Michael Rutter

While Honda’s HM Plant rider Josh Brookes treated the spectators to a spectacular riding display at the Cadwell track over the weekend other riders were struggling to find a good set up, among them RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati rider Michael Rutter who has been in incredible form up to this point in the season.

The Ducati team had their work cut out getting Rutter’s bike to work around the Cadwell circuit, but the rider did manage two impressive, under the circumstances, fifth place finishes.

Having already secured a place in the final showdown Rutter will be relishing the final three rounds at Croft, Oulton Park and Silverstone. He starts the showdown on 510 points, just fifteen behind leaders Ryuichi Kiyonari and Tommy Hill and will fancy his chances as much as the next man for the Championship title.

With much talk about the inclement late season weather that may play its part in the final showdown, Rutter may even have the upper hand on his rivals, with the Ducati perfectly suited to the three remaining tracks and the rider himself loving to race at each of them.

RidersMotorcycles.com Team Owner Phil Jessopp said after the races on Monday;

“Michael and the team did a great job this weekend under difficult circumstances. We’ve achieved exactly what we wanted from the nine-round regular season – to qualify for the Showdown. Michael is riding really well and the bike is flying. We know that Michael goes well at all the final three circuits and the Ducati works well at each of them so we have to be confident of our chances in the fight for the 2010 BSB title.”

Looking forward to the final showdown, Rutter said;

“This isn’t my favourite place and it’s been a tough weekend for everyone in the team to get the bike working well around here but the ridersmotorcycle.com ducati crew has worked well and I’m pretty pleased with the results.

To be honest, with the new points system there was no point in risking everything just to pass the person in front of me. I’m qualified for the final as one of the six ‘Title Fighters’ and we’ve got as good a chance of winning the title as any of the other riders. The final three rounds at Croft, Silverstone and Oulton Park are all perfectly suited to the Ducati and are tracks I love to race on so I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

Josh Brookes

Race 1

Tommy Hill claimed his first win in four months at this weekends round of the British Superbike championship at Cadwell Park for the Worx Crescent Suzuki team.

It was the HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes that led the riders into the first corner with Tommy Hill right on his tail.  By lap 8, Hill had made his way past the Australian and held on for the win leaving a trailing Brookes and his team-mate Ryucihi Kiyonari to claim second and third respectively.

Michael Laverty crossed the line for fourth place ahead of Michael Rutter in fifth position and James Ellison in sixth.  Yukio Kagayama finished in seventh place followed by Alastair Seeley in eighth, Dan Linfoot in ninth and Stuart Easton in tenth.

Tommy Bridewell had his points disqualified after his collision with John Laverty on the final lap of race one.

Here are the results;

1.  Tommy Hill  GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki  26mins 25.609s
2. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +5.116s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +7.092s
4. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +12.522
5. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +14.623s
6. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +20.822s
7. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +28.158s
8. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +28.533
9. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +34.523
10. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +34.945s
11. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +49.900s
12. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +50.932s
13. Steve Brogan GBR Jentin Racing BMW +51.699
14. Gary Johnson GBR AIM Suzuki +54.599s
15. Tom Tunstall GBR Doodson Motorsport Honda +1min 04.821s

DQ Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +30.198s

Race 2

It was the HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes that crossed the finish line to take the chequered flag in the second race of the day at Cadwell Park.

Brookes took to the front as the race got underway but was passed by Tommy Hill before the end of the first lap followed by Ryuichi Kiyonari in second.

It was Brookes skill at ‘the mountain’ that gave him the edge over the leading two riders, giving him the lift he needed to get in front.

On lap 11, Brookes passed the leading man and shortly afterwards the red flags were waved ending the race after James Edmeades crashed and needed medical help on circuit for a fractured pelvis.

Once again it was Michael Laverty and Michael Rutter in fourth and fifth places respectively ahead of James Ellison in sixth.  Yukio Kagayama finished in seventh place followed by Tommy Bridewell in eighth, Alastair Seeley in ninth and Gary Mason in tenth.

Kiyonari will now head into the three round shoot-out on 525 points, Hill is also on 525 points and Brookes is on 524 points.

These races will begin at Croft on September 12 with each rider will have their previous points deleted and will each be credited with 500 points plus their bonus points from this seasons performance.

1.  Josh Brookes  AUS HM Plant Honda  19mins 00.530s
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +0.230s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +0.888s
4. Michael Laverty GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +5.071
5. Michael Rutter GBR Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati +11.719s
6. James Ellison GBR Swan Honda +13.178s
7. Yukio Kagayama JPN Worx Crescent Suzuki +15.712s
8. Tommy Bridewell GBR Quay Garage Honda +21.347s
9. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless by TAS Suzuki +24.287s
10. Gary Mason GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +27.445s
11. Stuart Easton GBR Swan Honda +27.640s
12. John Laverty GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +28.063
13. Dan Linfoot GBR Motorpoint Yamaha +29.143s
14. Adam Jenkinson GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +30.768s
15. Chris Walker GBR Sorrymate.com SMT Honda +35.609s

Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki DNS

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton took the victory on Sunday at the Spa Formula 1 Grand Prix after dominating the race in the McLaren from the start.

