Bennetts British Superbike Championship Round 10 Croft, North Yorkshire 12th/13th August RUTTER MUSCLED OUT OF IT AT CROFT Stobart Motorsport rider Michael Rutter was left ruing his luck at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire as he left round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship a disappointed man. Riding the VK and Vent Axia backed Honda Fireblade, the 33 year old Midlander qualified on row two of the grid and despite the threatening weather; he posted a battling sixth place finish in the opening 20 lap race. But it was in the wet second race that Rutter looked to have put his disappointing run of results behind him as he shot to the front of the field and led in the opening laps. However, any hopes of a podium were dashed when eventual winner Leon Haslam tried a pass which resulted in Rutter being forced onto the grass at Tower Bend, thus ending his challenge as he eventually battled back to another sixth place. “I’m a bit disappointed really and there are some scores to be settled at Cadwell Park after some people pushed me around a little. We’ve proved we can still run up at the front and the bike has improved a lot over the weekend so I’m looking forward to Cadwell in a positive frame of mind. Two sixth places with all things considered is OK, but not what I wanted” said a dejected Rutter. Meanwhile team mate Michael Laverty was hoping to be challenging for a podium position at the circuit where he impressed last season but problems in race one saw the 25 year old Ulsterman eventually finish in a lowly 13th place before bouncing back with a better ride into seventh in the treacherous conditions of race two. “I’m happy enough with my performance in race two but I was spinning up a bit on the rear meaning I couldn’t get past Michael and Kiyo. We changed some settings before race one and that was a bit of a disaster but race two made up for it. We’ll move onto Cadwell now and try to make sure we’re fast from the off as this weekend, it’s been a bit of a struggle” said Laverty. Team owner Paul Bird was entertaining a number of important sponsors at Croft and whilst he was pleased to see his rider in the lead, he shared Rutter’s frustration: “That was alright but what happened was typical of the sort of luck we’ve had this season. I’m happy with four finishes but it was a bit of a character building weekend. We’ll move on to Cadwell in a couple of weekend’s time and see what that brings us but for whatever reason, it’s just not been our season so we’ll have to hope it turns around in the last three races” said the Penrith businessman. The next round of the Championship takes place on August 27th/28th at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire. Superbike Race One Result 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 27m23.430s, 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.947s, 3, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +2.132s, 4, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +2.339s, 5, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) +19.107s, , 7, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +37.520s, 8, Craig Coxhell (Kawasaki) +38.093s, 9, Steve 6, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +25.601s Plater (Suzuki) +38.838s, 10, Karl Harris (Honda) +39.410s”¦ 13, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +54.545s. Superbike Race Two Result 1, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 26m57.266s, 2, Karl Harris (Honda) +0.090s, 3, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +13.712s, 4, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) +15.954s, 5, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +23.642s, 6, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +25.553s, 7, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +26.782s, 8, Peter Hickman (Kawasaki) +43.486s, 9, Glen Richards (Honda) +45.633s, 10, Craig Coxhell (Kawasaki) +49.399s”¦ 13, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +1m06.496s. Bennetts British Superbike Championship Standings (after round 10) 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 310pts 2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 307pts 3, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 292pts 4, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) 198pts 5, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 176pts 6, Karl Harris (Honda) 175pts 7, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) 139pts 8, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) 138pts 9,, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 127pts 10, Glen Richards (Honda) 87pts More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: STRONG DEBUT FOR BYRNE AT CROFT Rizla Suzuki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne narrowly missed the rostrum on his first Superbike visit to Croft in North Yorkshire for the 10th round of the Bennetts British Championship. In a treacherously wet second race, Shakey recovered from an uncharacteristic poor start and an early run off the track to chase down the leaders. He would have challenged for third if the race which had been shortened by two laps due to the weather had run its full distance. In the opening race, plagued by drizzling rain on a dry track, he took fifth place. Steve Plater, making his second appearance for Rizla Suzuki as a stand-in for the injured James Haydon, took impressive ninth and 11th places from starting 19th on the grid. Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari won the opening race and Ducati’s Leon Haslam the second. Rizla Suzuki will attend the official MCRCB test at Cadwell Park next Thursday, August 17th. The team will then return to the Lincolnshire circuit for the 11th round of the Championship on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28th. * Brendan Roberts won the National Superstock Championship at Croft with three rounds to spare on his Crescent supplied Suzuki GSX-R1000. Shane Byrne: “In the second race my bike was mega and I was smiling inside my helmet. If I hadn’t made a simple mistake and run off the track early on and lost a lot of time rejoining, then I could have had a podium finish. “It’s another weekend of finishing fourth and fifth. That doesn’t make me happy and I need to break this run of being just behind the podium results; it’s not where I want to be and I should be challenging for the wins.” Steve Plater: “I am starting to gel the Rizla Suzuki and this weekend has been a big step forward. The results are ok but what’s more important is the progress I have made with the bike. I am starting to understand and exploit its performance. “I am satisfied with the day’s work, especially in the second race when I had real confidence in the bike and could ride aggressively I hope I get another chance to race it. Being part of Rizla Suzuki is a great experience and I’m enjoying every minute of it.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “For the second meeting in a row Shakey has scored fourth and fifth place results. He has shown again he has the pace to challenge for the podium. He’s strong and his confidence remains sky high as we enter the final leg of the season. “Steve enjoyed two inspirational rides from a lowly starting position. It’s been another decent performance from him. James Haydon will have a medical examination early in the coming week to assess whether he will be capable of racing at Cadwell Park. We are keen to get him back but if he is unavailable we have a strong substitute in Steve. “Congratulations to Suzuki’s Brendan Roberts on securing the National Superstock Championship with three rounds to go. He has been the class of the field and his victory shows just how good the production based GSX-R1000 really is. His bike is almost identical to the model you can buy in any authorized Suzuki showroom and is the class of its field.” Race One Results: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 27:23.430, 2: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.947, 3: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +2.132, 4: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +2.339, 5: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +19.107, 6: Michael Rutter (Honda) +25.601, 7: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +37.520, 8: Craig Coxhell (Kawasaki) +38.093, 9: Steve Plater (Rizla Suzuki) +38.838, 10: Karl Harris (Honda) +39.410. Race Two Results: 1: Haslam 26:57.266, 2: Harris + 0.090, 3: Lavilla +13.712, 4: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +15.954, 5: Kiyonari +23.642, 6: Rutter +25.553, 7: Michael Laverty (Honda) +26.782, 8: Peter Hickman (Kawasaki) +43.486, 9: Glen Richards (Honda) +45.633, 10: Coxhell +49.399. 11: Steve Plater (Rizla Suzuki) +1:00.790. Championship Positions (after 10 of 13 rounds): 1: Kiyonari 310, 2: Haslam 307, 3: Lavilla 292, 4: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) 198, 5: Rea 176, 6: Harris 175, 7: Laverty 139, 8: Rutter 138, 9: Hill 127, 10: Richards 87. 16: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 36. 17: Steve Plater (Rizla Suzuki) 27. More, from a press release issued by Brendan Roberts’ publicist: Roberts seals Championship National Superstocks Croft Round 10 www.brendan-roberts.com 21-year-old Brendan Roberts secured the National Superstock Championship this weekend with three rounds of the series still remaining. Taking Pole Position, setting the fastest lap and also the race win, Roberts certainly sealed the title in true style. The young Australian dominated all weekend at the 2.12-mile Croft Circuit. Varied weather conditions throughout the weekend proved challenging for him but this did not deter him from topping the time sheets in every session. With the race being declared as wet and not having a morning warm up or a wet session, the riders were given two sighting laps before being thrown straight into the 16-lap race. A steady start for Roberts saw him slip back to fourth place but he was soon finding his feet in the damp conditions and began to move forward through the field. A battle with Irishman Marshall Neil proved interesting for the initial laps of the race allowing front runners Steve Brogan and Aaron Zanotti to make a break from the chasing pack. A tidy manoeuvre on lap three saw Roberts move up to third and he was soon hunting down Championship contender Zanotti, a tidy pass on him into turn one on lap 10 enabled Roberts to move a step closer to clinching the title. With a huge 76-point lead going into Croft he only needed a strong finish to take the title, but Roberts had other plans and wanted to ensure that he meant business and took another race win. A strong pass on Brogan down the start/finish straight on lap 12 saw the Grantham based rider take to the front and bridge a gap of nearly two seconds in the remaining four laps and seal a confident win. A delighted Roberts commented “What a weekend, I surprised myself during practice and qualifying with the times I managed. I feel riding with the Europeans in an even tougher series has helped me out 100% and its starting to show. To get me to where I am now I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family and friends. A big thanks has to go to Jonny and Chris from Moto-Direct for taking an interest in my career and Niall Mackenzie for his advice and friendship since I’ve been in the UK. Roberts will next be competing at Cadwell Park on August Bank Holiday weekend in the National Superstock series. More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: Point Scoring Weekend for Hawk British Superbikes – Croft – Round 10 Hawk Kawasaki had an extremely positive weekend at round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire this weekend, 11th – 13th August. The three riders Dean Thomas, Craig Coxhell and Peter Hickman all gained points in both of the Superbike races on board the Dunlop-shod Kawasaki ZX-10R’s. Thomas, who is recovering from serious