Motourage

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

Suzuka 8 Hour Pole-setter Yoshimura Suzuki finished sixth at the third round of the FIM World Endurance Championship in Japan after two crashes robbed the favorites and defending champions of victory.

Team riders Daisaku Sakai, Nobuatsu Aoki and Yukio Kagayama finished with 211 laps, four down on eventual winners MuSASHI RT HARC-PRO Honda after an incident-packed and hot, sun-blessed race that saw the Suzuka 300km winners heroically charge back against the odds.

MotoGP test rider Sakai – a member of the SERT Albacete World Endurance-winning team in May – was unlucky and fell twice: He crashed early on battling with FCC TSR Honda’s Kosuke Akiyoshi, rejoined the race in fourth; and then continued without pitting until he handed the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 over to Yukio Kagayama at 12.27.

An hour into the race, the team held third position behind MuSashi HARC Pro Honda and Keihin Kohara RT Honda after FCC TSR Honda rider Akiyoshi was penalized for ignoring a yellow flag.

Kagayama – who currently races for the Worx Crescent British Superbike Team in the UK – improved the team’s position to second place on the leader board after overtaking Keihin Kohara RT Honda’s Makoto Tamada after one-and-a-half hours of intense racing. And, after two hours, Nobuatsu Aoki – who took over from Kagayama, and is also a Team Suzuki MotoGP test rider – took the lead of the race, pitting at 14:27 and handing over to Sakai, who kept the Yoshimura Suzuki ahead for almost 30 minutes before Kiyonari got past again.

Sakai then suffered from a second crash at the infamous ‘S Curve’ and had to pit again; the team rejoining the race in ninth position, but they continued to fight back to a sixth overall.

Top Suzuki finisher was the PLOT FARO PANTHRA GSX-R1000-mounted team of Deguchi, Yasuda and youngest rider Kodoma; who got the final stint in the race – and brought the team home in fourth position overall.

Suzuka Results:
1 MuSASHI RT HARC-PRO (Honda – R Kiyonari/ T Nakagami/ T Takahashi) – 215 laps.
2 Keihin Kohara Racing Team (Honda – S Ito/ M Tamada) – 214 laps.
3 FCC TSR Honda (Honda – K Akiyoshi/ J Rea/T Takahashi) – 213 laps.
4 PLOT FARO PANTHERA (Suzuki – O Deguchi/ T Yasuda/ Y Kodama) – 212 laps.
5 TEAM PLUS ONE (Honda – S Iwata/ Y Teshima) – 211 laps.
6 Yoshimura Suzuki with ENEOS (Suzuki – D Sakai/N Aoki/ Y Kagayama) – 211 laps.

Worx Crescent Suzuki’s Tommy Hill rode two hard fought races at the seventh round of the British Superbikes Championship at Snetterton to grab two second place finishes and take back the series lead.

In both races Hill was in lower leader board positions at mid-race but found the extra pace in the second half to pull himself up to the runner-up spot, recording his fastest lap in the last laps of each encounter. Rival Josh Brookes had secured wins in the first two races of the weekend but his machine expired at mid-distance in the last race, which passed the championship lead to Hill as he overcame Michael Laverty in the final laps of that race. Hill now leads the BSB championship by two points over Brookes and also leads the BSB podium points table by one point.

Yukio Kagayama suffered more ill luck in the first race – his first of the weekend – when his clutch developed a technical issue during the sighting lap, forcing him to start from the pit lane. He finished 21st. In the second race, starting from P24, Kagayama rode an impressively strong race gaining 14 positions to finish top-10.

Tommy Hill:
“We’ve had a very consistent run this weekend and I can’t deny it’s very satisfying to get back on the podium in all the races and to take back the championship lead.

“We were running less electronic aids on the bike this weekend and maybe this harmed my early race pace, but it seemed to work very much to my advantage in the second half of each race and I found I had a consistent feel to the bike that allowed me to confidently push hard at the end. A little bit of luck fell into our hands with Brookes going out in the third race, but it helps to be in the right place for when these things happen. No question I’m really looking forward to the Brands Hatch GP round now!”

