Tommy Hill – Worx Crescent Suzuki 2010

This weekend saw the first of the three rounds of the title showdown for the British Superbike championship of 2010 with Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty sharing the wins of the day.

Race One

The Worx Crescent Suzuki rider Tommy Hill crossed then line to take the chequered flag in race 1 of the day at Croft followed by Michael Laverty on the Relentless Suzuki, just a tenth of a second behind.

The safety car was deployed on lap 1 following a crash at Clerveaux of David Johnson, who although battered and bruised didn’t appear to have any serious injuries.  At the restart of the race it was Michael Laverty that took to the front of the pack followed by Hill, Michael Rutter, James Ellison and Dan Linfoot.

Within two corners, Hill had put his Suzuki ahead of Laverty and attempted to create a gap, while on lap 5, Simon Andrews made his move past Dan Linfoot to slot into seventh place.

The HM Plant Honda rider Ryuichi Kiyonari dropped several places after running straight-on at Tower Corner, finding himself down in 22nd place.

On lap 9, Alistair Seeley was passed by the second HM Plant Honda of Josh Brookes before crashing his Relentless Suzuki at the hairpin.

Michael Rutter crashed his Ridersmotorcyles.com Ducati on lap 13, losing the front end at the hairpin as Hill’s lead on Laverty increased to six-tenths of a second.

Hill took the win ahead of Laverty in second, Stuart Easton in third, Simon Andrews in fourth, Dan Linfoot in fifth, Josh Brookes in sixth, Loris Baz (replacement rider for Andrew Pitt) in seventh, John Laverty in eighth, Chris Walker in ninth and Gary Mason in tenth.

Here are the results;

1.  Tommy Hill  GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki  27mins 43.359s
2. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +0.155s
3. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +10.177s
4. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +13.512s
5. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +14.742s
6. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +15.407s
7. Loris Baz FRA Motorpoint Yamaha +21.044s
8. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +25.983s
9. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +26.304s
10. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +26.670s
11. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +31.454s
12. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +35.436s
13. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +40.448s
14. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +43.184s
15. Hudson Kennaugh RSA Splitlath Aprilia +45.526s

25. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda 17 laps completed
26. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda 13 laps completed
27. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki 8 laps completed
28. David Johnson AUS Becsport Suzuki 0 laps completed

Race Two

In race two, it was the Irishman Michael Laverty that took the chequered flag for the Relentless Suzuki team ahead of Tommy Hill.

Laverty took the lead as the lights went out followed by Stuart Easton on the Swan Honda ahead of Hill and the second Swan Honda of James Ellison with Michael Rutter in hot pursuit.

Easton didn’t make it easy for Hill to get past giving Laverty time to create a gap from his lead position.  As Josh Brookes, who had struggled with illness all weekend, managed to catch-up with Ellison after starting from ninth on the grid, he was passed by Tommy Bridewell on the inside at the hairpin.  Only two laps later he was passed by Dan Linfoot and Simon Andrews and by the halfway point of the race, his team-mate Kiyonari also got ahead of him.

Rutter and Ellison were battling for fourth place with Rutter winning the contest until the final lap when Kiyonari passed both riders.

Laverty took the victory ahead of Hill in second, Stuart Easton again in third, Kiyonari in fourth, Rutter in fifth, Ellison in sixth, Bridewell in seventh, Brookes in eighth, Linfoot in ninth and Andrews in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. Michael Laverty  GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki  25mins 42.670s
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +0.202s
3. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +8.534s
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +9.590s
5. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +9.833s
6. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +10.138s
7. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +10.730s
8. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +11.619s
9. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +12.412s
10. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +16.489s
11. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +17.680s
12. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +27.340s
13. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +27.714s
14. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +29.477s
15. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +31.153s

27. Loris Baz FRA Motorpoint Yamaha 10 laps completed
28. David Johnson AUS Becsport Suzuki 0 laps completed

Loris Baz – Superstock 600 – 2008

Loris Baz has been appointed as the replacement rider for the injured Andrew Pitt at this weekends round of the British Superbike championship at Croft alongside Dan Linfoot.

Pitt broke his collarbone at the Brands Hatch round of the championship and now the Frenchman has been given the chance to get aboard the Motorpoint Yamaha teams YZF-R1 which he tested for the first time on Wednesday.

Team boss Rob McElnea said;

“We have a lot to look forward to this weekend at Croft, this is Dan’s local track and our bike should work very well. It is Loris’s first time at BSB and on a Superbike so we are all keen to get the weekend started.

