Motourage

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.”

Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill returned to the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Croft today, and despite still suffering from his shoulder injury sustained two weeks ago at Oulton Park, he defied the odds to set the fastest time after the opening two free practice sessions.

Hill has been battling fitness to return this weekend at the Guisborough-based team’s home round and after ending the morning session in mixed conditions eighth, he was able to set the fastest time on his final lap this afternoon. Michael Laverty had been fastest in the opening session of the day for Swan Yamaha and in the second session he was also able to improve his pace, ending third fastest after leading until the final ten minutes.

Tommy Hill:
“It has been a fantastic start to the weekend but I have to keep reminding myself that I am riding injured. I have been riding at maybe something like 85% as I don’t want to push it too hard and crash which could undo all my hard work between Oulton Park and here and jeopardize the next round. I am currently struggling in the Complex but the Swan Yamaha team have worked hard to get me as comfortable as possible out there. People might ask why I am riding here, but I don’t want to miss out – I have a fantastic package with the team and the Swan Yamaha and I need to do everything I can to be out there scoring points. We are happy though at the end of day one and to be fastest was definitely more than I expected from today.”

Michael Laverty:|
“Today has been good for me and the Swan Yamaha team, especially here at our home round. We have been consistently quick in both sessions so I know we have the pace to be up there in the races on Sunday. We have been working well and know we need to make some more adjustments to the suspension tomorrow in the final free practice ready for qualifying. Once we have made those changes we will feel more comfortable over the bumps and ready for the race.”

Swan Yamaha's Tommy Hill

The Swan Yamaha team got their season off to a flying start at Brands Hatch for the opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship as Tommy Hill took a first and second place to lead the standings ahead of Oulton Park.

The opening race of the day ended in dramatic fashion for Michael Laverty as he suffered a highside while leading at Clark Curve, which caused Hill to take evasive action and drop down the order to eleventh. Hill then fought back and a determined performance saw him finish second.

In the second race of the day, Hill took a sensational victory at his home round after holding off the challenges of race one winner Shane Byrne and defending champion Ryuichi Kiyonari. Laverty meanwhile recovered from his race one crash to finish in a solid fourth place.

Tommy Hill:
“It has been a long four days as it has been the most I have ridden for a while! Last week I was concerned about my elbow and I had a lot of treatment throughout the week to be ready which has paid off. It is fantastic to be leading the championship but it is only round one and it is early days still. The bike has been working well and we couldn’t have asked for a better start today. We are now looking forward to Oulton Park and getting the bike to work around what is a completely different track. Hopefully we can get there and come away with a very similar result.”

Michael Laverty:
“Today has been a bit of a tough one for me. I am feeling a little bit sore, but I was able to walk away from a really big crash in the first race and that is the main thing but the team worked hard to get the bike back together for the second race. It was a shame to crash out as I felt quite good and I was feeling confident for the win. It was a big crash; the tyre just spun and I didn’t have time to save it. I did get clipped by Tommy but I was so lucky that both him and Shakey were able to miss me. In the second race I felt ok and set the fastest lap but then there were a few places where the front was folding and I didn’t want to crash again. We have a few days now before Oulton Park and I want to come out there and get back on the podium.”

Swan Yamaha team owner Shaun Muir:
“What a start to the season for the Swan Yamaha team. We had a long winter and the hard work has paid off and we are delighted to be leading the championship after Tommy’s performance today. Michael was unlucky in the first race but he showed his potential despite that to challenge for the podium in race two. We are now really looking forward to next weekend at Oulton Park and hopefully we can be back on the top step of the podium again.”

The Swan Yamaha team set the pace in the penultimate practice session at Brands Hatch today as Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty ended first and second respectively ahead of Easter Monday’s opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship.

Hill waited until the final ten minutes of the afternoon session to run close to lap record pace on the Indy circuit with a time of 45.499 seconds as Laverty moved within 0.008 seconds of his team-mate to put the Swan Yamahas at the top of the timesheets ahead of qualifying.

“It has been a great day for us and we have been building up to it gradually over the three sessions so far this weekend,” said Tommy Hill. “It has mainly been due to changes with the electronics and we have learnt so much already and we are able to keep moving forward. We made a few minor changes to the chassis, but it has mainly remained the same as it was when we tested in Spain. Our race pace is good as we have done some longer runs and we know we can run the times consistently so we are feeling happy ahead of qualifying.”

