From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 9 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Oulton Park

TITLE ON HOLD FOR SHAKEY

MonsterMob Ducati rider Shane Byrne had to settle for his first race meeting without a podium as his title aspirations were placed on hold at Oulton Park, Cheshire today.

The 26 year old Kent rider slid out of the first race when he hit a damp patch on the track when well placed before settling for fourth place in race two to go into the final three rounds with a reduced 128 point advantage.

Starting from row two for the first time this season, Byrne was set to take over the lead in the opening race after flash storms had unexpectedly hit the track during the morning, when he was pushed wide and slid off at Lodge on lap 11 before the race was stopped early. And any hopes of a decent result in race two were thwarted when he got a bad start and was held up in traffic, eventually finishing in fourth.

“I was unlucky in race one when Kagayama ran me wide and I hit a stream of water and then in race two I got a poor start and by the time I’d got into a rhythm, fourth was the best I could manage. I’ve never ridden so hard for such a crap result.” said Shakey.

Rostrum honour was upheld by Supersport rider Stuart Easton who managed a fine second place aboard his 748 Ducati.

The pole position setter gave chase to winner Karl Harris but had to settle for second place to maintain his runner up spot in the championship.

“I’m never happy with second place but I’ll have to settle for it on this occasion. I really wanted to win today to dedicate it to Hizzy but maybe next time.” said the 19 year old Hawick racer who earlier in the day opened the new Hizzy chicane in memory of his former team mate.

Team owner Paul Bird commented “We’ve had some good weekends lately but this hasn’t been one of them. Hopefully Cadwell will be kinder to us and we can get back to winning ways again.”

Meanwhile Shane Byrne and Stuart Easton will be taking part in a NYRRSC chat show at Elders in Northallerton on Tuesday 12th August at 8pm. Also appearing will be Michael Rutter, Dennis Hobbs and Scott Smart.

Superbike Result

Race One
1, Steve Plater (Honda) 20:26.439
2, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) +0.164s
3, Sean Emmett (Ducati) +0.964s
4, Michael Rutter (Ducati) +2.090s
5, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +4.157s
6, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +5.751s
7, Mark Heckles (Honda) +15.363
8, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +17.044
9, Dave Wood (Suzuki) +19.356
10, Dean Ellison (Ducati) +19.432s.

Race Two
1, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 29:29.099
2, John Reynolds (Suzuki) +2.469
3, Sean Emmett (Ducati) +8,267
4, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) +10.112
5, Steve Plater (Honda) +10.206
6, Michael Rutter (Ducati) +14.849
7, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +18.904s
8, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +21.240
9, Mark Heckles (Honda) +27.598
10, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +36.589s.

Superbike Standings after Round 9
1: Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 365pts
2: John Reynolds (Suzuki) 237pts
3: Michael Rutter (Ducati) 226pts
4: Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 214pts
5: Steve Plater (Honda) 202pts
6: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 189pts
7: Gary Mason (Yamaha) 148pts
7: Sean Emmett (Ducati) 148pts
9: Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 122pts
10: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 116pts


Supersport Result
1, Karl Harris (Honda) 28:16.418
2, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) +2.727
3, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +7.161
4, Rob Frost (Kawasaki) +7.616
5, John Crockford (Honda) +8.593
6, Tom Sykes (Yamaha) +8.650
7, Michael Laverty (Honda) +8.896
8, Dean Thomas (Honda) +9.113
9, Craig Jones (Triumph) +13.049
10, Tom Tunstall (Yamaha) +13.082

Supersport Championship Standings after Round 9

1: Karl Harris 190pts
2: Stuart Easton 145pts
3: Simon Andrews 99pts
4: Michael Laverty 82pts
4: John Crockford 82pts
6: Dean Thomas 79pts
7: Adrian Coates 69pts
7: Tom Sykes 69pts
7: Rob Frost 69pts
10: Craig Jones 64pts


More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

BSB Round 9, Oulton Park

Sunday August 10
Track length: 2.692 miles
Weather: cloudy, overcast, 23°C
Track: damp/drying, 28°C

RICHARDS TURNS UP HEAT TO BEAT COLD AND TAKE FIFTH

Glen Richards and Scott Smart ignored illness and injury at Oulton Park this weekend, during the ninth round of the British Superbike Championship, to both score a brace of impressive top 10 finishes, despite the Cheshire track being possibly the team’s least favourable on the calendar.