This will be a baptism of fire for Loris, he knows the pace will be hot and he cannot wait to get on track. We want him to take things step by step and enjoy the whole experience. He tested yesterday at Mallory and put together a good performance. On the bike you would never imagine he is only 17 years-old so I am sure he will get a good welcome.”

Brands Hatch 2010 Race 1

This weekend saw the triple header take place at the circuit of Brands Hatch in Kent with Alastair Seeley winning the Saturday race and Tom Sykes taking both wins on Sunday.

Race 1 (Saturday)

The Saturday race began with Michael Rutter, who qualified in pole position, leading the two HM Plant Honda riders Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonari until the mid-way stage.

Rutter looked to be on to take his second win of the season until the rain began leading to the race being red flagged and a wet race being called.  As the newly shortened 10 lap race restarted it was Rutter who once again led the pack into the first bend ahead of Kiyonari.

Alastair Seeley had moved up from sixth place on the grid to during the first few bends to pass Rutter as they headed into the Graham Hill bend leaving the Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati rider and Kiyonari to chase him down.

Rutter was left to settle for second position followed by Kiyonari in third, Josh Brookes in fourth, Tom Sykes in fifth, Michael Laverty in sixth, James Ellison in seventh, Yukio Kagayama in eighth, John Laverty in ninth and Ian Lowry in tenth.

Tommy Hill was forced to start from the back of the grid for the re-start of the race after failing to line-up in time and could only manage a fifteenth place finish.

Here are the results;

1.  Alastair Seeley  GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki  16mins 22.271s
2. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +0.298s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +1.470s
4. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +2.926
5. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki SRT +14.320s
6. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +17.241s
7. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +21.713s
8. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +23.516s
9. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +24.738s
10. Ian Lowry GBR Kawasaki SRT +26.213s
11. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +27.731s
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Tyco Honda +29.819s
13. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +29.897s
14. Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia +33.393s
15. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +34.253s
16. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Spike Suzuki +35.063s
17. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +36.407s
18. David Johnson AUS Becsport Suzuki +37.148s
19. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +37.428s
20. Hudson Kennaugh RSA Splitlath Aprilia +40.478s
21. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +45.684s
22. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +45.854s
23. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +48.342s
24. Pauli Pekkanen FIN 777 RR Motorsport Suzuki +50.388s
25. Craig Fitzpatrick GBR Close Print Finance Honda +1min 24.983s
26. Michael O’Brien GBR Motomob/O’Brien Yamaha +1min 29.226s

DNS Steve Heneghan IRL Quattro Plant Honda

Race 2 (Sunday)

Race 2 was also split into two parts after race 1 winner Alastair Seeley high-sided coming out of Surtees on lap 4, although the rider was uninjured his Relentless Suzuki was left stranded on the crest of the Hill and unseen by Andrew Pitt who caught the wheel.  Pitt was thrown heavily from his Motorpoint Yamaha forcing the race to be stopped while he was attended to at the side of the track by the medical team before being taken to the medical centre.  Pitt was transferred to hospital and has been diagnosed with a collarbone broken in three places.

The re-start consisted of 14 laps but was missing the second HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes who had crashed out at Druids whilst leading the race and had returned to the pits meaning that he would not be able to take part in the second start.

Michael Rutter was on pole position ahead of Kiyonari, Sykes and Michael Laverty but it was Sykes that moved into second position, passing Kiyonari before the end of the first lap.  Sykes then began to chase down the race leader Rutter before passing him on lap 4.

Kiyonari managed to get past Rutter and was tailing Sykes but could not get close enough to pass the Kawasaki rider leaving him to finish in second place with Rutter in third.  Michael Laverty crossed the line in fourth ahead of James Ellison in fifth, Tommy Hill in sixth, Stuart Easton in seventh, Yukio Kagayama in eighth, Dan Linfoot in ninth and Gary Mason in tenth.

Here are the results;

1.  Tom Sykes  GBR Kawasaki SRT  20mins 19.948secs
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +1.118s
3. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +3.497s
4. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +4.000s
5. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +4.189s
6. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +11.142s
7. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +11.812s
8. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +11.937s
9. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +15.507s
10. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +15.637s
11. Ian Lowry GBR Kawasaki SRT +20.513s
12. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +25.373s
13. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +27.994s
14. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +33.430s
15. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +33.629s

Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha
Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki
Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda
John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki
David Johnson AUS Becsport Suzuki

Race 3

It was a fantastic day for the Kawasaki SRT team after the World Superbike rider Tom Sykes took his second win of the day at Brands Hatch.

It was Michael Laverty that started on pole position for race 3 ahead of Ryuichi Kiyonari and Tom Sykes but it was Kiyonari that took to the front as the race got underway.

