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.

Josh Brookes - HM Plant Honda 2010

It was a great weekend for the HM Plant Honda team for the latest round of the British Superbike championship with Ryuichi Kiyonari winning the opening race of the day and his team-mate Josh Brookes taking the victory in race two.

Race One

In race one, Ryuichi Kiyonari took his first win of the season despite nearly losing his Honda in the closing stages.

Kiyonari led the field as the lights went out for the start of the race followed by pole sitter Tommy Hill, Michael Rutter and Stuart Easton.

Easton lost his position on the second lap after losing the rear of his Swan Honda at Charlies and was followed two laps later by Tommy Hill who went down at Hall.  The Worx Crescent Suzuki rider managed to ground an engine case on the Kerb racing through Hall Bends causing him to crash and the deployment of the safety car.

As the race restarted on lap 8, Kiyonari pulled away from Rutter who was being put under pressure from Michael Laverty on the Relentless Suzuki who soon moved into that second position and began chasing down the race leader.  Laverty worked his way past Kiyonari with just a couple of laps left to run but the position was soon taken back by the Honda rider, crossing the line to take the chequered flag.

Laverty took second place ahead of Michael Rutter on the RidersMotorcylces.com Ducati and Tommy Bridewell for an impressive fourth place on the Quay Garage Honda.

Here are the results;

1. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda 27m 35.356s
2. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +0.497s
3. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +1.877s
4. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +2.528s
5. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +5.168s
6. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +7.754s
7. Chris Walker GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +10.072s
8. Martin Jessopp GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +11.042s
9. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +11.953s
10. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +13.178s

24. David Anthony AUS MIST Suzuki Racing 13 laps completed
25. Christian Iddon GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda 8 laps completed
26. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki 3 laps completed
27. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda 1 lap completed

Race Two

Josh Brookes took the victory in the second British Superbike race of the day while his team-mate and race one winner Ryuichi Kiyonari was forced to miss out after his HM Plant Honda developed techincal problems on the warm-up lap.

Michael Laverty got the lead as the race got underway followed by Michael Rutter and Brookes but before the end of the first lap, Brookes had moved past Rutter for second place.

The Australian rider then made his move to take the lead on lap 2 where he stayed until lap 16 of race two when the red flag came out after Dan Linfoot had a big accident going up the Mountain.

On lap 13, Laverty, who had looked good for second position, made a mistake at the chicane which saw him riding across the grass allowing Rutter to close-up while he fought to hold off the challenging Tommy Hill.  Hill soon moved into third position before slotting into second as he passed Laverty on the following lap.

Here are the results;

1. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda 22m 15.411s
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +4.398s
3. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +5.675s
4. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +5.921s
5. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +10.465s
6. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +10.731s
7. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +13.663s
8. Chris Walker GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +19.568s
9. Martin Jessopp GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +1 lap
10. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +1 lap

24. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha 14 laps completed
25. Steve Heneghan IRL Quattro Plant Honda 7 laps completed
26. Chris Burns GBR Splitlath Aprilia 6 laps completed
27. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda Did not start

Stuart Easton - Oulton Park 2010

This weekend saw the British Superbike championship riders head to Oulton Park for a wet bank-holiday Monday outing with Stuart Easton and Michael Laverty taking victory in the two races.

Race 1

In Race 1, Stuart Easton, on the only Swan Honda of the weekend, managed to hold back a challenging Tommy Hill to take the chequered flag by just 0.058 seconds.

It was the first win of the season for Easton after a fantastically quick get away off the line, his team-mate James Ellison, was unable to race this weekend due to the injuries he suffered at the last round of the championship.

Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki had qualified in pole position and stuck to the tail of the Swan Honda for the entire race while his team-mate Yukio Kagayama, crashed out at Island bend on the opening lap.

Michael Rutter on the Ridermotorcycles.com Ducati was running in an impressive fourth place and attempting to pass the HM Plant Honda of Josh Brookes but ran wide and within a few laps was forced to retire from the race.

