MCE British Superbike Championship

Oulton Park, England

August 10, 2014

Race Two Results (damp conditions, all on Pirelli tires):

1. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (BMW S1000RR), 18 laps, 29:33.324

2. Josh Brookes, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), -0.167 second

3. Shane Byrne, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -1.199 seconds

4. Dan Linfoot, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -23.664

5. Chris Walker, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -23.819

6. Stuart Easton, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -23.842

7. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -24.081

8. Jon Kirkham, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -24.224

9. Josh Waters, Australia (Suz GSX-R1000), -26.377

10. Patric Muff, Switzerland (BMW S1000RR), -30.284

11. Michael Rutter, UK (BMW S1000RR), -30.825

12. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (Duc 1199 Panigale R), -31.061

13. Keith Farmer, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -45.610

14. Glen Richards, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -48.272

15. Scott Smart, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -63.711

16. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), -65.909

17. Gary Mason, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -85.227

18. John Ingram, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -97.515

19. Ian Hutchinson, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap

20. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap

21. Christophe Ponsson, France (Bim BB3), -1 lap

22. Jenny Tinmouth, UK (Hon CBR1000RR), -1 lap

23. Rhalf Lo Turco, Brazil (Kaw ZX-10R), -8 laps, DNF

24. Barry Burrell, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -9 laps, DNF

25. Howie Mainwaring, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -11 laps, DNF

26. John Hopkins, USA (Suz GSX-R1000), -12 laps, DNF

27. Peter Hickman, UK (Hon CBR1000RR), -14 laps, DNF

28. Martin Jessopp, UK (BMW S1000RR), DNS

29. Ben Wilson, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), DNS

Race Three Results (dry conditions, all on Pirelli tires):

1. Josh Brookes, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), 18 laps, 29:30.630

2. Shane Byrne, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -7.509 seconds

3. Dan Linfoot, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -7.986

4. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (BMW S1000RR), -8.111

5. Stuart Easton, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -10.049

6. Josh Waters, Australia (Suz GSX-R1000), -10.430

7. Chris Walker, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -11.067

8. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -12.451

9. Jon Kirkham, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -12.948

10. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (Duc 1199 Panigale R), -24.728

11. Michael Rutter, UK (BMW S1000RR), -27.708

12. Glen Richards, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -27.813

13. Peter Hickman, UK (Hon CBR1000RR), -39.134

14. Scott Smart, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -42.793

15. Howie Mainwaring, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -50.940

16. Lee Jackson, UK (BMW S1000RR), -53.037

17. John Ingram, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -53.121

18. Gary Mason, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -73.995

19. Ian Hutchinson, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -88.618

20. Christophe Ponsson, France (Bim BB3), -1 lap

21. Rhalf Lo Turco, Brazil (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap

22. Keith Farmer, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap, DNF

23. Patric Muff, Switzerland (BMW S1000RR), -4 laps, DNF

24. John Hopkins, USA (Suz GSX-R1000), -4 laps, DNF

25. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -8 laps, DNF

26. Barry Burrell, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), -11 laps, DNF

27. Jenny Tinmouth, UK (Hon CBR1000RR), -18 laps, DNF

28. Martin Jessopp, UK (BMW S1000RR), DNS

29. Ben Wilson, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), DNS

Championship Point Standings (after 15 of 26 races):

1. Byrne, 313 points

2. Brookes, 244

3. Kiyonari, 202

4. Linfoot, 156

5. Bridewell, 142

6. Walker, 136

7. James Ellison, 124

8. Easton, 119

9. Hopkins, 90

10. Waters, 75

11. Smrz, 71

12. Richard Cooper, 69

13. Kirkham, 58

14. Rutter, 41

15. Westmoreland, 39

16. Muff, 37

17. Hickman, 34

18. TIE, Burrell/Farmer, 26

20. Wilson, 22

More Americans competing at Oulton Park:

James Rispoli, riding his Team Traction Control Yamaha YZF-R6, finished sixth in the wet Motorpoint British Supersport “feature” race. Rispoli finished 8.619 seconds behind race winner Alastair Seeley, who rode a Yamaha.