Richards, who suffered the effects of a virus and energy-sapping humidity all weekend, sped away with the leading pack of Plater, Emmett, Kagayama and Rutter in the first race, only to relinquish his position to team mate Scott Smart on lap five when he ran straight on at the newly named Hizzy’s chicane. Despite his rare mistake, the popular Aussie battled his way back past his fellow Hawk rider and up to a superb fifth at the flag in a race that was red flagged after 13 laps due to oil on the track. He later added to his points haul with eighth in the second outing.

‘I think the result in the first race could have been even better because I ran off the track, which was a little bit annoying,’ joked Richards after the race. ‘I nearly hit Gary Mason’s rear wheel, so I had to run on at the chicane. That lost me a lot of time. If I hadn’t done that I’d have been right up the front. It was a shame, but fifth and eighth after qualifying tenth isn’t too bad.’

Scott Smart worked hard all meeting to overcome the discomfort of a bruised back, and his gritty performance rewarded him with a well deserved sixth in the first outing. ‘I got a good start, which was nice, but then about two thirds of the way through I was getting tired because of my back,’ said Scott of the race. ‘Because of that I wasn’t moving around the bike as much and my lap times were gradually getting worse, but we were hauling in the front guys again and I thought if I’d had that bit more energy like I do normally I might have been able to snatch another place.’

He rode the wheels off his ZX-7RR again in the second race, but the strain of riding injured took its toll on the former Supersport race winner and he was forced to settle for tenth. ‘It actually wasn’t too painful because I think adrenaline from the race disguised the pain, but I was just really tired out,’ he said. ‘All the muscles in my back are weak, so I was using my legs to cling on for dear life. My shoulders took a bit of a pummelling too, but even if I’d stayed fit for the whole race I don’t think I’d have done much better because Glen was only two places ahead. Obviously it’s disappointing going from Mondello and then to here, which is our bogey track. I’m just glad that we’re done and dusted at Oulton to be honest.’

Lee Jackson took advantage of his recent upturn in form to post two worthy points scoring finishes and beat respected Grand Prix campaigner Jason Vincent in race one, despite the slippery conditions. ‘To be honest, I was quite nervous about the wet and dry track,’ said Lee. ‘I was happy with the way I rode once I got going though, but the new chicane and the top over Clay hill were quite damp. I feel like I’ve been riding better as the weekend has gone on and I’m happier in myself. My lap times were really good when I got into the race, but getting baulked by John Reynolds at the start didn’t help. It’s not like I’m riding around with nuggets either, because in that race I was battling with Jay Vincent, who has finished eleventh at a GP this year, and Youngy who’s been British and Australian champion in all sorts of things, so I feel I’ve ridden well. Perhaps I could have got a bit of a better position, but the racing was good and I was being a damn sight more aggressively than I have all year.’

Hawk Kawasaki team boss Stuart Hicken was delighted with his riders’ performances, especially at a track that is so challenging for the ZX-7RR. ‘I’m over the moon with the results because it’s a real hard circuit for us,’ he said. ‘It was a brilliant result in the first race and solid finishes in the second. Again, the reliability of the bikes proves that good spannering pays off. For 750s it’s absolutely awesome, because if all the other guys were on 750s we would have won.’

