Byrne Does The Double In World Superbike At Brands Hatch

Byrne Does The Double In World Superbike At Brands Hatch

© 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn Le Santo

Brands double for Byrne

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne fought off the persistent challenges from his British Championship rival John Reynolds to take an historic double win at Brands Hatch. World Superbike regular James Toseland completed the second all-Brit podium of the day with third place.

Sean Emmett stole the start, leaping from seventh on the grid to lead into the first turn. Officials were quick to rule against his start, charging him with jumping the lights and asking him in for a stop and go penalty. When he failed to come in, he was black-flagged out of the race.

Chris Walker, Byrne, Reynolds, Regis Laconi and Toseland followed Emmett into Druids for the first time, with the huge crowd cheering as another wildcard led the way around Brands Hatch. Emmett was black-flagged on lap six after failing to comply with the stop-and-go penalty.

Walker tried hard to stay in the top three, but crashed on lap 16 after a succession of passes had him down in sixth place.

Ruben Xaus threatened Toseland for third but the continual sideways action of his Ducati 999 must have taken its toll on his tyres in the final laps and he dropped off the pace.

The last lap saw Reynolds in with a chance of the win but as they headed in to Clearways for the final time Reynolds seemed to have lost time somewhere in the back section. Byrne took victory number two while Reynolds crossed the line in second.

The result means that Hodgson still hasn’t tied up the title race, although it would take a supreme effort from Xaus and a total disaster on Hodgson’s part for him to lose the title; the championship is still open to dispute.




World Superbike Race Two Results:

1. Shane Byrne, Ducati 998F02, 25 laps, 36:25.639
2. John Reynolds, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -0.539 second
3. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, -2.891 seconds
4. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03
5. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03
6. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000
7. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS
8. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS
9. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki GSX-R1000
10. Leon Haslam, Ducati 998RS
11. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1
12. Dean Ellison, Ducati 996
13. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
14. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS
15. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
16. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS
17. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000
18. Michael Rutter, Ducati 998F02, -4 laps, DNF
19. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, -8 laps, DNF
20. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, -11 laps, DNF
21. Nick Medd, Ducati 998RS, -12 laps
22. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, -16 laps, DNF
23. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda RC51, -17 laps, DNF
24. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, -18 laps, DNF
25. Luca Pedersoli, Ducati 998RS, -18 laps, DNF
26. Sean Emmett, Ducati 998RS, -19 laps, DNF
27. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, -22 laps
28. James Haydon, Foggy Petronas FP1, -23 laps, DNF
29. Giancarlo De Matteis, Ducati 998RS, -24 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap: John Reynolds, 1:26.767


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

HODGSON (DUCATI FILA) CLOSER TO WSBK TITLE WITH SECOND AND FIFTH AT BRANDS HATCH – DUCATI CLINCHES TWELFTH MANUFACTURERS’ TITLE

Brands Hatch (England), 27 July 2003: Neil Hodgson edged closer to the 2003 World Superbike title with a second and a fifth place in the two races at Brands Hatch, as Shane Byrne picked up both race wins for Monstermob Ducati. Team-mate Ruben Xaus retired from race 1 with an oil leak then finished fourth in race 2. It was a triumphant day for Ducati however as they won the World Superbike Manufacturers’ title for the twelfth time.

“I was a bit nervous before the start of race 1 because I was feeling the pressure here at Brands” declared Neil. “When you’ve had such a bad weekend in qualifying you still have to go out and do it in the race and pass everyone when you are eleventh on the grid. With six laps to go when I was behind Chris, and Shakey had gone, I thought this is what the crowd had come to see, Hodgson versus Walker so I couldn’t let my fans down!. Race 2 was also really difficult because the pace was hotter and the other riders didn’t break down. I was catching up on the leaders but then I hit a false neutral two times into the corner off the back straight and had to back down. We were at a bit of a disadvantage on this circuit, not having tested here and with very little dry weather track time and the wild-cards were always going to be a threat because they know the circuit so well. Now I’m looking forward to Assen to take that title.”

Ruben Xaus retired from race 1 with an oil leak but then battled for a hard-fought fourth place in the second race. “I was going to be second for sure” he commented after race 1 “because Walker was slower than me in some parts of the circuit. It’s a real pity because I was feeling good and the bike was going really well. Race 2 was not bad even though I didn’t get as good a start. The only problem was that the tyres started losing grip six laps before the end when I was close to the lead and after that I was sideways all the time.”

TWELFTH MANUFACTURERS’ TITLE FOR DUCATI: With a double-win by Byrne today at Brands Hatch, Ducati have clinched a record twelfth World Superbike Manufacturers’ title. The full-house of 450 points that took Ducati to its twelfth world title in 16 years of World Superbike racing have been scored by the Ducati Fila duo of Neil Hodgson (11 wins) and Ruben Xaus (3 wins), together with Byrne (2 wins), Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) and Chili (PSG-1 Ducati), who took one win apiece. Ducati have dominated this year’s championship, winning all 18 races so far, with the victories being shared by three different models:

– Ducati 999 Factory ’03 exclusively ridden by Hodgson and Xaus

– Ducati 998 Factory ’02 ridden by Toseland and Byrne

– Ducati 998RS ridden by Chili

In creating the new-for-2003 Ducati 999, which was mated to the successful Testastretta engine, Ducati engineers have continued the Italian firm’s winning tradition that started with the 888, the first Ducati to clinch both Manufacturers’ and Riders’ titles (with Doug Polen) back in 1991.



