— Shakey doubles at Brands
Race one:
1:Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2:Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.469s
3:Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +6.434s
4:Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda) +7.197s
5:Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) +9.172s
6:Chris Walker (Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki) +9.738s
Race two:
1:Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2:Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +1.583s
3:Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +2.265s
4:Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda) +3.104s
5:Noriyuki Haga (Swan Yamaha +9.261s
6:Alex Lowes (WFR Honda) +14.644s
Championship standings:
1:Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 266
2:Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 255
3:Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 246
4:Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda) 172
5:Tommy Bridewell (Supersonic BMW) 124
6:Noriyuki Haga (Swan Yamaha) 113
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race 1 10 laps
1 Glen Richards (Smiths Racing Triumph)
2 Jack Kennedy (Yamaha)
3 Christian Iddon (Triumph)
4 Luke Jones (Triumph)
5 Luke Mossey (Smiths Racing Triumph)
6 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki)
DNF Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Race 2 16 laps
1 Jack Kennedy (Yamaha)
2 Glen Richards (Smiths Racing Triumph)
3 Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing Triumph)
4 Christian Iddon (Triumph)
5 Ben Wilson (Kawasaki)
6 Richard Cooper (Triumph)
Championship standings (after 7 rounds)
1 Kennedy 243.5pts
2 Richards 234
3 McConnell 190
4 Wilson 175
5 Warren 129
6 Mossey 119
Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship (15 laps)
1 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
2 Keith Farmer (Kawasaki)
3 Adam Jenkinson (Honda)
4 Howie Mainwaring (Kawasaki)
5 Victor Cox (Kawasaki)
6 PJ Jacobsen (Suzuki)
9 Patrick Medcalf (AP Kawasaki)
Championship standings (after 9 rounds)
1 Farmer 131pts
2 O’Halloran 130
3 Cox 100
4 Storrar 98
5 Brogan 90
= Johnson 90
12 Medcalf 40
Metzeler National Superstock 600cc Championship (12 laps)
1 Jake Dixon (Yamaha)
2 James Lodge (Yamaha)
3 James Rose (Yamaha)
4 Ben Burke (Yamaha)
5 Matthew Paolo (Yamaha)
6 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)
9 Josh Wainwright (AP Kawasaki)
Championship standings (after 9 rounds)
1 Burke 145pts
2 Rose 130
3 Dixon 110
4 Jackson 104
5 Lodge 82
6 Blackshaw 72
Shane “Shakey” Byrne scorched to his first winning double of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship season at his home round on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit as he headed off rivals Josh Brookes and reigning title holder Tommy Hill in each of the races.
The former two times winner of the title came under pressure from title rival Brookes in both races but he held off the Australian Tyco Suzuki rider to give the team their first double win since returning to the championship.
Byrne was quick to praise the efforts of his team for their work on his bike: “These wins are down to real hard work by my team. The big thing is that they got to the bottom of some of the problems we had been having earlier on in the season and now we are getting the punch out of the corners and that is so important.
“I was riding as hard as I could all of the way – Josh kept me honest out there. It was a case of being as precise and careful as possible especially in the second race when Josh came at me on the outside at Paddock but I held him off.
“Then I had a bit of a wobble at Surtees, then missed a gear in the closing stages and I though they were going to do me, but I held on,” added Byrne who has now moved into second place in the overall standings eleven points down on Swan Yamaha’s Hill who finished both races in third place.
Brookes took a double seond place but the Tyco Suzuki riding Aussie said: “There were a couple of times when I wasn’t really thinking about anything else other than a pass on Shakey. I forgot who was behind me and I knew the only way to get passed was with a forceful move as he wasn’t making any mistakes. I tried around the outside at Paddock Hill Bend and then I think we even made contact at Druids but he just had that little bit extra on me today.”
— Paul Bird Motorsport
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider Shane Byrne thrust himself firmly into championship contention when he rocketed to a superb double victory in round seven of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at a sun-kissed Brands Hatch today.
The Isle of Sheppey rider claimed his first pole position of the season and then led both 18-lap races from start to finish and after fending off a challenge from Yamaha’s Noriyuki Haga and then the Suzuki of Josh Brookes in the opening race, Byrne comfortably controlled the second race to win from Brookes and championship leader Tommy Hill to consolidate second place in the standings.