On lap 2, Ian Lowry on the Motorpoint Yamaha, crashed out at the Shell Oils corner ending his race followed moments later by Christian Idden on the Sorrymate.com Honda at Brittens.

The second HM Plant Honda rider Ryuichi Kiyonari had been running in fifth place until Alstair Seeley on the Relentless Suzuki began to pile on the pressure behind him, eventually making a move up the inside at Shell Oils corner on lap 9, forcing the Honda rider wide and moving him down to seventh.  Kiyonai later retired from the race.

John Laverty on the Buildbase Kawasaki and his brother Michael on the Relentless Suzuki, appeared to be racing each other on the track with Michael running wide on lap 16 of the race leaving enough space for John to get through and move in to fifth place.

Easton crossed the line for the win followed by Hill in second and an impressive John Laverty in third after a fantastic final lap.

Alastair Seeley finished in fourth place ahead of Michael Laverty in fifth, Josh Brookes in sixth, Gary Mason on the MSS Colchester Kawasaki in seventh, Chris Walker on the second MSS Kawasaki in eighth, Dan Linfoot on the Motorpoint Yamaha in ninth and Tommy Bridewell on the Quay Garage Honda in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda 28mins 55.815s 18 laps
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +00.058s
3. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +10.399s
4. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +10.843s
5. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +10.849s
6. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +11.073s
7. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +23.428s
8. Chris Walker GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +27.478s
9. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +35.997s
10. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +36.709s
11. Martin Jessopp GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +37.359s
12. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +43.608s
13. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +47.997s
14. Hudson Kennaugh RSA MAR Kawasaki +48.550s E
15. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +59.109s E
16. David Anthony AUS MIST Suzuki Racing +59.203s E
17. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +1m 04.680s E
18. David Johnson GBR TwoWheelTuning.com Suzuki +1m 12.038s E
19. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Spike Suzuki +1m 22.557s E
20. Pauli Pekkanen FIN 777 RR Motorsport Suzuki +1 lap E
21. Peter Ward GBR Astro-Chase SST Racing Kawasaki +1 lap E
22. Michael Howarth GBR Magic Bullet Two Wheel Suzuki +1 lap E
23. Michael O’Brien GBR Motomob/O’Brien Hifi +1 lap E

DNF. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda 12 laps completed
DNF. Craig Fitzpatrick GBR Close Print Finance Honda 6 laps completed E
DNF. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati 5 laps completed
DNF. Christian Iddon GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda 3 laps completed
DNF. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda 3 laps completed
DNF. Alex Lowes GBR Redline KTM 3 laps completed E
DNF. Ian Lowry GBR Motorpoint Yamaha 1 lap completed
DNF. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki 0 laps completed

Fastest laps:

Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda 1m 35.859s
David Anthony AUS MIST Suzuki Racing 1m 37.841s E

Race 2

Michael Laverty appeared to be the happiest man on the planet yesterday after sealing his first win in the second race of the day for the Relentless Suzuki team.

With very changeable weather conditions for the third round of the championship, Laverty rode a faultless race to secure his number one spot on the podium.

It was the HM Plant Honda rider Ryuichi Kiyonari who got to the front as the race got underway ahead of Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty.  However, Laverty was already on a mission and had moved past the championship leader to move up to second place as they headed to the Shell Oils corner.

Michael Rutter on the Ridersmotorcyles.com Ducati had moved into fourth place by the second lap before passing Kiyonari.  Rutter and Kiyonari swapped the position once again before Rutter made the move stick and Laverty slipped back to fourth place.

Michael Laverty crossed the line to take the victory on his maiden win ahead of an impressive Michael Rutter and third placed man, championship leader Tommy Hill.

In fourth place was Ryuichi Kiyonari followed by John Laverty, Alastair Seeley, Tommy Bridewell, Josh Brookes, Hudson Kennaugh and Adam Jenkinson.