In an incident packed race which saw the safety car deployed twice, rain was forecast and arrived causing drivers to scramble for the pits for a change of tyres.

Mark Webber had a disastrous start off the line as his anti-stall engaged leaving him down in seventh place by the second corner.  The Australian driver managed to get himself back in contention after moving his way back up to third place.  Fortunately for the Red Bull driver, a bad pit-stop for Robert Kubica in the Renault allowed Webber to take second place where he remained until the chequered flag.

Jenson Button had sat in second position for most of the first part of the race until he was hit by the second Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel.  A mistake by the German driver ended Button’s race after the Red Bull slammed into the side of the McLaren resulting in a drive-through penalty for Vettel who had managed to continue after the collision.  Vettel’s day continued to get worse when he suffered a puncture after coming into contact with Tonio Liuzzi in the Force India.

There was also a coming together on the first lap of the race between Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello, the latter on his 300th Grand Prix starts was left to walk back to the pits on his celebratory weekend.

As the weather appeared to improve more rain was forecast  towards the end of the race giving the teams and drivers a dilemma with their choice of tyres.  As the rain began to steadily increase, the lead drivers tip-toed their way around the circuit while the back markers made a hasty retreat to the pit garages for intermediate tyres.

Hamilton was almost a casualty of the slippery conditions, running out of track and into the gravel trap as he lost all grip.  Fortunately he managed to keep the engine running on the McLaren and got back on track still holding onto the lead and back to his garage for new tyres.

The safety car was again on circuit following the incident with Fernando Alonso at the top of hill when his Ferrari was left stranded after hitting the barriers.

Hamilton crossed the line to take the chequered flag ahead of Webber in second and Kubica in third.  Felipe Massa finished in fourth place followed by Adrian Sutil in fifth, Nico Rosberg in sixth, Michael Schumacher in seventh, Kamui Kobayashi in eighth, Vitaly Petrov in ninth and Viantonio Liuzzi in tenth.

Antonio Liuzzi gained a place in the race after stewards penalised Jamie Alguersuari by adding 20 seconds onto his finish time for cutting the final chicane on lap 42 and was deemed to have gained an advantage.

Here are the results;

1. Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes 44 laps 1hr 29m 04.268s
2. Mark Webber Australia Red Bull-Renault +1.5s
3. Robert Kubica Poland Renault-Renault +3.4s
4. Felipe Massa Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +8.2s
5. Adrian Sutil Germany Force India-Mercedes +9.0s
6. Nico Rosberg Germany Mercedes-Mercedes +12.3s
7. Michael Schumacher Germany Mercedes-Mercedes +15.5s
8. Kamui Kobayashi Japan BMW Sauber-Ferrari +16.6s
9. Vitaly Petrov Russia Renault-Renault +23.8s
10. Vitantonio Liuzzi Italy Force India-Mercedes +34.8s

Fastest lap:

Lewis Hamilton Britain McLaren-Mercedes 1m 49.069s lap 32

Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda 2010

The Repsol Honda rider Dani Pedrosa crossed the line to take the victory at the Indianapolis MotoGP yesterday after qualifying in fifth place.

It was pole sitter Ben Spies on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 that led the pack into the first corner followed by the Marlboro Ducati of Nicky Hayden and the Repsol Honda of Andrea Dovizioso.  Pedrosa followed in fourth place ahead of the two Fiat Yamaha riders Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.

By lap 2, Pedrosa had moved into second position, quickly passing his team-mate and Hayden as he began to chase down the leading man.

On lap 7, Pedrosa passed Spies to take the lead while Nicky Hayden was dropping back down the pack after his kneeslider became loose when he hit a drain cover, allowing Lorenzo and Rossi the chance to get past.

Lorenzo eventually managed to get past Dovizioso on lap 12 of the race although the Italian didn’t let him get away easily.  The Honda rider soon began to lose grip on his tyres following his impressive ride allowing Rossi to also get past, losing his chance of a podium finish.

Dani Pedrosa took the win ahead of Ben Spies in second and Jorge Lorenzo in third.  Rossi completed the race in fourth place followed by Andrea Dovizioso in fifth, Nicky Hayden in sixth, Marco Simoncelli in seventh, Alvaro Bautista in eighth, Aleix Espargaro in ninth and Hector Barbera in tenth.

Casey Stoner lost the front end of his Marlboro Ducati on lap 8 of the race while Colin Edwards was forced to retire on lap 17 after developing rear tyre problems.  Mika Kallio crashed out on lap 18 after hitting a bump on the track and was out of the race,  Marco Melandri was the only other rider who failed to finish the race.

