla became embroiled in a solid battle with Richards and O’Halloran, muscling out the latter for sixth position as a red flag incident at Club Chicane halted the race on lap 13.

With two more solid point scoring rides, Gowla has moved up to fifth in the championship.

Seton Tuning Yamaha’s Mark ‘Wilko’ Wilkinson battled through to claim three more points in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 race. Improving constantly throughout free practice, Wilko finished Q1 in 17th. Wet conditions greeted the riders for Q2, with the team providing a perfect wet setting for the young Australian rider to place him seventh at the close of the session.

Race day proved to be blustery but with a dry track. Mark made a fantastic start from the lights to round out the first lap in 11th position. An incident on the opening lap saw the deployment of the Safety Car as the marshals dealt with a second bike fire of the day.

Lap six saw the continuation of the race with Hastings and Simpkin battling for the lead. Wilko took advantage to move up to tenth, then ninth on the following lap and looking good for his second top ten finish in a row. However, mechanical gremlins struck, and Wilko was unable to defend his position, forced back a few places over the final laps to take the flag in 13th.

The team now has a three week break before the series heads to Oulton Park in Cheshire for the third round over the the May Bank Holiday weekend (4-6 May).
Phil Seton, Team Principal: “I was away for the first part of the meeting at my sister’s wedding, so I would like to congratulate the whole team on the smooth running in my absence – perhaps I’ll take the rest of the season off as I’m clearly not needed! It was great to see Graeme regain his composure after what must have been an horrific incident to be involved with in the Sprint, to then go out and battle hard for a well-deserved sixth in the Main Event. Once again, Graeme was the first ‘privateer’ home and has now moved up to fifth in a very tough championship, so a great achievement.

It was a real shame that Mark suffered from a clutch cable failure with a few laps left to go, as he looked as if he had the pace for another solid top ten finish. He did remarkably well with no control over his clutch to salvage some points. Obviously, this will be rectified ahead of the test on Wednesday at Oulton Park.”

Graeme Gowland #81: “I’m happy with the outcome at Thruxton. We were really up against it on race day because of the inconsistent weather we had on Friday and Saturday, which had made it impossible to have a dry setting for Sunday – but saying that, the team worked really hard and we have come away with two top six results and we are lying 5th in the championship. We are so close to the front, we just need to take that next step, which we are all working hard towards.”

Mark Wilkinson #56: “Really tough weekend for us at Thruxton. We came out in practice and had our wet set-up pretty much sorted, but in the dry for Qualifying 1 we were just a little off the pace. The boys did a great job sorting a dry set-up for me but unfortunately Qualification 2 was wet and I was unable to improve my position on the grid. I made a really good start to the race and felt really comfortable with the new dry set-up. I moved through the pack and began to close on the lead group of riders but with 3 laps remaining I had a mechanical problem with the clutch, which bumped me back through the pack. It’s a gutting end to a tough weekend but we still scored points and take a lot of positives out of this weekend and move on to Oulton Park with a confident and positive mindset. I’d like to thank Dan and the entire Seton Tuning Yamaha 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, the Oil Warehouse and PJT Security for the help in 2013! Happy birthday also to my Mum back home in Australia on the weekend”

— Moto Breakers Report

The Moto-Breakers Kawasaki team had another good weekend at round two of the British Superbike Championship at Thruxton Race Circuit. James Lodge once again secured another podium on his Moto-Breakers Kawasaki at the very fast track taking third place; team-mate in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship Levi Day also scored more points and gained 11th place. Jonathan Lodge in the Superstock 1000 struggled and ended the race in 26th place.

James Lodge had struggled all weekend and was only able to qualify in tenth place on the grid; with the second session being wet the times would be no quicker. On the start James got an awesome start and after the first lap was up to fourth place. He was soon be hounded from all directions and was locked in a 16 wheeler for third, he was able to fight off the hunting pack and took another solid podium for the team.

James Lodge – “It was a really hard weekend and I’ve been really struggling with arm pump at Brands and here was shocking all weekend. I was trying not to go out too much on track and try and save them for the race knowing that it would start then. I was struggling to hold on to be honest towards the end of the race and I was quite relieved when the safety car came out early on as it gave them a little rest. I’m over the moon with the podium as after qualifying I didn’t think that would be possible to have to thank all the Moto-Breakers team for helping me this weekend.”

