MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 05 SUNDAY 24 JUNE KNOCKHILL PREVIEW MICHAEL LAVERTY PLANS TO MAINTAIN THAT WINNING FEELING Michael Laverty is aiming to build on his victory last time out as he powers into the fifth round of the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Knockhill. The Samsung Honda rider put his title bike firmly back on course at the high-speed Snetterton circuit where he followed a second place with a first victory of the season. Those two results have put the 31 year old Ulsterman into the top four in the overall standings and now Laverty is intent on maintaining, or bettering that position to remain in strong contention for a place among the top six riders in the rankings who qualify for the “Showdown finale” sequence of seven races that decides the outcome of the country’s premier crown. Laverty’s confidence is further boosted by the additional miles aboard the Honda TT Legends bike he clocked up as he took a podium finish in his debut ride in the World Endurance Championship race at Doha in which he took a podium finish. Securing a place in the end of season finale sequence is also uppermost on Laverty’s team-mate Jon Kirkham’s mind. The Derby rider has just about recovered from the horror crash during practice for last month’s Oulton Park round in which he took a battering and sustained concussion. Kirkham returned to racing at Snetterton, but his hopes of an incident free comeback in which he could settle back into the groove were dashed when he was sent tumbling on the third corner of the first lap of the first race. Kirkham, the winner of the first race of the season on his debut with the Samsung Honda team, has dropped back to eleventh place in the standings, but believes that he can rectify that as the championship makes its annual visit to Scotland and a circuit where last year, despite falling amid another rider’s accident he remounted in last place, but carved through the pack, setting a series of fastest race laps, to finish in eleventh place. Pushing them hard will be Padgett’s Honda rider Ian Lowry the 25 year old scored his maiden victory in the series at Thruxton and after a dismal Oulton Park round fought back at Snetterton scoring vital points, including a fourth place, to maintain his fifth place in the overall standings. Lowry is eager to return to his Thruxton pace to ensure that he retains his all important place among the top six as several riders lose in around him. Among them are the trio of WFR Honda riders, Alex Lowes, James Westmoreland and Graeme Gowland. Lincolnshire rider Lowes ran in the top six in each of the races at Snetterton, with Gowland also taking a top six finish as the team begins to replicate the form that last year took it to the BSB-EVO class title, with regulations that were the fore-runner of this season’s technical rules that outlaw traction and anti-wheelie controls. That has levelled the playing field, with seven different riders tasting the winner’s champagne in the eight races so far. The only rider to win twice is reigning champion Tommy Hill, riding Yamaha, but he is a single point down on Aussie Josh Brookes, Suzuki’s series leading rider. HONDA RIDERS QUOTES: Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda): “Snetterton was the turning point for me and now I am looking forward to Knockhill where I need to maintain the momentum and score more strong points and podium credits. I enjoy riding the circuit and think that it should suit our bike and that we should be able to maintain our form, continuing where we left off at both Snetterton and Doha. Now we have to keep it rolling to keep our championship on track. There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders going into Snetterton, but that one good weekend under our belts has put us into a comfortable fourth place and importantly in the top six where we have to stay. We’ll keep chipping away to ensure that and then come on strong in the Showdown.” Jon Kirkham (Samsung Honda): “I’m really looking forward to getting back on it. I am a lot more recovered now than I was at Snetterton where I was hoping for two solid races to fully restore my confidence, but I missed most of the first race after I was taken out on the third corner of the first lap. That left me sore, to say the least, but now I have to put all of that behind me and look forward to getting some good points scores back on the board. Knockhill last year was mixed for me I went down in the John Hopkins’ crash, but picked myself up, rejoined last and put in a series of fast laps to come through to eleventh. I should be able to roll out those laps again and have a positive feeling about getting points on the board and getting back up there.”