injuries he sustained at Snetterton Circuit, battled through the pain barrier and gained two very creditable results with two twelfth places. After qualifying in 14th position Thomas fought hard all weekend to ensure that he gained some strong Championship points after missing the last two rounds. Thomas was content with the results commenting “I’ve not been out on a bike for three days on the trot since I crashed at Snetterton. It was certainly difficult and was very uncomfortable during both of the races but I wanted to get back out there. I knew it would be hard work and perhaps the weather conditions played in my favour and slowed the pace down a little. Hopefully I will be a lot stronger for Cadwell in a few weeks time.” Craig Coxhell struggled during qualifying and could only manage 17th place on the grid but from that the young Australian gained some very strong results with a eighth in race one and 10th in race two. Coxhell who favours the wet weather conditions put in some astounding lap times and was lapping as one of the fastest riders on the circuit. Coxhell was dicing in a freight train of riders in race one for seventh place with Tommy Hill, Steve Plater, Karl Harris, Simon Andrews and fellow team-mate Thomas. Coxhell said “I’m just gutted to not have qualified better as I know I could have been running further up the field if I had qualified in a stronger position. I have struggled all year to get my bike to work on qualifying tyres and therefore I have been struggling to put in a quick time. I am very happy to have gained two top ten positions as it has given me some good points in the Championship. Things are still all fairly close in the overall series and we also have double points at Brands Hatch to play for.” Youngster Peter ‘Hicky’ Hickman had an astounding ride at Croft and from qualifying 15th on the grid he gained 14th in race one and a fantastic eighth place in the second race. Hicky achieved his strongest race result to date in only his first year in the Superbike series, a credit to the 19-year-old. A elated Hicky said “The second race result was a great feeling. I got one of the best starts that I have ever had and right from the start I just felt confident and content. I was locked in a tight scrap with ex BSB Champ Shakey Byrne which was interesting, he was definitely on a mission but it was good to have a dice with him for a few laps. I’d like to thank everyone in the team for working so hard and glad I managed to get the result I did in race two as a thank you to them.” The Bennetts British Superbike series will next be at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire on August Bank Holiday Weekend, 26th- 28th August. More, from a press release issued by Centurion Racing: SPALDING TAKES NINTH BRITISH SUPERSPORT CUP WIN AT CROFT CIRCUIT 19-year-old Pete Spalding sealed the Supersport Cup Championship this weekend at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire after taking his ninth Cup win of the season from nine races plus an outstanding fourth position overall in the Supersport Championship. A dramatic race was seen by the strong 30’000 fans in what proved to be an exciting and nail-biting 18-lap race. After qualifying in a strong 14th position the youngster was keen to gain a strong result to finally seal the Cup Championship Title, in which he has been working so hard to gain all season. Completely dominating the series, the Honda CBR600 rider once again stole the show and gained another fantastic result to add to the stunning fifth position he gained at Knockhill. After a first lap pile-up on the first corner, plus a heavy rain shower the race was red flagged after only two laps, enforcing a complete restart. The riders were given two laps warm-up in the wet conditions and were given a 16-lap race. Spalding gained a fantastic start and was up to seventh by the third corner behind Supersport regulars, Sykes, Emmett, Crutchlow, Vincent, Camier and Laverty. Spalding proved at Donington Park earlier in the season that he is becoming a wet weather specialist after gaining a great eighth place there. The youngster once again proved his worth in the tricky climate conditions and mixed in with some of the most Supersport riders in the country. Front runners, Crutchlow, Laverty and Vincent all succumbed to the weather and crashed out of the race, allowing Spalding a fighting chance of stepping on the steps of the main Supersport Class Podium. Hunting down current Supersport Champion Leon Camier, Spalding was eager to make a pass on the Champion for third place. A last lap, last corner nearly proved ecstatic and fatal for the youngster, fighting his way past Camier, he got on the gas a little early and nearly high-sided out of the race. Managing to fight and hold on to his Honda, he gained an amazing fourth place. Commenting a delighted Spalding said “It’s been an amazing year and now I have sealed the Championship I can relax a little more and just get on with the racing at not have to think about the results at the final rounds. The whole Centurion Team have worked exceptionally hard all weekend and all year and they deserve this title more than anyone, I would like to thank everyone for all their continued support and help. The race was fantastic and it was a great feeling battling for a Championship podium with Leon. I just hope things continue to get better and better for the remainder of this season and for next year.” Team Manager Gary Stubbington said “I’d like to back up Pete’s comments and thank everyone for all their help and support. A big thanks must go to Clive Padgett for offering his advice throughout the season. The result today is exceptional and we are all completely delighted. I hope this gives Pete a confidence boast and hope that we can continue to move from strength to strength. It’s a big learning curve but results like this certainly help with team moral.” The next Supersport Cup Race is at Cadwell Park on August Bank Holiday weekend.