Levi Day had once again to another new track and possibly one of the hardest tracks on the UK calendar to learn and master. He was getting to grips with the track over the weekend and qualified in 16th place; he had a great race and worked his way up to 11th.

Levi Day – “This year for me is a learning year and working out where all the tracks go is always the starting point. This is a physical, hard and fast track and I had to try and learn it on each session we went out. With the rain on Saturday this was made difficult and so I was quite happy with my qualifying. I got a good start again in the race and was managing to go much faster than I had in qualifying and was slowly working my way up through the pack. It’s a great track and I’m really pleased to be leaving here with some more Championship points to my name.”

Jonathan Lodge struggled to get to grips on his 1000 Kawasaki Ninja this weekend at the ultra-fast Thruxton circuit. He was unable to find a set up that worked well for him and found it difficult to find a good lap time, the rain on Saturday forced most riders to remain in their garage as the track was too wet to gain any set up information. He qualified in 27th place on the grid and finished the race in 26th.

Jonathan Lodge – “It was a really difficult weekend this weekend to get a good set up on the Stock 1000 machine. Obviously I’ve never ridden here before on the bigger bike and with the cancellation of our session on Saturday I didn’t get much time out on track to find a setting I was comfortable with. We made a few changes for the race and it made a slight difference but not enough, I’m looking forward to getting to Oulton in a couple of weeks’ time.”

— SMT Racing

SMT Racing’s superb start to the 2013 British F1 Sidecar and Superstock Championships continued at Thruxton at the weekend with wins and podiums from team members Tim and Tristan Reeves and Adam Jenkinson.

The Reeves brothers were again in invincible form around the Hampshire venue and, despite inclement conditions, duly took pole position for the first of the British F1 Sidecar Championship races, which was held over until Sunday when the weather was considerably better. Cut to eight laps due to a congested timetable, the Kent duo resisted pressure from Sean Hegarty/Calum Lawson in the early stages before edging away and when the latter dropped out on the penultimate lap, they were able to come home for a commanding 13 second victory.

Later in the day, they completed their double which was made slightly easier with the non-appearance of the Hegarty/Lawson outfit, whilst the race was also brought to an early end after Phil Sloane fell out of the chair of reigning Champion Roger Lovelock. The results meant that with four wins from four starts, Tim and Tristan maintained their 100% record and with the maximum 100 points, they already have a formidable looking 47-point advantage in the Championship table.

For Manchester’s Jenkinson, it was oh so close to being a repeat performance as he contested the second round of the National Superstock 1000cc Championship, which also had its qualifying interrupted by the rain. Again on the pace from the off, Adam lined up on the front row for the 16-lap race and immediately slotted into third on the opening lap. There was little to choose between Adam, David Johnson and Steve Brogan but as the race moved into its final third, Adam moved up to second and was well placed to overhaul Johnson when the race was ended prematurely due to a crash. Nevertheless, the 20 points for second moved him on to 45 overall and gives him a 20-point cushion over Johnson.

Speaking later, team owner Robin Croft said; “It’s been another great weekend for the team and was almost a carbon copy of the results from Brands Hatch a week earlier. We knew that it would be a little bit more difficult getting the bike set-up for Jenko as it’s still very new to everyone but it didn’t show and he looked comfortable throughout the three days whatever the weather. Conditions were tricky but he was simply unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as he was just sitting in second place biding his time behind Johnson. He felt confident with the pace and was planning to make his move in the last couple of laps but that’s what can happen when a race gets stopped early.”

“His pace was excellent and he ran in the top three all weekend and if anyone had told me two weeks ago we’d get first and second and have a 20-point lead after the first two rounds, I’d have taken it. As for Tim, we’re going to have to call him Ronseal as he does exactly what it says on the tin! He felt confident of taking pole position and the race wins and that’s exactly what he did. He was under pressure though in the first race and it certainly wasn’t easy but he took a great double again and with five wins and a second from our first six races, we’re a very happy team and very much looking forward to our local round.”