Stuart Easton failed to finish in the second race after struggling for grip.  He was seen returning to the pits with a possible rear tyre problem but it later turned out to be a problem with the electronics and he later retired.

Chris Burns was forced to miss both races this weekend after his wrist injury failed to heal in time following the surgery only 12 days ago.  The Splitlath Motorsport Aprilia rider, found the practice and qualifying stints to painful to endure and was forced to withdraw on the morning of the race.

Here are the results;

1. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki 27mins 26.150secs 15 laps
2. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +06.000s
3. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +11.333s
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +16.029s
5. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +23.590s
6. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +27.258s
7. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +30.287s
8. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +30.823s
9. Hudson Kennaugh RSA MAR Kawasaki +32.463s E
10. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +54.950s
11. Chris Walker GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +56.620s
12. Martin Jessopp GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +59.748s
13. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Spike Suzuki +59.957s E
14. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +1m 10.760s
15. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +1m 11.833s E
16. David Anthony AUS MIST Suzuki Racing +1m 14.396s E
17. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Racing Yamaha +1m 35.805s
18. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +1m 44.656s E
19. Pauli Pekkanen FIN 777 RR Motorsport Suzuki +1m 54.437s E
20. Alex Lowes GBR Redline KTM +1 lap E
21. David Johnson GBR TwoWheelTuning.com Suzuki +1 lap E
22. Craig Fitzpatrick GBR Close Print Finance Honda +1 lap E
23. Michael Howarth GBR Magic Bullet Two Wheel Suzuki +1 lap E
24. Peter Ward GBR Astro-Chase SST Racing Kawasaki +1 lap E

Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki 1m 48.173s
Hudson Kennaugh RSA MAR Kawasaki 1m 49.813s E

James Ellison - Airwaves Yamaha 2009

This weekend sees the final round of the British Superbike Championship of 2009 taking place at Oulton Park with crowned champion Leon Camier aiming for another victory.

This weekends triple-header consists of one race on the Saturday with two further races on the Sunday at the Cheshire circuit.

The second Airwaves Yamaha rider James Ellison, will be aiming for maximum points to become runner-up in the championship against rival Hydrex Honda rider Stuart Easton.  Ellison has a 51 point advantage over Easton but if he fails to finish in the points at this round Easton will take the second place.

Although the pressure has eased off slightly for Camier, he feels that this weekend will see his team-mate riding his socks off and also expects to be challenged by the HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes.

Camier said;

“These past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic so I’ve not had a chance to sit down and really let the Championship sink in. But it does feel as though the pressure is off to some extent. The motivation to win is as strong as ever, although I know it’s not going to be easy. My teammate James is going to be fast straight away, as will Josh Brookes. The GSE Racing team has been incredible all year, so I know they’ll give me the best possible package once again.”

Ellison said;

“I’m so excited about this weekend, but also disappointed it’s the final round. The past three race meetings have gone better and better for me. We’ve made small changes here and there, and now the Airwaves Yamaha is really working for me. It’s a shame we couldn’t have got to this point earlier, but the Championship now belongs to Leon and all I can do is go out there, top Practice, and try and win all three races.”

Not only is it the end of the BSB series this weekend but also the end of the five-year partnership between the GSE Racing team and sponsors Wrigley’s Airwaves

Alastair Seeley will be on a full Relentless Suzuki by TAS this weekend after making his British Superbike debut at the last round at Silverstone.  The machine he rode at the Northampton circuit however, was the Suzuki specified to the newly introduced ‘Evo’ regulations, to be used in 2010, whereas this time out he will be riding the same machine as ridden by Ian Lowry and Atsushi Watanabe this season.

Relentless Suzuki by TAS 2009

After his impressive ride at the Silverstone British Superbike round last weekend, Alastair Seeley will be back on the Relentless Suzuki by TAS for the seasons finale at Oulton Park.