Jayson Uribe finished fourth overall and third in the Moto3 class in the wet Motul British Motostar race on his FPW Racing/R5R Honda. Uribe finished 7.130 second behind overall race winner Joe Irving, who rode a Moto3-class KTM.

More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:

ROUND SEVEN 9-10 AUGUST OULTON PARK

NO BACKING OFF FOR BROOKES AT OULTON PARK AS HE STOPS A KIYO TRIO

Result

Race one (Saturday):
1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW)
2: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.496s
3: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +2.011s
4: Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +4.362s
5: Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +5.981s
6: John Hopkins (Tyco Suzuki) +7.149s

Race two (Sunday):

1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW)
2: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.167s
3: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +1.199s
4: Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +23.664s
5: Chris Walker (Lloyds British GBmoto Racing Kawasaki) +23.819s
6: Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +23.842s

Race three (Sunday):

1: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha)
2: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +7.509s
3: Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +7.986s
4: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) +8.111s
5: Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +10.049s
6: Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki) +10.430s

Championship standings:

1: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 313
2: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) 244
3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) 202
4: Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) 156
5: Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) 142
6: Chris Walker (Lloyds British GBmoto Racing Kawasaki) 136

Report

Ryuichi Kiyonari continued his ‘War for Four’ MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship titles at Oulton Park as he headed off the determined challenges of Josh Brookes to win the opening two races of the triple header seventh round at Oulton Park. However the Australian retaliated with a victory in the final race.

Kiyonari had provided a stunning performance in the first race of the weekend (Saturday), charging through from the fourth row of the grid to take the win ahead of Brookes. In the second race (Sunday) the Buildbase BMW rider again overcame the challenge from the Australian to take his winning tally at the circuit to twelve races.

Speaking after the first race on Sunday, Kiyonari said: “That was very difficult because the conditions were changing from wet to dry, but I am very happy with the win. It is important for me to keep winning as I don’t want to be second now.”

Brookes was relentless in his quest for the race three win, which he scored in a commanding style at the Cheshire circuit. The Milwaukee Yamaha rider led from the start of the final contest to head off series leader Byrne, who maintained his run of podium finishes.

Brookes said: “I wanted that win badly. I wanted to get out to the front first and go for it because I thought I could then control the race. I wanted to give myself the best possible chance and that was what I did by taking the lead at the start. I didn’t know how hard to push to start with, but I decided and just kept focused. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I knew I wanted to win!”

Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Dan Linfoot continued his recent run of form by celebrating his first podium finish in the championship with a strong third place ahead of the determined Kiyonari.

For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com

More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport:

Byrne Scores Another Triple Podium At Oulton Park

The Penrith-based Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Team were back in MCE British Superbike Championship action this weekend at Oulton Park in Cheshire and although former triple Champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne failed to add to his haul of race wins this season, three solid podiums did enough to maintain his series lead following round seven of the twelve-round series.

Despite suffering from minor injuries sustained in a cycling accident prior to the event, 37-year-old Shakey took pole position aboard the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R for Saturday’s opening race of the ‘triple-header’ weekend whereby he grabbed an immediate lead. In what proved to be one of the closest races of the year, there was less than half a second covering the top five at one stage but Shakey had to give best to Josh Brookes and then Ryuichi Kiyonari as the Japanese rider took the win ahead of the Aussie with Shakey in third.

Today’s weather was a lot more changeable with rain making tyre choice crucial but it was still the same three riders battling for the race wins although triple MCE BSB Champion Shakey had to settle for third once more in the first race of the day behind Kiyonari and Brookes. In the final race of the weekend, the threat of rain stayed away although the circuit still had some damp patches but the Sittingbourne rider grabbed second place behind Brookes and continues to lead the way at the top of the championship standings.

The results also confirmed Byrne as the first rider to be confirmed as a Title Fighter in the end of season Showdown which will determine the 2014 MCE British Superbike Champion.

Team-mate Stuart Easton found the going tough initially in practice and qualifying but got quicker as the weekend progressed. Ninth in the first race was a major improvement from his 16th spot in qualifying and today’s opener saw the Hawick rider leap even further forward into sixth. However, the reigning British Supersport Champion saved the best until the final race of the weekend where he was fighting it out for a podium position for the entire race distance. He finally claimed fifth place and with a good haul of points from the three races, he’s brought himself back into serious contention for a top six Showdown sot.

