SHOWDOWN SIX SET FOR BRANDS HATCH MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE TITLE-DECIDER The 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship will reach its thrilling climax at the legendary Brands Hatch circuit in Kent this weekend (12/13/14 October) with a triple-header event as six riders representing five different manufacturers prepare for the crucial title-deciding season finale. Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne has just a nine point buffer ahead of his home round as the double champion aims to equal the record of three BSB titles. Byrne said: “Brands Hatch is going to be the event of the season; there is going to be some hard racing and I will be giving it everything to win the title. Mathematically it is possible for all six of us to win the title so we are all going out to try and win races, but I have one goal and that is to be the champion.” Australian Josh Brookes enjoyed some memorable battles with Byrne on the Grand Prix circuit earlier in the season and has only failed to finish on the podium once in the Showdown rounds; he has a 15 point advantage over the hard-charging youngster Alex Lowes in third place who has been a revelation in the Showdown phase of the championship with two pole positions and two wins. Brookes said: “Mathematically this is the strongest position I have been in going into the last round so in that respect this is my best chance. The six of us are all equally trying to achieve the same goal but the Tyco Suzuki team are in the best position we can be. I will be riding as hard as I can at Brands Hatch.” Lowes added: “All of us want to win as much as each other and it comes down to these races so everyone will put everything out there. I need to ride like I have been at the last few rounds and then that might give me the chance to move up the order or even be British champion. I have nothing to lose so I want to go out, enjoy the races and have a good fight with the boys for the wins.” Defending champion Tommy Hill won’t give up his number one plate without a fight to the end; he lies 42 points adrift of Byrne, but could yet make a sensational comeback to retain the title for Swan Yamaha. However Michael Laverty and Tommy Bridewell still have an outside chance and could yet influence the outcome of a thrilling season. Discounted advance tickets for the final round of the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch on 12/13/14 October are available until midday Wednesday from £25. Children aged 12 and under are admitted free. For more information, call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: HILL SET TO FIGHT BACK AT BRANDS HATCH MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE SEASON FINALE The MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship reaches its climax this weekend with the triple-header season finale at Brands Hatch in Kent as defending champion Tommy Hill bids to claim the final three race wins of the campaign. Hill arrives at his home circuit 42 points adrift of the championship leader but with a maximum of 75 points available he could yet retain his number one plate at the circuit where he sensationally lifted the title last year. Noriyuki Haga is also determined to end his season on a high; he narrowly missed out on a podium finish on the Grand Prix circuit in August and currently lies 20 points adrift of seventh place in the overall standings. Hill said: “We definitely want to go to Brands Hatch and turn things around. It is gutting how the Showdown has been but that is how racing goes sometimes. We have to aim for the triple win as if we do that there is nothing more than we can do. I just need to try and win all three races and then anything can still happen. If it does then I need to be in a position to pick up the pieces. This is my job and throughout my career I have had ups and downs, possibly more than most, but the instinct is to fight back and we want to end the season on top with wins.” Haga said: “I want to end the season with some good results for the Swan Yamaha team. I would like some good weather and I am always thinking of how we can get the best result at Brands Hatch. I had a good feeling at the last race at Brands Hatch and I almost had a podium but I had crash on the last lap which was disappointing. Right now I don’t have anything to lose so I just need three good races.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Honda: MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 12 SATURDAY/SUNDAY 13/14 OCTOBER BRANDS HATCH PREVIEW LOWES AND LAVERTY IN FINAL SHOWDOWN FOR BRITISH TITLE Alex Lowes and Michael Laverty are among the six riders gunning for glory in the triple race final round showdown to decide who is crowned as the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Champion at Brands Hatch on Sunday 14 October. Lowes, riding for the WFR Honda equipe, is a late challenger for honours. He struck top form just in time to secure a place among the elite six “title fighter” riders as he charged his Fireblade to the team’s first pole start at Cadwell Park, following that with their first podium finish, again at the Lincolnshire circuit. Subsequently 22 year old Lincolnshire lad Lowes has ridden consistently, with a pair of third places at Assen and then a maiden race winning double in the penultimate round at Silverstone which took him to third place in the overall standings, 24 points down on the series leading former two times British champion Shane Byrne, but, importantly with 75 points still to play for. Lowes has to aim for nothing less than winning rides to keep the pressure on Kawasaki riding Byrne and also Aussie Josh Brookes who, riding Suzuki, is in second place in the rankings, 15 points better off than the young WFR Honda rider. Laverty, the Samsung Honda rider, meanwhile is in fifth place in the standings, seven points down on the reigning champion Tommy Hill whose Showdown sequence performances, with both ill-fortune and tyre gambles, on the Yamaha have dropped him down the order. Samung rider Laverty goes into the races with a 49 points deficit on Byrne but will be out to prove a point having worked long and hard with his team to solve the grip issues that have dogged him in recent rounds. Laverty knows that it is a long shot for him to take the title and that he needs maximum points to have any chance, and that is what he is aiming for. For the riders outside the top six, there is the target of winning the BSB Riders Cup. James Westmoreland, riding the second WFR Honda, leads the way going into the final round with a 20 points advantage over former World Superbike runner-up Noriyuki Haga who has had a disappointing, inconsistent first season of BSB action. Ian Lowry, the Padgett’s Honda rider who won the Thruxton race earlier in the season, is also well placed to bid for Cup glory, but Samsung Honda’s Jon Kirkham is a long-shot for honours. The first of the three decisive races, all on the Kent Grand Prix circuit, is on Saturday afternoon, with the other two on Sunday. Honda rider quotes: Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda): “We know we are fast enough it has just been circumstances that have stopped us being further up so far. We went from being confident title contenders to title outsiders, but we will push on at Brands Hatch. I am looking at the championship as we know mathematically we can still have a chance at the title, but you don’t know what will happen so we just have to concentrate on winning races. I think everyone will take a few more chances at Brands Hatch; I am up for a bit of fairing rubbing and I am sure Brands Hatch will be the best races of the season.” Alex Lowes (WFR Honda): “It will take a mistake from the guys in front of me to be closer, but racing is racing and who knows what can happen. They all want to win as much as me, and it comes down to these races so they will put everything out there, but I will too. I need to ride like I have been at the last few rounds and then that might give me the chance to move up the order or even be British champion. I have nothing to lose so I want to go out and enjoy the last races and have a good fight with the boys for the wins.”