Motourage

Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki is readying itself for the crucial Showdown phase of the 2011 British Superbike Championship that gets underway this weekend at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England.

John Hopkins is still recovering from the finger injuries he sustained at the Brno MotoGP in August, but confirms he fully expects to be able to fight for wins this coming weekend. As the top six in the Championship start their three-round battle to determine the series Champion, Hopkins says he couldn’t be more motivated.

Hopkins’ teammate, Jon Kirkham, having narrowly missed inclusion in the Top-Six Title Fighters, begins his own battle to win the Riders’ Cup, awarded to the best rider outside of the top six.

John Hopkins:
“I’m ready to return to racing. I’m having the last pins out of my middle finger and then I’ll have full articulation in all fingers. I’ve been keeping up my fitness and exercising my hand so I expect to be able to push right from the get-go. I know Donington Park well from my MotoGP years – I love the place – so I’m right on the game there.

“I’ve been waiting for this phase of the Championship to start and now it’s here I can’t wait to get stuck in. I can sense this weekend is going to be fantastic, we’re all going to be going for it and it’s my intention to be right at the very front.”

Jon Kirkham:
“The disappointment of missing out on the Title Fighters has been more than made up by the excitement of racing at the front again – and the impending battle to grab the Riders’ Cup. That will be no less difficult than trying to make the top six: There are plenty of riders who have plenty of form right now, but I’m keen to stay in the top six in the race results, and if at any time my being there will help Hopper, then so much the better.”

Jack Valentine, Team Manager:
“To say Hopper is ready would be an understatement. He’s is literally ‘pulling the pin’, or pins, as we speak. We’ve stayed in contact as he’s been recuperating back at his home in the States, and he’s certainly fired up for this weekend. He’s really up for it and I think we can expect him to come out fighting. This is a very exciting point in the Championship, as we literally start all over again and with Donington, Silverstone and Brands being the final rounds – all good venues for Hopper – we can expect a very strong and determined run to the flag from him.

“It’s been good to see JK coming back up to speed over the last couple of rounds, and that last race at Cadwell Park really recharged him; there’s nothing like racing within sight of the lead to spark up a racer. I think we can expect to see JK getting into the top six again; with the Riders’ Cup there’s motivation for him too.

“Within the team we have the bikes ready, all the tools needed to do the job, everything is set for this final stage of the Championship. The energy levels in the team are at an all-time high. We’re definitely ready.”

North West 200 204mph top speed record holder Stuart Easton teams up with 2010 Top Newcomer Gary Mason for a full road race attack for MSS Colchester Kawasaki.
 
The two riders are in fantastic form in British Superbikes and will be competing at the legendary event on the all new Kawasaki ZX-10R machine in two specifications; full Superbike (2 races) and the Superstock class (1 race).
 
Easton, who finished second in the 2010 feature Superbike event, is in great form racking up a third Macau GP road race victory over the winter and currently sits in third in the British Superbike Championship. “This is one of my favorite events in the World. I enjoy the whole week; away from the riding it’s really relaxed and you get a chance to really bond with the team. It’s obviously far less intense than BSB but then race day goes crazy! This new Kawasaki ZX-10R is all changed for this year so we’re not too sure how it will go at this particular place, it’s been incredible in BSB and only practice will show its capabilities here.”
 
Mason, who took his first British Superbike podium last weekend, is revved up for the event, saying, “It was my first time last year and I couldn’t believe the event. What an atmosphere and the fans were brilliant. I only did Superbike last year, so I’ll get a lot more track time doing Superstock also, plus Stuart is going to help me in practice, which is mega. I’m aiming for top six if I can get away with the group then it’s all down to slipstreaming.”
 
Team boss Nick Morgan added, “As a team we love this event and although we’ve had success here, we’re desperate for that first full Superbike win! With our all new ZX-10R and the form of both Stuart and Gary, this is a great time to be coming here and we have a good chance to make it happen.”
 
Considered to be one of the world’s fastest road races, the International North West 200’s 8.96 mile long course is a challenge to rider, machine and tires alike. The circuit tests handling and performance with differing surfaces, adverse cambers, first gear hairpin bends to super-fast open corners and straights.
 
The Superbike riders will slipstream each other at speeds of more than 200mph on the long NW200 back straight. The North West 200 is recognized to be Northern Ireland’s largest single-day sporting event with around 120,000 spectators expected to gather at the famous triangle course. The Relentless International North West 200 takes place on Saturday, May 21.

Gary Mason works in some off-road training

With a triple-header round and seve75 points up for grabs, the MSS Colchester Kawasaki Superbike riders Simon Andrews and Gary Mason have everything to play for this weekend at the team’s local Snetterton round of the British Superbike Championship. Meanwhile second placed Superstock rider Howie Mainwaring has the bit between his teeth after a DNF at Knockhill.

