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

The Ace Cafe in London, England will welcome two Worx Suzuki British Superbike riders on August 22, as GSX-R Day takes place as part of the motorcycle model’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

With support from Suzuki Great Britain, GSX-R Day is a not-to-be-missed event for any fan, with a host of attractions including Tommy Hill and Yukio Kagayama in attendance to meet fans and sign autographs.

With test rides on the latest GSX-R models, prizes and a £5.00 breakfast voucher for the first 100 people to register at the Suzuki exhibition unit, the Ace Cafe’s usual electric atmosphere is set for a real boost on GSX-R Day.

For more information on the Ace Cafe visit ace-cafe-london.com and for more information on GSX-R 25th anniversary celebrations log on to imgsx-r.com.

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

Following its 2010 World Superbike Championship no-show at the weekend’s fourth round at Assen in Holland due to flight restrictions in Europe caused by the Icelandic volcano eruption, the Japanese Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team is now set to debut at the Italian fifth round at Monza next month.

Yukio Kagayama's Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000s crated and ready to leave Yoshimura's Japanese headquarters

With European flights cancelled from Tokyo Narita airport last week, the team was unable to make the grid for the first of three 2010 World Superbike wildcard entries. But last-minute permission has now been granted by the Italian organizers which will see the team – and long-time Team Suzuki rider Yukio Kagayama – take part at the race on May 9th.

Yoshimura Team Manager Yohei Kato:
“Since our Assen WSBK cancellation due to the airline chaos caused by volcanic activities in Iceland, the Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team has been working to reschedule its debut, and we will now participate at the next round in Monza. Without the support from everyone, it could not have been done, and we are glad to have this opportunity to challenge at this stage.”

Yoshimura Suzuki’s new 2010 schedule – and riders participating at each round – is now:
May 9th: Monza, Italy – Yukio Kagayama.
September 26th: Imola, Italy – Daisaku Sakai.
October 3rd: Magny-Cours, France – Yukio Kagayama.

Worx Crescent Suzuki’s Tommy Hill narrowly dipped out on taking pole position from today’s Roll for Pole after a titanic qualifying tussle with rival Ryuichi Kiyonari. Hill starts tomorrow’s first round of the British Superbike Championship at Brand Hatch in Kent from the front row while his team-mate Yukio Kagayama will start on the second row.

Yukio Kagayama, Worx Crescent Suzuki Team Manager Jack Valentine and Tommy Hill

The dramatic finish to qualifying came after Hill had put together a commanding performance throughout the three days of practice that culminated with him setting fastest time in third practice on Saturday afternoon.

Hill’s performance in the three-stage qualifying today was equally exciting, being the first rider to dip under the 45-second mark then setting fastest time in the second qualifier, with Kagayama third. Hill was fastest for the first half of the final qualifier but was narrowly edged out by Kiyonari in the last minutes.

Tommy Hill:
“I’m over the moon. A front-row start is just what you need for Brands, so tomorrow I’ll look for a good start, get in a good lap-or-two then work on being consistent. It’s been a good weekend so far, we’ve been top-two in every session while all the time we’ve been concentrating getting the bike set up, as against going after the times. Everything is working well and I’m delighted.”

Yukio Kagayama:
“Wow, BSB again! Obviously it’s not the first time for me, but still it feels so busy. A short narrow track and so many riders. I’ve done a lot of work in set-up, getting the bike to work in the cold and the wet; there was a lot for me to get used to again. Then in Q2 I was very happy as everything comes together. But in Q3 the tire gave no grip so I had to pit and we had to put an old tire back on. I tried my best but the time was gone – second row was the result. So for tomorrow I know I have to get a good start and I try my best.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:
“We’ve had a very good practice and qualifying. Tommy has been very strong and at the end it was only him and Kiyonari who regularly put in the 45-second lap times. Tommy was unlucky to miss out on pole; to get a good lap here you need the speed but you also need a clear track and that’s hard to find on a track this small. I’m very happy with Yukio’s performance, he’s had a lot of work to do but Q2 showed what he’s capable of. The tire issue in Q3 robbed him of a possible front row start.vOverall, we’re pretty pleased with the outcome. Both riders have good race set-ups going into tomorrow, the GSX-R1000 is working well and we’re positive of some good results to come.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch
Qualifying Results
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 45.565s
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.126s
3. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.234s
4. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +0.278s
5. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +0.296s
6. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +0.522s
7. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.542s
8. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.693s
9. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +0.806s
10. James Ellison (Swan Honda)

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.