Shane Byrne: “My fitness isn’t what it should have been this weekend due to a bit of an accident away from racing on Thursday so with a second and two thirds from the three races, it hasn’t been a bad weekend by my standards. Aside from having a bit less side grip, the bike was great all weekend and more than capable of winning and it was simply a case of the rider not quite being strong enough. I felt better today and although changeable conditions make it tough as you don’t want to be on damp patches with slick tyres, the slower pace helped me last longer. I’m lost for words with how Josh rode in the last race as he was going through the damp patches like they weren’t there so fair play to him. Three more podiums mean a good chunk of Podium Credits and hopefully I’ll be back a lot stronger at the next round.”

Stuart Easton: “Qualifying was pretty terrible for me but in free practice I was only a few tenths off the top five so, deep down, I knew it wasn’t as bad as it looked and I’ve ended up with three strong results, particularly the two today. I’m still chasing a good set-up with the bike, and I need that and my confidence to go hand in hand and we’re not a million miles away now. We made some further changes to the set-up of the bike and I’ve got to be satisfied with how I’ve ridden this weekend. The races were all about the conditions and I’ve picked up some good points from the three races, closing back in on the riders in front of me, and I’m still well in the hunt for a top six spot.”

Stuart Bland, Team Co-ordinator: “We’re disappointed to have come away from a triple header weekend without a race win and need to have a look at the set-up of the bikes to see where we can improve but, having said that, Shakey’s been hampered this weekend with some injuries. We don’t want to take anything away from the other riders who clearly rode well and whilst it’s not an excuse it’s definitely held him back a bit. Stuart’s finally found his confidence this weekend and he’s showed what he can do when everything’s working well for him. The team made some changes to the bike which clearly helped him, especially today, and to go from 16th in qualifying to battling for a podium shows just how far he’s come this weekend. The key now is to maintain and build upon that at Cadwell Park next time out.”

After seven rounds, the championship table sees Byrne leading Brookes by 69 points, increasing his important Podium Credits tally to 50, a lead of 15 going into the next round over the August bank holiday weekend at Cadwell Park.

More, from a press release issued by Buildbase BMW Motorrad:

King Kiyonari dominates at Oulton Park with double win for Buildbase BMW Motorrad.

Buildbase BMW Motorrad rider Ryuichi Kiyonari has shown once again that he is back to his winning ways by dominating the seventh round of British Superbikes at Oulton Park after he took two victories and a fourth place. Kiyo’s personal tally of wins is now 11 at the circuit and 47 in total.

Proving that he is equally formidable in the dry and wet, Kiyo stormed to a win in yesterday’s first race on his BMW S 1000 RR, starting tenth on the grid and winning ahead of John Brookes and Shakey Byrne. Today’s second of three races was wet as the remnants of Hurricane Bertha battered the UK with heavy rain.

As the track continued to dry, the riders made their decision on tyre choice, with the majority of the leading contenders opting for the slick Pirelli tyres. As the race got underway Brookes got his Milwaukee Yamaha off the line and into the lead, but Kiyonari didn’t let him get away with it and closed on him within the opening lap.

Kiyo made a decisive move on lap eight, slicing inside Brookes at Hizzys and claiming the lead. Despite Josh and Shakey’s best efforts, the three-time champion was beyond their reach and he crossed the line in front, once again repeating the podium positions from Saturday with Brookes second and Byrne third. Lee Jackson, doubling up on riding duties in Superstock 1000 and BSB, finished 16th on James Westmoreland’s Superbike.

The third and final race of the weekend was run in changing conditions, with the track drying but still damp in places, offering riders a challenge in tyre choice and riding tactics. Once again, most chose to run on front slicks.

Josh Brookes made an outstanding start, blasting straight into the lead ahead of pole positions starter Byrne. Building up a large gap of over eight seconds, the Australian rider rode a solo race and crossed the line to win.

Kiyonari rode hard but didn’t achieve his ideal result of three wins, instead taking fourth place after a thrilling battle late in the racce with Stuart Easton who finished fifth. Kiyo was closing on Dan Linfoot in third, but didn’t have time to catch him, giving Linfoot a much-deserved first-ever podium finish in BSB. Lee Jackson once again finished 16th, narrowly missing out on a second points-scoring finish this weekend.

