Motourage

The HM Plant Honda team began their title defense in the best possible way as Shane “Shakey” Byrne lapped faster than the Brands Hatch Indy lap record to secure pole position on his return to the British Superbike Championship, just ahead of his teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari who took the second spot alongside Shakey.

Shane Byrne

The two HM Plant Honda Fireblades diced for the pole position with Kiyo first running under the lap record before Shakey went out for a final lap dash for the top spot, when he narrowly edged out the position by 0.080 seconds.

In the National Superstock 1000 Championship it was another pole position for HM Plant Honda as Jason O’Halloran topped the time sheet ahead of his race debut in the class.

Byrne said: “That was a great lap. I started Q3 on a used tire and did a 45.5s lap but then I saw what Kiyo had done and I couldn’t believe it, he needs to slow down a bit! I wanted a front row start but then I saw what Kiyo did and just went for it with a new tire. I went out and did a 45.1s and then I tried to get into the 44s but just couldn’t quite get there. That was a great session though and all credit to the HM Plant Honda team.”

Kiyo said: “That was a hard session as everyone was faster than before, but I pushed as hard as I could and was hoping for the pole position. I knew Shakey was going to be fast as we have been pushing each other all weekend. I need to find some more time tomorrow in warm up as it is so close on the circuit but I am feeling happy and want to get on the podium tomorrow for HM Plant Honda.”

Jason O’Halloran qualified on pole position for the opening round of the National Superstock 1000 Championship at Brands Hatch, posting the fastest time in the combined qualifying sessions.

Jason said: “The weekend has gone well and we have been consistently fast throughout the sessions. We have a good race pace and we know there are a few different changes we still would like to test in warm up tomorrow. I am happy that we will be starting from pole position and the lap was under the record pace so everything is good and I am ready to race now.”

Team Manager Havier Beltran concluded: “Today’s qualifying session was a fantastic start to our season; you can’t ask for more than the top two places on the grid in Superbike and then the pole position in the Superstock class. I think today has shown that all three riders have the potential to challenge for the titles, and it is still early days, but we couldn’t have asked for a better day. It has also shown the strength of the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade as it has proved to be the fastest bike on track in two classes today. We know the Indy circuit will bring highs and lows as it always does, but so far it has all come together for the HM Plant Honda team and we are looking forward to race day.”

With a win and a second place at Cadwell Park, Worx Crescent Suzuki’s Tommy Hill finished the first nine-round stage of the British Superbikes Championship tied with Ryuichi Kiyonari for the points lead. Hill’s team-mate Yukio Kagayama took two seventh places finishes to lift his standing in the Championship to 12th.

In an exciting day’s racing, Hill was on top form, and after dominating the first race, was challenging for the lead again in the second race when it was red flagged on the 14th lap. In the race one, Josh Brookes took the early lead but succumbed to an attack from Hill on the eighth lap. Hill then maintained a constant 1:27-minute lap pace while his rivals withered, and took the win by 5.116 seconds. In the race two, Hill led for 11 laps and was trailing Brookes by just 0.230-seconds after 13 laps when the race was stopped.

Hill’s point tally from the nine rounds amounts to 287 points, three more than Brookes and six more than Ryuichi Kiyonari. However, with the Showdown phase now beginning, the championship points tally taken so far is cast aside. The championship will now be decided over the final three rounds (seven races) between the six highest points scorers so far, known as the Title Fighters. All the title fighters have their championship point tally put on an initial parity of 500, to which is added only the podium points they’ve scored thus far (podium points have been awarded as three for a win, two for second and one for third). On this basis Hill steps forward into the Showdown as joint leader with Kiyonari on 525 points apiece.

