From a press release issued by Monstermob Ducati:

Round 13 – 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship – Donington Park – September 29th

HISLOP REVVED UP FOR DONINGTON FINALE

With a massive 37 point lead going into the final round of the 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship, MonsterMob Ducati’s Steve Hislop is confident he can land the elusive title going into Sunday’s double header at Donington Park.

The 40 year old Isle of Man based Scotsman has brushed aside his disappointment of his last round performance at Mallory Park and all the crisis talk that has subsequently emerged and is focussing on the task in hand which will see him crowned champion if he finishes in the top four of either race:

“I’m not bothered in the slightest what’s been said and written over the past couple of weeks, I’m going to Donington Park for one thing, and that is to win. I was down in the dumps for a couple of hours after Mallory but that’s forgotten about and I’ve never been so determined as I am right now. The weather’s looking OK and the pressure isn’t on me at all, it’s on Sean Emmett. I just need to wobble round and pick up a few points, he needs to win both races” said Hislop defiantly.

The permutations are many fold but should Emmett win both races, then Hislop only needs either a fourth place finish in one of the two races, or a ninth place result in both legs to clinch the second championship of the season for the Paul Bird Motorsport Team after Supersport rider Stuart Easton wrapped up the title aboard his 748cc MonsterMob Ducati at Mallory. But the 18-year-old from Hawick is not planning on resting on his laurels; he too is going all out for victory:

“I’ve got nothing to lose so my plan is to go out with a bang and show them why I’m number one. I won easily at Donington earlier in the season and I’m planning on a repeat performance to round off what has been a great year for me” said Easton.

Team boss Paul Bird remains cautious but confident about the weekend:

“We just need to go there and do our job which is what we’ve done all year and we’ll be fine. For sure, I’d like Steve to ride better than he did at Mallory but the stark truth is that a rostrum in the first race will see him win the title and then he can go and blitz them in race two if he wants. We just need a bit of luck and after the past couple of years, surely no one would begrudge us that” said the Penrith businessman.

MCN British Superbike Championship
Points after Round 12 (24 races) of 13 (26)
1 Steve Hislop MonsterMob Ducati 416
2 Sean Emmett Virgin Mobile Yamaha 379
3 Michael Rutter Renegade Ducati 357.5
4 Shane Byrne Renegade Ducati 283.5
5 Steve Plater Virgin Mobile Yamaha 270
6 John Reynolds Rizla Suzuki 253.5

MB4U.com National Supersport Championship
Points after Round 13 of 14
1 Stuart Easton MonsterMob Ducati 244 (champion)
2 Scott Smart Norwood Honda 181
3 Michael Laverty Miller Honda 149
4 Pete Jennings MSS Kawasaki 113
5 Tom Tunstall Earnshaws Suzuki 104
6 Ben Wilson Dave Siedel Honda 100