HM PLANT: A WIN AND THE BSB LEAD MAINTAINED AT CROFT

Shane 'Shakey' Byrne secured his second victory of the season at the third round of the British Superbike Championship at Croft today as he took a commanding lead in race two to win and maintain his lead in the overall standings at HM Plant’s home round.

 In the opening race of the day Shakey had been leading the race when engine failure forced him to retire, however the HM Plant Honda team worked hard between the races and in race two he proved his pace by leading the race and edging an advantage over his title rivals to victory. Shakey, the only rider to have won two races so far this season, now leads the standings by three points.

Ryuichi Kiyonari meanwhile had a difficult end to his weekend as he opted for wet tyres in the opening race and as the track dried he was classified 25th. In the second race he started from the seventh row and worked his way through to 15th after having a challenging weekend with set up at the bumpy Yorkshire circuit.

In the National Superstock 1000 Championship Jason O’Halloran claimed his second podium finish of the season as he took advantage of a good start from sixth on the grid to run third on the opening lap. He was able to make a determined move on Adam Jenkinson to move second and then he bid to close the early lead of Tristan Palmer. His second place means HM Plant Honda maintain third place in the overall standings ahead of the fourth round at Thruxton.

Shakey said: “The first race was obviously disappointing for me and the HM Plant Honda team as I desperately wanted to win and do a good job for HM Plant at their home round. In the first race it was a gamble on tyres and we opted for slicks, but it was the right choice and we were able to build up a lead. We were unlucky to have a mechanical failure whilst leading as we have done so many miles on the bikes and it was just a shame it happened in the race. The HM Plant Honda team then worked hard between the races to get me ready for race two and I had a bit of a strategy to just see how the race unfolded. We tried hard, settled down and then I just pushed to edge the gap and then tried to keep it consistent and control the lead. It was disappointment to elation for me in one day but we were able to end the day on a high and it was a great victory for myself and the HM Plant Honda team at our title sponsor’s home round.”

Kiyo said: “It has been a difficult weekend for me and I have been trying many different changes but we still were running the same lap times, but we have worked hard to try and fix the problem. In the first race it was a decision on tyres and we thought it would rain more, so we went for wets but that was the wrong choice and I just couldn’t push. In the second race I had to start so far down the grid because of race one and then it was hard work but we still made passes and moved forward. It is disappointing for me and the team but I want to try and be back on the podium at Thruxton.”  

Team Manager Havier Beltran concluded: “A day of unbelievable highs and catastrophic lows for the HM Plant Honda team. We have had issues with getting Kiyo where he needs to be which is disappointing for everyone, but we will be doing everything we can to put that right at Thruxton and return to winning ways. For Shakey it was disappointment too in the first race with an engine failure as we really believed he could have taken a double win here today. The fact that until today the highest he had finished here at Croft was fourth shows he could have taken the first double of the season. It was a great win for Shakey and we are happy that HM Plant Honda and the Fireblade still lead the overall standings after this weekend. For Jason it was another strong race and consistently finishing on the podium is what he needs to be in contention for the Superstock title at the end of the season.”

Performance Parts Ltd, the UK's official importers of Akrapovic, are pleased to support and supply Honda HM Plant. For more information on Akrapovic and the hundreds of other performance parts that can add 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

GREAT DAY FOR THE MOTORPOINT YAMAHA RACE TEAM

 Loris Baz and James Westmoreland put together two strong race performances in difficult conditions at the Croft race circuit.

Loris was on top form after qualifying 3rd on the grid; he was probably the only rider really relishing the tricky conditions with showery rain falling all day! His positive attitude rebounded around the pit garage and gave the team great inspiration.

Loris Baz Motorpoint Yamaha 4th race 1 5th race 2
“That was great weekend racing and I want to thank all my team, from the first test on Friday we worked very hard and I managed to get in a good rhythm for race day. The weather was a little scary but we make the right tyre choice for race one, better than some other teams. I made a mess of both starts and had to do some hard work for the results but was good fun attacking riders. This is what we needed for all our confidence specially going into the next race at track I have never seen! Let’s go!”

 
James had a great weekend considering his confidence hitting first race weekend, qualifying on the second row gave him a good chance, the tyre choice for the first race was not ideal and he rode very well to finish 12th but struggled for a good lap to give him a decent start for race two.

With the track never really getting to 100% for race 2 it was difficult make up ground on his start position.