Yukio Kagayama:
“For me, only wins can make for good times, but I am still very happy with progress this weekend. My first race was lost when the clutch felt to be slipping on my out lap, the team fixed this but starting from pit lane I was not able to make the progress I wanted.

“For the second race the team made some adjustments to the bike and I liked these very much and was able to pass many riders to finish tenth. I must thank the team for this, they really welcomed me back to racing this weekend and they worked hard to give me the best bike.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“A very good weekend for us. I think this weekend’s results have really boosted Tommy’s confidence and this will help him as we head to the Brands Hatch GP round. The team has worked hard on the set-up, the GSX-R’s always been good but it’s the very last little details that are making all the difference and certainly we’ve now got a very good basis on which to build for the coming races.

“Yuki has struggled manfully with his injured hand and it was typical of his luck that he suffered the setback with the clutch issue just before that first race. However his performance in the second race was inspiring, he put in a sterling ride.

“He’s off to the Suzuka 8-hour now and the whole team wish him well with that. But we’re looking forward to getting him to Brands Hatch fully fit. Not having two riders at full strength has cost us with bike development as the season has progressed, and we’ve seen the other teams make up ground, but hopefully come round eight we’ll be at full strength again for the first time almost all year!”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship

Round seven, Snetterton:

Race 1 result:
1. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +1.472s
3. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +2.740s
4. James Ellison (Swan Honda) +3.757s
5. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +4.152s
6. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +15.640s
7. Chris Walker (Sorrymate.com SMT Honda) +17.779s
8. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +18.417s
9. Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +18.880s
10. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +19.131s
21. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki)

Race 2 result:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.591s
3. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.954s
4. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +1.584s
5. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +3.897s
6. Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +4.899s
7. Chris Walker (Sorrymate.com SMT Honda) +6.127s
8. Andrew Pitt (Motorpoint Yamaha) +8.211s
9. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +8.349s
10. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +9.566s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings:
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 218
2. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 216
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 193
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 183
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 165
6. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) 129
17. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 31

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.”

Worx Crescent Suzuki came away from the British Superbike Championship fifth round at Mallory Park with just eight points in the bag after misfortune beset both Championship leader Tommy Hill and teammate Yukio Kagayama today.

The day started well with both riders setting good times in warm-up and Kagayama was particularly pleased with his revised bike set-up that took him to the fifth-fastest time.

Worx Crescent rider Tommy Hill could only manage a weekend-best eighth-place finish at Mallory Park

But problems came thick and fast in the opening race: Hill was immediately in trouble as his bike gave all the indications of clutch slip, while Kagayama struggled to push through the pack from his fourth-row start position. However, the race was red flagged after three laps following an incident and this allowed the team to replace the clutch in Hill’s bike before the restart. Unfortunately the problem wasn’t cured and Hill was forced to retire. Kagayama then crashed out on lap two at Charlie’s chicane and was bruised and quite shaken up so the decision was taken that he stand down from race two.

Hill, as a consequence of his race one woes, had to start race two from the fourth row and had a huge fight on to regain places; finally finishing in eighth.

Tommy Hill:
“Today’s been quite a disappointment after having enjoyed very productive tests here and going so well through practice and qualifying. After dropping out of race one with technical issues I was looking forward to getting my head down and chasing a top-six result in race two. But I got shut down in the first turn and after that it was a long race trying to make up places. Obviously I’m not happy with my results, but racing always has its ups and downs. So we’re off to Knockhill next weekend and I’ll be looking for a return to podium finishes and podium points – and looking to rebuild my championship lead.”

Yukio Kagayama:
“Not a good weekend for me. I was happy after warm-up – good lap times. Then in the race I lost grip leaving the corner – it all happens very fast – and I crashed. I am okay but the crash was quite hard and so I was not able to ride the second race. So again I need to rest injuries to be ready for the next round.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“Not a good day for us. We had every reason to feel optimistic at the start of the day and were pleased to see Yuki back on the pace in warm-up. Tommy’s problem in the first race turned out to be a rear wheel speed sensor issue which confused the ECU. Tommy then had to ride in damage limitation mode in the second race to bring home the points to maintain his championship lead. Yuki suffered more bad luck, and after two crashes, the second quite a hard one, we felt it was prudent he stood down from the second race and rested his body so that he’ll be able to come out fighting fit again for Knockhill.