The 2009 National Supestock Champion, made his debut in the British Superbike series aboard the new Evo specification GSX-R1000 for the Relentless Suzuki by TAS. The specifically built 2010 machine featured a Superstock engine fitted into the full British Superbike spec. rolling chassis, with a Yoshimura EM Pro kit ECU.

Seeley retired from race one due to a bolt breaking on the rear shock absorber but scored a tenth place in race two on his first outing in BSB, with team owner Philip Neill saying;

“The job is done with the Evo bike,” team owner Philip Neill said. “Alastair proved a point that the new rules will work. Let’s park that now and see what he can do on the Superbike.”

The Irish man has now been offered the opportunity to impress the team boss on the same bike ridden by Ian Lowry and Atsushi Watanabe at the Northamptonshire circuit.

Leon Camier - 2009 British Superbike Champion

The 23-year-old Airwaves Yamaha rider Leon Camier, claimed the British Superbike Championship title at Silverstone yesterday after taking the victory in race one.

Race One

After starting on pole position, Leon Camier dropped back to fifth position as the race got underway, behind Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda, Josh Brookes on the HM Plant Honda and his team-mate James Ellison.

By the end of the first lap, Ellison had passed both Easton and Brookes to take the lead, while Camier got on with the job in hand, taking first Brookes and then taking advantage of Easton as he ran wide on lap 4 before chasing Ellison, who was now 1.2 seconds ahead.

With 16 laps of the race still to go, the Airwaves Yamaha swapped the lead a couple of times before Camier took the lead on the penultimate lap, passing Ellison on the inside at the Priory left-hander.

Camier held the lead and took the championship by 0.244 seconds and was presented with a #1 for his bike on his return to the pits.

James Ellison finished in second place followed by Josh Brookes in third and Stuart Easton in fourth.  In fifth place was Tommy Hill on the second Hydrex Honda, John Laverty on the Buildbase Kawasaki was in sixth, Sylvain Guintoli on the Worx Crescent Suzuki in seventh, Ian Lowry on the Relentless by TAS Suzuki in eighth, Simon Andrews on MSS Colchester Kawasaki in ninth and his team-mate Julian Da Costa in tenth.

Michael Rutter on the Bathams Ducati was out of the race on lap 4 after developing technical problems with his machine while Karl Harris didn’t even make the start as a mechanical problem occurred before the race.

The British Superbike Cup winner was Tommy Bridewell on the NB Suzuki after finishing in twelfth place while Cup champion Gary Mason finished in fourteenth for the Quay Garage Honda team.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 20 laps
2. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 0.244sec
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda 8.827sec
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 9.164sec
5. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda 18.278sec
6. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki 18.787sec
7. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki 18.933sec
8. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 22.408sec
9. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki 22.921sec
10. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki 24.682sec
11. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 30.923sec
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki 31.473sec Cup
13. Glen Richards AUS HM Plant Honda 35.532sec
14. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda 37.551sec Cup
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha 38.199sec Cup
16. Richard Cooper GBR Co-ordit Yamaha 38.780sec Cup
17. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda 40.462sec Cup
18. Dan Linfoot GBR Rob Mac Racing Yamaha 56.937sec
19. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki 1min 1.468sec
20. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda 1 lap Cup
21. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta 1 lap

DNF:
Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 18 laps Evo
Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki 18 laps
Howie Mainwaring GBR Team Maxxis Yamaha 11 laps
David Haire GBR JX Fuelcard Kawasaki 10 lap Cup
Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 9 laps
David Johnson AUS Jentin Yamaha 7 laps
Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda 7 laps
Michael Rutter GBR Bathams Ducati 4 laps
Karl Harris GBR SMT Honda 0 laps

Race Two

In the second race of the day it was yet again an Airwaves Yamaha on the top step of the podium but this time it was the turn of James Ellison.

Race two was red flagged before the end of lap one after a huge oil spillage caused chaos for the mid-pack riders on the approach to Abbey corner.