More importantly, the double British Champion’s first double of the season has secured his slot in the end of season Showdown meaning he is guaranteed a tilt at the title and with the two wins, has closed to within three Podium Credits of defending champion Hill which will prove vital in the final standings.
Team mate Stuart Easton was returning to the Penrith-based Paul Bird Motorsport team after missing two rounds following a leg injury and claimed a deserved eighth position in the opening race. However, it turned sour in the second race when the Scot, from Hawick, crashed out of fourth place at high speed early on, luckily without further injury.
Ulsterman Keith Farmer maintained his lead in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship with a battling second place but the Clogher, Co Tyrone rider had to give best to Aussie Jason O’Halloran who in winning, reduced Farmer’s lead to a single point going into the next round at Cadwell Park in five weeks time.
Shane Byrne: “A double victory is always good but to do it at my home circuit, in the sunshine and in front of a big local crowd is fantastic. We knew we had work to do after Oulton Park and the team have worked their butts off to address the problems we had so they deserve this as much as anyone. We have scored some good Podium Credits this weekend and it’s vital we continue that into Cadwell Park next month as there’s still a long way to go in this championship.”
Stuart Easton: “I was reasonably happy with race one after missing a couple of rounds and was running well in the second race when I hit a false neutral and crashed out. It was totally my fault and I’m feeling a bit sore but at least I didn’t reinjure any of my old wounds and I’ll be fighting fit for Cadwell in five weeks time.”
Keith Farmer: “I should be happy with a second place but when the guy who beats you is your main championship rival, it’s not so good. At least I’m still leading the championship but from now on, I’m only interested in wins starting at Cadwell Park.”
Johnny Mowatt, Crew Chief: “Shakey has been on fire all weekend and has done an exceptional job for us with a double victory and pole position to secure a place in The Showdown. Stuart rode well in race one but was unlucky to crash out in race two and hopefully he’ll bounce back at Cadwell. Usually, a podium for Keith would be a great result but he conceded points to reduce his lead but overall, it’s been a good day for the team.”
— AP Kawasaki
The AP Kawasaki team enjoyed a strong day in the sunshine at Brands Hatch today with both Patrick Medcalf and Josh Wainwright posting top ten results in their respective Metzeler National Superstock 1000 and 600 Championship races.
A poor start wasn’t enough to dampen Medcalf’s race in the 1000 category and after dropping from his ninth spot on the grid to as low as 17th in the opening few laps, he battled back to finish an impressive ninth. The Australian rider showed true grit and determination throughout the race, making up several spots on the last few laps after a safety car closed the field up.
In the 600 category, a sixth place qualifying position saw Wainwright in with a strong chance of running with the leaders, however a slightly disappointing start saw him drop two places to eighth in the first few laps. Despite this set back, the Thamesmead rider battled hard to bridge the gap to the leading seven riders and by mid-race he was lying in sixth spot on the tail of the front-runners. Frustratingly, a grip issue in the second half of the race saw him struggle for grip and he dropped back to ninth, a place he held until the end of the race.
Patrick Medcalf: “A top ten position is a good result considering I didn’t get a good start and I was grateful for the safety car intervention. It was a tough race with lots happening so we can hopefully improve at Cadwell Park next time out.”
Josh Wainwright: “The race was going well until lap four when the tyre started to go off. I tried really hard in the first few laps and must have overworked the rear as I had no side grip either on or off the throttle. I hung on as best I could but lost a bit more time when Estment crashed in front of me so ninth is not where I wanted to be. A top six finish would have been nice but the team is happy so we’ll aim for higher next time out.”
Alan Greig: “Both riders qualified well but Josh went backwards in the race sadly complaining of a lack of grip once more. It’s the second race in succession that it’s happened so we’re planning on doing some testing over the next few weeks to see if we can get a better balance and set-up with the bike to avoid it happening again.
“Patrick spent a lot of the weekend watching the racing to work out how he could get some decent racing lines so he was very disappointed to have made a poor start but he did an amazing job in the race. He fought his way through the pack and once again showed some amazing race craft. Two top ten finishes is something to celebrate so it’s been a good weekend for the team.