Tommy Hill:
“What a fantastic weekend! To see Yuki coming good as well – it’s been all good. In that first race I just felt really-really good, I could have made the jump earlier but I was interested to sit behind Josh to see what he was doing. In the second race the pace was so fast, something like two-seconds faster than it was last year, and maybe it was that or maybe there was small issue with the rear tire but I had a little bit of chatter to deal with. I still felt comfortable and while Josh had passed me when I made a small mistake on the Mountain I felt comfortable and was setting up to repass him when the red flags came out.

“All in all I feel overjoyed. We get to leave here having effectively won the first part of the season and having beaten the HM Plant team in their own back yard – that’s kind of a bonus. But now its crunch time and to be going into this vital part of the season with a joint points lead is a great position to be in.”

Yukio Kagayama:
“Today was very good for me although for sure 7-7 doesn’t sound like a score I’d want to be happy with. But this was my first racing visit to Cadwell Park since 2004 as I missed the first round earlier this year, so I had no base settings to work from – and I set-up my bike quite different to Tommy. So no top-three for me, but I am happy that my lap times got better all weekend, and my second race today was much faster although the result was the same. And I enjoy riding the bike, my feeling for racing, for set-up, is getting better so I hope in the races to come I can challenge again for the podium.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“The team are buzzing. There’s been so much work gone into this weekend and everyone can see we’ve made a major breakthrough with our set-up and this has really boosted Tommy’s confidence. He could have had two wins today but we’ll never know. The important thing is we’re in the strongest possible position as we head into the Showdown. The GSX-R is the strongest it’s been all season and Tommy’s got all the confidence in the world.

“For Yuki, it’s been a good weekend for him as well. Having that big crash in practice couldn’t have helped him, but in the races he simply got quicker and quicker. He had to fight his way past Alastair Seeley in both races and he was mindful he needed to make a clean pass as it’s so tight here, but once past his lap time was on a par with those ahead, so he’s shown he’s getting his pace back. There’s every probability he’ll be able to fulfill the support role that’s needed as Tommy fights for the Championship.

“So it’s the best feeling for us. We’ve made the breakthrough we’ve been looking for and we even know that wet or dry we’ve a setup that works. We won’t be resting though; we’re going to be pushing for more – as we’re sure all the other teams will be doing.”

MCE Insurance 2010 British Superbike Championship
Round Nine, Cadwell Park:

Race one result:
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki)
2. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +5.116s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +7.092s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +12.522s
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +14.623s
6. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +20.822s
7. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +28.158s
8. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +28.533s
9. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +34.523s
10. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +34.945s

Race two results:
1. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.230s
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.888s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +5.071s
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +11.719s
6. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +13.178s
7. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +15.712s
8. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +21.347s
9. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +24.287s
10. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +27.446s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Cadwell Park:

Showdown Title Fighters:
=1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 525
=1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 525
3. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 524
4. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 510
5. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 509
6. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 505
12. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 74

Honda (UK) and the HM Plant Honda team have announced their continued commitment to the British Superbike Championship, Isle of Man TT and North West 200 road races for 2010.

The duo of Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Brookes will compete on the CBR1000RR in the British Superbike class, with the 2009 British Supersport Champion, Steve Plater, moving to the British Superstock Championship.

Plater, the 2009 Senior TT Winner, will also line up on the TT and NW200 grids alongside 15-times TT legend John McGuinness, for a second season.

Building on their long-term relationship since 2004, Honda (UK) Racing and HM Plant will be looking to continue their successful partnership and performance for the seventh consecutive year, in what is considered the strongest domestic motorcycle racing championship in the world.

Steve Martindale, General Manager of Honda (UK) Motorcycles:
“I’m pleased to confirm Honda’s commitment to the British Superbike Championship for 2010 and also the team’s continued relationship with HM Plant. The British Superbike Championship is very strong and the high standard of rider talent and racing can be seen at every round.”

John Jones, HM Plant Chairman:
“We have been delighted with our relationship with Honda and the exposure achieved from the HM Plant Honda team partnership over the last six years and look forward to that continuing with some great and exciting racing in 2010.”