At the restart, which reduced the race to 18 laps, it was once again Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda that led the pack, ahead of Josh Brookes, Ellison and Camier.

Camier made a move to pass Ellison as the pair headed to the Bridge/Priory turns, firing Ellison up and regaining his position at the final chicane.  Ellison then moved into second place after passing Brookes at Abbey on lap 2 as Camier followed a lap later.

Camier managed to get in front of his team-mate again on lap 3 before chasing down Easton.  This time however, as he tried to outbrake the Hydrex Honda rider entering Abbey, he went wide and was forced onto the grass, dropping him back to ninth place with 14 laps left to run.

Within two laps, Camier has muscled his way back to sixth place as Ellison snatched the lead from Easton through Maggots.  With 9 laps to go, Camier passed Tommy Hill to take fourth place, 2.1 seconds behind his team-mate and then hunted down Brookes to take third and then second as he passed Easton on lap 15.

Ellison took the lead, 1.2 seconds ahead of his team-mate and leaving him with a 51 point advantage of the runner-up spot in the championship over Easton.

Josh Brookes finished in third place followed by Stuart Easton in fourth, Tommy Hill in fifth, Julien Da Costa in sixth, Simon Andrews in seventh, Sylvain Guintoli in eighth, Ian Lowry in ninth and Alastair Seeley in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 18 laps
2. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 1.200sec
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda 2.583sec
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 3.974sec
5. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda 9.774sec
6. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki 11.099sec
7. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki 14.340sec
8. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki 16.148sec
9. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 21.434sec
10. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 23.963sec Evo
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 24.269sec
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki 24.362sec Cup
13. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha 27.693sec Cup
14. Karl Harris GBR SMT Honda 28.296sec
15. Michael Rutter GBR Bathams Ducati 32.883sec
16. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda 45.709sec Cup
17. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda 55.170sec Cup
18. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda 1 lap
19. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta 1 lap

DNF:
John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki 13 laps
Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda 10 laps Cup
Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 10 laps
David Haire GBR JX Fuelcard Kawasaki 5 laps Cup
Dan Linfoot GBR Rob Mac Racing Yamaha 2 laps

Glen Richards - HM Plant Honda 2009

The British Superbike HM Plant Honda rider Glen Richards, is due to make his return at Silverstone next weekend after missing eleven races this season through injury.

Richards suffered a broken left femur at the Knockhill round back in July when he crashed with Ian Lowry on the Relentless Suzuki during qualifying.

The Australian has maintained his fitness levels during the five rounds that he was side-lined and has recently tested at the Silverstone circuit on a Superstock bike.

The team manager Havier Beltran said;

“We are happy to have Glen back on the HM Plant Honda for Silverstone, especially as he has worked so incredibly hard to maintain his fitness levels since the crash. He completed around 40 - 50 laps of Silverstone today on a Superstock bike and he feels 100% stronger than he did when he rode the bike before the Croft round.”

Stuart Easton - Hydrex Honda - Croft 2009

The British Superbike Championship headed to the Croft circuit this weekend with Stuart Easton taking the victory in race one and Leon Camier winning race two.

Race One

After leading several races this season and being on the podium in second place five times, the Hydrex Honda rider Stuart Easton took his maiden victory in race one.

Starting from third on the grid, Easton took his place at the front of the pack going into the first corner ahead of HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes and James Ellison on the Airwaves Yamaha.

Leon Camier on the second Airwaves Yamaha, moved back to seventh place as the race got underway but was soon back on the pace as he passed Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda and then Simon Andrews on the Confused.com Kawasaki.

On attempting to take Chris Walker on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha, Camier went wide allowing Andrews to re-pass.  The following lap, Camier once again tried to pass Andrews but went in to fast causing him to run straight-on, across the grass and into a ditch.  Camier rejoined the track but was now down in last place and had lost more than 20 seconds.

Andrews recovered from his earlier incident and was on a mission to get on the podium, taking Josh Brookes on lap 7, however, after such an impressive ride, Andrews was caught-up in an accident with only four laps remaining and was out of contention.