Sykes soon moved into second position and began to chase down the HM Plant Honda of Kiyonari who was unable to get away from the approaching Kawasaki.  Sykes managed to get into the slipstream of the Honda and slide through into the lead on lap 5 leaving Kiyonari to once again finish in second place ahead of Michael Rutter in third.

Michael Laverty crashed out on lap 14 while challenging Rutter for the final step of the podium and Alastair Seeley also had his second fall of the day at Paddock Hill Bend.

Tommy Hill crossed the line in fourth place followed by James Ellison, Josh Brookes, Yukio Kagayama, Stuart Easton, John Laverty and Simon Andrews.

Ryuichi Kiyonari is now leading the championship standings ahead of Tommy Hill and Josh Brookes.

Here are the results;

1.  Tom Sykes  GBR Kawasaki SRT  28mins 56.799secs
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +0.563s
3. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +4.788s
4. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +6.531s
5. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +11.804s
6. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +11.910s
7. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +13.927s
8. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +20.929s
9. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +21.181s
10. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +25.089s
11. Ian Lowry GBR Kawasaki SRT +30.719s
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Tyco Honda +33.271s
13. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +39.166s
14. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +52.013s
15. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +52.699s

This weekend saw three races at the Snetterton circuit with the re-run of Race 2 from the Knockhill round of the championship taking place on Saturday and the two races from round seven going ahead as scheduled on the Sunday.

Race 1 (re-run of Knockhill race two – Saturday)

The HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes took the chequered flag in the re-run of the cancelled Knockhill race 2 on Saturday after passing his team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari on the final lap.

Kiyonari had dominated the race from the flag ahead of the Relentless Suzuki pairing of Michael Laverty and Alastair Seeley.  Tommy Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki had soon moved into third position passing both Relentless Suzuki riders as he chased down the leading HM Plant Honda duo.

Brookes was sitting in ninth place by the end of the first lap after a terrible start but by the seventh lap had passed Seeley, Michael Rutter and Laverty and was up to third place.  The HM Plant Honda rider was soon attacking Hill, passing him on the inside at Riches before going after his team-mate.  Kiyonari was defending his position but Brookes managed to make his way past on the final lap again at Riches to take his third win of the season.

Hill finished in third place ahead of Rutter in fourth, Seeley in fifth, Michael Laverty in sixth, James Ellison in seventh, Simon Andrews in eighth, Gary Mason in ninth and Tommy Bridewell in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. Josh Brookes  AUS HM Plant Honda  19mins 41.650s
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +0.594s
3. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +4.475s
4. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +4.989s
5. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +5.485s
6. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +5.889s
7. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +9.148s
8. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +11.305s
9. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +14.364s
10. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +14.386s
11. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +14.698s
12. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +15.007s
13. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +17.458s
14. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +28.761s
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +28.933s

25. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda 5 laps completed
26. Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia 0 laps completed

Race One - Snetterton

It was Michael Rutter on the RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati that took to the lead as the opening race got underway ahead of Tommy Hill, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Michael Laverty and James Ellison.

Brookes was back in sixth place by the end of lap one despite claiming pole position in the Swan Combi Roll for Pole after another iffy start.  By the fourth lap the HM Plant Honda rider had moved up to third while his team-mate Kiyonari was forced to retire from the race following a mechanical problem.

Hill had fallen back down the field running behind both Seeley and Ellison but was soon looking to make a pass on the Swan Honda rider which he succeeded in doing to finish the race in second place.

By lap 7, Brookes had passed second place man Hill before being gifted the lead 7 laps later when Rutter was seen slowing down with a gear shift problem on the Ducati.

Hill finished in second place followed by Seeley in third, Ellison in fourth, Michael Laverty in fifth, Tommy Bridewell in sixth, Chris Walker in seventh, Stuart Easton in eighth, Simon Andrews in ninth and John Laverty rounding off the top ten riders.

Here are the results;

1.  Josh Brookes  AUS HM Plant Honda  24mins 13.327s
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +1.472s
3. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +2.740s
4. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +3.757s
5. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +4.152s
6. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +15.640s
7. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +17.779s
8. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +18.417s
9. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +18.860s
10. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +19.131s
11. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +21.546s
12. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +21.838s
13. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +32.999s
14. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +34.969s
15. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +44.072s

DNS Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia
DNS Luke Jones GBR PR Racing Yamaha

Race Two

Josh Brookes was denied his third win of the weekend after a technical problem occurred seeing him retiring from the race on lap 12.

It was the Swan Honda of James Ellison that took to the front of the pack as the race got underway ahead of Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonari.