Honda (UK) Racing will also continue its long-standing relationship and support of Clive Padgett’s Honda squad in 2010. Former HM Plant Honda BSB racer Glen Richards will compete in both the Superstock and Supersport classes, with John McGuinness alongside Glen in the Superstock Championship and Ian Hutchinson also in the Supersport series on the CBR600RR.

Honda (UK) Racing has a long and successful history in both British and world motorcycle racing championships, taking the World Superbike Championship title in 1997, 2000 and 2002 before wrapping up the British Superbike title in 2006 and 2007 as HM Plant Honda with Ryuichi Kiyonari. The team has also won many other events, including British Supersport titles with Karl Harris and many North West 200 and Isle of Man races, most notably with TT legend John McGuinness.

The British Superbike Championship is the most hard-fought domestic motorcycle racing championship in the world, attracting sponsors and riders from across the globe. The championship’s profile has risen over the last few seasons as television ratings and attendance at the tracks have increased.

Ryuichi Kiyonari

HM Plant Honda’s Josh Brookes will be back in the seat of his CBR1000RR Superbike at this weekend’s 10th round of the British Superbike Championship at Croft, paired with the former HM Plant Honda double BSB Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari who is making a sensational return to the championship just for this weekend.

The 26-year-old Japanese rider will ride for the HM Plant Honda team, with whom he won the title in 2006 and 2007, in place of the injured Glen Richards who is still recovering from a broken leg.

Kiyo has been racing for multiple world champions Ten Kate Honda, in the World Superbike Championship for the past two seasons, and the ride is a one-off as Glen is expected to return to the Honda squad at the following round at Silverstone,

The former MotoGP rider has an impressive pedigree at the 2.125-mile North Yorkshire track, the home round for Honda team sponsor, HM Plant, winning four times – once in each of 2005 and 2006 and then taking the double ahead of his teammate Jonathan Rea in 2007.

Commenting on his forthcoming BSB outing, Kiyo said, “I’m really excited to be riding for the HM Plant Honda team again. I’m also very happy to race in BSB and especially at Croft. I love this circuit and won both races when I last raced there in 2007.”

Having missed two rounds of the championship due to injury and also a penalty at Mallory Park, Josh Brookes is fired up to get back and make the most of the remaining three rounds of the season. Josh commented, “I’m totally fired up and ready to go. I had a day riding a standard road bike around Croft last week to learn the circuit which will help me a lot this coming weekend. Before going there I had it in my mind that I wouldn’t like the track, but having now ridden it I really like it and the flowing nature, so can’t wait for the event now to get back into my stride and put me and HM Plant Honda ‘Blade back up with the front runners.”

Team-mate Glen, who was due to return to his seat at Croft, commented, “I rode a lot of laps of Croft last week with Josh on a standard road bike and whilst I could ride round there all day, I really don’t feel my leg is fit to race yet so it would be foolish to come back too soon and risk further injury, but I’ll certainly be back at Silverstone.”

World Superbike racer and fellow Aussie Karl Muggeridge stood in for Glen at the previous two rounds of Brands Hatch and Cadwell Park, but the HM Plant Honda team didn’t want to stand in the way of Karl’s opportunity to race at this weekend’s Bol D’or endurance race, therefore employing the services of the familiar Kiyo.

Havier Beltran, HM Plant Honda Team Manager said, “We only needed a rider for one race weekend. Kiyo was free, has a great history at Croft and also knows the Honda Fireblade Superbike well, so he was the perfect choice. Kiyo is also experienced with bike set-up and development so we’ll also be utilising those skills this weekend as well.”

Today’s Motourage video of the day features a first race, first lap first turn crash involving Makoto Tamada, Broc Parkes, Vittorio Iannuzzo and American rider John Hopkins. Hopkins, while on the asphalt, was run over by Ryuichi Kiyonari. Tamada was also hit by Kiyonari’s bike, and he and Hopkins were taken to the hospital where they were treated and released.