“It has been a good day for us and we have made some further steps forward with the electronics,” added Laverty. “They were just minor changes but it has made quite a bit of difference and then we were able to make small tweaks to the chassis this morning. This afternoon we did some longer race runs and we were running consistent times despite some traffic, so I am happy with our race pace ahead of qualifying.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, free practice one result:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 45.687s
2. Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.081s
3. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.088s
4. John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +0.186s
5. Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.259s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, free practice two result:
1. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 45.499s
2. Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.008s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.032s
4. Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +0.037s
5. John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +0.229s

The Swan Yamaha team begin their assault on the 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend as Tommy Hill, who joins Swan Yamaha from Worx Crescent Suzuki, and Michael Laverty, who spent 2009 contesting AMA Superbike with Celtic Racing and 2010 with Relentless Suzuki by TAS in BSB, prepare to make their race debut with the Guisborough-based team at Brands Hatch

Tommy Hill tests at Snetterton

In preseason testing Hill set a new lap record at Cartagena while Laverty went on to top the times at the most recent test at Snetterton, and now both riders are feeling confident ahead of the four-day Easter opening round.

Tommy Hill
“I just want to get to Brands Hatch now after what has really been six weeks off. We set a new lap record at Cartagena and we felt confident after those tests. It was disappointing for me that I missed out at Snetterton with a crash, but it doesn’t take long to get back into it on the Indy circuit. Once we have the first day on Good Friday to blow the cobwebs away we just need to be consistent and score some good points. That was the approach I had last season and I came away with a first and second place plus the championship lead so who knows what can happen. I just need to push on at my home circuit, get the best results I can for the Swan Yamaha team and then prepare for Oulton Park the following weekend.”

Michael Laverty
“The first races at Brands Hatch are going to be strange as the Indy circuit can throw a curveball you don’t expect. I think though that after the pre-season testing we are in the position to challenge for the wins and get the job done. It has been a longer build up to this season and the anticipation really has been building for these first races and everyone just wants to get out and race now. We have been fast in testing so I hope that people are looking at us and thinking we are going to be up there at Brands Hatch. The pressure doesn’t matter to me; myself and Tommy have proved we have the pace – we just need to make sure we don’t get complacent and translate our testing performance into strong results.”

Team manager Shaun Muir
“The team have done a lot of hard work over the winter and we have been immensely impressed with the new Yamahas. Tommy and Michael have been consistently fast throughout pre-season testing and now we look forward to his weekend and translating that into results for everyone involved at Swan Yamaha.”

The Swan Yamaha pairing of Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty will make their track debut with the Guisborough-based team next week when both riders begin their 2011 pre-season British Superbike Championship testing campaign, riding the new Yamahas for the first time in Spain. The team will kick off their preparations for the forthcoming season with a shakedown test at Calafat before travelling to Cartagena for a further two days on track as Hill and Laverty aim to utilise the time to work on base settings ahead of the forthcoming season that gets underway at Brands Hatch on Easter weekend.

Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty

Tommy Hill:
“It is finally time to get back out on track after a long winter and I definitely can’t wait to get started now. This is our first chance to ride the new Yamaha and this opening test is really going to be about gelling as a team and working out where we need to make changes or for me to adapt my riding style slightly to suit the new bike. The first days at Calafat are going to be getting dialled back in and getting in as much mileage as possible. The team have been sending me updates of all the latest developments at the workshop so now I just want to get out to Spain and get cracking. These pre-season tests are always important so we need to utilise the track time and come away ready to hit the ground running at Brands Hatch.”

Michael Laverty:
“I am really looking forward to getting testing underway; a new bike and a new team is always an exciting prospect. Our first test is at Calafat which is a new track for me but I have been doing my homework and have been watching some onboard laps and it has very similar characteristics to some of the UK tracks, which is going to be beneficial without a doubt. It will be the first time on the bike for me so it is going to be a case of getting the positioning right and having a shakedown initially before heading to Cartagena to then make further improvements and get things really rolling. It will then be a good indication of where we are against the competition and how we can then continue to move forward ahead of the first round.”

Swan Yamaha team manager Shaun Muir:
“We have new bikes and new riders this year and so this is going to be new territory for us, but we are ready for the challenge. The team have been working hard behind the scenes over the past months and the test schedule we have planned will give everyone time to work on base settings and adapt to the Yamahas. We will see what emerges from this initial test before deciding if we need to return to Spain for a further track time. If all goes well, we will conclude our test programme at a selected number of UK circuits before the season opener at Brands Hatch.The Swan Yamaha pairing of Tommy Hill and Michael Laverty will make their track debut with the Guisborough-based team next week when both riders begin their 2011 pre-season testing campaign, riding the new Yamahas for the first time in Spain.

