CUP RIDER SPALDING GAINS FANTASTIC FIFTH PLACE OVERALL Pete Spalding celebrated his recent 19th birthday in style this weekend, 16th July, by gaining a fantastic seventh win out of seven races at round eight of the Bennetts British Supersport Cup Championship at Knockhill. Not only did he take the win in the Cup but he also took an outstanding fifth place in the overall Supersport class, his best result to date so far. After qualifying in 16th place on the grid he was promoted to 15th place after Pole sitter Eugene Laverty was forced out of the race due to an injury sustained during qualifying on Saturday. Leaving him a lot of work to do Spalding was keen to get a good start and move his way through the field. A strong start saw him hold his position over the start/finish straight and it was not long before his was manoeuvring through the fierce pack. On lap four he was sitting in 14th place, a number of riders came to blows and crashed out of the 28-lap race. Spalding was gaining positions on each lap and was up to ninth place by lap 14. Sitting behind experienced Supersport riders Crutchlow, Sykes, Camier, Hobbs, Lowry, Vincent, Emmett and Hutchinson it was looking likely that he would gain his second top ten finish this season. A few more incidents on the field saw three more riders crashing out. The youngster was locked in a tight battle with TT star Ian Hutchinson for the final few laps of the race and managed a confident pass on him on the last lap to take an amazing fifth place as he passed the chequered flag. A delighted Pete Spalding commented “It’s been a great weekend for me and I couldn’t have asked for any better. I know some of the riders who were in front of me crashed out but the aim of the game is to get to the chequered flag, which is thankfully what I managed to do. I was having a few problems up to Snetterton even though I had won all the Cup races up to that point, I wanted to be higher up in the overall Championship and it was beginning to play on my confidence. This has been the best thing that could have happened to the team and myself. I didn’t know that I finished fifth overall until I got off the podium and even when the team told me I didn’t believe them. I like to thank everyone at Centurion Racing for helping me this season, they’ve all been fantastic and I really appreciate it and hope to get some more good results for them in the remaining races.” Backing up his comments Team Manager Gary Stubbington said, “We’ve definitely managed to turn things around this weekend. The main aim was to try and build on Pete’s confidence and see him gain some better results. He did a brilliant job and all the team are over the moon for him. It’s given us all a boost and hopefully we can maintain this form for the rest of the year. The four-week break has allowed us all to sit down and have a think as to which direction we need to be heading and it would be great if this is the start of it. Pete has been training and working very hard and has come back fully refreshed with a good ambition and goal.” The team will be competing at Oulton Park this weekend 21st – 23rd July. More, from a press release issued by Paul Young Racing: YOUNGY BLASTS ‘AGGRESSIVE’ FROSTY Youngy taken out by aggressive rider: “I was hoping for a top five on the Paul Young Racing Triumph Daytona 675 but I was ‘Frostied’ after nine laps. Rob Frost took me out at McIntrye’s and then crashed out all on his own a lap and a half later. Looking at the final standings I can see it’s cost me a hell of a lot of points and positions in the championship as well as potential mileage for getting sponsors for next year. I think I missed out on my aim of a top five just because of a notoriously idiotic rider on the track who struck an innocent racer once again. I think to be fair to the bike, the last four meetings has shown the potential that we (almost) showed at Knockhill. I’ve been comfy enough with the bike to finish well in the top 10, but circumstances once more conspired against me. The weekend wasn’t without dramas, as the bike did feel like still suffering from a lack of top-end. That’s something I can work on and fix if I’ve just got the time and money available! Both are lacking at the moment! I’m pretty disappointed. In fact, that’s an understatement.” Qualifying: “I was confident all through practice and qualifying and was up to sixth place on race tyres so I was very confident for the actual main event. To be honest, qualifying 11th meant that at worst I’d maybe finish in the top 10. That would have been a piece of cake.” The Race: “I got a reasonable start, I was in or around my starting position so I didn’t lose or gain any places, instead I just tried to settle into a rhythm and not rush to get by anyone as I knew I could pick people off as and when. I started passing people and felt comfortable with the bike and tyres. I came up behind Frosty as the group in front were getting away and Frosty was definitely holding me up. He was looking completely ragged, so I thought I’d try to choose the right moment to get by safely, but with Rob that didn’t seem to exist and he was bobbling everywhere and was completely out of shape through the chicane. I finally went by him into McIntyre’s and was in front, I tried to give him and me room and let him know I was coming. We got into the apex and the next thing I know he’s come around the outside of me, just as the camber goes away from you. As I’m starting to pick the bike up, he was leaning on top of me, which pushed the back of the bike down. The bike then went from underneath of me, and that was it. He crashed a lap and a half later. I was pretty lucky to