By lap 3, Kiyonari squeezed his way through on Michael Laverty before passing his team-mate Brookes seven laps later.  On lap 9, the Honda rider had managed to get past the leading Swan Honda rider Ellison as they headed into Riches.  Brookes was hot on the tail of his team-mate until he was forced to retire from the race.

Kiyonari was leading the race 1.3 seconds ahead of Michael Laverty, Rutter and Ellison until Alastair Seeley attempted a pass on Ellison taking them both out of the race.

Michael Laverty made a move on the leading man only to run wide and lose his second position to a stalking Tommy Hill.  Rutter finished in fourth place ahead of John Laverty in fifth, Simon Andrews in sixth, Chris Walker in seventh, Andrew Pitt in eighth, Gary Mason in ninth and Yukio Kagayama in tenth.

Here are the results;

1.  Ryuichi Kiyonari  JPN HM Plant Honda  26mins 52.964s
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +0.591s
3. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +0.954s
4. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +1.584s
5. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +3.897s
6. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +4.899s
7. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +6.127s
8. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +8.211s
9. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +8.349s
10. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +9.566s
11. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha 10.663s
12. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +12.146s
13. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +16.226s
14. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +17.302s
15. Hudson Kennaugh RSA Splitlath Aprilia +17.607s

DNS James Edmeades GBR Redline KTM
DNS Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia
DNS Luke Jones GBR PR Racing Yamaha

Michael Rutter – BSB – Knockhill 2010

The Ridersmotorcylces.com rider Michael Rutter claimed his first win in two-years at this weekends British Superbike championship and the first ever for the team.

The second race of the day was cancelled due to a crash under horrendous weather conditions which saw the first race restarted three times as the heavens opened.

The first start ended after heavy rain fell on the track with only 2 laps completed, causing a delay of the restart of 90 minutes as the downpour continued.  As the restart got underway an accident on lap 3 saw the second red flag as Chris Walker and Dan Linfoot crashed out spilling mud across the circuit which needed to be cleared.

At the third start it was Josh Brookes who led the pack from pole position followed by Michael Rutter and Ryuichi Kiyonari.

On lap 6 Kiyonari put his HM Plant Honda in front of both riders to take the lead but as a dry line began to develop on the soaked circuit, Rutter slipped past Brookes and was on the tail of  the Honda rider.

Rutter made his move with 5 laps of the shortened 15 lap race to take the lead remaining at the front until he crossed the finish line ahead of Kiyonari and Brookes.

Relentless Suzuki rider Michael Laverty crossed the line in fourth place followed by Alastair Seeley in fifth, John Laverty in sixth, Simon Andrews in seventh, Tommy Hill in eighth, Gary Mason in ninth and Chris Walker in tenth.

Rutter said after the race;

“This is brilliant, not just for me but for the team. It’s great to back as a championship contender and it’s even better to be standing on top of the podium again.

The conditions played into my hands a bit but I was desperate to get past the Hondas and run my own race. I know the race was shortened but it’s a win none the less in far from ideal conditions.”

As the warm-up lap of race two got underway the rain once again began to fall followed by a six-bike pile-up after Simon Andrews fell off his Kawasaki at turn 1.  As the clean up began and the rain subsided the wind began to gust across the track leading to officials to cancel the second race.

Here are the results;

1.  Michael Rutter  GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati  13mins 32.658s
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +0.577s
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +6.187s
4. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +9.363s
5. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +13.285s
6. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +18.708s
7. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +21.149s
8. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +23.233s
8=. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +23.233s
10. Chris Walker GBR CW Suzuki +28.717
11. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +29.831s
12. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +30.312s
13. David Johnson AUS Two Brothers BMW +31.077s
14. Christian Iddon GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +32.288s
15. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +34.394s

DNS Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha

Ryuichi Kiyonari – HM Plant Honda 2010

Ryuichi Kiyonari took the victory in both races this weekend at the Mallory Park round of the British Superbike Championship.

Race One

The HM Plant Honda rider Ryuichi Kiyonari qualified in pole position for the first race of the day but dropped back to third as the pack headed into the first corner.

Michael Laverty took to the lead from the start followed by Michael Rutter, Kiyonari and Chris Walker in fourth, however, the following lap saw the red flag waved following an accident between Martin Jessopp and Dan Linfoot.  Jessopp appeared to make contact with Yamaha of Linfoot and managed to get his leg caught up in the Motorpoint machine.  After being taken to the track-side medical centre, Jessopp is believed to have suffered a suspected fracture to his leg.

As the race restarted, Laverty once again took to the front of the pack followed by Josh Brookes, Rutter and Kiyonari. The Japanese rider soon passed Rutter while Brookes made his move stick on the race leader, with Kiyonari following two laps later.

