Motourage

2011 BSB Championship runner up and former MotoGP and AMA man John Hopkins plans to make another go at the World Superbike Championship after signing with Crescent Suzuki, as the UK-based team makes the move from the national to the world stage. Hopkins completes the two-man lineup with his new teammate, Leon Camier, who makes the move from the Alitalia Aprilia team. Camier will begin testing the Crescent Suzuki Powered by Yoshimura GSX-R1000 at Portimao, Portugal later this month, with Hopkins joining him in the tests in early 2012. The first race of next year’s calendar is scheduled for Sunday, February 26 at Phillip Island, Australia.

Hopkins is currently at his U.S. home in California, recovering from surgery to correct a finger injury he sustained at Brno while riding as a wild card for the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team. He had a successful first season with Crescent Suzuki in the British national series, narrowly missing out on the championship at the last race of the year to Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill. Hopkins contested the World Superbike Series in 2009 as a mid-season replacement for Robbie Rolfo at the ill-fated Stiggy Honda team, but injuries – and a horrific crash at the Nurburgring – coupled with Stiggy’s decision to pull out of the series, ended Hopkins WSBK hopes. He signed with John Ulrich’s team in AMA Superbike the following year but was again hampered by injuries. Earlier this season, he captured Superpole at the Silverstone WSBK weekend before finishing fifth in race 1 and seventh in race 2 as a wild card.

John Hopkins:
“I am really happy to be joining up with the Crescent guys again. We had a great year in British Superbike and I’m sure we can continue that in WSB. I wanted to get back into world championship racing and this is a natural progression from last year. The difference this time is that I will be going to tracks that I already know and have some reference from, so that should make some things a bit easier.

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Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill snatched his maiden MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship title following a sensational performance in yesterday’s final race of the year at Brands Hatch to beat title rival John Hopkins to the line by just 0.006 seconds and be crowned champion with a two-point advantage at the end of the season. Hill also claimed the 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Speedy Fastest lap award at the season showdown.

In Saturday’s opening race of the weekend at the final round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, Michael Laverty celebrated his third victory of the season as Tommy Hill just missed out on a podium finish. Laverty took the lead on the opening lap which he held until the checkered flag. Hill had dropped to sixth at the end of the opening lap, but a determined performance saw him fight his way through to fourth before he challenged the championship leader, Samsung Crescent Suzuki’s John Hopkins, for the final podium position. Hill had edged ahead on the final lap, but Hopkins took the advantage to the line.

Hill missed out on a podium again in yesterday’s second race of the weekend which he completed in fourth place and just two points separating him from title rival Hopkins ahead of the last race of the year. In the final race the pair swapped places five times on the final lap, which would decide the outcome of the title. Hill narrowly crossed the line ahead to secure second and with it a maiden championship title for the team.

Michael Laverty was caught out by the drying conditions in the second race, but in the season finale he was embroiled in the fight for the final podium positions before ending the race in fifth place. Laverty ended the season fourth in the standings for the Swan Yamaha team.

Thanks to Swan Yamaha rider’s impressive display of racing yet again this weekend, Yamaha have claimed the 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Manufacturer’s title award holding a 13 point lead.

Tommy Hill, Swan Yamaha – 2011 BSB Champion
“I am gobsmacked to have won the title for Swan Yamaha; this has been my goal and I was trying to stay as relaxed as possible in that final race. The season has put a lot of pressure on everyone and that reflects on everyone. We have been regularly finishing in the top three and that has therefore been the benchmark and the whole of the Swan Yamaha team have been working so hard all year to make this possible. It has just been a complete shock for me and I feel like we should be having another race next weekend now. It wasn’t until the other riders started congratulating me that I even realized I had won as it was so close between myself and Hopper. It has been a long hard season and it came down to that one race. Everyone wanted a Showdown and that is what we have given them; it really was make or break time and I knew I had to do everything possible to beat Hopper. I knew Michael (Laverty) was behind me, but then when I knew it was Josh (Brookes) I had to just go for it. Coming across the line we didn’t know who had finished second and with it the title. At the moment I feel like I need someone to punch me or something to bring me back to reality. I just want to go out and race again now. I just want to celebrate now with my family, friends and the whole of the Swan Yamaha team and I need to thank everyone for their support this season.”