James Westmoreland 12th race 1 12th race 2
“I feel we have made good progress this weekend although I would have liked better results for the races, this was my first time I have ridden the Superbike in scary conditions and I was too cautious with the tyre choice and paid the penalty. It was really hard to overtake from my start position as the racing line was where the grip was, I had good race pace and feel much happier on the bike” 

 
Rob Mac Team Manager
“A great weekend for us, we arrived with a different strategy and it paid off, Loris was amazingly calm in the terrible race conditions and you have to be constantly reminded he is only 18 when he puts together a weekend like that, Westy needed to be a bit braver with his tyre choice but had his best weekend so far. Well done to all the team at last we have a chance to smile and enjoy our Monday morning tea break”!      

Motorpoint Yamaha & Rob Mac Racing use Akrapovic exhaust systems, supplied by Performance Parts Ltd, The UK's official imported of Akrapovic, and hundreds of other performance parts.

To see what's available to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

SAMSUNG CRECENT SUZUKI: KIRKHAM WINS, HOPPER DOUBLE PODIUMS AT CROFT

With a win and two further podiums Akrapovic equipped Samsung Crescent Racing have enjoyed a very successful day’s racing at the third round of the British Superbikes Championship at Croft today.

Jon Kirkham enjoyed his first win in BSB in race one, with team-mate John Hopkins placing second. In race two it was John Hopkins on the podium again, with a hard-fought third place. After three rounds of the BSB championship John Hopkins is now second in the championship standings, just three points off the leader, and Jon Kirkham is placed sixth.

In changeable conditions tyre choice was critical for race one. John Hopkins chose intermediate tyres front and rear, Jon Kirkham chose an intermediate front and slick rear. Both choices paid huge dividends as both riders found themselves able to easily pass their competitors. John Hopkins had made a breakaway early in the race, in the company of Gary Mason, but when the pace car came onto the track their gap vanished – and Jon Kirkham joined them. Once the race resumed, on a drying track, Kirkham then found advantage in his tyre choice and was able to pass the leaders and take an assured win ahead of his team-m ate.

Race two started badly when Kirkham – who had started from pole – became the unwitting victim of some wild riding, crashing spectacularly out of fourth position on the first lap. Hopkins meanwhile found himself fighting for grip despite the dry conditions but resisted some determined attacks to secure his second podium of the day.

John Hopkins: “I’ve got to be happy with today. It started well when I went fastest in warm-up. In race one I chose to run tyres I’d never run before – the Pirelli intermediates – and they proved great, I found a lot of confidence in them. I  got up to the pointy end and we’d built up a good lead only for the safety car to come out. As a racer I wasn’t too happy to be passed after that, but seeing as it was my team-mate JK then on a personal level that was awesome, he really deserved that race. I didn’t have the grip to pass him back so by the end I was riding for the points.

Race two didn’t work out so well, I was struggling for rear wheel grip, so I did what I could and was happy to come away with another podium. Importantly I’ve come away with second place in the points table, just three points off the lead, with a stack more podium points – I’m joint-leading the table there. So for me, a very good day!”

Jon Kirkham: “I really didn’t expect that race one win, I don’t even like those conditions, although being a smooth rider I do tend to get good results from them. I felt very settled  immediately and I remember passing six riders in one lap. But I could see Hopper and Mason had got away so it was a huge benefit to me when the pace car came out. When I took the lead I could barely believe it. Then Hopper came back by, but I could sense I had the better grip – from the slick rear – to take the wi n. Even now I don’t think it’s sunk in – I’ve won a BSB race!

 

There’s not much I can say about race two. I was still buzzing from the race one win and so pumped to be on pole again. I didn’t get the best start so I was in fourth place as I rode through Sunny Out when I was hit and crashed out. Both bikes landed on me so I feel pretty beaten up, but luckily no broken bones. It’s a shame as I was looking to collect more points and climb further into the top-six (I was fifth in the standings after race one – Hopper was championship leader!) but there’s always next time.”

Jack Valentine, team manager: “A fantastic conclusion to the weekend. JK’s win in the first race was tremendous. Hopper again displayed such impressive race craft to capture his two podiums – the way he kept Josh Brookes at bay in the second race when he didn’t quite have the gr ip really impressed me. The whole team were gutted for JK when he got taken out and certainly we all feel the stewards were right to issue a warning to that rider. I'd also to repeat Hopper's comments on the Pirelli intermediates – we don't get to use them very often, but what a great tyre!