— MWR Kawasaki

The MWR Kawasaki team endured a weekend of misfortune at Thruxton this weekend with both James Egan and Harry Hartley failing to score any points in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 and 600 Championships.

South African Egan struggled in Pirelli National Superstock 1000 practice once again due to the weather with the second qualifying session being wiped out by rain which meant he had to start from 31st on the grid. In the race, the rider from
KwaZulu-Natal province lapped quicker with each lap and moved up to 25th place before his charge was ended due to the race being stopped on the 11th of the 16 laps but with three riders ahead of him crashing out and subsequently being excluded from the results, it meant he was awarded 22nd place.

Rain also affected the qualifying sessions for the Pirelli National Superstock 600 class where Hartley, the 16-year-old from Burnley, started the race from 20th on the grid. Maintaining position in the early stages, he then suffered a fall on the sixth lap, just after a safety car period but was lucky to escape injury.

James Egan: “I’ve had to put my expectations to one side for now as I definitely under-estimated the competitiveness of the class and with the weather continuing to conspire against us, we’re simply not getting the dry track time we need. However, the race was dry and it was successful for us in that my lap times improved all the time and I was able to move forward throughout the race. The Kawasaki ZX-10R has so much power so it’s all about being smooth and using the power properly. We’re making strides forward all the time so I am looking forward to the next round.”

Harry Hartley: “It was an eventful race as I nearly got caught up in the crash which brought out the safety car and then to crash out soon after was disappointing. We are just chasing a set-up as we have had so little time on the bike and it’s proving tough but we’ll get there. I’m a bit battered but I’ll be OK for my home round at Oulton Park next time out and hopefully we can get a result to reflect our hard work.”

Mark Webster, Team Owner: “James has been chasing a dry set-up all weekend which hasn’t been easy as conditions have been against us once more and his cause wasn’t helped by a holed radiator in session two. We ended up going with a completely different set up for the race and it was definitely a step in the right direction. His race pace was far better than that of qualifying so he was able to make some excellent progress in the race, moving forward all the time. Harry’s still learning how to ride a four-stroke and he’s improving every time he goes out on the track. Unfortunately, he was caught out by a bit of inexperience and with the tyres having cooled down during the safety car period, he crashed out. It’s good news that nothing is broken so it’s onwards and upwards and once again, full credit to the team for all their work.”

— Be Wiser Kawasaki

It was a much more confident and positive weekend for the Be Wiser Kawasaki Team at the super-fast Thruxton Circuit. In the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 class riders Josh Day scored a Championship point in 15th place and Josh Wainwright was in 17th. In the National Superstock 600 class the Be Wiser Kawasaki rider on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R gained a stunning fifth place.

In the Superstock 600 class Nick Anderson was having a great weekend building on his confidence and drastically improved his lap times on each session. He managed to put in a good time during qualifying and was eighth on the grid for the 14-lap race. He got a good start but the safety car was deployed on the opening lap due to a bike fire. The car was out for five laps and this bunched the pack together, Nick got his head down on the restart and he was soon locked in an eight bike battle for third place. He moved up to third at one point and then got slip streamed down the back straight. It was a fraught battle but he rode a very confident race and finished fifth.

Nick Anderson – “I’m so pleased with the result today, it was hard at Brands and I felt like I’d be thrown in at the deep end a little bit so to come here and qualify and race well is a real confidence boast. It’s a really competitive Championship and you really have to be on the ball out there. I was disappointed after Brands but to come here and finish fifth is great. The Be Wiser Kawasaki was awesome all weekend and I’d like to thank the team for all their hard work. I now know what I have to do and I am prepared to work hard and try and get some more good results. I can’t wait to get to Oulton Park now and get back out there.”

In the Superstock 1000 class the team were on the back foot coming from Brands Hatch and they were eager to improve on their results. Both Josh Wainwright and Josh Day had a good qualifying session but with the heavy rain on Saturday vital track time was missed. Josh Wainwright qualified well in 14th with Josh Day in 20th. Wainwright got a bad start and dropped back down the pack and was sat in 20th after lap three leaving himself a lot of work to do. He was soon running with team-mate Day and the pair battled their way through the close fought pack of riders. They continued to swap paint work throughout the race but Josh Day managed to get 15th and Wainwright was unfortunate to miss out on the points in 17th, the race was red flagged on lap 10 due to an incident.