Michael Laverty, Swan Yamaha
“Today has been a great result for the Swan Yamaha team and congratulations have to go to Tommy for winning the title. I rode my hardest to try and protect him and the rest of the hard work he did himself. There is a lot of satisfaction for the team tonight but at the same time I am disappointed that we were not able to come away as the champion. We have been fast all season long and we showed again yesterday with the win that we have the pace. It has been a great year and I need to thank the Swan Yamaha team for all their support.”

Shaun Muir, Swan Yamaha Team Owner
“We delivered everything we set out to achieve at the start of the season although we have made life difficult along the way. It didn’t start the best for Tommy this weekend but he couldn’t have done more in that race. Big thanks also have to go to Michael for his support in the final race as he did a great job of acting as Tommy’s wingman. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors, partners and supporters who have made this possible.”

American John Hopkins extended his lead in the 2011 British Superbike Championship after finishing third in the first race of the final round today at the Brands Hatch GP circuit.

The Samsung Crescent Suzuki rider now leads the championship by 11 points with just two more races to run as teammate Jon Kirkham finished in eighth place and maintains his lead in the Riders’ Cup.

Hopkins rode a steady race today electing to not fight for the win – against riders who will struggle to overcome his points’ advantage – and instead focused on his battle with Tommy Hill, his nearest rival. Hill attacked Hopkins on the final lap and took a momentary lead but Hopkins was able to counter attack and hold the advantage to the finish, netting a further three points advantage over Hill.

Kirkham continues to improve his pace and was one of the few riders to lap in the 1:25-minute bracket today. With a good start, Kirkham should be able to secure the top-five finishes he seeks tomorrow.

Earlier today, both had ridden strong in qualifying with Hopkins securing third fastest for a front-row starting position and Kirkham seventh fastest for a second row.

John Hopkins:
“We’ve had a good day today. We’ve got great lap and race speeds so we can race for wins. But today Michael Laverty and Josh Brookes were riding hard; they both had nothing to lose and everything to gain, while for my part I didn’t need to ride with them or beat them to win this Championship, so I elected to stay clear and ride safe. Maybe too safe, as that tactic did allow Tommy Hill to close on me and it made for an exciting last lap, but I was able to deal with his attack and lead him home. I still can’t rest easy. 11 points isn’t enough to make us feel secure and the strategy for tomorrow is still race to win. I just need to ride the way I have all season and we’ll get the job done.”

Jon Kirkham:
“I’m really pleased to be on the pace and to do the lap times. Dipping into the 1:25s I’m again matching the front runners. Now it’s now just a case of being stronger in the first third of the race, both in defence and attack. For my part, I want two top-fives tomorrow, I want to be at the front – and if my doing so helps Hopper’s cause, then so much the better. Everything is good to go.”

Jack Valentine, Team Manager:
“Weekends like this are never easy. The stakes are that high. It was no surprise Hopper had a small dose of nerves today, but if that’s how he rides when he’s being cautious then we should be good for tomorrow. He’s reflected on his performance today and he’s acknowledged he wasn’t his usual self and he’s judged that a bit of a mistake. Lesson learned; he’ll be back tomorrow the attacking, calculating rider we’ve come to know. Everything is ready. The bike is great; nothing wanting there. The team’s ready. And Hopper’s ready. It’s been a good day today, we’ve done some hard work and I think we’ve felt – and withstood – the pressure. We head into tomorrow with a single purpose.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship
Round 12, Brands Hatch GP

Qualifying:
1 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 1m: 25.111s
2 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.031s
3 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +0.177s
4 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.473s
5 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +0.617s
6 Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +0.861s
7 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +0.879s
8 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +1.078s
9 Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +1.248s
10 Alex Lowes (Motorpoint Yamaha) +1.873s

Race one result:
1 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha)
2 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.396s
3 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +8.766s
4 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +8.873s
5 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +9.007s
6 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +11.681s
7 Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +13.752s
8 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +13.923s
9 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +18.452s
10 Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +24.763s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings (after race one at Brands Hatch):
1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) 625
2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 614
3 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 590
4 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 588
5 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 575
6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 521
7 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) 190

BSB rookie – and MotoGP, AMA and WSBK veteran – American John Hopkins leads the 2011 British Superbike Championship as it heads to the final round this weekend at the Brands Hatch GP circuit in Kent, England.