Importantly though, we’re now challenging for the title. Hooper joint-leads the podium credits table and lies just three points off the championship lead. JK, too, is now within the top-six Title Fighters, despite his no-score in the second race. We’re just about where we wanted to be, so we’ll be looking for more of the same come Thruxton in 12 days time!"
   

Performance Parts Ltd, official UK importers of Akrapovic, are please to support Samsung Crescent Suzuki. For more information on Akrapovic and hundreds of other Performance Parts we stock for YOUR BIKE please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

 
   

GEARLINK KAWASAKI CELEBRATES ANOTHER WINNING DOUBLE

Ben Wilson rode his Gearlink Kawasaki to a winning double at Croft Circuit over the weekend and has now won five of the six races held this season and leads the British Supersport championship by a massive 39 points from Jack Kennedy with Alistair Seeley a further 10 points adrift in third place. Jesse Trayler was unlucky to be taken out of a strong points scoring position in Saturday’s sprint race but fought back to complete Sunday’s second encounter in 15th position to pick up a championship point bringing his total to seven.

Ben Wilson began the sprint race from pole position taking the lead on the second of the planned 13 laps and held station until the red flag brought the race to an early end at 10 laps giving the 29 year old Lincolnshire rider his third successive victory for Gearlink Kawasaki.

Starting the second race on Sunday from second place on the grid Wilson was third at turn one but by the end of the lap he had reeled in the two riders ahead and headed the field. He was pushed back to second by Billy McConnell mid race but was content to follow in his tyre tracks until he was ready to make his move. But McConnell made a mistake at Sunny and Ben nipped through to retake the lead which he held to the chequered flag powering the Gearlink Kawasaki over the finish line to take his second win of the weekend bringing his points tally to 138.

 Photo: www.mnjphotography.co.uk

Meanwhile Jesse Trayler qualified his Gearlink Kawasaki in 17th place for the first race and got away to an amazing start to move into 10th place on the second lap. But he was caught by another rider at the hairpin who clipped his front wheel and sent him scuttling onto the tarmac.
Starting race two from 13th place on the grid – his best start of the season – Jesse was unable to capitalise on that and ended up being pushed down as far as 18th mid-race. But he made a concerted effort and completed the 15 laps in a points scoring position of 15th.

BEN WILSON - "The first race went to plan and I was feeling very strong out there. I knew that I just needed to bide my time in the second race as I could see that Billy’s tyre was shot. I went with a harder compound which was the right choice and it lasted to the end of the race. I just kept my head down and we got another fantastic result. I have to say a massive thank you to Michael and Norma and all the staff at Gearlink Kawasaki who have worked so hard again this weekend to make sure I had the perfect bike to bring home another double set of maximum points."

 JESSE TRAYLER - "In the first race I was up inside the top 10 and running at a good pace. I improved my lap time from qualifying and it’s just unfortunate that I ran a little wide at the hairpin. Dean Hipwell came up the inside and just tapped my front wheel and down I went. In the second race I was a little disappointed. That was my best qualifying and after the pace we showed yesterday I was so annoyed that I couldn’t find the times. I made a few mistakes and instead of me making a move on others they were making the moves on me. Things just didn’t come together for me but all in all it’s been a good weekend for the team and for Ben to get another double victory is fantastic."

MICHAEL de BIDAPH – team owner and manager - "The weekend started wet so we decided not to go out in the first free practice. There was nothing to achieve as the conditions were neither one thing nor the other. We worked on some settings in the second session as we were struggling a bit for grip and qualifying was no different. But Ben put it on pole with a fastest lap of any Supersport machine here at Croft .Come the first race he was amazing again. He won it and when the red flag halted the race Jack Kennedy thought he was going to beat him but absolutely not and he proved that by going out and doing the double once again. Even though Ben lost the lead in the second race he fought back and won the race. It just shows how supreme he is and the talent he has as a rider is unbelievable. As a team we are so pleased we have him as our rider and its great, not only for the team but for all our sponsors and Kawasaki Motors UK. We just have to keep going like this all season, it’s all about points and I think we have to keep chipping away and keep the points coming in as we have now extended our lead again this week.

Jesse has been there or thereabouts this weekend. In the first race he was up there and unfortunately just got taken out which is a great shame. In the race today he just struggled to get things together. But he finished in the points so we will just keep working with him. It’s good to have two riders in the points and one on the top step once again."