Josh Day – “I’m really happy with how things have gone today at Thruxton and it’s certainly a step forward in the right direction. I am still struggling a little bit to get a set up that suits me but we have made massive progress and certainly moving in the right direction. I know I have to be a little more aggressive in the opening laps or you risk getting beaten up and losing places into the opening few corners. I got a little held up in places but my pace seemed really good and I was able to run some good lap times. The Be Wiser Kawasaki team worked really hard for me this weekend and some of the mechanics had some really late nights trying to get things sorted for me and I really appreciate all the effort they have put in for me. I’d like to get out and do a bit more dry testing before we go to Oulton Park in a few weeks’ time, I just need a bit more bike time and get some more dry laps under my belt to keep moving forward.”

Josh Wainwright – “I was a bit disappointed as I managed to qualify really well but I made a real mess of my start and it felt like half the grid came passed me and I was still sat there. I just didn’t rev it as hard as I should do and didn’t get off the line at all. I knew I had a lot of work to do to try and get back to my starting position and round here it’s so hard. I’m kicking myself really as all weekend I felt really happy and I was pleased with where I qualified for the race, I had a mega pace in the race and my times were good. The Be Wiser Kawasaki is brilliant, it’s a shame the race was cut short and red flagged as I might have been able to push for a points scoring position if I had a few more laps.”

Team Owner/Manager Alan Grieg – “After a disappointing weekend at Brands Hatch we came to Thruxton this weekend knowing that we had to be better and improve from what happened there. The weather conditions once again played against us and deprived us of some much needed track time.

It was nerve wracking watching the two Josh’s’ swapping paint work and I was just hoping they weren’t going to do anything too daft. Josh Wainwright really struggled with his start so that is something we really need to work on to improve and move forward as he qualified really well and this let him down and cost him some points.

I think if the race had run the full distance we had every chance of having both riders scoring points from this weekend but we know where we need to be with the bikes now and are feeling happy moving on to Oulton Park in a few weeks’ time.

I’m really pleased for Nick it’s a huge improvement and showed us what he is capable of, he rode well all weekend and qualified well. His race was fantastic and he showed he can battle with them, pass and improve his lap times and these are certainly qualities that will move him forward and it would be nice to see him in that podium position. It’s built his confidence and now he knows where he needs to be and what he has to do to be there.

We are very happy with how this weekend went compared to Brands and it was good for us also as this is the local round for our main title sponsor Be Wiser.”

— Qattro Plant Kawasaki

The Quattro Plant Kawasaki team were back in action at the weekend with round two of the 2013 British Superbike Championship taking place at Thruxton, Hampshire and although Chris Walker and Danny Buchan both endured an up and down weekend, they both scored points to boost their title campaign.

Weather conditions around the 2.36-mile venue were changeable all weekend and Saturday’s qualifying session had to be cancelled due to heavy rain meaning grid positions were determined by the free practice session of Friday afternoon. It placed Chris in eighth place and a superb start in Sunday’s first race saw him move up to fourth at the end of the first lap. Over the next few laps Chris alternated between third and fifth place but, just as an excellent result looked to be heading his way, a mechanical problem forced him out at three quarters race distance.

However, with a fifth place starting position for race two, he was determined not to let his excellent form go unrewarded and he was never out of the top eight during the second race later in the day. The race was interrupted on a number of occasions by the deployment of the safety car which made for a stop-start race and it was eventually ended early on the 13th lap with Chris in seventh place. The nine points moved him on to 26 in total and joint seventh overall in the Championship table.

Team-mate Danny Buchan had an equally up and down weekend but after two DNFs at the opening round at Brands, he put that behind him and was deservedly rewarded with his first points of the season. After qualifying inside the top 15, he was able to take a solid 13th place and three points in the first race only to then also suffer with a mechanical problem and retire from race two when, again, handily placed.