Hopkins and the Samsung Crescent Suzuki team have an eight-point lead over his nearest rival, Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill, but with three races on the schedule – and 75 points available for the winner of all three – there’s still everything to race for.

Teammate Jon Kirkham in turn leads the Riders’ Cup for the best rider outside of the Title Fighter’s Showdown; and with top-five and podium finishes in recent rounds, he looks set to make the Cup his, while also lending valuable support to Hopkins in the battle at the front.

John Hopkins:
“I’m really keen to get started into the weekend. The points-gap that I have is a great advantage but not really a comfort. The strategy still has to be ‘race to win’ as anything less and we won’t have the Championship, but I’m confident we can do just that. The Samsung Crescent Suzuki has a great set-up, I love riding it and with the data we took from our previous visit to the GP circuit – together with the track knowledge I gained – it puts us in a strong position coming in.

“My injured finger gets stronger each day and I don’t expect it to be a problem. Again I’ll have to manage it – and with three races there’ll be a lot of work to do – but I think we proved at Donington Park and Silverstone that it’s not affecting my racing. There’s mental pressure as well, but it’s nothing new to me; nothing I can’t deal with. The job stays the same: go for the holeshot, take the lead and stay out of trouble. Get the win. It’s racing. I love it.”

Jon Kirkham:
“I’m really looking forward to the weekend. I love the circuit and so after having a bad time here earlier in the year I’ll be going all-out to put in the best performance and finish the year on a high. I’ve got the bike the way I like it now so I’m aiming to be there in the leading pack again. I want to get the points to make the Riders’ Cup mine, but if along the way my being in there helps John’s Championship, then so much the better.”

Jack Valentine, Team Manager:
“Showdown time. Here we are again – just as last year so let’s hope we can finish the job this time. As a team we’re preparing the way we always do – everything 100 percent and everything sorted so we give our riders everything they need to do the job.

“With just eight points in the lead we’re nowhere near applying tactics; we’re in the same boat as everyone and we have to win races to win the Championship. Maybe if we get a win in the first race on Saturday we might be able to play tactical on Sunday, but we know it’s when you start being too clever, or start relaxing – that’s when the problems come. For the riders, they prefer to race to win, it’s probably the safest strategy.

“Hopper’s a great racer in any case. He’s shown all season long that he can respond to challenges and I don’t see anything changing this weekend. Business as usual for him. JK’s had a brilliant end to the year. Mid-season it got away from him for a bit, but since Cadwell Park he’s been brilliant; he’s on the pace all-race, and his race craft improves with every battle. His presence in the top five could yet make every difference to the Championship outcome. Everything is readied: the riders, the bikes, the team. Let’s race.”

American John Hopkins Suzuki stormed to a dominant double victory Sunday at the 10th round of the 2011 British Superbike Championship at Donington Park, putting him in the lead of the BSB Championship with just two rounds to go.

Hopkins’ Samsung Crescent Racing teammate Jon Kirkham was also in great form, fighting for podium finishes and placing 5-3 to strengthen his position as leader in the Rider’s Cup – the competition to be the best rider outside of the Showdown’s Title Fighters.

John Hopkins:
“This is a very special double-win for me. It’s good to come back from injury and to immediately win and to take over the Championship lead. But as well, this is a day of remembrance back at home for the victims of 9/11, so I’m thinking of those people and their families. This is my tribute to them.

“We enjoyed some great racing today. I was careful to conserve my tires in the first race and I let the opportunities come to me. Tommy Hill’s mistake when passing Shane Byrne played to my advantage and then it was just a matter of planning and waiting for the chance to pass Michael Laverty, and that came four laps from home. I had plenty of pace left in the bike and in the tires to take it from there.

“The second race was actually harder; I got most of the racing done early. I was in the lead by the fourth lap, but the lack of distractions meant the pain in my fingers was very obvious. The bike was awesome though and from half-distance I was able to pull four-tenths a lap on Tommy, and once we got to a two-second buffer, I just controlled it from there.”