be walking and talking, as I ended up in middle of track on a blind corner and crest. I jumped up just as a pack of bikes came through the corner at around 100-120mph. I don’t know how they missed me. The bike was rideable, but it was on the other side of the track and I couldn’t get to it. All-in-all I was lucky not to get hit. At the stage when Frosty took me out I was catching people and I reckon I could have finished in front of Sean Emmett and he finished in 4th. Gutted!” Coming events: “Oulton Park is next weekend and I’m confident that I should have a similar result to the one I was expecting at Knockhill. Thankfully there’s not a huge amount of damage to the bike so it’s not too much of a drama to have bike ready for the race in Cheshire. The bike’s going good, so now I want the result I deserved in Scotland. In the previous round at Oulton earlier this year I was 7th before tyre problems set in, but now I want the finish to cap it off!” British Supersport Championship & Supersport Cup Knockhill Race Result 1 – Cal CRUTCHLOW – Honda -Northpoint Ekerold Honda – 23:52.150 2 – Dennis HOBBS – Honda – Padgetts Batley Ltd – 24:00.008 3 – Ian LOWRY – Suzuki – TAS Suzuki – 24:01.304 4 – Sean EMMETT – Ducati – Lloyds British Ducati – 24:08.992 5 – C – Pete SPALDING – Honda – Centurion Racing – 24:20.170 6 – Ian HUTCHINSON – Kawasaki-MSS Discovery Racing – 24:20.251 7 – Jamie ROBINSON – Honda – Bykerbabe.com – 24:20.613 8 – Martin JESSOPP – Ducati – Lloyds British Ducati – 24:23.045 9 – Kieran MURPHY – Kawasaki-MSS Discovery Racing – 24:23.216 10 – Sam OWENS – Honda – Premier Motorsport – 24:27.686 11 – Steven NEATE – Honda – Trucklinks Racing – 24:27.914 12 – Tommy BRIDEWELL – Suzuki – Vivaldi Racing – 24:37.406 13 – Bob GRANT – Honda – Grant Racing – 24:38.289 14 – James HILLIER – Kawasaki – Gearlink Racing – 24:43.968 15 – C – Aaron WALKER – Honda – TJW Racing – 23:58.102 Not Classified Paul YOUNG – Triumph – Paul Young Racing – 6:56.532 More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: Confidence boosting weekend for Hawk The two Hawk Kawasaki riders Craig Coxhell and Peter Hickman secured some strong results this weekend at round eight of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Knockhill, 16th July. With Dean Thomas sidelined for the next few meetings due to injury, it was down to the two youngsters in the team to secure some good results. Coxhell was determined to carry on his recent good form and managed to gain a fantastic sixth and ninth position in the two Superbike races with nineteen-year-old Hickman finishing just outside the points in both races gaining a 17th and 16th finish respectively. The two riders were consistent throughout the weekend and were adjusting to the newly resurfaced 1.3-mile Scottish Circuit. Riding on-board the Dunlop-shod Kawasaki ZX-10R’s the two managed to end Saturday’s Qualifying session with Coxhell in 11th and Hickman in 19th position for the two races. Race one saw Coxhell gain a flying start and he had moved up two places by the end of the first lap. He was locked in a battle with factory Honda rider Karl Harris who he managed to pass on lap five, an electrical problem for current British Champion Lavilla saw him lose out on places whilst he re-set his Ducati, this promoting Coxhell to seventh position. A confident pass on Yamaha rider, Hill left Coxhell to take a strong sixth place for the Hawk Team. In race two he did not gain the start that he did in the first race and got boxed in into the first corner, spending a number of laps trying to pass Honda rider Rutter, this proving difficult at the tight and twisty circuit. A pass on the Stobart rider on lap 25 moved Coxhell to ninth place, unable to catch the riders in front this is where he finished the race. Hickman struggled during both starts and left himself a lot of work to do. The rookie rider was locked in a battle in the first race with Michael Rutter and Champion Lavilla, a daunting task for the youngster. He held his ground and even managed to re-pass Lavilla into turn one. The two extremely experienced riders managed to get the better of Hickman but also gave him the opportunity to learn from his peers. Coxhell commented “I enjoyed both races and I’m really happy with my first race result and hope that I can continue to get some more positive results at the remaining rounds. I was finding it very difficult to find good passing places at Knockhill and got stuck behind Rutter in the second race, unable to find a safe place to get through on him. By the time I did I’d left it too late to try and catch Glen in front of me, a few more laps and it would have been possible to make up more positions. We have definitely made progress this weekend and hope that it will last.” Hickman said, “I struggled with both my starts in the races which proved to be a huge disadvantage. I am still learning all the tracks and how a Superbike works on them, I got two finishes, which is the main thing. I do struggle in the heat and the conditions were incredible hot. I’d like to get back in the points at Oulton next weekend and get some strong results there.” Race One Result: Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda Shane Byrne Suzuki Leon Haslam Ducati Jonathan Rea Honda Michael Laverty Honda Craig Coxhell Hawk Kawasaki Karl Harris Honda Tommy Hill Yamaha Glen Richards Honda Scott Smart Suzuki 17th Peter Hickman Hawk Kawasaki Race Two Result: Shane Byrne Suzuki Jonathan Rea Honda Leon Haslam Ducati Tommy Hill Yamaha Michael Laverty Honda Karl Harris Honda Scott Smart Suzuki Glen Richards Honda Craig Coxhell Hawk Kawasaki Michael Rutter Honda 16th Peter Hickman Hawk Kawasaki