The next round is at Gearlink Kawasaki’s home circuit of Thruxton over the Bank Holiday weekend of May 28-30.

Gearlink Kawasaki use Akrapovic Exhaust Eystems and Galfer Brakes. Performance Parts Ltd, Official UK importer of Akrapovic and Galfer are pleased to support both riders. Anyone watching the racing will have noticed Ben in particular was awesome on the brakes - and the Galfers give him confidence when braking.

If you want further information about these products or the hundreds of other Performance Parts available for YOUR BIKE please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Photos: Jon Jessop

Chaz is all go with two in a row

Akrapovic equipped Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO Team) won his second career WSS race in succession by leading home his team-mate Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO Team) after 16 laps of the Monza circuit.

Behind the flying duo from the Italian based Yamaha team, Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) had an eventually lonely but impressive third place finish, some 7.9 seconds from Davies.

Behind the podium places, a race-long fight between four riders saw Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com), Akrapovic Sponsored Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda), Roberto Tamburini (Bike Service RT Yamaha) and Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) complete the top seven places.

In the championship Davies and Scassa are tied on 70 points each, with Parkes third on 60.

For More information on Akrapovic and other quality performance parts available for your bike please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Akrapovic equipped Laverty is Bonza in Monza

In just his fourth round in World Superbike, Eugene Laverty has now joined the championship list of winners in a big way with a double victory at Monza. Second on the starting-grid, in race 1 the Irishman had a great scrap with Max Biaggi, and with his pass on lap 6 went on to score his first-ever victory in Superbike.

The 24 year-old two-times World Supersport runner-up then repeated the feat in the second race. Unlike race 1, this one began with an uphill struggle with Laverty caught up in the crash at the first chicane sparked off by contact between Leon Haslam, Jakub Smrz and Jonathan Rea. Down in ninth place, Laverty then give rise to a superb recovery that soon took him up to his team-mate and also Akrapovic sponsored Marco Melandri.

Advantaged by the penalty inflicted on Max Biaggi (another Akrapovic rider!), the two Yamaha World Superbike team riders then slugged it out for the win; the battle, which was only resolved at the line, gave Laverty the prize after the canny Irishman capitalized on a slight mistake by Melandri in the entry to the Parabolica on the final lap.

"I can't believe I got a double victory today. I came here aiming for a podium and now I'm coming away with two incredible race wins. It's fantastic. I didn't get off to a good start in the second race. I had to avoid a collision on the first corner, causing me to lose time. I also struggled a little with the tyres in the hot conditions. When it came to the last few laps, I couldn't believe my luck that it was just me and Marco in the lead. This double victory was particularly special to me, being the team's home track."

With this double win Eugene Laverty has now leaped up from 9th to 6th in the table with 85 points, and almost overnight has become one of the candidates for top honours in the 2011 season.

For more information on Akrapovic and hundreds of other quality performance parts for your bike please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

GEARLINK KAWASAKI CELEBRATE DOUBLE WIN AT OULTON PARK

Performance Parts Sponsored Gearlink Kawasaki is celebrating a double victory by Ben Wilson in the second round of the British Supersport championship at Oulton Park in which Wilson now has a 20 point advantage at the head of the rider standings over nearest rival Jack Kennedy.

Photo: Jon Jessop

Qualifying threw up a few problems for Wilson but he persevered and began the short, 12-lap sprint race from second place on the grid just 200ths of a second away from pole man Alistair Seeley.

Seeley made the running on the first lap but Wilson made his move at Lodge on the second lap and took the lead. Jack Kennedy tried a pass at Shell on lap three but Wilson fended him off and retained his slender lead all the way to the chequered flag crossing the finish line for his second win of the current campaign.

Ben was on pole for race two, but as they shot off the line it was Seeley who once again got the hole shot into Old Hall and staved off the Gearlink Kawasaki rider’s advances until lap two when Ben nipped through at Lodge to take the lead at the end of the lap. He held station until the midway stage of the 16 lap affair when Seeley managed to get past him once again. But the Irishman’s lead was short-lived as Wilson powered the Kawasaki back ahead two laps later and held off the opposition, extending his lead to 2.5s at the chequered flag to claim his second victory of the weekend and extend his championship lead to 20 points over Jack Kennedy who came in third.

Fellow Gearlink Kawasaki rider Jesse Trayler was unfortunate to crash heavily in qualifying and had to sit out race one. He was placed right at the back of the grid for race two in 35th position but he made a fantastic start and moved straight through to 23rd on the first lap. But with four laps to go his Gearlink Kawasaki suffered a technical problem which forced the luckless rider to retire from 19th place.