More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

MISERABLE DAY FOR TROY
Troy had a miserable raceday at Brands Hatch in the ninth round of the 2003 Superbike World Championship today ending with a pair of no-scores. A spark plug problem out him out of the first race with just three laps to go. In the second, his Petronas FP1 suffered an oil leak and he took to the gravel trap rather then risk crashing on the exit of the turn. The weekend’s difficult and varying weather conditions didn’t help Troy and the team either ­ and they were well short of good dry set-up time in the four sessions. But in the end, the weather played no part in Troy’s misfortunes today and for the second time this season he was unable to score any points. Both races today were won by local rider Shane Byrne (Ducati), with Britons completing all the other podium positions in the two 25-lappers. Series leader Neil Hodgson (Ducati) took second in the first race, with Chris Walker (Ducati) third. The second race featured a superb dogfight between Byrne and fellow ‘wild card” John Reynolds (Suzuki), with Reynolds taking runner-up spot. Third went to James Toseland (Ducati) to complete a tremendous day for the 120,000 home crowd.

TROY Race 1: DNF, Race 2 ­ DNF
Today (and the whole weekend) was very frustrating and I’m not very happy. The weather didn’t do us any favours in qualifying, but little did I know that worse was to come. In the first race I was twelfth with three laps to go and on course to get a few points at least, when the spark plug went and that was that. In race two, I felt that something wasn’t quite right in the double right-hander but initially I thought that the tyres weren’t warm enough, but when the back end came round again I knew it was an oil leak. At least I was T Druids, so I knew I could just run the bike off then the track rather then risk going round a corner and crashing. It’s been a very frustrating weekend especially considering all the hard work the team has put in.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

GREGORIO FIGHTS FOR TOP SEVEN SPOTS

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla fought his way up superbly from the fourth row of the grid to take sixth and seventh places in today’s ninth round of the Superbike World Championship. Despite being somewhat less than 100%, due to his injuries sustained in the last round at Laguna Seca, Gregorio rode with tremendous determination in both the 25-lappers today. A poor start hampered his progress in race one and he lost touch with the leaders, but he managed to take seventh place, setting the third quickest lap of the race in the process. The race was won by ‘wild card’ Shane Byrne (Ducati), with fellow Britons Neil Hodgson (Ducati) and Chris Walker (Ducati) second and third.

Gregorio made a much better start in race two and was at the rear end of the six-rider battle for the lead for all but three or four laps from the end. Then a backmarker got in his way, causing him to lose touch with Hodgson, and he couldn’t recover. He finished sixth, with Hodgson in sight, and had been waiting to make his move until the slow rider upset plans. Shane Byrne once again won, but this time fellow ‘wild card’ John Reynolds (Suzuki) took second, with James Toseland (Ducati) third. Both Byrne and Reynolds have already raced at the revised Brands Hatch circuit and their extra knowledge and dry track time during the British Superbike Championship round proved crucial to their success.

GREGORIO LAVILLA Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 6th
The start of the first race was not good for me, but my lap times were quite good. It was very difficult top pass James (Toseland) because we both had a very good rhythm and he didn’t make any mistakes. I think if we had been able to get more set-up time in the dry, we would’ve been in a much better position for today’s races. In the second race, I got a better start and I was catching the leading group. I spent a long time with Walker, but when he crashed in front of me I lost some time. Then I managed to catch Hodgson and I thought I could get past him. But with about four laps to go, I got held up by a backmarker and by the time I passed him Neil had pulled out a small advantage. After that there wasn’t enough time to catch him again, so I had to settle for sixth place. I’m happy that John (Reynolds) got second place today in one of the races. He and the other ‘wild cards’ have had a lot more dry track time here then the rest of us and it certainly helped them. But, with John finishing second, I still have a chance to be the first Suzuki GSXR1000 rider to win a World Superbike race.


More, from a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

BYRNE DOUBLES UP!

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne made unique history at Brands Hatch today when he became the first ever British wild card rider to score a double victory when he added a thrilling race two win to his first ever World Superbike Championship triumph in front of another massive crowd.

The leader of the British Superbike Championship followed up an easy win in the opening leg with a harder fought victory in race two to outline his class and more importantly, show the series regulars he means business when he makes the jump to a full time berth in the world championship next season.

The Minster, Isle of Sheppey rider took the lead on lap eleven and had to fend off a concerted late challenge from fellow wild card John Reynolds on his Suzuki to claim another fantastic win, this time by a mere half a second but understandably, he was ecstatic with the performance of his career to date:

“This has to be one of the best days I can remember. I knew it would be hard but it was tougher than I expected, especially in race two but I’m absolutely made up. It was vitally important to do well and I’m glad the weather held out but this is going to stay with me for a long, long time” said Byrne who led home yet another all British rostrum.

Team boss Paul Bird was overjoyed at his rider’s performances which he said ranked alongside the highlights of his own illustrious career.

“Days don’t come any better than this. This has got to be up there with the best and I’m so pleased for Shakey and the team as well. They all did a fantastic job under a lot of pressure and it just goes to show how good our team is at this level” said the Penrith poultry magnate.





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