Suzuki Castrol Win Oschersleben 24 Hour Yamaha Austria Second – Yamaha Phase One Third Suzuki Castrol have won the Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the FIM World Endurance Championship, their fourth race win out of six races this season. Second place has gone to Yamaha Austria and third to Yamaha Phase One. In order to stay in contention for the championship title, Yamaha Austria were forced to put the pressure on Suzuki Castrol from the very start. In qualifying they had been their closest to the Suzuki all year, and in the opening laps of the race these two bikes immediately pulled out a clear advantage over the rest of the field. Yamaha Austria’s hopes were dashed at the first pit stop when they lost 50 seconds replacing a broken mudguard fixing, and again an hour later when they had to replace a loose twist grip and a faulty fuel pump. This gave Suzuki Castrol an advantage which they held and in fact increased over the rest of the race. In the final hours of the race Suzuki Castrol had two problems; a broken chain and a leaking fuel tank. The chain broke on the final corner allowing the bike to coast into the pits and the tank leak was spotted during the team’s final stop; neither cost the team a significant amount of time. Behind the leaders Yamaha Phase One and Kawasaki Bolliger were locked in an 18 hour long fight for third place which was only resolved when light rain fell in the morning and Phase One’s Christer Miniin was able to pull away from the Kawasaki in the slippery conditions. Acropolis Zone Rouge rode to their best result of the year with fifth place, with Kawasaki Diablo in sixth and local heroes RMT21 Honda in seventh place. Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se had looked set for a top five result, but a series of setbacks knocked them into eighth place, ahead of Suzuki SRU Sangerhausen and Suzuki Austria Team 76. Yamaha Austria’s second place means that the World Endurance Championship will be decided at the final round of the year, the Bol d’Or 24 Hour race on September the 16th and 17th. Vincent Philippe, Suzuki Castrol, first place: “It’s a very hard race for everybody. We had some problems at the end and I was thinking to myself ‘maybe Oschersleben doesn’t want a Suzuki victory’. But to win here is very nice and now we must focus on the Bol d’Or because the championship is not in our pocket yet.” Sebastien Scarnato, Yamaha Austria, second place: “We are very happy with this race, because it is the first time we are so close to Suzuki Castrol on the track. This is a big satisfaction for the team. For sure we finished second, but not the same second place that we have done at other races. We’ve shown that we can go fast; the team, the bike and the tyres all worked very well.” Christer Miniin, Yamaha Phase One Endurance, third place: “This race has been a really tough one right from the beginning. We were second, then third, then fourth, then we had a long fight with Bolliger”¦ We all did what we could and the result is fantastic. The team has got better and stronger over the season.” Top Ten Provisional Finishing Positions 1st 1 – Suzuki Castrol Team – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Philippe, Kitagawa, Lagrive – 891 laps 2nd 7- Yamaha Austria – AUT – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Jerman, Scarnato, Giabbani – 887 laps 3rd 3 – Yamaha Phase One – GBR – Yamaha YZF-R1- Nowland, Cudlin, Miinin – 882 laps 4th 8 – Kawasaki Bolliger Team – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – Morillon, Saiger, Muff – 879 laps 5th 99 Acropolis Zone Rouge Yamaha – BEL – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Nickmans, Fissette, Hendrickx – 867 laps 6h 666 – Kawasaki Diablo Bolliger – GBR – Kawasaki ZX10R – Hutchins, Rohtlaan, Cudlin – 866 laps 7th 21 – RMT21 Racing Honda – GER – Honda CBR1000RR – Mizera, Seidel, Meyer – 858 laps 8th 12 – Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se – SWE – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Carlberg, Anderson, Notman – 856 laps 9th 9 – Suzuki SRU Sangerhausen – GER – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Elsmann, Raub, Landgraf – 846 laps 10th 76 – Suzuki Austria Team 76 – AUT – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Schaffernak, Klein, Kitsch – 842 laps