Ben Wilson - "I really enjoyed both races and am really pleased that I was able to take the double win for Gearlink Kawasaki. The team have worked really hard for me this weekend and I am delighted I could repay them with this set of results. I will take this double victory and move on to Croft where I will try to maintain the momentum to further extend my series lead."

Jesse Trayler – "All in all it’s been a tough weekend for me with the crash in qualifying.  I have to say a massive thanks to the boys who worked really hard to put the bike back together. Up to the bike developing a problem I really enjoyed the second race. I got a good start and was up into 19th place and looking to pick off a few ahead of me. I was hoping for a better weekend after going so well at Oulton at the end of last season but it wasn’t to be. But it’s onwards and upwards and I have to put this behind me and move on to Croft."

Michael de Bidaph – team owner and manager - "The weekend didn’t start off that well for us. We struggled a bit in practice and qualifying as we had a problem with the front forks. But we changed them for the first race and it seemed to work as Ben won! We were not sure the problem was fully sorted and after last week we were a bit worried over tyre wear for race two. We knew we couldn’t go with a zero so we opted for a one. Ben is an absolute star, I can’t praise him enough. He has done so much for the team and also for himself and is right at the top of his game this year. I have had comments from others, including Tony Carter from Eurosport, who said he is riding the best he has ever seen and I am over the moon with what we have achieved this weekend.

Obviously I am disappointed with Jesse. He struggled in qualifying and didn’t get the time he needed and then had a major off which caused him to miss the first race because we had insufficient time to get the bike repaired; then he had a problem in race two and had to pull in.

But I can’t let that distract from the good that Ben has achieved. The team did a good job this weekend and we are leaving Oulton on a big high. We realise its going to be a tough season and everyone in this championship knows that but hey – we can do it – so bring it on."

The next round is at Croft in North Yorkshire over the weekend of May 13-15.

For more information on Akrapovic Exhausts and Galfer Brakes (used by Gearlink Kawasaki) and hundreds of other Performance Parts to add "Bionics to your bike" please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

CHALLENGING RACE DAY FOR SWAN YAMAHA AT OULTON PARK

The Akrapovic equipped Swan Yamaha team had a challenging raceday at Oulton Park today at the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship. Tommy Hill who had yesterday powered to the pole position was sidelined after morning warm up following a heavy crash whilst Michael Laverty secured two fifth places. 

 Photo: MNJ Photography www.mnjphotography.co.uk

Hill had led the championship after the opening round, but was forced to watch from the sidelines after he sustained a shoulder injury when he fell between Brittens and Hilltop following Loris Baz’s crash moments before. Hill is now recovering from a torn tendon on the back of his shoulder and is going to visit a specialist for further assessment in the hope of a return at the next round of the championship in ten days’ time at Croft. Laverty meanwhile proved the pace of the Swan Yamaha, running at the front of the field until arm pump halted his progress in the first race. In the second race Laverty looked set to score his first win of the season until a mistake at Hizzy’s chicane on the final lap whilst running second put him on the grass and when he rejoined he was fifth.
 
Hill said: "Today has been one of those days which just show the ups and downs of racing. We were feeling really confident and I was really happy, we had set pole position and looked in a strong position for the races. Then it all just went wrong. I was coming out of Shell and I knew I was up on the sector times, but as I came into Brittens I saw a yellow flag out the corner of my eye and rolled off a bit. I didn’t see anyone down, but there was just fluid on the track and I just it caught it with the rear tyre and it threw me off. It is a big downer for me and the team but I just have to go home and get mended as soon as I can. 
 
These injuries I have been told can take five to six weeks to heal, but I will see a specialist tomorrow and then we can go from there. Of course I want to be back for Croft, but I won’t have more of an idea until I see the specialist. The points system though could play into my hands, as I can drop today’s results before the Showdown. I need to make sure that when I come back I am at full fitness so I can do the best job I can in getting the championship back on track for Swan Yamaha."
 
Laverty said: "I am quite disappointed that we didn’t finish on the podium in either of the races today as I showed that we had the pace again to run at the front. I felt comfortable with the race pace and in race one I was struggling a little with arm pump which meant I just had to settle in and take fifth. I had some treatment between the races and it did make a difference and I was back at the sharp end where we knew we could be. I felt strong enough to take the win, but I just made some mistakes and it cost me; before I knew it I had gone from first to fifth. I know that Oulton Park has never been my best circuit; in fact it is one that I have always struggled with, so coming away from here with two fifth places isn’t a bad result and we can build on today."
 