Easton and Ellison were in a race of their own, with Ellison right on the tail of the Hydrex Honda on the final lap.  Easton kept his nerve and took the victory ahead of Ellison with the returning Australian rider Josh Brookes in third. 

Ryuichi Kiyonari on the second HM Plant Honda finished in fourth place followed by Ian Lowry on the Relentless TAS Suzuki in fifth, Leon Camier on the second Airwaves Yamaha in sixth, Tommy Hill on the second Hydrex Honda in seventh, Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda in eighth, Julian Da Costa for Confused.com Kawasaki in ninth and Graeme Gowland on the Motorpoint/ Henderson Kawasaki in tenth.

Chris Walker ended the race early after a bizarre incident saw the handlebar of his Kawasaki break while riding at speed.

Here are the results;

1. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 27mins 06.092secs 20 laps
2. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +0.359secs
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +10.216secs
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +10.967secs
5. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +19.612secs
6. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha +21.436secs
7. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda +22.380secs
8. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +25.776secs Cup
9. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki 31.236secs
10. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +31.750secs
11. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +31.994secs Cup
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +32.034secs Cup
13. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +33.554secs
14. Karl Harris GBR Node4 Yamaha +44.160secs
15. Howie Mainwaring GBR Team Maxxis Yamaha +47.927secs

Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Did Not Start Cup

Race Two

Airwaves Yamaha rider Leon Camier was back on form by race two and took the win with an eight second lead on second place man, race one winner Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda.

After a better start for Camier, he was in fourth behind leading man Josh Brookes, Stuart Easton and Simon Andrews.  Camier passed Andrews on the first lap before getting past Brookes on lap four.  Easton was now leading the race having passed Brookes on the opening lap, but by lap six Camier had reeled him in and took the lead, crossing the line almost nine seconds ahead of Easton.

The second Airwaves Yamaha rider James Ellison, finally finished the race in fourth position after a terrible start saw him in seventh place.  He was followed by Simon Andrews in fifth, Tommy Hill in sixth, Ian Lowry in seventh, Gary Mason in eighth, Julien Da Costa in ninth and John Laverty completing the top ten riders.

The Airwaves Yamaha team are now guaranteed the championship for the 2009 season but it remains to be seen if it will be Leon Camier or James Ellison that walks away with the title, after the five remaining races left to run.

Gary Mason has been confirmed as the Mirror.co.uk Cup Champion for 2009 for the Quay Garage Honda team.

Here are the results.

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 26mins 57.535 20 laps
2. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +8.788secs
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +11.336secs
4. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +11.970secs
5. Simon Andrews GBR Confused.com Kawasaki +17.437secs
6. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda +17.589secs
7. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +18.043secs
8. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +25.331secs Cup
9. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki +27.433secs
10. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +28.579secs
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +28.975secs
12. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +29.241secs
13. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki +29.469secs
14. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +31.584secs Cup
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +37.176secs Cup

Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Did Not Start Cup

James Ellison - Airwaves Yamaha 2009

The British Superbike riders and teams were at Cadwell Park this weekend for round nine of the championship, with the Airwaves Yamaha riders Leon Camier and James Ellison taking the wins.

Race One

Simon Andrews on the Confused.com Kawasaki that took to the front as the race got underway but was soon passed by Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda.  Camier was running in third place when he tried to make a move on Easton but the Honda rider snatched the place back as he dived up the inside of the Yamaha.  Camier moved into second on the following lap before hunting down Easton and then passing him to create a gap.

Andrews made a mistake going into Charlie’s and was passed by the second Airwaves Yamaha of James Ellison, who had already passed the Buildbase Kawasaki of John Laverty.

Easton, Ellison and Ian Lowry on the Relentless Suzuki by TAS, were fighting each other for the other two steps on the podium, with Easton and Ellison almost touching in their battle for second.  Easton managed to hold off the Yamaha to claim second followed by Elllison in third.

