ROUND SIX 2-3 AUGUST THRUXTON
SMRZ SCORES DEBUT MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE POLE POSITION AND DUCATI’S FIRST IN FOUR YEARS
Results
Datatag Extreme Qualifying:
1: Jakub Smrz (Millsport Ducati) 1m:15.281s
2: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.116s
3: Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +0.342s
4: Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.345s
5: Michael Rutter (Bathams BMW) +0.375s
6: Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.662s
Report
Jakub Smrz powered to a stunning first ever pole start in the sixth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Thruxton. The vastly experienced rider from the Czech Republic celebrated the team’s best qualifying performance in their debut season, giving Ducati their first pole start since 2010.
Smrz held off the intense challenge of title-chasing Australian Josh Brookes on the Milwaukee Yamaha in the final session. He said: “This is a really great feeling. Before the start of qualifying I had joked with the team that I could become the first to win a watch as the pole starter in both the World and British series! This is important for us as we improve every round, the bike is getting better in every session and we are working hard. I enjoying the bike and finally we are getting something back, now I hope for the same in the races!”
Dan Linfoot completes the front row of the grid for the local Quattro Plant Bournemouth Kawasaki team, his best qualifying position in the series. He eased the series leader and three times former title-winner Shane Byrne back into fourth fastest though the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider was only 0.003s adrift of him.
Michael Rutter starts his Bathams BMW alongside Byrne on the second row which is completed by local hero Tommy Bridewell on the second Milwaukee Yamaha. Former MotoGP rider John Hopkins set the seventh best time to be on the third row alongside Peter Hickman on the RAF Reserves Honda and Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki’s Chris Walker. Jon Kirkham completes the top ten on the Halsall Biker Gear Kawasaki.
For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com
More, from a press release issued by Milwaukee Yamaha:
FRONT ROW START FOR MILWAUKEE YAMAHA AT THRUXTON
Josh Brookes powered the Milwaukee Yamaha to a front row start for tomorrow’s opening MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship race at Thruxton with the Australian qualifying second on the grid.
Brookes and the team had been working hard throughout the free practice sessions and it paid off in qualifying, ending 0.116s adrift of pole-sitter Jakub Smrz. Tommy Bridewell will start the opening race from the second row of the grid in sixth position and is confident of a fighting position in the two races tomorrow.
Brookes said: “The Milwaukee Yamaha is working well here, we have made improvements over the weekend to get the compromise we needed and the combination has given me the feeling and drive that we had been looking for. We were fast in the wet and then this afternoon we were there in the dry in qualifying. I have done a lot of laps on the race tyre and we needed to get more laps on that as what I need to do to beat Shakey in the Championship is to win races. I am focused on that and I am happy with today.”
Bridewell said: “I am disappointed with qualifying this afternoon as I don’t feel that the second row was the best we could have achieved. I didn’t get the chance to show what we know we are capable of doing today but we are going to reassess everything this evening so we can fix the problem ready for the races tomorrow. We know that we can run a good pace and to be honest it is the races that are important.”
For more information visit www.milwaukeeyamaha.com
More, from a press release issued by Mar-Train Racing:
THRUXTON SPRINT RACE VICTORY PUTS SEELEY BACK ON TOP OF SUPERSPORT STANDINGS
Mar-Train Racing’s Alastair Seeley is back in command of the British Supersport Championship having moved to the top of the standings after his sprint race victory earlier today at Thruxton.
It was Seeley’s third straight victory in the class aboard the Mar-Train Racing R6 Yamaha, with the former champion turning a 50 point deficit into a two point lead in just three races.
A delighted Seeley said afterwards: “In the opening laps a struggled a bit with rear grip, but I knew once the tyres started to drop off a little I would be able to pick up the pace. There was a bit of a freight train at the front of the field so I used my North West 200 experience to my advantage. A happy rider is a fast rider, and big credit to the team for making me just that as they are doing a great job for me. So thanks to Tim, Andy, Boost and everyone else involved – we just need to keep this run going.”
Tim Martin – Team Principal:
“’Give the man the tools and he will produce the goods’, is something I’ve always said about Alastair Seeley. But today and the past few weeks, getting him built back up, has been a massive team effort. Alastair has recognised that and we are now working as a tighter unit and understanding each other even better. We are back at the top of the championship standings, but as I always tell everyone: let’s not get carried away and juts continue to take one race at a time, starting in tomorrow’s second race here at Thruxton.”
Alastair will start tomorrow’s second Supersport race at Thruxton from second place on the grid – the same spot where he took victory from today.
Results – Thruxton Supersport Sprint Race [12 laps]:
Winner: Alastair Seeley [Mar-Train Racing] 15min 38.412sec; 2nd – Luke Jones [Triumph] +0.519sec; 3rd – Graeme Gowland [Triumph] +0.872sec; 4th – Billy McConnell [Triumph] +1.801sec; 5th – Glenn Irwin [Kawasaki] +1.805sec; 6th – Luke Mossey [Triumph] +4.193sec
Championship Points
Alastair Seeley 177
Billy McConnell 175
Graeme Gowland 167
Luke Jones 139
Luke Stapleford 133
Glenn Irwin 129
More, from a press release issued by Buildbase BMW Motorrad:
Lee Jackson secures front row start in Superstock 1000 at Thruxton.
Lee Jackson has earned a front-row start for tomorrow’s Superstock 1000 race, one of three in which the young rider from Lincolnshire will be riding in this weekend. In addition to the STK1000 class, Jackson is filling in for a recuperating James Westmoreland in the British Superbike races for a second weekend.
Jackson led the highly competitive Pirelli Superstock 1000 pack during Q1 and for much of the postponed Q2 session, however he was pipped to the post on the drying circuit by Jason O’Halloran and Danny Buchan, who will be starting from pole position and second place respectively. Just 0.081 seconds separate the top three riders around the fast and winding Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire.
In the MCE British Superbike class, Ryuichi Kiyonari, who was running a race tyre during qualifying, narrowly missed out on getting through to the final Q3 session today and will start the first race 11th. Lee Jackson qualified 13th and will start the first BSB race two places back. Both riders opted not to use the softer, stickier qualifier tyres to get as much setup information as possible and to simulate race conditions.
Stuart Hicken, Team Owner,said: “Today was all about setups and race pace. The riders who qualified above Kiyo were on qualifying tyres, and we were on a race tyre. This was a long, wet qualifying weekend and that gave us the time to work out and refine a good wet setup, which we didn’t have heading into Brands Hatch. While it might not look impressive on paper, it’ll pay off at the end of the race. We did two race simulations this weekend and the bikes lasted very well.
“Lee Jackson once again acquitted himself well in both classes. He had an uncharacteristic slide off in BSB, and he was on track to get up into the top six or so that lap. He’s on the front row for Superstock 1000 and he’s got his eyes on a race win too. With a bit of luck, and dry weather tomorrow, he might well get it.”
The sixth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship takes place at Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire on 3 August 2014. Racing will be broadcast live from 12:30pm on British Eurosport 2.
Pirelli Superstock 1000 Qualifying results:1. Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing)
2. Danny Buchan (Tsingtao WK Kawasaki)
3. Lee Jackson (Buildbase BMW Motorrad)
4. Filip Backlund (SMT Kawasaki)
5 Joe Burns (JG Speedit Kawasaki)
6. Adam Jenkinson (Northern Escalator Kawasaki)