MCE British Superbike Championship Series
Knockhill Circuit, Scotland
June 27, 2014
Free Practice Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Shane Byrne, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 48.243 seconds
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (BMW S1000RR), 48.497
3. Josh Brookes, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), 48.536
4. Stuart Easton, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 48.652
5. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 48.711
6. John Hopkins, USA (Suz GSX-R1000), 48.805
7. Michael Rutter, UK (BMW S1000RR), 48.925
8. Chris Walker, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 48.972
9. James Westmoreland, UK (BMW S1000RR), 49.041
10. James Ellison, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 49.163
11. Richard Cooper, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 49.230
12. Dan Linfoot, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 49.238
13. Josh Waters, Australia (Suz GSX-R1000), 49.304
14. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (Duc 1199 Panigale R), 49.361
15. Barry Burrell, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 49.490
16. Ben Wilson, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 49.512
17. Keith Farmer, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 49.530
18. Ian Hutchinson, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 49.542
19. Patric Muff, Switzerland (BMW S1000RR), 49.548
20. Howie Mainwaring, UK (Kaw ZX-10R), 49.633
Other Americans competing at Knockhill:
James Rispoli, riding his Team Traction Control Suzuki GSX-R600, was 19th in Motorpoint British Supersport Free Practice Two with a lap time of 51.713 seconds. Graeme Gowland was the fastest rider in the session with a 49.450-second lap time.
Jayson Uribe, riding his FPW Racing/R5R Honda, was fifth overall and fourth in the Moto3 class during Motul British Motostar Free Practice Two with a lap time of 55.083 seconds. Joe Irving was the overall quickest rider in the session with a lap time of 54.156 seconds.
Anthony Alonso, riding his SP125/BARF Racing Honda, was 11th overall and fifth in the 125cc class during Motul British Motostar Free Practice Two with a lap time of 56.776 seconds.
Ben Young, a former AMA Pro regular who resides in Canada and rides a Team WD-40 Kawasaki ZX-10R, was 33rd in Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Qualifying Session with a lap time of 51.504 seconds. Danny Buchan is on provisional pole position with a lap time of 49.541 seconds.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision:
Round four Knockhill 27-28-29 June
BYRNE BITES BACK TO HEAD OFF KIYONARI IN FREE PRACTICE
Results
Free practice one:
1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) 48.417s
2: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.005s
3: Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.504s
4: Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.610s
5: John Hopkins (Tyco Suzuki) +0.611s
6: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.632s
Free practice two:
1: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 48.243s
2: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) +0.254s
3: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.293s
4: Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.409s
5: Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.468s
6: John Hopkins (Tyco Suzuki) +0.562s
Report
Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne won the battle of the triple MCE Insurance British Superbike champions in the opening free practice sessions at Knockhill, heading off the challenge from Ryuichi Kiyonari at the demanding Scottish circuit.
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Byrne blasted to a best lap of 48.243s, but determined to hold off his international opponents in the title chase this weekend, the Kent ace was still not satisfied with the opening day.
Byrne said: “We are happy to be fastest but we have been in a situation where normally I love riding the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki, but today I only liked riding it. There are some areas we are working hard on as a team so we are ready for qualifying tomorrow because I didn’t feel that I could push hard enough. We have some big plans!”
Byrne’s fastest lap put him ahead of Japan’s Kiyonari who had set the pace in the opening session aboard his Buildbase BMW from Byrne by just 0.005s. The Japanese rider has good memories of his previous appearance at the circuit, taking a pair of third places last season, and now he is aiming for a first winning ride since Snetterton in 2011.
However they face tough opposition from Australian Josh Brookes, the only rider to have beaten Byrne so far this campaign. He ran his Milwaukee Yamaha third fastest and is ready to retaliate after a crash at the last race at Snetterton shattered his hopes of a second victory. Bullish Brookes’ best lap pushed out Stuart Easton to fourth as the Scottish rider prepares for his home round.
Milwaukee Yamaha’s Tommy Bridewell was also pushing for the top in fifth, narrowly ahead of American John Hopkins aboard his Tyco Suzuki. Michael Rutter ran seventh on the Bathams BMW while Chris Walker bounced back from a crash in the morning to set the eighth best time two places up on his Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki team-mate James Ellison. James Westmoreland was sandwiched between them on the second Buildbase BMW with the top twelve covered by only 0.995s.
For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com
More, from a press release issued by Milwaukee Yamaha:
MILWAUKEE YAMAHA CONFIDENT OF FURTHER IMPROVEMENT AT KNOCKHILL
Milwaukee Yamaha kicked off the fourth round of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Knockhill with both sides of the garage determined to build on the opening practice sessions as Josh Brookes and Tommy Bridewell ended third and fifth respectively.
The team-mates are hunting podium finishes at the Scottish circuit and Brookes is determined to push for his second victory of the season on Sunday, as the crew work on further improvements for tomorrow’s qualifying sessions. Bridewell was fifth fastest on the timesheets but the Devizes rider was feeling confident that he had more in reserve as he bids for his first front row qualifying start of 2014.
Brookes said: “We didn’t get a good start in the first session because I didn’t feel confident in some of the corners. I don’t like making changes in the first sessions generally because sometimes that sends you round in circles but today it forced me to do that. I knew straight away that the bike was too soft and that we needed to make the changes and it did improve the feeling for the last run we had this afternoon. I still feel that I wasn’t riding with full confidence in the second session and that we need to find that little bit we are missing ready for qualifying tomorrow. In general it has been good though because we know what we need to look at so that we can really push in the races on Sunday.”
Bridewell said: “Today has been good and I feel really comfortable on the Milwaukee Yamaha. I had really felt good at Snetterton and then here again today and that was because we made a massive step forward at the last round. We have made minimal changes and I have a fair bit more in me for the rest of the weekend and we can still find a fair bit of time. I am looking forward to tomorrow because I expect to be quicker when we go for a lap rather than race runs like we have done today. I am happy to push 100 percent and I believe we can have a good weekend here.”
For more information visit www.milwaukeeyamaha.com