Ryuichi Kiyonari said: “I was very happy to take two wins. I have always been good at Oulton Park and to win twice makes me very pleased. Saturday’s race was very hot and very hard going, but today it was difficult and wet conditions are not my favourite. Yesterday I was thinking about the weather reports and I thought ‘if it is raining hard, maybe I just go home!’ but I did my best and I took another win. Josh Brookes was so fast in the third race, I did not get to catch him, which is disappointing. But overall I am very happy to be winning races again for me and for the team.”

Stuart Hicken, Team Owner, said: “Two fantastic wins for Kiyonari, you couldn’t really ask for more than that, could you. It was a huge turnaround from crashing in Q2 and having to rebuild the superbike, to a double victory. Kiyo is happy, and everyone has recognised what we knew from the start – that the BMW S 1000 RR is a race-winning superbike. We’ve proven that at the Isle of Man TT and now in BSB too.

“Kiyo is in third place in the Championship and is odds-on to be in the Showdown for the last three rounds, which is when it’ll really get interesting. Lee Jackson has impressed everyone once again by riding in two series and filling in admirably for James Westmoreland. Westy is also recovering well and will be back in action at Cadwell Park at the end of the month where we’ll be back up to full strength.”

More, from a press release issued by Milwaukee Yamaha:

MILWAUKEE YAMAHA END OULTON PARK WITH VICTORY FROM BROOKES

Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes claimed the final race win of the weekend at Oulton Park as the Australian claimed his fourth victory of the season in commanding style. In the second race of the weekend Brookes had initially taken the lead before battling with Ryuichi Kiyonari as he continued to close down the podium points to championship leader Shane Byrne. The Australian had to settle for second place but in the final race he won in dominating fashion by over seven seconds. Tommy Bridewell continues to hold a position inside the top six in the standings in fifth after scoring solid points for a seventh and eighth place finishes. Bridewell had been battling hard in both races as he bids to secure his position alongside Brookes, who is now confirmed as a Title Fighter for the Showdown. Brookes said: “I guess the first race today was quite similar to yesterday, despite the conditions being different. I went through Druids on the first lap trying to break everyone. I thought if I could go through at speed where nobody else was perhaps willing to, then they might give up a bit and think let him do it, but I think it was too early in the race. There were a lot of laps and I led for as long as I was daring to at the start. I could see I wasn’t getting a gap on Kiyo but I just kept trying to push and he just stuck to the back of me like glue! We were quite even and I just kept pushing him. I was making mistakes and wasn’t able to capitalise but I rode the best that I could. “In the second race today I knew I needed to get away as there was one real dry line and otherwise you would have to go off on the damp part to make an overtake. I tried really hard to get a good start as I knew I wanted to lead give myself the best possible chance. I had a massive lunge into the first corner and I was able to take the lead. Once I got there I was then thinking ‘how fast should I go?’ “The first lap through Druids I didn’t have movement, but I had a sense of where the grip was and I wasn’t sure how hard to push. Once I got into it, I felt more natural and then there was some light rain. I waited to see lap on lap and fortunately it stayed dry so I kept pushing. Yesterday I didn’t relax physically, but I did slightly mentally and Kiyo came by and I didn’t want that to happen again so kept the gas on! I’m really happy with the win and now we can look at what we can do at Cadwell Park.” Bridewell said: “To be honest I am disappointed with the results we have had today as with the pace we have shown we should have achieved more. We are still inside the top six which is the important thing but we need to go back and look at how we can make those steps forward that will make the difference at Cadwell Park.” Team co-ordinator Mick Shanley concluded: “I think overall it has been quite a positive weekend. In practice and qualifying Josh and Tommy have both been strong. It shows something when you get a bit disappointed when you finish second! We have been pushing hard for the win with Josh and to get three podiums, including a win today has been mega. I think we are just building heading up towards the Showdown and Josh is really gelling with the bike so hopefully we can keep it rolling. “Tommy has had a positive weekend really, but for whatever reason we are just lacking a little bit in the races. Maybe the conditions didn’t play in to his favour and he wasn’t one hundred percent comfortable, but there is no doubting the pace that he has had in practice and qualifying.” For more information visit www.milwaukeeyamaha.com