With atrocious weather curtailing the action at Knockhill, the second Superbike leg will now be held at Snetterton on Saturday before the usual double header on Sunday.

Simon appears back to full fitness after a long recuperation from his World Superbike-sustained injury, and Mason battled with series leader Tommy Hill throughout the Knockhill round. Mainwaring had an awful time with a gambled tire choice from his team before sliding out of the Knockhill action.

The fast Snetterton circuit is the closest round to the MSS Colchester Kawasaki base, and the team feels that a break in luck is long overdue. All the three riders have spent time motocrossing on their Kawasaki KX250F and 450F machines in the recent good weather, building up stamina and staying bike fit and focused.

Simon Andrews
“I’ve finally started motocrossing after a year off which has really excited me. I’ve also been to the Formula 1, spent some time cycling and completing my physio. I like Snetterton, I went well there last year and hopefully the weather will be kinder to us than Knockhill. The bike is going well and I’ll be fitter, really looking forward to it. I’m really enjoying being back with the team and on the Kawasaki.”

Gary Mason
“I’m really looking forward to Snetterton. It’s a fast track which I think will really suit the bike.  Hopefully we can start turning our season around and I feel I know which way to go with the setup.  Since Knockhill I have been getting out on my Kawasaki KX450F motocross bike which has been mega fun and is also really good training.  I’m really fired up for this weekend and happy we have three races due to the weather at Knockhill.  It’s the team’s local round so let’s hope we can walk away with some good results.”

Howie Mainwaring
“I’m feeling good for the weekend and have got a lot to prove after Knockhill. I need to catch up on points, Kirkham is slowly creeping away. Over the small break I’ve done more motocross and I’m feeling good this year. I feel so much better in myself and am so much more committed. The team have been fantastic and its time to repay them again with another good result.”

MSS Colchester Kawasaki team boss Nick Morgan
“We have a large amount of sponsors and supporters at Snetterton and we are desperate to put on a good show in terms of teamwork and results. Knockhill was by no means a disaster but we were lucky the race was stopped when it was, as Simon was lying on the floor at the time. It’s great he’s back and fit while Gary was battling throughout so I feel we’re good to go at Snetterton. We need to help Howie get the best set-up we can and I’m confident the Kawasaki has good top end in Superstock trim. All three lads have been pounding the MX track in the heat so there should be no fitness worries.”


Australian Superbike Championship front runner Bryan Staring is heading to the UK for what he has described as the “chance of a lifetime” – a one-off ride with the HM Plant Honda Team in the Superstock 1000 class of the British Superbike Championship.

The 22-year-old Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing pilot has excelled in 2010, taking debut race and round wins in the national series and catching the eye of Honda counterparts in the UK who were searching for a replacement for their injured regular rider, Steve Plater.

Already familiar with the CBR1000, the Gold Coast-based rider is hoping to quickly adapt to what the new bike asks of him when he hits the Snetterton circuit this Friday through Sunday. He will race as teammate to fellow Aussie Josh Brookes who leads the championship.

“I am absolutely rapt with this chance and can’t thank Honda enough for looking after me and providing this opportunity,” said Staring. “I’ve set my sights on racing in the BSB (British Superbike Championship) in the past and this is a good chance to see how it all works and how competitive I can be. I’m not overly worried about the results, I’m more focused on learning the characteristics of the bike and the nature of the tires and the grip they provide.”

“The Superstock machine will be quite close to the specs of our Aussie Superbikes so I’m hoping to adapt quickly. Josh (Waters) and Wayne (Maxwell) have shown they can match it with some of the best overseas so I’m hoping I can come up to speed pretty quickly.

“I’ve never been to Snetterton before, the only UK race I have competed in was at Donington and that was in the pouring rain – this will be a clean slate, the weather looks set to be fine and I’m really looking forward to meeting the team and learning the ins and outs of the circuit.”

“We are always looking to develop and foster Australian talent at an international level, and Bryan certainly deserves this opportunity with a first rate team, added Honda Australia’s General Manager, Motorcycles, Tony Hinton.  “We are confident he will do very well in the UK and wish him success this weekend.”

The 2009 national Supersport champion, Staring  currently leads the ASBK championship by 4.5 points over Wayne Maxwell and 9.5 points over Josh Waters.

FTR Moto and the Monlau Competicion Team’s Kev Coghlan are looking to close the gap to the championship lead in Sunday’s fourth round of the CEV Buckler Moto2 Spanish Championship at the Motorland Aragon circuit near Zaragoza.

Coghlan – winner of the 2009 European and Spanish Supersport Championships – is in fifth place, 21 points off the series lead with four rounds remaining and continues to impress on the FTR M210 machine.