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Worx Crescent Suzuki’s Tommy Hill took second and third-placed finishes at Oulton Park yesterday to significantly extend his lead in the British Superbike Championship after three rounds, as team-mate Yukio Kagayama was an unfortunate victim of a first-race accident that left him unable to take part in race two.

For Hill, it was another day of strong performances: In race one, rival Stuart Easton led off the line and while Hill was never more than three-tenths-of-a-second behind, Easton’s late-braking-style prevented a pass. At the finish, Hill was just 0.058-seconds adrift.

Rain fell before the second race and so Hill rode conservatively, getting a feel for the conditions before passing several competitors to secure the final podium position. Significantly, Easton – his nearest rival in the point’s standings – elected to ride on a different tire-compound for this race and failed to find the grip he needed and so retired. Consequently Hill’s lead in the Championship has extended to 51 points.

Tommy Hill:
“I’m feeling really good, really chuffed with this result. The second race was a real test in ‘iffy conditions.’ There was a rush to get the adjustments made; changing the gearing, wanting to change the suspension; it was all very last-minute. I spent a bit of time getting a feel for the conditions and where the bike felt good. I didn’t know where Josh Brookes or Stuart was so it was a pleasant surprise when I came in to find I had those extra points over them. In all, a consistent weekend and I’m happy with that!”

Yukio Kagayama had qualified in seventh position, but for this morning’s warm-up, he made changes to his set-up that brought him up to fourth fastest. However, in the first race, he got a bad start and riding mid-pack was approaching Island Bend when he got hit from behind, causing him to crash at high speed.

The heavy fall left Kagayama winded and battered. However a subsequent X-Ray revealed a compression to his T7 vertebrae and Kagayama will now undergo a CT scan to get the fullest detail on his injury.

Yukio Kagayama:
“I was very happy with the changes to the set-up we made this morning and I felt a podium result would be possible. Unfortunately I didn’t make the best start in that first race. Then as I was turning into Island Bend I was hit from behind and crashed. The crash wasn’t a very comfortable experience and while I was winded at first I’m still very sore now. No injury is good, but I’m optimistic that I’ll be well enough for the next round at Cadwell Park in three weeks time.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“I’m very pleased with Tommy’s performance this weekend. In both races he rode intelligently; not making a pass in that first race when it would have been risky; and then playing himself in carefully in the second, taking no chances, but working hard and taking yet another valuable podium.

“Yukio was very unlucky again this weekend: He’d made good progress on his set-up this morning and looked good for some strong results. The plan is now is to see him back at Cadwell Park fit and rested. He’s starting to lose touch with that vital sixth place in the Championship but there’s still plenty of opportunity to turn his season around.

“Altogether a good weekend for Suzuki, though. To have three GSX-R1000s in the top-five is a great situation to be in – and congratulations to Michael Laverty on his win this afternoon. Now it’s onto Cadwell Park and hopefully more of the same from Tommy and hopefully a change of luck for Yukio.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship:
Race one:
1. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.058s
3. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +10.399s
4. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.843s
5. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.849s
6. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +11.073s
7. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +23.428s
8. Chris Walker (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +27.478s
9. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +35.997s
10. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +36.709s

Race two:
1. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS)
2. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +6.00s
3. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +11.333s
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +16.029s
5. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +23.590s
6. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +27.258s
7. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +30.287s
8. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +30.283s
9. Hudson Kennaugh (MAR Kawasaki) +32.463s
10. Adam Jenkinson (Buildbase Kawasaki) +54.950s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings (after three rounds):
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 126
2. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) 75
3. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 74
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 65
5. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 63
16. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 25

Tommy Hill increased his lead significantly in the British Superbike Championship by taking a race victory and second place in today’s Thruxton second round.

Worx Crescent Suzuki's Tommy Hill is enjoying a comfortable 34-point lead ahead of HM Plant Honda's Josh Brookes

With an identical scorecard to the Brands Hatch opener, the Worx Crescent Suzuki rider again put together a commanding performance in race one and then backed it up with a strong performance in race two, limiting his risks and building his Championship lead.