Editor’s Note: Since motor racing is illegal in Switzerland, the Swiss Federation organizes its road racing Championship using courses in France, Germany and Croatia. Rijeka/Croatia August 13, 2006 Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team Two victories for Franck Millet On the track of Rijeka for the final event of the Swiss Championship, Franck Millet on his Yamaha R6 won the last two races of the season and finished third of the Championship, only 0.5 points behind the second placed rider. During this seventh and last event, Franck Millet won on Saturday in front of Pascal Grosgean (Kawasaki) and Julien Ballestra (Suzuki), while Christophe Girard (Yamaha) was fifth. On Sunday, Franck Millet finished again in first place, with Julien Ballestra second and Pascal Grosgean third. Again, Christophe Girard raced well and ended up fourth. The Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team congratulates the 2006 Champion Jean-Louis Devoyon (Suzuki), who was not in Rijeka as he raced the 24 Hours of Oschersleben where he finished fourth aboard the Bolliger Kawasaki. Pascal Grosgean finishes second of the Championship, only 0.5 points in front of Franck Millet who missed four races because of the European Superstock 600 Championship. Christophe Girard is a very good sixth in this Championship, which is a great result for this talented beginner. Results Race 1: 1-Franck Millet (Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team); 2-Pascal Grosgean (Kawasaki); 3- Julien Ballestra (Suzuki); 5-Christophe Girard (Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team) Results Race 2: 1-Franck Millet (Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team); 2-Julien Ballestra (Suzuki); 3- Pascal Grosgean (Kawasaki); 4-Christophe Girard (Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team) Championship: 1-Devoyon (208 points) Champion 2006; 2-Grosgean (170.5) ; 3-Millet (170) ; 4-Ballestra (145) ; 5-Vuille (124) ; 6-Girard (114.5)

SZOKE GRABS POLE”¦BARELY SHUBENACADIE, NS Jordan Szoke edged Kevin Lacombe by the slimmest of margins to claim pole position for the sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park on Saturday. The series points leader turned a fastest lap of one minute, 8.103 seconds on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R, which just beat Lacombe’s mark of 1:08.108 aboard the Team Toyota Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1. “We’ve struggled with suspension issues all weekend but we made some changes at lunch today and now I’ve got a lot of confidence,” said Szoke, who picked up the $500 Vicious-I Pole Position Award for the third time this season. The Brantford, ON racer, who hasn’t lost a Superbike race yet this season, also earned four more points toward the Parts Canada Superbike title chase, while Lacombe got three for qualifying second. That gives Szoke a 68- point lead over Lacombe, 271-203, heading into Sunday’s feature race, meaning Lacombe must gain back 12 points on Sunday to prevent Szoke from clinching his third career Canadian Superbike title. “I put on a little extra push, I took a little more risk,” said Lacombe, who has won two Superbike nationals at AMP, including last season’s. “But every time it seemed Jordan had a little bit more in reserve. But I’ve got a really fast bike for the race, and consistent too.” Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC vaulted from sixth to third fastest on his final lap of the session on the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 with a time of 1:08.424. “I just pushed a little harder at the end,” said the defending Parts Canada Superbike champion. “It’s impossible to be first into the first corner from the second row. Being on the front row is important.” Kars, ON’s Andrew Nelson completes Sunday’s front row after turning a lap of 1:08.519 on the Z1 Cycletech Yamaha YZF-R1. Less than a second separates Szoke on pole and eighth fastest qualifier Clint McBain. In other action in Shubenacadie, Szoke also moved a point closer to clinching the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike title by claiming pole for Sunday’s race with a time of 1:08.728 on the factory Kawasaki ZX-6RR. His closest rival for the championship, Lacombe was second fastest with a time of 1:08.890 on his Yamaha YZF-R6 and Nelson qualified third at 1:08.907 aboard another Yamaha. Fourteen-year-old Brett McCormick of Saskatoon shattered the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike qualifying record with a time of 1:10.623 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Ross Millson of Hamilton qualified second at 1:11.561 on his Suzuki GSX-R600 and class points leader Karl Daigle of Roxton Pond, QC was third at 1:12.307 on his Honda CBR600RR. East York, ON’s Paul Penzo qualified fastest for the Thunder (twins) feature with a time of 1:12.225 aboard his Ducati PS 1000 LE. Points leader Dave Bagshaw of Kincardine, ON will start from pole in Sunday’s Suzuki SV650 National Cup feature after qualifying fastest at 1:14.082. Feature races for all five national classes are set to go Sunday. Practice starts at 9:00 a.m. with the first race scheduled for 1:00 p.m. For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com Starting line-up for Sunday’s sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS, showing starting position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and qualifying time: 1.Jordan Szoke, Brantford, ON, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:08.103; 2. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:08.108; 3. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.424; 4. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:08.519; 5. Tom Kipp, Chardon, OH, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:08.524; 6. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.532; 7. Pascal Picotte, St- Cecile Milton, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:08.930; 8. Clint McBain, Cochrane, AB, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:09.018; 9. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Kawasaki ZX- 10R, 1:10.140; 10. Jeremy Burgess, Hammonds Plains, NS, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:10.185; 11. Sean Heydorn, Aurora, ON, Honda CBR600RR, 1:10.665; 12. Todd Scott, Bedford, NS, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:10.676; 13. Stephane Chabot, Oshawa, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:10.918; 14. Andrew Dunlap, Truro, NS, Honda CBR600RR, 1:11.011; 15. Jean-Paul Tache, North Bay, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:11.041; 16. Zenon Nelson, Bowmanville, ON, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:11.913; 17. Eric Stanley, Halifax, NS, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:12.186; 18. Adam Roberts, Hammonds Plains, NS, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:12.534; 19. Terry Steeves, Bathurst, NB, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:13.242; 20. Rick Langille, Nauwigewauk, NB, Honda CBR600RR, 1:13.342; 21. Larry Orde, Lakefield, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:13.854; 22. Malcolm Mackay, Eastern Passage, NS, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:16.355; 23. Erick Beausejour, Val Senneville, QC, Honda CBR1000RR, No Time; 24. Jesse Sherstan, Stoney Plain, AB, Honda CBR600RR, No Time

Rizla Suzuki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne will start from fifth place on the grid for tomorrow’s double-header 10th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Croft in North Yorkshire, as qualifying times fell more than a second under the pole position time set in 2005. The final afternoon session was intense with Byrne one of just six riders to dip below the 1.20-minute barrier. His pace on race rubber is similar to the front row riders and he is counting on getting his trademark good starts tomorrow to challenge for the podium. Steve Plater, standing in for the injured James Haydon, recorded his fastest lap at the end of the day, managing 19th on the fifth row of the grid. Honda’s Jonathan Rea is on pole position after recording a 1:19.433 lap, a full 1.2 seconds below last year’s pole position. Shane Byrne: “That qualifying session was fast – those boys were on it! I thought for sure a 1.19-lap would have put me on the front row but I’ve ended up fifth. I was biting the screen I was trying so hard. “I have not followed any other riders at Croft. I’ve concentrated on my own riding and doing plenty of laps. In morning warm up I’ll try latching on to a few of the quicker qualifiers and see how I compare on race tyres.” Steve Plater: “This morning we made a significant improvement to my Rizla Suzuki by changing the gearing. It helped the bike to turn into corners and gave me a lot more confidence through the fast sections. “The bike is handling better but a lack of grip from the rear tyre has held me back this afternoon. I am spinning the wheel almost everywhere and can’t get the power to the ground, which is frustrating. We know how to fix that and will be trying a few changes in warm-up ahead of the races.” Niall Mackenzie – Race Operations Manager: “It’s a pity not to have Shane on the front row he missed a top-four slot by just 600ths of a second. That said, starting from fifth is right behind pole position and on the best side of the track for the first corner. The front row qualifying times were exceptional, but on race tyres Shakey is on a similar pace so the team is optimistic he can challenge for the podium. “Steve continues to learn more about the GSX-R1000 and we will use morning warm-up to try to give him more grip so he can exploit the power of the Rizla Suzuki to the full. With a bit of luck he’ll be able to challenge for two top 10 finishes.” Qualifying Positions: 1: Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:19.433, 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.134, 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.162, 4: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.430, 5: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +0.496, 6: Karl Harris (Honda) +0.520, 7: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +1.044, 8: Michael Rutter (Honda) +1.067, 9: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +1.238, 10: Glen Richards (Honda) +1.424, 19: Steve Plater (Rizla Suzuki) +2.111.