“With the support of Miguel Gomez and Anton Gruschka from last year’s Joe Darcey Team we felt confident of challenging for the inaugural Moto2 title in Spain,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “Sunday’s race, the first at Aragon, is very important for Kev and the Team and hopefully they secure victory.”

Coghlan arrives at the Aragon circuit having tested there 10 days ago then traveled to Knockhill in Scotland to perform demonstration laps on an FTR M210 during the British Superbike Championship weekend last Saturday.

Dunlop Tires also took control of an FTR Moto2 machine for its display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend. More than 176,000 fans attended the event and the FTR Moto2 machine formed part of a display that included a Ferrari F430 GT2 and TT record breaker Ian Hutchinson’s Senior race-winning Honda.

“Last weekend was a bit of a hectic one for us,” added Bones. “In addition to Kev doing the demonstration laps at Knockhill and the Dunlop/FTR presence at Goodwood of course we also had the Catalunya Grand Prix taking place. There was a great fourth place for Karel Abraham and Andrea Iannone again proved the competitiveness of the FTR M210 with his incident-hit race then everyone was off to the new Aragon test ahead of the Grand Prix there in September. Overall, we’re pretty happy at the way the 2010 season, our first in competition as an independent entity, is working out – hopefully that will continue in Sunday’s Spanish Championship round.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship fans can enjoy even more action at Snetterton later this month as the timetable will now feature three thrilling BSB races July 16-18.

Severe weather conditions at the previous round at Knockhill led to the second BSB race being cancelled, but Norfolk racing fans will have the added bonus of seeing this encounter play out on the super quick Snetterton circuit – where riders reach speeds of as much as 200mph.

The grid positions decided this past weekend at Knockhill will determine the starting order for race one, with Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati’s Michael Rutter – who secured race one victory in Scotland – starting from pole position ahead of HM Plant Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari.

However, they will face strong competition from Kiyonari’s teammate and championship leader Josh Brookes, who now has a four-point advantage in the standings over Worx Suzuki’s Tommy Hill.

Race one will take place after qualifying on Saturday, while races two and three will get underway on Sunday. Weekend and Saturday prices remain the same.

Snetterton will also feature support series action including the British Supersport Championship, National Superstock 1000 and 600 and Formula 2 Sidecars.

Discounted tickets are now on sale from £24 for adults, with free entry for children aged 12 and under.

Visit the MSV website or call (UK) 0870 950 9000 to book tickets for BSB Snetterton.

Fresh from his Isle of Man TT Superbike podium on the Relentless by TAS Suzuki, Cameron Donald will make a welcome return to the British Superbike paddock this weekend, riding in the National Superstock class at Knockhill.

Donald last competed in the British series at Oulton Park in 2009, but will use the Scottish round for some added track time on his GSX-R1000 Auperstock machine before the Southern 100 Road Races on the Isle of Man,  July 12–15 and the Adelaide International Kells Road Races, July 17-18 in County Meath, Ireland.

Cameron Donald:
“I’m really excited about getting over to a BSB round as I still love to get involved in short circuit racing, and I’d like to thank Philip and the team for giving me this opportunity. My last outing in the BSB Superstock class was at a wet Oulton Park last year, but I’ve raced at Knockhill before and I like the circuit. It’s technical and tricky; a bit like my local circuit at home in Melbourne, and more importantly, it gives me some extra time on the Superstock Suzuki. I’m going to keep it simple this weekend and have some fun, but I’m also here to give it my best shot – so hopefully the weather is kind to us.”

Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“Our idea is to keep Cameron as sharp as possible, and giving him some extra track time on our Superstock GSX-R1000 at Knockhill will stand him in good stead for the forthcoming races at the Southern 100 and Kells Road Races. Since we came back from the TT, Cameron has shown a huge desire to get back out on our bikes, and on his day he’s no mean performer on the short circuit scene. There will be no pressure on him this weekend, and some extra miles on the Superstock bike will also provide the team with important set-up information, should we decided to take in any other races this year.”

The Worx Crescent Suzuki team head north of border to the Knockhill Circuit in Fife, Scotland this weekend for round six of the 2010 British Superbike Championship.

The team will be without Yukio Kagayama after the Japanese star was found to have broken a bone in his right hand, the result of his crash in race one at last weekend’s Mallory Park round.

Meanwhile championship leader Tommy Hill is 100% fit and ready for the racing and ready to gather up more podium points in preparation for the year-end Title Fighters’ Showdown.