Teammate Yukio Kagayama also built on his front-row qualifying; dicing for the lead in race one and showing – as he did in the Cartage winter tests – that he has speed the equal of his Hill. After a third-placed finish in the first outing, Kagayama was promising better still for the second race, but it wasn’t to be: Riding on identical bike settings to the first race – as was Hill’s machine – Kagayama rear tire developed a severe loss of grip after just three laps and never recovered, but he fought on to finish a creditable 11th for a precious handful of points.

Tommy Hill:
“There’s not much to say! Another two fantastic results and to come away with a much bigger Championship lead is a great bonus. I’ve been a bit stiff today after that 120mph highside yesterday but, to be honest; once you’re on the bike and the adrenalin is flowing you don’t notice it. It was good to have Yukio up there this weekend and properly racing – and if he gave it to me I gave it to him back! But that’s exactly how racing should be; we’re team-mates in the pits, but we’re competitors on the track and I think we’re both really looking forward to Oilton Park.”

Yukio Kagayama:
“That first race was so enjoyable; a return to normality. The result is not so bad, but could have been better: At one point I was leading but near the end there I lost a second on Tommy and Josh, and while I got it back, it was too late. But great to be on the podium. For race two, what can I say? The rear tire felt like it punctured and after five laps, my race was finished. I carried on but the feeling was very scary and it was very difficult, but I raced for some points. After everything, I am happy; the bike and the Team are working very well and I’m looking forward to Oulton Park – as unlike the track here, I can remember much about it.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“It’s been a cracking day. Tommy’s had a day much like he did at Brands Hatch; putting in a great performance in the first race then playing the long game in the second, taking the points and building the Championship lead. Yukio was right on it today, to the point where I was getting nervous as he and Tommy started slugging it out! Yukio was looking good in that second race too, but tire issues put him out quite early on. Tommy retaining and building on his Championship lead is a great way to finish the weekend. But we’re far from complacent – it’s a long season and Tommy knows he can’t afford to relax. Yukio has shown that he’s got the pace and being just 15 points outside the top six he’s still very much in the frame for being in the showdown at the year end.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Thruxton:

Race one:
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki)
2. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +0.818s
3. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +1.185s
4. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +1.510s
5. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +5.670s
6. Martin Jessopp (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +7.490s
7. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +9.154s
8. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +9.300s
9. Ryuichi Kiyonarri (HM Plant Honda) +9.493s
10. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +17.014s

Race two:
1. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.391s
3. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +7.112s
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +7.146s
5. Martin Jessopp (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +7.263s
6. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +7.789s
7. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +8.241s
8. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +10.378s
9. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +12.218s
10. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +12.240s
11. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +17.507s

Championship points (after 2 rounds):
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 90
2. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 56
3. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) 50
4. James Ellison (Swan Honda) 41
5. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 40
11. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 25

Worx Crescent Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama stole the honor of recording the fastest lap-time from the Cartagena 2010 BSB test today in Spain after he slashed nearly a second off the previous best times and lapping at a scintillating 1:33.51.

With team-mate Tommy Hill only 200ths-of-a-second behind, the pair easily bettered the official lap record and finished first and second at the top of the BSB test times.

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“We’re very, very pleased with today’s outcome. We had only planned for three days’ testing here but considering the high workload and the teething issues we’ve experienced, we felt the extra day would help prepare the team better for the next test at Guadix on Tuesday.

“Yukio’s had his work cut out these last few days, but today he was able to put in 42 laps – nearly equal to what he did over the entire three previous days. This brought him up to Tommy’s pace and it was a real pleasure to see the pair of them all-but sharing the best lap time. But, just as importantly, those lap times weren’t one-offs for either of them as they were able to lap consistently at this very fast pace.

“So we’re really happy with the progress made: We’ve come here with a team that’s much bigger than we had last year and we’ve come with new kit in the form of the Öhlins suspension and Motec engine management. The bikes, the riders; and the team are really starting to gel and we’ve achieved everything we set out to do.”