“I must add that prior to Oulton Park, Freddie Russo decided he no longer wanted to continue racing and although I suggested he missed the meeting to gather his thoughts, I’m sad to say he’s decided to call it a day and retire from the sport. Freddie’s been with the team since day one and he’s been a valued member of the team so we’re all going to miss working with him.”
— Smiths Triumph
The Smiths Racing Triumph team enjoyed a successful return to the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent with Glen Richards maintaining his championship challenge with a first and second place in the two Motorpoint British Supersport races as team-mate Billy McConnell also added a podium to ensure the team’s strong presence on the rostrum.
Even a track invasion by a rogue squirrel wasn’t enough to distract Richards from taking a hard fought win in the first Supersport race. After a race long battle with Jack Kennedy, during which the pair traded places on several occasions, Richards’ bravery into Stirling’s Bend on the last lap saw him take the lead, a position he managed to hold to the finish line by the narrowest of margins. McConnell and Mossey spent the race in a four bike dice for third position before an incident on the last lap saw McConnell fall at Westfield Bend and third team member Luke Mossey finish fifth.
Race two looked set to be a carbon copy of race one as Richards and Kennedy fought for the lead. Having followed Kennedy, Richards slipped past at Paddock Hill on lap nine to take the lead before a red flag brought a stop to the race. The shortened six lap re-start saw the pair renew their rivalry, a fight that saw Richards narrowly beaten into second with McConnell in third and Mossey eighth.
The results see Richards in second position in the standings just 9.5 points behind leader Kennedy with McConnell in third, 44 points adrift of his fellow Australian. Luke Mossey holds sixth in the standings.
Having just missed out on a top ten qualifying position, Johnny Blackshaw improved on his grid slot in the first few laps of the Metzeler National Superstock 600 race, working his way up from eleventh to ninth spot by mid-race. Continuing his fine ride, the Stretton rider took a further two positions in the last half of the race to finish seventh at the flag.
Glen Richards: “I could see I was a lot quicker into Stirling’s than Jack in the first race so decided to stay behind him through there and surprise him on the last lap. You always have a plan during a race but they don’t always work. Luckily for me, that one did. With the second race being such a short sprint, it was always going to be a lot harder as our bike works better in the longer races whilst Jack’s also very good on hard tyres. First and second is good for the championship though and the bike was awesome all weekend.”
Billy McConnell: “I don’t really know what happened with the crash in the first race but I was able to bounce back well in the second. I was riding terribly in the first part so the red flag did me a favour. We made one click on the rebound on the suspension, which is nothing, but it transformed the bike and I felt better straightaway. After lying in the gravel trap in the morning race, third is definitely a good way to end the weekend.”
Luke Mossey: “The clash with Billy in the first race was unfortunate and the last thing you want to do is cause a problem for your team mate but these things happen in the heat of battle. I’d have liked to have been challenging for a podium this weekend so we will work hard and come back stronger at Cadwell in five weeks time.”
Johnny Blackshaw: “I had another rubbish qualifying session and didn’t ride well at all so it was hard work coming through from a long way back on the grid. It’s hard to bridge the gap whilst I don’t think my size helps as I’m a fair bit bigger and heavier than a lot of the other riders. I was happy with how I rode in the race though and came through well so I don’t think I could have pushed any harder. It was hard work in the warm weather but it was a good seventh place and the bike and chassis were superb so hopefully we can improve again at Cadwell.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “It’s definitely been a better weekend than what it was here in April and it’s nice to come back and get the results we know the boys are capable of. Qualifying couldn’t have gone any better but the sprint race was bittersweet for us with Glen winning and Billy crashing out. We still haven’t got to the bottom of what happened in the crash but it was an excellent result for Glen whilst Luke rode really, really well, one of the best rides I think he’s had this season.
“In the second race, six laps isn’t long but Glen rode a smart race whilst Billy put right the mishap of earlier in the day and with all three riders in the top six of the championship, we can go into the break in a very good position. Johnny’s made real good progress this weekend too and his confidence is building all the time after the heavy crashes he had earlier in the year. He’s now posting some good, consistent results so if we can get his qualifying performances better and have him higher up the grid, he’ll be rewarded even more.”