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“Yuki being out this weekend is a disappointment, but it’s vitally important that he rests his hand to be fit again for Snetterton. The team remain fully behind Yuki, and it’s been his bad luck that he’s collected two injuries that have stopped his riding for periods of this year. We really enjoy working with him, and – as at Thruxton – he’s shown he’s podium potential all the way, so we look forward to his return. For his part Yuki says he’s gutted, he’s been wanting to put his championship back on course, and he’s disappointed he’ll not be seeing his fans in Scotland this weekend.
While our weekend at Mallory Park was a disappointment, it was by no means a reflection of our potential. Tommy remains 100% focused, as does the team and we know in the GSX-R1000 we have the machine to do the job. And it was only two seasons ago that Tom Sykes scored us a win at Knockhill so we know we can lead there, that’s not a concern. For now we’re staying focused and putting our efforts into getting Tommy more of those podium points that will be so important come the end of the season.”

The British Superbike Championship heads north for the Scottish Knockhill round. MSS Colchester Kawasaki riders Simon Andrews and Gary Mason look for a good points haul, while Superstock star Howie Mainwaring has the series lead in his sights.

Knockhill marks the midway point of the season, but with the new series format, riders know that to have a chance of being in the top six Title Fighters group, they need big points before the final Showdown phase kicks in at round nine at Croft.

The picturesque, forest-lined circuit has been good to the official Kawasaki squad over the years, with the team picking up good results in past events. At the corresponding round last year, Simon scored 4th and 6th placings so he knows that he and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R work well together at this mountainside circuit. Simon has returned to the team with strong results at Mallory after a lengthy period of injury while Gary looks for a better set-up this time around.

Howie Mainwaring looks to move closer to the Superstock lead this weekend

Howie Mainwaring returns refreshed after the Superstock teams took a sabbatical at Mallory following a double-header race the week before at the Silverstone MotoGP. The 23-year-old lies second in a talent-packed championship field and is determined to reel in series leader Jon Kirkham.

MSS Junior Superstock rider Danny Buchan will ride a series double header at Knockhill but has never seen the track before. He must emulate his more-senior teammate who was one of only a few riders not to have ridden the new Silverstone circuit.

Simon Andrews
“I’m looking forward to Knockhill, I went well there last year and I’m happy with how Mallory panned out especially as it’s the first time I have been on a Superbike since the Valencia crash. It’s great to be back with Nick, Gary and everyone; it’s really enjoyable. There is a small hope I can get into the Showdown if other people take some of my bad luck, but we will have to see.”

Gary Mason
“I feel like I’ve got to turn it around at Knockhill, Mallory was really disappointing to be honest. It’s a relatively simple track so you’ve just got to get stuck in and that’s what I intend to do.”

Howie Mainwaring
“I feel really strong and up for the challenge at Knockhill after a mixed weekend at Silverstone for the GP. The plan this weekend is to keep maintaining good points as we’re right there in the Championship chase, saying that I do feel right up for a win now.”

Nick Morgan, MSS Colchester Kawasaki Team Boss
“As a team we like Knockhill circuit and it’s been good to us in the past. Simon has really bounced back with a vengeance and is looking for more. I think Gary will be motivated by that also and we need to help him get the right set-up to have the confidence to push. Howie knows he needs to beat Kirkham to reel in the points as he has big cushion behind him to the injured Steve Plater. It will be interesting to see how Danny gets on at his first trip to Knockhill, the last Junior Superstock race at Cadwell was pretty outrageous.”

The Swan Honda team head to Fife, Scotland this weekend for the sixth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship north of the border at Knockhill Circuit. Stuart Easton will be targeting victory at his home round while teammate James Ellison is determined to build on his impressive point scoring finishes at Mallory Park.

Easton has his sights firmly set on becoming the first Scottish rider to win a BSB race at Knockhill since former BSB champion Steve Hislop in 2002 and get himself back inside the top six following a challenging weekend at Mallory Park.

Ellison marked his return to the championship at Mallory Park with two solid point-scoring results, and this weekend is determined to raise the bar again with expectations of scoring two top ten finishes.

Stuart Easton:
“I had a disappointing weekend at Mallory Park, but then it has never been my strongest circuit. However I love Knockhill and I want to turn things around this weekend for my home fans as it is the only chance they get to see me race in Scotland. My mind is already on the weekend and what we can do to put us back inside that all important top six again as that is where we need to be and it is critical to have a strong weekend and get back on the podium on Sunday. I have yet to win at my home round so that is definitely the aim for the weekend, especially as I missed out last year with a second place.”

James Ellison:
“I am looking forward to Knockhill as last weekend was a real test for me and now I know what to expect. I am going there with the same mentality I did for Mallory Park – to go out and give it everything to score as many points as I possibly can. I am desperate to just get back up there and put the Swan Honda where it deserves to be, especially for everyone that has supported me. I think I can improve on Sunday as in the second race at Mallory Park I could battle with Dan Linfoot and Gary Mason and my lap times at that point of the race were the third fastest on the circuit, so that was a boost for me. I am heading back to the hyperbaric chamber again before Knockhill and every day I am getting stronger so the top ten is my aim.”