Kiyonari finally got past his team-mate on lap 12 where he remained until the chequered flag was waved followed by Brookes for a Honda 1-2.  Laverty claimed third place ahead of Rutter in fourth, Stuart Easton in fifth, Chris Walker in sixth, Simon Andrews seventh, John Laverty eighth, Andrew Pitt ninth and Alastair Seeley in tenth.

Both Worx Crescent Suzuki riders failed to finish the race after Tommy Hill suffered technical issues on his machine and Yukio Kagayama had a huge high-side.  Karl Harris was another non-finisher after failing to complete a single lap on his East Coast Yamaha.

Here are the results;

1.  Ryuichi Kiyonari  JPN HM Plant Honda  23mins 42.274s
2. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +1.820
3. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +3.573s
4. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +3.753s
5. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +13.883s
6. Chris Walker GBR CW Suzuki +14.155s
7. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +16.175s
8. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +16.343s
9. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +19.469s
10. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +19.912s
11. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +21.571s
12. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +22.206s
13. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +37.820s
14. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +45.855s
15. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +46.402264s

16. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +46.900s
17. Christian Iddon GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +47.528s
18. Hudson Kennaugh RSA MAR Kawasaki +50.865s
19. Peter Ward GBR Astro-Chase SST Kawasaki +52.622s
20. Pauli Pekkanen FIN 777 RR Motorsport Suzuki +52.769s
21. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +1 lap
22. Craig Fitzpatrick GBR Close Print Finance Honda +2 laps

Not Classified

23. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki 8 laps completed
24. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha 7 laps completed
25. David Johnson AUS Two Brothers BMW 5 laps completed
26. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki 1 lap completed
27. Karl Harris GBR East Coast Yamaha 0 laps completed
28. Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia 0 laps completed
29. James Edmeades GBR Redline KTM 0 laps completed

DNS Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha
DNS Martin Jessopp GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati
DNS Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Spike Suzuki
DNS Steve Heneghan IRL Quattro Plant Honda

Race Two

For the second time of the day it was a HM Plant Honda 1-2 after Ryuichi Kiyonari won the final race of the day ahead of his team-mate Josh Brookes.

Kiyonari once again dominated the second race of the day despite being briefly overtaken by Chris Walker on the opening lap.

The second HM Plant Honda rider made his way past Walker on lap 7 before chasing down his team-mate but the Japanese rider got his head down and created a gap of more than three seconds between himself and Brookes.

Michael Laverty made it onto the podium for his fifth consecutive race after finishing in third place ahead of Michael Rutter who once again took his second fourth place of the day.  Chris Walker also took his second fifth place of the day followed by John Laverty in sixth, Simon Andrews in seventh, Tommy Hill in eighth, Tommy Bridewell in ninth and Andrew Pitt in tenth.

Here are the results;

1.  Ryuichi Kiyonari  JPN HM Plant Honda  28mins 20.065s
2. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +3.601
3. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +9.726s
4. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +10.819s
5. Chris Walker GBR CW Suzuki +19.126s
6. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +21.249s
7. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +22.812s
8. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +23.085s
9. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +23.326s
10. Andrew Pitt AUS Motorpoint Yamaha +23.950s
11. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +32.645s
12. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +39.495s
13. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +40.135s
14. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +43.289
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +48.414s

16. Christian Iddon GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +53.274s
17. Hudson Kennaugh RSA MAR Kawasaki +1 lap
18. David Johnson AUS Two Brothers BMW +1 lap
19. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +1 lap
20. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +1 lap
21. Pauli Pekkanen FIN 777 RR Motorsport Suzuki +1 lap
22. Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia +1 lap
23. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Spike Suzuki +2 laps

Not Classified

24. Karl Harris GBR East Coast Yamaha 0 laps completed
25. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +46.900s
26. James Edmeades GBR Redline KTM 0 laps completed
27. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +13.883s
28. Peter Ward GBR Astro-Chase SST Kawasaki +52.622s
29. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +45.855s

DNS Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki
DNS Craig Fitzpatrick GBR Close Print Finance Honda
DNS Martin Jessopp GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati
DNS Steve Heneghan IRL Quattro Plant Honda

Andrew Pitt – Supersport 2008

Andrew Pitt, the double World Supersport champion, has signed a deal to race for the Motorpoint Yamaha team from the Mallory Park round of the season.

Pitt will be replacing Ian Lowry, who was drafted in to ride in place of the injured, now retired Neil Hodgson.  The Australian rider has previously raced on an R1 after riding in the WSB series in 2006 where he finished in fifth place and has also competed in the MotoGP series.