Championship Cup Series (CCS) Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama August 11 Race Results: MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Greg Melka (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Joel Laroche (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Mauricio Roque (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Mark Schnettler (Hon CBR600); 6. Michael Arwood (Suz GSX-R600). MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Garrett Rick (Duc 749); 2. Alex Marshall (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 4. Thomas Moore (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Jon Sigmon (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Jeremy Turner (Yam YZF-R6). THUNDERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R); 2. Bradley Duncan (Duc 1000); 3. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 4. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R); 5. Greg Avello (Buell XB-12R); 6. Bill Davenport (Suz SV650). THUNDERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. William Thomas (Duc 748); 2. Philip Stracener (Suz SV650); 3. Benjamin Probst (Suz SV650); 4. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-12R); 5. Paul Castiglia (Suz SV650). GTO EXPERT: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R750); 2. David McEnery (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Darren Luck (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Clay Adams (Hon CBR1000RR); 6. Eric Schnorrbusch (Apr RSV1000). GTO AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. David Jackson (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Freddy Frees (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Robert Pretts (Yam YZF-R1); 5. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Jason Douglas (Yam YZF-R1). GT LIGHTS EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R 1100 S); 2. Matthew Huber (Suz SV650); 3. Bill Davenport (Suz SV650); 4. Michael Santelia (Hon RS125); 5. Daniel Riter (Suz SV650); 6. Bob Michael (Suz SV650). GT LIGHTS AMATEUR: 1. Stanton Simmerson (Suz SV650); 2. Stacy Duncan (Suz SV650); 3. Tony Wang (Hon RS125); 4. Benjamin Probst (Suz SV650); 5. Richard Dubarton (Suz SV650); 6. Lee Hollimon (Hon RS125). GTU EXPERT: 1. Darren Luck (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Greg Melka (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Bob Michael (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Mauricio Roque (Suz GSX-R600); 6. James Mosley (Suz GSX-R600). GTU AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Bret Garretson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Garrett Rick (Duc 749); 4. David Jackson (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Jeremy Turner (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600). FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Joel Laroche (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Robert Lang (Kaw ZX-6RR); 3. Michael Arwood (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Patrick Johnson (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Lindsay McGregor (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Gary Bunner (Duc 996). FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Jeff Flatt (Apr RSV1000); 2. Gill Cutchen (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Phillip Doyle (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Richard Dubarton (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Ray Sanders (Suz GSX-R750). FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT EXPERT: 1. Eric Helmbach (Hon CBR600); 2. Bill Davenport (Suz SV650); 3. Neil Frank (Suz SV650); 4. Gerald Young, III (Suz SV650); 5. Al Harris (Suz SV650); 6. David Myers (Buell XB-12R). FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT AMATEUR: 1. Stanton Simmerson (Suz SV650); 2. Stacy Duncan (Suz SV650). UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. David McEnery (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Clay Adams (Hon CBR1000RR); 4. Nate Kern (BMW K 1200); 5. Shay Marlin (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Mitch Stein (Suz GSX-R750). UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Robert Pretts (Yam YZF-R1); 2. Bret Garretson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Freddy Frees (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Jason Douglas (Yam YZF-R1); 5. Eric Douglas (Hon CBR600); 6. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6). SUPERTWINS EXPERT: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R); 2. Nate Kern (BMW R 1100 S); 3. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R); 4. Van Salt (Suz SV1000); 5. Eric Schnorrbusch (Apr RSV1000); 6. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R). SUPERTWINS AMATEUR: 1. Stanton Simmerson (Duc 998); 2. Garrett Rick (Duc 749); 3. William Thomas (Duc 748); 4. Tony Diaz (Suz 1000); 5. R. Travis Marshall (Duc 998); 6. Jeff Flatt (Apr RSV1000).