National Superstock 1000cc Championship contender Kyle Wilks had a superb outing and came home in an excellent 12th place whilst James Hillier and Steve Heneghan gained more valuable track time as their preparation for the forthcoming International road races continued.

Pete Extance, Team Manager: “It’s been another mixed weekend of results for the team. Chris was on the pace all weekend and was really unlucky to have a mechanical problem whist holding onto a superb fourth place with just five laps to go in race one. Race two saw him put in another great effort though to finish seventh and move to joint seventh in the Championship table.”

“Danny also showed good pace and after a torrid Brands Hatch meeting a week ago he scored good points with a solid 13th in race one. Unfortunately, he suffered from a loss of power in race two and had to pull in so hopefully his luck will change next time out at Oulton Park. In the Superstock 1000 cc race, Kyle impressed us all with a superb 12th place in only his second 1000cc outing at BSB level. It’s been a hectic start to the season and the team have now earned a few weeks off before round three at Oulton Park.”

— Gearlink Kawasaki

The MCE British Superbike season was action packed in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Thruxton this weekend. With the scheduled sprint race cancelled on Saturday due to heavy rain the Gearlink Kawasaki riders Alastair Seeley and Ben Wilson had two races on the Sunday and both achieving very good results, Alastair second and third and Ben a second and third.

In the tricky conditions over the weekend it was Alastair that ended up on the front row for the opening race in third place with Ben only 0.4 behind ended the session in fifth. The opening race was scheduled to be ten laps and the racing was extremely close and five riders were battling for the lead. An incident on lap six forced the race to be red flagged with Alastair taking second behind Stuart Easton and Ben 0.5 behind Stuart.

The second race scheduled for 18 laps was just as frantic and with concerns over tyre wear they cut the race distance to 15 laps and once again another red flag saw it become a 13 lap race. Ben, Alastair, Billy McConnell and Stuart Easton were continually swapping positions throughout the whole race and produced some of the best racing seen in years. This time it was Ben up to second and Alastair in third when the race was stopped and declared a result.

Ben Wilson – “It’s been a good day for me and I’m really pleased for the results I got, Thruxton isn’t my best circuit so to leave here with two podiums is great. It’s going to be a tough season all year and who knows what is going to happen. I’ve really enjoyed being back out there and up there battling for the lead. It’s always hard here with the slip streaming down the back straight and some of the riders are a little smaller than me, in both races I wanted to make a move on the last lap but both were cut short. You never know what will happen in racing but I’m really pleased to leave here with good points, I’d like to thank my sponsors and also the Gearlink Kawasaki team they have all worked really hard at a track I’ve struggled with in the past.”

Alastair Seeley – “They were both really good races today and it’s always close at Thruxton, I managed to get a good set up early in the weekend which helped me as with the bad weather track time was limited on Saturday. I was trying to set something up for the last lap in the second race and was in a good position to make a move but it was cut short so had to settle for two podiums and I have left here leading the Championship so I am pretty happy. The Gearlink Kawasaki worked really well all weekend and we proved we have the speed to run with the Yamaha and Triumphs. Thanks must go to all my personal sponsors and also to the Gearlink Kawasaki team again for all their hard work.”

Pirelli National Superstock 600s

In the Pirelli Superstock 600 class the two riders Luke Hedger and Nicole Mc Aleer also had a good weekend. Current British Motostar Champion Hedger found himself locked in a position fighting for a podium place in the Superstock 600 race, the youngster had a glimpse of how competitive his class is and what it is like to run up with the front runners. He was really strong in qualifying and was sixth on the grid and finished in 10th place overall after been locked in a battle of eight riders for third place.

Nicole Mc Aleer qualified for her first race with the Gearlink Kawasaki team and during the race she was slower working through the field, sitting in 35th place before she was forced to retire with a technical problem.

Luke Hedger – “That was a tough race, every weekend I’m learning what an aggressive Championship it is and that I need to step up my game and ride like them. I was really pleased with how qualifying went and got a good start, I was soon being swamped from all angles and you have to be really aggressive out there to be in with a chance. I got terrible arm pump from half way through the race and this was causing me huge problems trying to hold on around such a bumpy and fast circuit. I’m learning at each round what I need to do and I can’t wait to get to Oulton Park.”