Jon Kirkham:
“I’m really pleased. I was looking for two top-fives this weekend, so a fifth and a third is more than job-done. I got caught behind Ryuichi Kiyonari early in the first race and this let the leaders get away. It was only a matter of a couple of seconds, but it’s so hard to pull that back given the pace at the front.

“The second race was brilliant fun. I could see from my pit board that I was being chased hard, and when Kiyo slowed I had to pass quickly and make something of a break if it wasn’t going to get messy. I got my head down, and from there to the end of the race I wouldn’t let my speed drop. So the gap grew quite comfortably and I was surprised at the end to see Tommy’s bike coming into view. To share the podium with John today was fantastic.”

Jack Valentine, Team Manager:
“It’s been a fantastic performance this weekend; from Hopper, JK and the whole team. Hopper went fastest in warm-up this morning and JK was fifth again and that told us we were well-set. In the races both riders seriously-impressed us. Hopper’s race craft in race one was brilliant; it was a masterful performance – patient when he needed to be, then so strong and decisive in his attacks. JK might have missed the jump with the leaders but his pace throughout the race was almost identical.

“In the second race Hopper did his work early and settled in for the ride to the flag. JK had his hands full with some tough rivals but brilliantly came out on top; his lap times were within a tenth or two-tenths of Hopper’s and on occasion faster. Impressively, he maintained that right through to the last lap and given a couple more laps he’d have given Tommy Hill something of a surprise!

“In all it’s been a brilliant weekend: To have Hopper leading the Championship and JK the Riders’ Cup is the best possible outcome. Now we look forward to Silverstone in a fortnight’s time. That’s a great track for us; Hopper set the fastest ever Superbike lap-time there earlier this year when we did the British WSB round, so we can expect more of what we saw this weekend from him. And with JK so resurgent, there’s every reason to be excited about our prospects.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship
Round Ten, Donington Park:

Race one result:
1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing)
2 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.480s
3 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.781s
4 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +3.920s
5 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +6.345s
6 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.281s
7 Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) +13.141s
8 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +18.578s
9 Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +22.154s
10 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +22.543s

Race two result:
1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing)
2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +1.986s
3 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +3.315s
4 Martin Jessopp (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +5.978s
5 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +8.324s
6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +12.236s
7 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +12.541s
8 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +22.445s
9 Chris Walker (Pr1mo Racing Kawasaki) +16.308s
10 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +26.746s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings:
1 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) 568
2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 565
3 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 543
4 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 532
5 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 530
6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 518
7 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) 172

After qualifying in pole position, Relentless by TAS Suzuki’s Alastair Seeley produced yet another faultless performance today, winning the British Supersport race at Donington Park by more than five seconds.

The Ulsterman also took the fastest lap and will start tomorrow’s second Supersport outing from the pole position slot on the grid.

Alastair Seeley:
“The first two laps, Ben [Wilson] tried to break away, but I didn’t panic and made sure I used all of the track with fast-flowing lines. Then when I caught him I got that much drive onto the back straight, I wasn’t prepared to shutoff and try to get in his slipstream. I used more of the track and the curbs, pulled alongside, and it was a matter of who braked the latest. I probably ran in a bit too deep but it gave me the lead. After that I just watched my board. I could hear him for about a lap and after that I started to disappear and it gave me great satisfaction to see “plus three” and then “plus four” on my board. The wee bike felt really strong today and gave me a lot of confidence, so big thanks to the team and Suzuki.”

Philip Neill, Team Manager:
“I’ve said it all before about Alastair Seeley, but pole position, convincing race win; and fastest lap is all he can do now. I have an idea for him tomorrow, but realistically all he can do is win and see if some of the other guys can get in the mix for honors. Wet or damp races would make it very interesting for us in both classes.”

British Supersport Race 1 Result: 1 Alastair Seeley [Relentless Suzuki by TAS]; 2 Ben Wilson [Kawasaki] +5.441sec; 3 Christian Iddon [Triumph] +7.342; 4 Paul Young [Triumph] +7.647; 5 Jack Kennedy [Yamaha] +7.813; 6 Jimmy Hill [Triumph] +14.898.

MSS Colchester Kawasaki rider run Gary Mason will run a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R specially developed under the newly announced 2012 race regulations for the last three rounds of the British Superbike Championship starting this weekend at Donington Park. Next year’s rules, brought in to keep costs and rider aids under control, restrict engine tuning and crucially mean all teams will run a control ECU unit.