Jonathan Rea & Noriyuki Haga – Valencia WSB 2010

Leon Haslam and Noriyuki Haga took the victory in the World Superbike races in Valencia, Spain this weekend in another thrilling round of the series.

Race 1

Leon Haslam on the Suzuki Alstare machine claimed the win in the first WSB race of the day after starting from fourth on the grid.

It was Troy Corser on the BMW Motorrad Motorsport bike that took the lead at the start ahead of Haslam, Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi. Newcomer Leon Camier slotted into fifth position as Corser made a move to the front before the end of the first lap before losing the place and taking it back again at the start of the second.

On lap four, Checa lost the front end of his Althea Ducati, despite his best efforts to keep the bike up and facing in the right direction he couldn’t make the next right-hander and was forced into the gravel, ending his race and passing the lead to Corser.

Haslam was leading the race with 19 laps left to run as James Toseland lined-up Camier, taking him a couple of laps later.  Camier had a spectacular crash on lap 8 of the race going into turn 7, forcing Sylvain Guintoli to take evasive action and putting him to the back of the field.

Michel Fabrizio on the Xerox Ducati and the second Althea Ducati of Shane Byrne were also out of the race after both crashed in separate incidents.

Haslam now had a clear lead ahead of Corser, Toseland and Biaggi, however, Toseland made an impressive move on Corser as he slipped into second place on lap 10.  Toseland and Biaggi swapped placed several times over the following laps until Biaggi made the move stick with just 4 laps left to run.

In fourth place was Corser followed by Haga, Jonathan Rea and Cal Crutchlow.  Lorenzo Lanzi finished in eighth while Guintoli had managed to battle his way back to ninth position after his earlier off.

Here are the results;

1 4 91 L. HASLAM GBR Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 23 1′34.787 297,5 1′33.961 295,9 25 110 1
2 3 3 M. BIAGGI ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 23 1.757 1′35.025 300,9 1′33.860 302,6 20 89 2
3 9 52 J. TOSELAND GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 23 3.621 1′35.007 300,9 1′33.988 295,9 16 41 8
4 5 11 T. CORSER AUS BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 23 4.209 1′35.100 295,1 1′34.059 297,5 13 42 7
5 11 41 N. HAGA JPN Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 23 4.378 1′35.329 297,5 1′34.100 290,3 11 54 4
6 7 65 J. REA GBR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 23 9.834 1′35.218 300,0 1′34.235 294,3 10 49 5
7 1 35 C. CRUTCHLOW GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 23 10.466 1′35.243 298,4 1′33.615 296,7 9 34 10
8 8 57 L. LANZI ITA DFX Corse Ducati 1098R 23 16.080 1′35.388 290,3 1′34.261 291,9 8 23 13
9 6 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 23 18.382 1′35.017 297,5 1′34.073 296,7 7 40 9
10 14 96 J. SMRZ CZE Team PATA B&G Racing Ducati 1098R 23 18.589 1′35.841 292,7 1′34.280 292,7 6 14 14
11 18 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX 10R 23 22.903 1′36.100 292,7 1′34.894 291,9 5 12 16
12 17 111 R. XAUS ESP BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 23 25.203 1′36.063 298,4 1′34.756 296,7 4 14 15
13 16 76 M. NEUKIRCHNER GER HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 23 25.676 1′35.910 302,6 1′34.934 294,3 3 8 17
14 15 99 L. SCASSA ITA Supersonic Racing Team Ducati 1098R 23 26.606 1′36.202 288,8 1′34.730 287,2 2 2 19
15 19 88 A. PITT AUS Team Reitwagen BMW BMW S1000 RR 23 43.797 1′36.241 297,5 1′36.088 291,1 1 3 18
16 22 95 R. HAYDEN USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX 10R 23 48.094 1′36.782 286,5 1′36.117 288,0
17 21 15 M. BAIOCCO ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX 10R 23 48.190 1′36.768 286,5 1′36.104 288,8
18 23 17 S. ANDREWS GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX 10R 23 52.863 1′36.360 287,2 1′36.329 287,2
————————————————–Not Classified————————————————–
RET 24 31 V. IANNUZZO ITA S.C.I. Honda Garvie Image Honda CBR1000RR 12 11 Laps 1′36.919 292,7 1′36.524 288,0
RET 13 2 L. CAMIER GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 7 16 Laps 1′35.104 296,7 1′34.273 296,7 32 11
RET 10 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 5 18 Laps 1′34.880 297,5 1′34.021 295,1 46 6
RET 12 67 S. BYRNE GBR Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 5 18 Laps 1′34.987 291,9 1′34.246 291,1 25 12
RET 2 7 C. CHECA ESP Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 2 21 Laps 1′34.750 282,0 1′33.840 288,8 60 3
RET 25 123 R. RESCH AUT Team Reitwagen BMW BMW S1000 RR 2 21 Laps 1′37.098 290,3 1′36.639 290,3

Race 2

Noriyuki Haga won the second race of the day after race was decided on aggregate after a huge crash just after the start, meaning it would came down to the final lap as the time-sheets decided who would take the victory after the restart.