Pole position spots in both of Sunday’s British Superbike Championship races for Alastair Seeley and Michael Laverty unfortunately couldn’t replicate Saturday’s BSB victory for the Relentless by TAS Suzuki team. But, despite DNFs in both races for Seeley and a fourth place and DNF for Laverty, both riders remain inside the top six, with Laverty’s Shootout place already secured.

The opening race of the day saw both Relentless by TAS Suzuki riders on the front row of the grid, and while Seeley took the holeshot into Paddock Hill from his pole position slot, he was soon embroiled in a podium battle with Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes who was taking advantage of the month-long WSBK break to race in his home country.

Alastair Seely highsides behind teammate Michael Laverty

The race was red flagged after only a handful of laps when Seeley high-sided on the exit of Surtees. The Ulsterman walked away from the crash unhurt, but an unsighted Andrew Pitt collected Seeley’s machine forcing the stoppage after the Australian took a heavy tumble. Unfortunately for Seeley, his bike was too badly damaged for him to make the restart, having to sit it out and watch his teammate Laverty race to fourth place.

Laverty’s fastest lap in race one gave him pole position for race two, but after dropping off the pace early on, he worked his way back into a podium position before crashing out at Druids. In an ironic twist of fate, Seeley crashed at virtually the same time, but at Paddock Hill after working his way through the field and onto the back of Stuart Easton and his biggest rival for sixth place in the current Shootout standings, John Laverty.

Michael Laverty:
“Race one wasn’t too bad today. I came out with fourth place but I was disappointed that I couldn’t challenge the leaders. We made some suspension changes for race two, which allowed me to run a better pace, but I didn’t have the pace in the early laps on fresh tires. Once the tires started to slide I could make ground back on the leaders and I had third in the bag. I pushed on as I felt I could go for the win; unfortunately it wasn’t to be and I lost the front at Druids. Although I leave Brands frustrated, I have qualified for the Shootout, so now I have a new focus: to find the speed to win races.”

Alastair Seeley:
“I’ve gone from hero to zero this weekend. The boys did a great job building a complete bike for me so I could take part in the second race. I got a bad start in race two but composed myself and pushed my way through and onto the back of Easton. We had caught John Laverty but the rear end came right round on me down into turn one and that was the day over. It has been a tough day, but you get them now and again, but on the positive side – we are still 10 points in front of seventh place, so it’s all to play for at Cadwell Park. I can’t thank the team enough today for their efforts in getting me back out on track.”

Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“It has obviously been a disappointing day for us after yesterday’s success. However, we will take the positives from the weekend: we have scored our ninth BSB podium this weekend and our second race win of the year, and to do that on a special 25th Anniversary weekend for Suzuki and the GSX-R range, not forgetting 50 years of racing, is very special.

“It was a dream before the season started to have both our riders in the top six, and that is now a distinct possibility with Michael Laverty’s position already secured for the Shootout. Unfortunately Alastair is making the job very difficult for himself. Each time he looks to have the position secured with an outstanding performance, he follows that with a few costly mistakes – although this can be expected from a series rookie.

“We will regroup as a team and continue with testing in preparation for the next round at Cadwell, in the hope of making that dream a reality. Thanks to Suzuki, Relentless and all our sponsors for their continued support. A special mention must go to my team for a majestic performance this weekend – especially having built Alastair Seeley a completely new bike in less than three hours, so he could make the grid for race two.”

Race two results:
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki WSB)
2.Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +1.118s
3.Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +3.497s
4.Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +4.000s
5.James Ellison (Swan Honda) +4.189s
6.Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +11.142s
7.Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +11.182s
8.Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +11.937s
9.Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +15.507s
10.Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +15.637s

Race three result:
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki WSB)
2.Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.563s
3.Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +4.788s
4.Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +6.531s
5.James Ellison (Swan Honda) +11.804s
6.Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +11.910s
7.Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +13.927s
8.Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +20.929s
9.John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +21.181s
10. Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +25.089s

British Superbike Championship standings:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 249
2.Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 242
3.Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 239
4.Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 217
5.Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 206
6.Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 153

Series rookie Alastair Seeley scored a magnificent debut British Superbike Championship victory at Brands Hatch race one on Saturday.

The Relentless by TAS Suzuki rider qualified his GSX-R1000 Superbike strongly on row two in seventh position. Then, in a two-part opening race – red flagged because of rain – the Ulsterman held off seasoned professionals Michael Rutter and Ryuichi Kiyonari to take the team’s second British Superbike victory of the season in treacherous conditions.