Team Manager Gary Ekerold concluded: "Tommy did everything right all weekend so his crash this morning was very unfortunate. We know that he will leave here, work hard on his fitness and when he returns he will be ready to come back fighting again. In regards to Michael, he showed he could have won as easily as he finished fifth. We have had a positive debrief this evening and now we are happy with the direction we need to focus on ahead of Croft."

For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk

For more information on Akrapovic exhausts and hundreds of other Performance Parts to ad "Bionics to your bike" please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

HOPKINS WRITES HISTORY WITH WIN AT OULTON PARK BSB

 Akrapovic equipped John Hopkins wrote motorcycle road racing history when he became the first American to win a British Superbikes Championship race. The win at Cheshire's Oulton Park circuit came straight after his previous inclusion as the first American to stand on a BSB podium, with second place in the first race! With team-mate Jon Kirkham taking two fighting seventh place finishes it was a highly successful outcome to the second round of the BSB championship for Samsung Crescent Racing.

The substantial points haul elevates Hopkins to fourth in the BSB championship, inside the all-important top-six Title Fighters. As well, with two podiums Hopkins netted five podium credits moving him into the joint lead of the Podium Table. Kirkham, too, moved up the points standings, to eighth, significantly now just six points adrift of the Title Fighters. Inclusion in the top six Title Fighters is vitally important for championship success as only the top six in the p oints standings qualify to compete for the title of British Superbike Champion over the final three rounds of the season.

John Hopkins: "That was good, really good. It's an awesome track, I really enjoyed riding here, but as well what great fan support! It's been 11 years since I last won a race – that and all that's happened to me over the past few years meant that this was one emotional win. I was definitely teary-eyed on the podium. I couldn't be happier."

"The racing, as before at Brands Hatch, was intense, there was carnage at times. But with my motocross background I can endure that. The first race went well, I started well and went with the leaders. At the end of the race I got into second and I had to ride for the finish at that point, but that's never a satisfying feeling."

"So I knew I wanted to win the second race. Curiously that race didn't go so well early on and I dropped back after the start. I regrouped but still had a lot of work to do to catch the two leaders, so I was definitely the man who gained the most when one of them crashed bringing out the pace car. Even after that it came down to a three-way battle. But the bike felt so good I knew the win was possible. I took the lead with two laps to go and never looked back."

"A big thank you to the crew for this weekend. I couldn't have done it without them."

Jon Kirkham: "I was very pleased with that first race. I'd left myself with a lot of work to do after qualifying 16th yesterday. To come through, picking them off one-by-one, to take seventh felt really good."

"I had a second row start then for the second race, but I got a terrible start, so I had the hard work to do all over again. I got up to Michael Rutter in sixth but was struggling to find the grip to get past him, so I had to settle for seventh again."

"It was a g reat weekend, though. Being in the team camp with all that was happening with Hopper was exciting enough, but to find myself mixing it up with the likes of Shane Byrne felt fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the next round."

Jack Valentine, team manager: "What a tremendous weekend! Hopper was brilliant, taking his time to learn the track and working hard with his crew to find the set-up on his bike that made these results possible. With every ride he built on the success of the last."

"At Brands Hatch last weekend he learned just how tough BSB can be, this weekend he applied those lessons. Oulton Park is not an easy track to master, not by any measure, so his performance this weekend shows he's very much a contender for this championship."

"JK has been brilliant as well. We mustn't forget he's virtually a rookie to BSB, he's never before traded positions with the country's elite riders, but he was d oing that this weekend. For him to take the fastest lap in the second race as well – that's icing on the cake. And equally important, he's doing all this while looking so smooth, so controlled – and fast!"

"We can't be anything less than delighted with the outcome this weekend. This is a big reward for our new sponsors Samsung, for Fixi and Drive Business as well as our long standing sponsors, without whom we wouldn't be here."

"Lastly, it has to be said that these results are never possible without the team also performing at their best and I want to give huge credit to both riders' crews, they've truly excelled this weekend."

For more information on Suzuki Racing please visit www.suzuki-racing.com

For more information on  Akrapovic exhausts for your bike and hundreds of other Performance Parts to add "Bionics to your bike" please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com