British Superbike rider Simon Andrews who had been standing-in for the injured Kawasaki SRT’s Chris Vermeulen, collided with Vittorio Iannuzzo on lap 3 on the home straight.  He his the pit wall at considerable speed and was lucky to have come away with only a broken bone in his foot and a damaged heel.

Andrews said;

“Race one was OK and in race two I got a good start and was finding a decent rhythm. When Tom went past me, I was hoping to stay with him and gain some places but the next thing I knew I was hit from behind on the straight and can’t remember much after that.

“The team are saying I am lucky as from what I’ve been told it looked pretty bad on the TV but my left foot is a bit smashed up and pretty painful right now. I have broken the heel and top bone of my foot and have obviously a few bruises to contend with but overall I’m fine.”

Carlos Checa had the advantage as the restart got underway of 0.658 seconds over Jonathan Rea followed by Max Biaggi, Sylvain Guintoli, Noriyuki Haga and Leon Haslam.

Biaggi was away at the start followed by his team-mate Leon Camier in second place after starting from seventh on the grid.  By turn three, Camier was leading Biaggi with a clear track in front of him while Checa moved into second place on lap 7 but the positions were once again reversed by lap 10.

The race however ended in disaster again for Camier on lap 12 when he suffered his second off of the day going over the brow of turn 12, leaving Biaggi in the lead.

Haga was soon on the tail of Checa, passing him and Biaggi on the same lap to take his spot at the front.  Haga now needed to pull a gap to claim the win, he finished just 0.3 seconds ahead of Biaggi but had done enough to take the victory on aggregate.

Haslam finished the race in fourth place ahead of Shane Byrne in fifth, Rea in sixth, Toseland in seventh, Guintoli in eighth, Crutchlow in ninth and Jakob Smrz in tenth.

Here are the results;

1 11 41 N. HAGA JPN Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 23 1′35.070 1′34.100 290,3 11 25 79 4
2 2 7 C. CHECA ESP Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 23 0.025 1′34.681 1′33.840 288,8 20 80 3
3 3 3 M. BIAGGI ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 23 0.299 1′34.632 1′33.860 302,6 20 16 105 2
4 4 91 L. HASLAM GBR Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 23 10.100 1′35.122 1′33.961 295,9 25 13 123 1
5 7 65 J. REA GBR HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 23 12.811 1′35.335 1′34.235 294,3 10 11 60 5
6 6 50 S. GUINTOLI FRA Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 23 13.459 1′35.289 1′34.073 296,7 7 10 50 7
7 9 52 J. TOSELAND GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 23 14.845 1′35.263 1′33.988 295,9 16 9 50 6
8 12 67 S. BYRNE GBR Althea Racing Ducati 1098R 23 14.861 1′35.288 1′34.246 291,1 8 33 11
9 1 35 C. CRUTCHLOW GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda Team Yamaha YZF R1 23 15.202 1′35.168 1′33.615 296,7 9 7 41 10
10 14 96 J. SMRZ CZE Team PATA B&G Racing Ducati 1098R 23 18.071 1′35.498 1′34.280 292,7 6 6 20 14
11 17 111 R. XAUS ESP BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 23 25.179 1′36.083 1′34.756 296,7 4 5 19 15
12 5 11 T. CORSER AUS BMW Motorrad Motorsport BMW S1000 RR 23 26.116 1′35.284 1′34.059 297,5 13 4 46 9
13 8 57 L. LANZI ITA DFX Corse Ducati 1098R 23 30.189 1′35.817 1′34.261 291,9 8 3 26 13
14 15 99 L. SCASSA ITA Supersonic Racing Team Ducati 1098R 23 30.387 1′36.282 1′34.730 287,2 2 2 4 18
15 18 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX 10R 23 35.741 1′36.077 1′34.894 291,9 5 1 13 16
16 19 88 A. PITT AUS Team Reitwagen BMW BMW S1000 RR 23 43.244 1′36.115 1′36.088 291,1 1 3 19
17 16 76 M. NEUKIRCHNER GER HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 23 43.540 1′36.264 1′34.934 294,3 3 8 17
18 25 123 R. RESCH AUT Team Reitwagen BMW BMW S1000 RR 23 47.145 1′36.396 1′36.639 290,3
19 22 95 R. HAYDEN USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX 10R 23 48.502 1′36.748 1′36.117 288,0
20 21 15 M. BAIOCCO ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX 10R 23 51.838 1′37.004 1′36.104 288,8
————————————————–Not Classified————————————————–
RET 10 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098R 15 8 Laps 1′35.416 1′34.021 295,1 46 8
RET 13 2 L. CAMIER GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 12 11 Laps 1′34.668 1′34.273 296,7 32 12
RET 23 17 S. ANDREWS GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX 10R 3 20 Laps 1′37.854 1′36.329 287,2
RET 24 31 V. IANNUZZO ITA S.C.I. Honda Garvie Image Honda CBR1000RR 3 20 Laps 1′37.211 1′36.524 288,0