Nicole Mc Aleer – “I’m really pleased to have qualified this weekend with the Gearlink Kawasaki and each session I was able to improve my times. I was happy with my times through the race and each lap they were improving and getting better, I lost some time after the safety car went back into the pit lane and dropped off the pack. I had to pull in as I was having an issue with the bike which wouldn’t allow me to continue, we have made progress this weekend and I’m slowly getting my confidence back.”

Team Manager Michael de Bidaph – “Well we had two Supersport races and four podiums, I’m certainly very happy with that and it’s great to be back at the front of the field with both Ben and Alastair they have done a fantastic job.

We have always struggled a little in the past here so to get the results with have at a weaker track for us is brilliant. Alastair was able to find a good set up on his bike early on and with the weather conditions Ben found it a little more difficult but he was soon feeling confident with the bike after the team made some changes.

We were up there and battling with the other teams in both races and proved we can run with them on speed and it’s great as we’ve put in a lot of hard work over the winter to make sure everything is right.

Luke is coming on leaps and bounds in the Stock 600 class, his confidence is building and he also now realises he needs to be quite aggressive as they give no space or room for error. His qualifying times were good and he is making very good progress quickly on a new bike.

We’re pleased that Nicole managed to qualify and it is slowly building her confidence and she is managing to lower her times on each outing out on the bike we are really pleased with the weekend with all of our riders.”

— Johnny Blackshaw Report

Accident Advice Solicitors supported rider Johnny Blackshaw had a difficult weekend this weekend at the second round of the National Superstock 1000 class at Thruxton Circuit. Struggling to get to grips with his new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R the Newcastle university student was unable to qualify for the scheduled race.

Thruxton is a very fast and technical circuit and is very hard to find a good bike set up early in the weekend. They made a few changes to the bike after the first practice session but these changes could only be tested in the first qualifying session on Friday afternoon. With only a short session he was unable to find a set up that suited his riding style for the extremely bumpy circuit.

Hoping they would be able to make some overnight changes to test in the second qualifying session, this was not to be when the rain came heavily on Saturday and with the bike feeling better it was impossible to go faster than anyone did in the dry and was supposed to compete in the final shoot out race on Saturday afternoon, everything at the track was cancelled in the afternoon due to flooding of the circuit and this saw an end to Johnny’s weekend.

Johnny Blackshaw – “This is possibly one of the most depressing race weekends I’ve ever had during my racing career. I just couldn’t get the bike to feel right all of Friday and we all worked really hard on Friday night to get things sorted.

When the rain came on Saturday I knew that was my chance gone, I did get out on the Kawasaki and it felt so much better than it did on the Friday. I was gearing up for the shoot out race but it just wasn’t to be as the rain just got heavier and heavier.

I’m really disappointed and once again the lovely UK weather has played it’s part. I have to take what positives I can from this weekend and move onto my local round at Oulton Park and I need to feel confident going there. It’s a track I really like and I know the Accident Advice team are coming there to cheer me on so I hope I can get a good result for them.

I’d like to thank everyone that has helped and supported me up until now and just really sorry I wasn’t able to get out there and get them a result – roll on Oulton!”

— Mason Law Report

Mason Law once again made huge progress this weekend at round two of the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship at Thruxton Circuit and gained 15th place in the 14-lap race. The 17-year-old from Essex has never been to the very fast 2.4-mile circuit before and each session was a learning curve for him on the Chris Walker Race School Kawasaki.

He ended up qualifying in 26th in the dry qualifying session and was unable to get out on track for second qualifying on the Saturday because of the heavy rainfall. Despite missing vital track time the youngster was keen to progress in the race, he got a good start and did not get involved in any of the carnage in the opening laps and soon settled down and was making strong passes through the field and took over two seconds off his lap time from his qualifying time. He was looking strong and was locked in a tight battle with Adam Lyon for 14th place.

Mason Law – “I really enjoyed learning the track at Thruxton it’s super-fast, a little blind but good fun it’s just a shame with the weather that we didn’t get out on track as much as I would have liked.