In fourth place was Lowry, scoring his best place this season ahead of the two Confused.com Kawasaki’s of Simon Andrews and Julien Da Costa. The two Kawasaki riders were in a race of their own and after Simon had held his position for most of the race, Da Costa made his way past on the penultimate lap.  On the final lap, Andrews tried to retake his position but was too fast and forced both riders onto the grass.  Andrews secured fifth place ahead of his team-mate who took sixth.

Karl Muggeridge took seventh place for the HM Plant Honda team, holding off the Worx Crescent Suzuki of Sylvain Guintoli as they crossed the line.  John Laverty finished in ninth for the Buildbase Kawasaki team ahead of Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 26mins 38.546secs 18 laps
2. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +7.384secs
3. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +7.651secs
4. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +8.133secs
5. Simon Andrews GBR Confused.com Kawasaki +17.793secs
6. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki 18.126secs
7. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +25.398secs
8. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki +25.522secs
9. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +25.979secs
10. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +28.760secs Cup
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +30.488secs
12. John McGuinness GBR HM Plant Honda +32.582secs
13. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +34.734secs Cup
14. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +34.988secs Cup
15. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +44.779secs

23. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda 11 laps completed Cup
24. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta 8 laps completed
25. Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki 3 laps completed Cup

Race Two

Leon Camier crossed the line to take the second win of the day but he was excluded from the race after an incident on the final lap, gifting the victory to his team-mate James Ellison.

On the final lap of the race, Camier’s Yamaha was seen with blue smoke coming from the back.  Black and orange flags were waved but Camier remained on track and continued to the chequered flag where he was  disqualified for not stopping immediately on seeing the flags.

A statement was released by the team, stating that Camier mistakenly believed that he had until the end of the lap to come in.  The team apologised to Leon for the problem on his bike which turned out to be a small oil leak, and thanked him for his dignity and professionalism after learning of the disqualification.

Stuart Easton again took to the front as the race got underway while Camier passed the Buildbase Kawasaki of Laverty, with Andrews following his lead.  Andrews lost the place almost immediately as Ellison slipped up the inside.

On the following lap, Camier took Easton with Ellison making a copycat manoeuvre three laps later as Andrews then passed the Honda of Easton.

On lap 6, the safety car was deployed after the STP MV Agusta of Michael Howarth developed a huge oil leak, leaving marshalls to clean-up the track.  The safety car left the track on lap 9 and Easton made an immediate move on Andrews at Coppice, but Andrews snatched it back before the end of the lap.

On the penultimate lap, Easton moved in front of Andrews to take second place ahead of Easton in third.  Julian Da Costa finished in fourth followed by his team-mate John Laverty in fifth.

The Motorpoint Yamaha rider Chris Walker finished in sixth ahead of Sylvain Guintoli on the Worx Suzuki, Karl Harris on the Hydrex Honda, Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda and Tommy Bridewell for Team NB Honda.

Ian Lowry had been in ninth place on the Relentless Suzuki, putting in faster laps than both Easton and Andrews until he crashed out on lap 16.  John McGuiness was another non-finisher after retiring the HM Plant Honda with two laps to run.

Here are the results;

1. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 28mins 02.679secs 18 laps
2. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +4.099secs
3. Simon Andrews GBR Confused.com Kawasaki +4.584secs
4. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki +5.435secs
5. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +6.843secs
6. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki +7.239secs
7. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +12.836secs
8. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +14.833secs
9. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +15.100secs Cup
10. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +16.684secs Cup
11. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +19.920secs Cup
12. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +24.193secs
13. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +24.359secs
14. Howie Mainwaring GBR Team Maxxis Yamaha +24.769secs
15. Jon Kirkham GBR Rob Mac Racing Yamaha +26.729secs

Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha
Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Cup

Leon Camier - Airwaves Yamaha 2009

Leon Camier won all three races at the British Supebike Championship at Brands Hatch over the weekend, giving him a lead in the points standing of 113.5 over team-mate James Ellison for the Airwaves Yamaha team.