“These new rules have been brought in for 2012-2015 and are a major change to the spec of the bikes, so we’re looking to hit the ground running next year and where better to test and develop than at the races,” Team boss Nick Morgan explained. “Winter testing is always hit and miss, plus you never get to use the right tracks, so this is ideal.”

“We’ve chosen Gary to spearhead this development because he’s proved in both the wet and dry he has great throttle control, has had two years with the team and obviously knows the new ZX-10R inside-out, all of which will help with the new ECU. It’s obviously very early days but we know the chassis is great, the rider is focused and we have some top technicians, so I don’t see why we can’t have a proper go at this.”

“We welcome Ian to the team for Donington, which is a track we love as a team and I think he will certainly have a few points to prove there. Danny and Howie are always up for a battle in Superstock and I don’t see this weekend being any different, except Danny is the fittest he’s been since his run of bad luck and injury.”

Gary Mason (Championship position: 8th) added, “This season is already over in terms of the Championship, so it’s exciting to be looking at 2012 already. Testing is fine, but you can’t beat race data. There’s a bit of an unknown feeling, for example I’ll be looking at a new dash and it’s going to be a bit weird using a clutch again! I really believe I can get in amongst them though and show people what I can do on a bike that needs more throttle control.”

Ian Lowry joins the MSS squad for the first time this weekend and said, “I’m really looking forward to getting to Donington as it’s my favorite circuit. This is the start of the Showdown so the top six are fighting for the Championship, and everybody outside this is fighting for seventh place. But, the reality is I want to be battling with the top guys and throw a few spanners in the works. I’m feeling pretty good at the moment and got a good few miles done on the pushbike over the past two weeks. This week has been pretty mental at work, so I’ll be glad to get away for the weekend.”

In the Superstock class, Danny Buchan and Howie Mainwaring sit in second and fourth positions in the series, but both have tasting victory champagne this year and will be gunning for glory at Donington Park and to take points from series leader Richard Cooper.

Danny Buchan (Championship position: 2nd) said, “I like Donington Park although I’ve only raced on it twice, but I’ve ridden it a couple times on the new ZX-10 and put in some good times. Twenty points is a tough gap, but I’m a fighter, and I’m going to fight for every last point. I’ve been training as usual and have also been swimming lots to strengthen the shoulder, so feeling mint. The plan is to win all three of the last races and the championship. That’s obviously easy to say but I’m feeling full of confidence and when confident I go good! I’m going to dedicate this race to my mate Ben Gautrey who we all lost at Cadwell so I hope to win for his memory.”

Howie Mainwaring (Championship position: 4th) said, “This season hasn’t gone as planned, but the least I can do is put on a good show for the last three rounds and get that third position back. If I can help Danny to the title in the meantime all the better.”

MSS Colchester Kawasaki has signed Ian Lowry to ride a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R in the last three rounds of the British Superbike Championship.

The Essex, England-based squad are looking to the young Northern Irishman to fill in for the injured Stuart Easton after the team recently parted company with stand-in rider Alex Lowes.

“It’s well known things haven’t gone that well since my first year in BSB, and I tried a few other options, but this is a massive lifeline from MSS Colchester Kawasaki to really prove my worth,” said Lowry, who finished fifth in his rookie year in British Superbikes in 2009 and has also had top-ten results in World Superbike for PBM Kawasaki. “The bike looks great out on track when I’ve followed it, and it’s clearly good enough for podiums – as both Gary and Stuart have shown – so I’m really excited to ride it. I like all three of the tracks we’re going to, and Donington is my favorite by far, so that’s positive. I have a good relationship with some of the Kawasaki guys after Paul Bird ran me out in World Superbikes, so everything is in place. It’s just down to me.”

Team owner Nick Morgan added, “Ian is a class act as he showed in his debut year in BSB, and we’re delighted to have him on board for the rest of the season. It may seem very soon after our announcement of Alex leaving, but the reality is the team needs two riders on board every week for results and development. We’re going to try and let him get a run-out before Donington, although it’s quite late notice and we have a bit of crash damage to fix still.”