I was getting to grips with everything and felt really comfortable about the race and getting a good result. I managed to get a good start and I did have to back off when I saw a bike bouncing across the track in front of me which thankfully I managed to avoid.

It was hard from where I was to see the lights on the safety car so it took me a little by surprise when it pulled in; I just got my head down and stuck with the pack in front of me. I was able to make some good strong passes into the Club Chicane and I’d been struggling there all weekend, we changed the pads and I felt mega into that corner during the race.

It was a really hard race and now I am beginning to learn my limits and how fierce the Championship is, I’m really pleased to have got in the points and all the hard work paid off over the weekend. The only tracks I have ridden at in the past are Brands, Cadwell and Donington so each time it’s all about learning, Oulton is another new one but I’m really looking forward to getting there and hopefully I can pick it up quickly and get some more points.”

— Joe Collier

Joe Collier riding on the Team Haribo Starmix Triumph had a difficult weekend at round two of the National Superstock 600 race at Thruxton Circuit. The youngster who took his debut win at Brands Hatch last weekend had a tough time at Thruxton and secured ninth place in the race.

It was a hard weekend and he had an off in the dry on Friday and then a small off in the wet on Saturday, despite this he still managed to qualify on the front row in fourth place for the 14-lap race. It was one of the closest races of the day with eight riders locked in a freight train for third place.

The riders was making the most of the slip streaming down the fast back straight but despite a small fuel problem on the Haribo Starmix Triumph Joe was able to be part of the freight train and finish in ninth.

Joe Collier – “That just sums up racing you can go from a complete high to a low in just a week. It was certainly a difficult weekend this weekend and I was having problems finding a good set up on the bike to try and carry on my results from Brands.

I had two crashes over the weekend which certainly dents your confidence but knew I had to try and get my head down and keep getting points at every round. I have to take the positives from the weekend and move on to Oulton Park in a few weeks feeling confident, it’s a track I really like so hopefully I can be up near the sharp end there.

All my team worked hard this weekend and I was sorry that I caused them so much work after my crashes, it just wasn’t to be but at least I took some Championship points home and I’m still lying in third in the overall Championship standings.”

 

 

Jacobsen
— Rain stops play at Thruxton Qualifying

Grid positions for Thruxton race one (based upon combined free practice times):
1:Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) 1m:21.626s
2:PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) +0.294s
3:Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.378s
4:Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.602s
5:Jakub Smrz (Padgetts Honda) +1.065s
6:Michael Rutter (Bathams Honda) +1.067s

Samsung Honda’s Alex Lowes will start from pole position for the opening race of the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Thruxton after the Datatag Extreme Qualifying session was cancelled due to track conditions following heavy rainfall.

The action had been suspended as race officials inspected the Hampshire circuit over an extensive period and MCE BSB Series Race Director Stuart Higgs explained: “Norman Williamson our MCRCB safety delegate and Adrian Johnstone our MCRCB chief steward and I have assessed the circuit. We are not in a position to restart so we have cancelled MCE BSB qualifying and the grid will be formed from the combined result from free practices.”

Lowes said: “It is shame that it is not a real pole position after a qualifying session, but I will settle for it as I was fastest here in both the wet and then the dry sessions so I am well set for the races. This is the right decision made in everyone’s interests; this circuit is really fast and these conditions made it unsafe. I just feel bad for the spectators and marshals who have stood out in the pouring rain.”

The grid has been decided from combined free practice times. Lowes’ fastest lap from the second session puts him on pole position ahead of Tyco Suzuki’s PJ Jacobsen as the New Yorker lines up on the front row for the first time at only his second MCE BSB event. Defending champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and Josh Brookes complete the front row of the grid.

Padgetts Honda’s Jakub Smrz heads row two on his debut at the Hampshire track with Michael Rutter (Bathams Honda), Josh Waters (Milwaukee Yamaha) and Chris Walker (Quattro Plant Bournemouth Kawasaki) line up on the second row.

 

— 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.”
— Snetterton Test Results (PDF)
— Snetterton Test Images – Gallery A – Gallery B – Gallery C –