Makoto Tamada

Makoto Tamada is returning to the World Superbike series this weekend aboard the Reitwagen BMW at Portimao as a replacement rider for the injured Roland Resch.

The Japanese rider had signed to ride for the Pro Ride Honda squad this season but due to problems with funding the team have yet to begin, giving Tamada a chance to show what he can do for the rival team.

Resch suffered a broken collarbone at the opening round of the championship at Phillip Island, leaving the team with the solo rider Andrew Pitt until former WSB and MotoGP rider confirmed his place.

Tamada began a testing session on the Reitwagen BMW yesterday at the Jerez circuit which continues today before beginning his one-off racing weekend for the team on the 28th March.

Leon Haslam – Race One Winner at Phillip Island, Australia 2010

Last weekend saw the first round of the World Superbike Championship of 2010 take place at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia.

Leon Haslam claimed his first ever win in race one at the opening round after crossing the line in a photo finish alongside Italian rider Michel Fabrizio.  Noriyuki Haga followed the pair to take third place followed by Jonathan Rea, Max Biaggi and Sylvain Guintoli in sixth.

Leon Camier, the 2009 British Superbike Champion, finished his debut World Superbike race in eleventh place in his first race after qualifying down in sixteenth place following a fall in the Superpole session.  The British rider fought his way through to seventh place during the race until a mistake as he tussled for fourth place on lap 15 saw him take to the  escape road to avoid a collision.

Leon Camier – Phillip Island, Australia 2010

In an exciting second race of the opening round, Carlos Checa denied Leon Haslam his second win of the day, taking the victory on the final lap.  Checa got off to a poor start but had moved into fifth place by lap eight before picking off the race leaders with only Haslam ahead of him until the last lap of the race.  The Spaniard forced his Althea Racing machine up the inside of the British rider before the last left-hander and holding the lead to cross the line.

Haslam finished in second place followed by Fabrizio in third and Guintoli fourth.  Chris Vermeulen crashed out during the race and was seen following his bike hard into the tyre wall at the entry to Lukey Heights and was taken to the track-side medical centre where he was diagnosed with a badly bruised right leg and a damaged finger.

Carlos Checa – Race Two Winner – Phillip Island, Australia 2010

Here are the results;

Race One

1. Carlos Checa ESP Althea Ducati 1198 34mins 16.428secs 22 laps
2. Leon Haslam GBR Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 +0.307s
3. Michel Fabrizio ITA Ducati Xerox 1198 +0.434s
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 +0.837s
5. Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati Xerox 1198 +3.453s
6. Jonathan Rea GBR Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +11.530s
7. Troy Corser AUS BMW Motorrad S1000RR +12.068s
8. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 +13.782s
9. Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 +14.401s
10. James Toseland GBR Yamaha Sterilgarda YZF R1 +14.707s
11. Leon Camier GBR Aprilia Alitalia Racing RSV-4 +14.743s
12. Shane Byrne GBR Althea Ducati 1198 +14.851s
13. Lorenzo Lanzi ITA DFX Ducati 1198 +15.143s
14. Joshua Brookes AUS Echo-CRS Honda CBR1000RR +30.947s
15. Andrew Pitt AUS Reitwagen BMW S1000RR +41.866s

16. Max Neukirchner GER Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR +48.844s
17. Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA SCI Honda CBR1000RR +1min 06.888s
18. Roger Lee Hayden USA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R +1min 07.761s

Not Classified

19. Matteo Baiocco ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 17 laps completed
20. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 13 laps completed
21. Chris Vermeulen AUS Kawasaki SRT ZX-10R 7 laps completed
22. Jakub Smrz CZE PATA B&G Racing Ducati 1198 6 laps completed

Did Not Start

Ruben Xaus ESP BMW Motorrad S1000RR
Roland Resch AUT Reitwagen BMW S1000RR