Relentless Suzuki’s Josh Brookes secured his place in the Top-Six Title Fighters Showdown at Cadwell Park yesterday with fourth place in the opening British Superbike Championship race and a second place in race three.

The Australian received rapturous applause for his performance in race two at Cadwell from fans who obviously believe Sunday’s controversial decision to exclude him from the results was harsh treatment after the incident with Michael Rutter.

Josh Brookes:
“I was a bit suspicious in the first race that we had a small tire problem and we wisely didn’t change anything on the bike for race two. The whole GSX-R Suzuki package worked so much better, and I was able to fight at the front and finish right on Tommy’s back wheel. Despite a few blips during the season, we always knew we were in with a chance of winning the title and we got the chance to prove that this weekend in the results. I’m really pleased how the weekend ended.”

Philip Neill, Team Manager:
“What a weekend. I’m certainly glad that one’s over but I’m also delighted how it ended for us. We made life difficult for ourselves at the start of the season and had to play catch up, but the combined package of Josh Brookes and our GSX-R Superbike is more than good enough for the job. He’s coming strong at the right time of the season and even though we would have liked a few more podium credits, the man who wins races in the final three rounds will undoubtedly be Champion. Donington, Silverstone and Brands are strong circuits for Josh and we firmly believe he will be in there challenging for victories.

“On behalf of the whole team, we would like to pass on our deepest sympathy to Ben Gautrey’s family circle after the young man tragically lost his life yesterday at Cadwell Park. We’d also like to mention local men Wayne Hamilton and good friend of TAS Racing, Adrian McFarland, who also sadly lost their lives in separate road racing crashes at the weekend.”

BSB race two result:
1 Tommy Hill (Yamaha)
2 Michael Laverty (Yamaha) +1.700s
3 Shane Byrne (Honda) +3.460s
4 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +6.067s
5 Peter Hickman (Honda) +18.892s
6 Jon Kirkham (Suzuki) +23.495s
7 Martin Jessopp (Ducati) +24.300s
8 Graeme Gowland [Honda] +24.424s
9 Ryuichi Kiyonari [Honda] +33.228s
10 Gary Mason (Kawasaki) +33.534s

BSB race three result:
1 Tommy Hill (Yamaha)
2 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.632s
3 Michael Laverty (Yamaha) +1.582s
4 Shane Byrne (Honda) +2.013s
5 Peter Hickman (Honda) +2.664s
6 Jon Kirkham (Suzuki) +3.622s
7 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +8.039s
8 Martin Jessopp (Ducati) +17.537s
9 Graeme Gowland (Honda) +18.386s
10 James Ellison (Honda) +20.465s

British Superbike Championship standings:
1 Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 529
2 Shane Byrne (Honda) 522
3 John Hopkins (Suzuki] 518
4 Michael Laverty (Yamaha) 510
5 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 509
6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 508

Samsung Crescent Racing has confirmed that John Hopkins will not ride at Cadwell Park this weekend, the ninth round of the 2011 British Superbike Championship.

The injury to the Suzuki rider’s right hand that he damaged at the Brno MotoGP in the Czech Republic is healing well, but doctors advise it is insufficiently healed to enable him to race again so soon. The team has also confirmed that there will be no replacement rider for Hopkins; Jon Kirkham will be their sole representative on track.

Jack Valentine, Team Manager:
“Unfortunately Hopper’s hand is not healed enough to race this weekend and while this is disappointing to us and the fans it is the right decision when we consider the upcoming Showdown phase of the Championship.

“Hopper’s been in daily contact as he’s undergone intensive laser treatment and hyperbaric chamber sessions. He’s explained the external pins are expected to be removed on Wednesday, but of course the weekend is too soon after that for his hand to be sufficiently healed.

“We will, we suspect, lose a few podium points to our rivals in the Showdown, but to race a Superbike at a track such as this when you don’t have 100 percent strength in your throttle and brake hand is simply too dangerous both to the rider and his competitors and would only stand to slow Hopper’s recovery from the injury.

“The team will nonetheless be at very near full-strength as we look forward to giving Jon Kirkham additional resources for the weekend. He’ll have two crew chiefs working for him as well as his regular crew of mechanics and we hope this will fast track his set-up, allowing him to get back to where he belongs; at the front of the field.”