Alastair Seeley:
“I got good starts today and that made the difference. I had some front-end issues in the dry part of the race, and in the re-start in the wet I had loads of slides on white lines and the curbs, but managed with it okay. My visor steamed up so I opened it, but with the wind streaming into my eyes I had to shut it again. We held on for the win and it’s all credit to my Relentless by TAS Suzuki team and our superb GSX-R1000 Superbike that we made the top step.

“This is what I’ve always wanted in racing and now that I’ve sampled it I’d like more of the same. A big thanks to all the team sponsors, and also those who have helped me over the years and brought me to this stage of my career, including my family.”

Michael Laverty couldn’t better his Q2 qualifying time, but still made the all-important Q3 session – eventually heading up row three in ninth position. In today’ re-started race, Laverty had to come from dead last after being shunted off the circuit at Surtees on the opening lap. After re-joining the circuit, he kept his composure to pick his way through the field, taking some very valuable points in sixth place at the checkered flag.

Michael Laverty:
“It was a tough race for me today, especially after I got hit from behind on the opening lap and almost went down. Luckily I saved it and took a detour across the grass, but it left me in last position, so I had to fight hard to come through the field. Sixth was a decent result in the circumstances but also very frustrating as I know what I was capable of today. I will be hoping for better fortunes tomorrow.”

Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“What a phenomenal performance today from both riders. Alastair had me on the edge of my seat with his win, but his years of Superstock experience certainly aided him in today’s difficult conditions: he showed his precocious talented using absolute precision on throttle control in the closing stages.

“It’s our second win this year from nine podiums, but to do it this weekend when Suzuki is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of its GSX-R range is pretty special. Granted we have found an extremely good wet set-up with our GSX-R1000 Superbikes and that credit must go to the boys in the team.

“Michael Laverty showed true pedigree to come from last place after getting pushed off the track on lap one, and to come through to sixth place at the end with the fourth fastest lap of the race, also shows how polished Michael is becoming as a top BSB rider.

“Whilst we are delighted to have taken our second win of the season today, we must not get carried away. Alastair, for me, must be the best rookie to have graced this series for many, many years, but he needs to remain calm and finish the weekend with two strong results on Sunday. We are also delighted to have scored maximum points for Suzuki in the manufacturers’ standings.”

British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race one result:
1 Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS)
2 Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.298s
3 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +1.470s
4 Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +2.926s
5 Tom Sykes (Kawasaki WSB) +14.320s
6 Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +17.241s
7James Ellison (Swan Honda) +21.713s
8 Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +23.516s
9 John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +24.738s
10 Ian Lowry (Kawasaki WSB) +26.213s

Michael Laverty continued his impressive run of form in the British Superbike Championship yesterday with the Relentless by TAS Suzuki team, posting his fourth and fifth BSB podiums of the season and taking third place in both races.

Laverty also maintained third place in the Championship standing and now sits on 133 points, just 21 behind series leader and fellow Suzuki rider Tommy Hill, with Australia’s Josh Brookes wedged in between them.

Alastair Seeley scored 11 points on his Mallory Park BSB debut with 10th and 11th placed finishes and the current National Superstock champion is just eight points outside the top six.

Michael Laverty:
“I’m reasonably happy with two third-placed finishes today as it’s good for the Championship. But if I’m being honest I had expected to get a win following the pace we had shown throughout practice on the Relentless Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. The other boys found something extra today and I wasn’t able to respond, but we will move on to Knockhill next weekend in a confident frame of mind. We are in good shape in the championship following a run of five consecutive podiums, and although my consistency is paying off, I want to win some races. The team has done a good job again this weekend and gave me a very capable bike, so thanks to them for the effort.”

Alastair Seeley:
“My goal was to score solid points today and from fourth and third row grid positions I think we did okay, but it was a tough day at the office. I would have been happier to be well inside the top 10, but we battled hard and stay within fighting distance of the top six leaving Mallory. I was closing down on ninth in the first race and just ran out of laps and in race two I had a few small problems that I had to work around. All in all we’ve kept in on track and scored points, so I’m now looking forward to Knockhill where I’ve had some success in the past on the Superstock GSX-R1000.”

Philip Neill – Team Manager:
“I’m pleased enough with the weekend and it really is nice to be back in the BSB paddock. In saying that, it seems like we are stuck on third placed finishes, with two at the TT followed by two here at Mallory. I’m pretty satisfied though with another couple of podiums – Michael’s fourth and fifth in a row – and it’s also good for the Championship, but I know we can win races. We know as a team where we can improve and Michael knows where he can improve as a rider, but I was impressed with his fitness today. Alastair did what we expected and battled hard and he scored points when others didn’t, so that will set him up well for Knockhill next week.” Read more…