The first race of the weekend took place on Saturday with Camier taking the chequered flag ahead of Broc Parkes on the WSB Kawasaki in second and Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda in third.

Parkes led the field from the start of the race ahead of Karl Muggeridge on his HM Plant Honda debut and Camier as they headed into Druids.  Parkes team-mate Sheridan Morais, was thrown of his machine as he made an error trying to pass Tommy Hill at Stirling, he was unhurt.

By lap 2, Camier had moved into second place, passing Muggeridge and chasing down the leading man.  On lap 10,  he passed Parkes on the inside going into Druids and pulled away from the pack.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 26mins 15.747secs 18 laps
2. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT +1.901secs
3. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +11.495secs
4. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +15.461secs
5. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +15.840secs
6. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +17.959secs
7. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +19.646secs
8. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +21.033secs
9. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +23.195secs
10. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki +23.236
11. Michael Rutter GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +24.319secs
12. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +30.084secs
13. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +35.556secs Cup
14. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +37.052secs
15. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +37.204secs

Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki
Jon Kirkham GBR Node 4 Yamaha

Sunday

Race 1

Leon Camier led from the start on the Airwaves Yamaha, followed by Broc Parkes and Stuart Easton.  As Camier and Parkes began to pull away from the rest of the pack the red flag came out as David Johnson crashed his Maxxis Yamaha at Hawthorn.

Once the safety car came in Camier was off again followed by Parkes as the two soon created a gap between themselves and Easton.

Tommy Hill finished in fourth ahead of the second Airwaves machine of James Ellison and Karl Harris on the second Hydrex Honda in sixth.

Chris Walker struggled with some sort of problem on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha and retired just before the end of the race.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 30mins 36.823secs 20 laps
2. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT +4.534secs
3. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +7.775secs
4. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +8.713secs
5. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +10.072secs
6. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +12.688secs
7. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +15.025secs
8. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +16.575secs
9. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +19.466secs
10. Sheridan Morais RSA Kawasaki SRT +19.561secs
11. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki +20.297
12. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +22.112secs
13. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +22.179secs
14. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +24.535secs Cup
15. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki +41.291secs

Steve Mercer GBR MIST Suzuki
Jon Kirkham GBR Node 4 Yamaha

Race 2

Camier went onto win the third race of the weekend, beating the record number of wins in one season previously held by Niall Mackenzie.

It was Broc Parkes that led the way as the lights went out while Camier got off to a terrible start and dropped back to eighth place.  Karl Muggeridge was in second followed by the second Airwaves Yamaha of James Ellison in third.

Camier started to carve his way through the pack and on lap 3, had passed Stuart Easton, Tommy Hill and Michael Rutter.  On the following lap he nipped up the inside of his team-mate Ellison, and into third place as he began to chase down Muggeridge for second.

After passing the HM Plant Honda rider, Camier set about Parkes and eventually passed him on lap 15 before he once again, headed for the chequered flag for his fourteenth win of the season.  James Ellison managed to take his first podium of the season after passing Easton on lap 12, while John Laverty finished in an impressive fifth position after taking Muggeridge.

Here are the results:

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 29mins 05.284secs 20 laps
2. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT +2.272secs
3. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +11.587secs
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +13.884secs
5. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +21.338secs
6. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +21.395secs
7. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +21.891secs
8. Sheridan Morais RSA Kawasaki SRT +22.818secs
9. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +26.534secs
10. Michael Rutter GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +27.405secs
11. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +30.536secs
12. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +30.662secs
13. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +31.582secs
14. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +39.247secs
15. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +42.554secs Cup

Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki Cup
Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Cup
David Johnson AUS Team Maxxis Adept Yamaha
Steve Mercer GBR MIST Suzuki Cup
Jon Kirkham GBR Node 4 Yamaha