BSB Race 1 result
1) Steve Plater, Honda. 2) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki. 3) Sean Emmett, Ducati. 4) Michael Rutter, Ducati. 5) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki. 6) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki. 7) Mark Heckles, Honda. 8) Leon Haslam, Ducati. 9) Dave Wood, Suzuki (P). 10) Dean Ellison, Ducati. 11) Paul Young, Yamaha. 12) Lee Jackson, Hawk Kawasaki. 13) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki (P). 14) Jason Vincent, Yamaha. 15) Sam Corke, Suzuki (P). 16) Nick Medd, Ducati. 17) Jeremy Goodall, Yamaha (P). 18) James Buckingham, Suzuki (P). 19) Jason Davis, Honda (P). 20) Mike Walker, Yamaha (P)

P=Privateer

Fastest Lap: John Reynolds, Suzuki: 1:39.059, 97.83mph

BSB Race 2 result
1) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki. 2) John Reynolds, Suzuki. 3) Sean Emmett, Ducati. 4) Shane Byrne, Ducati. 5) Steve Plater, Honda. 6) Michael Rutter, Ducati. 7) Leon Haslam, Ducati. 8) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki. 9) Mark Heckles, Honda. 10) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki. 11) Dave Wood, Suzuki (P). 12) Dean Ellison, Ducati. 13) Paul Young, Yamaha. 14) Jason Vincent, Yamaha. 15) Lee Jackson, Hawk Kawasaki. 16) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki (P). 17) Sam Corke, Suzuki (P). 18) James Buckingham, Suzuki (P). 19) Jeremy Goodall, Yamaha (P). 20) Mike Walker, Yamaha (P)

Fastest Lap: John Reynolds, Suzuki: 1:37.449, 99.44mph

BSB Riders’ Championship, after 9 rounds
1) Shane Byrne, Ducati: 365. 2) John Reynolds, Suzuki: 237. 3) Michael Rutter, Ducati: 226. 4) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki: 214. 5) Steve Plater, Honda: 202. 6) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki: 189. 7) Gary Mason, Yamaha: 148. 7=) Sean Emmett, Ducati: 148. 9) Steve Hislop, Yamaha: 122. 10) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki: 116. 11) Lee Jackson, Hawk Kawasaki: 78. 12) Mark Heckles, Honda: 75. 13) John Crawford, Ducati: 74. 13=) Paul Young, Yamaha: 74. 15) Leon Haslam, Ducati: 47

BSB Premier Team Championship, after 9 rounds
1) Monstermob/ETI Ducati: 1434. 2) Rizla Suzuki: 1353. 3) Renegade Ducati: 1340. 4) Hawk Kawasaki: 1304. 5) Virgin Mobile Yamaha: 1238. 6) Honda Racing: 1080. 7) TDB Recruit Yamaha: 1026. 8) Hawk Kawasaki/TCD Suzuki: 1014. 9) D&B/Renegade Ducati: 772


More, from a press release issued by Scott Smart’s publicist:

FACTORY KAWASAKI British Superbike rider Scott Smart earned some useful championship points at Oulton Park this afternoon scoring sixth and 10th places during a sombre meeting at the Cheshire track.

The weekend was overshadowed by the untimely death of reigning BSB champ Steve Hislop, who was recently killed in a helicopter crash near his home town of Hawick, Scotland. A new chicane was named Hizzy’s in Steve’s honour this morning.

Smart got off to what was his best start of the season in race one and was fourth into the first corner. Conditions were dubious as there had been a thunderstorm earlier in the day and parts of the track were still damp. Most of the front runners opted for slicks even though it had been declared a wet race.

“I got a fantastic start but the track was really patchy. I came out of Old Hall in fourth but got a bit boxed in through Cascades, ended up in sixth then settled down and got into a good flow. The pace car coming out helped a bit and I went past Glen after he made a mistake. He came back past me again, so I settled again and brought it home in sixth.” Race two was run as a dry race but Scott was, by then, suffering from back problems that have been dogging him all week.

“I got off the line OK, but then the bike bogged down and I ended up 11th into Cascades. Then Dave Wood came past me and his privateer GSX-R was so fast it took me a bit of time to work my was past him. I was watching Glen and Mark Heckles in front of me, and tried to reel them in. About half-race distance, I got so tired because I had to ride around my back troubles, so I decided to opt for the points.

“Oulton is a bit of a bogey track for us and I don’t think Cadwell will be much different, so Glen and I are looking forward to Brands and Donington where I think we can surprise a few people.”