Unofficial overall top 10 test times:
1 Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 1m: 33.51s
2 Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 1m: 33.53s
3 Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki) 1m: 34.3s
4 Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) 1m: 34.4s
5 James Ellison (Swan Honda) 1m: 34.5s
6 Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) 1m: 34.8s
7 Neil Hodgson (Motorpoint Yamaha) 1m: 34.9s
8 Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki) 1m: 34.9s
9 Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 1m: 35.0s
10 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 1m: 35.2s

Worx Crescent Suzuki riders Tommy Hill and Yukio Kagayama concluded their three-day British Superbike Championship pre-season test at Cartagena in Spain today having made important progress – and taking the unofficial lap record in the process.

While Hill unofficially broken the lap record and set the fastest time – and with his team-mate only tenths-of-a-second behind – Team Manager Jack Valentine warns that these tests aren’t about lap times; but detailed bike-preparation in readiness for the BSB season, which gets underway at Brands Hatch in just 26-days time.

The BSB test, following on from private tests at the Portimao circuit in Portugal in February, has not been without its problems: Kagayama’s bike has suffered teething problems with its new engine management system, which has limited his track time. Both riders have suffered crashes too: Hill crashed yesterday while passing another rider and Kagayama high-sided in the final session today. Both riders escaped injury and both bikes have been fully repaired.  During the three days, Hill completed 90 laps of testing, while Kagayama made 52.

Tommy Hill:
“The testing has been really good and I’m very happy with progress. We came here with a big list of jobs to work through and it’s been good to get through these; working with different chassis and suspension settings. The lap times have come down and now the bike is really starting to feel my own. This circuit is really tight and twisty and so I’ve been able to ride the bike in a way that’s similar to how we ride the UK circuits, so everything we’re doing here is relevant. It’s going well.”

Yukio Kagayama:
“It hasn’t been easy for me with the problems we’ve had, but even on my side of the garage we’ve still made good progress and the speed is there. We’ve focused on working through many settings. We need to try many settings as there are many circuits in the season, so we need many ideas, many answers so that we can always be fast. So, good progress, but still more work to do!”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“Testing is a serious business and it’s not at all straight forward. It’s been fairly-cold here and it’s been a job for the riders to find grip, so to get the lap times they have is excellent progress. As well, this test has been organized in sessions – rather than an open pit lane – and this has given the team a good taste of the kind of approach we’ll need to take in race-qualifying under the new one-bike rule. So far, all is good.”

The team had intended to conduct only three days testing at Cartagena but will now take part in the fourth and final-day of testing tomorrow, before moving onto the Guadix circuit later in the week for the final tests before the BSB season begins.

Suzuki GB and the Crescent British Superbike Team have today confirmed an agreement that will see current Worx Suzuki British Superbike rider, Sylvain Guintoli, move to the Alstare Suzuki World Superbike team for the 2010 season.

Guintoli, who recently signed a contract to remain with Worx Crescent Suzuki in BSB for 2010, was offered the alternative to move to the world series after Suzuki factory bosses and the Alstare team witnessed his impressive migration to the Superbike class in the UK during the 2009 season.

Yasuharu Osawa, Suzuki GB managing director:
“Sylvain has proven to be an incredible asset for Suzuki this year, despite his unfortunate injury early on. We want to support Sylvain’s career while also doing what is best for the Suzuki family, so following Alstare’s request we have unanimously agreed for him to move to World SBK for the 2010 season. We would like to thank the BSB team sponsors, especially Worx, for their complete support in this decision.”

In addition to Guintoli’s move, Suzuki GB is also delighted to announce that current World Superbike rider, Yukio Kagayama, will make a return to the BSB series in 2010 for the Worx Crescent Suzuki team as part of a new two-man team.

Jack Valentine, Worx Crescent Suzuki team manager:
“To have Yukio back in the UK is great news. He is still a class act and was incredibly popular with UK fans during his two year stint in the series last time. He is as determined as ever and will be back here with one goal in mind – to challenge for the title. Our decision to run two riders in 2010 is also good news for the BSB Championship, for Suzuki and for all of our partners.”

While the Worx Crescent Suzuki team have confirmed their two rider 2010 championship assault, confirmation of the full rider line-up will be confirmed at a later date.