Here are the results;

1.  Dani Pedrosa  ESP Repsol Honda Team  47m 31.615s
2. Ben Spies USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3 47m 35.190s
3. Jorge Lorenzo ESP Fiat Yamaha Team 47m 38.427s
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Fiat Yamaha Team 47m 44.248s
5. Andrea Dovizioso ITA Repsol Honda Team 47m 53.500s
6. Nicky Hayden USA Ducati Marlboro Team 48m 6.753s
7. Marco Simoncelli ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini 48m 8.355s
8. Alvaro Bautista ESP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 48m 8.440s
9. Aleix Espargaro ESP Pramac Racing 48m 16.52s
10. Hector Barbera ESP Paginas Amarillas Aspar 48m 22.983s
11. Loris Capirossi ITA Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 48m 27.001s
12. Hiroshi Aoyama JPN Interwetten Honda MotoGP 48m 29.518s
13. Randy de Puniet FRA LCR Honda MotoGP 48m 35.754s

DNF:
Mika Kallio FIN Pramac Racing
Colin Edwards USA Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Casey Stoner AUS Ducati Marlboro Team
Marco Melandri ITA San Carlo Honda Gresini

Spies Chasing Lorenzo At Silverstone 2010

One of the MotoGP’s worst kept secrets is expected to be announced officially this weekend that Ben Spies is to be the replacement team rider for the departing Valentino Rossi at Yamaha.

Spies will ride alongside the 2010 championship leader Jorge Lorenzo, despite the Spaniard not yet having signed his contract for the 2011 season.

The team are also looking for another sponsor for next year as the current Fiat sponsors are likely to follow Rossi to the Ducati team.  According to reports the team have been in talks with Telefonica, the Spanish telecommunications company as well as their existing partner Petronas.

McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are among those involved in what is essentially a five driver race for this years world title. Can they keep in touch and compete with the Red Bull cars and the Ferrari of Alonso?

Lewis Hamilton remains calm in his pursuit and is relishing the prospect of getting the second part of the F1 season underway. Following a relaxing time over the break, he, like everyone else involved is desperate to get behind the wheel and give his all.

A great way to finish the season and let your hair down, the Black tie (with a dash of pink or purple) do promises an action packed evening to raise money for two charities.

Carly has chosen to support two charities that are dear to her heart, Cancer Research and Help for Heroes, with both charities providing their full backing.

As well as hosting the Charity Dinner, Carly will be rewarding up and coming riders from various areas of the sport. There will be cash prizes for the best under 21 riders in Trials, Moto-X and Road Racing.

If you are able to help out, Carly is looking for sponsors for the event as well as anyone who is able to donate items for auction or tombola prizes for the evening.

The Charity Dinner will take place at the Q Hotel – The Nottingham Belfry on November 20th 2010.

Tickets for the event are a minimum of £65, pay more and the difference goes to charity

The Nottingham Belfry have kindly offered bookers a special room rate of £70 per room per night for a single and £80 per room per night for a twin/double – these prices include breakfast.  Bookings should be made direct with the hotel, (0115 9739393) and you can get this special rate by quoting FBF or Fighting Back Fundraiser.

They have also arranged a special rate with the Premiere Inn (Phoenix Centre – NG8 6AS) only 5 mins away of £60 per room per night. This special price will be held until the 30th September 2010 and the code to quote BELL 123, for this rate call 08701 977200 and press option 1.

To book your place for this very special evening contact carlyrathmell@yahoo.co.uk for a booking form and further details.

Ian Lowry

Following his wild-card ride at Brands Hatch for the Kawasaki team in the British Superbike series, Ian Lowry has now been given the chance to debut in the World Superbike championship at the Nurburgring.

The Irish rider is the latest replacement for the injured rider Chris Vermeulen and said;

“I am really grateful for this opportunity to ride for the Factory Kawasaki squad. It was always a dream of mine to compete in the World Superbike Championship and now this is becoming a reality. I enjoyed my outing at Brands Hatch  and working with such a professional team, and was surprised at how comfortable I felt on the Kawasaki.

“I know how competitive the World Superbike Championship is and I intend to make the most of this opportunity and repay the team with two strong finishes. I’m really looking forward to getting a full spin out in the bike again and am really excited about the race. ”

Lewis Hamilton

The Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has been fined for his car stunts in front of Australian fans outside of the Melbourne race circuit.

Just two days before the Australian Grand Prix in March, Hamilton performed a series of burnouts and other moves to impress his fan base ahead of the race, in a borrowed Mercedes until he was spotted by local police.

Although not present at the hearing, the F1 driver pleaded guilty to the charge of improper use of a motor vehicle and was fined 500 Australian dollars.

Riders For Health 2010 - Auctioning Rossi's Helmet

The World Champion Darts player Andy Fordham along with AP Kawasaki Team Manager Alan Greig, are to launch a British Superbike Darts League for 2011 to raise funds for Riders For Health.

Fordham was spotted on the grid at the Brands Hatch round of the Superbike Championship alongside John Wainwright who was racing in the Metzeler National Superstock 600cc series.  The two met when Wainwright visited his local pub previously owned at the time by the darts player in his hometown.

Leon Haslam is also known to love the sport of darts and a match was held in the Alstare garage between the rider and Fordham.  Haslam reportedly beat Fordham before the pair began to throw darts at a picture of Max Biaggi that had been pinned to the board!

The darts league will be open to all riders and teams in the series with 100% of the nominal fee going directly to the Riders For Health fund.