Samsung Honda Celebrate Podium Success at Home Round

The Samsung Honda team celebrated podium finishes at the eighth round of the British Superbike Championship today at their home round at Cadwell Park.

M.Lav- cool, calm and collected- and ready for the Showdown!

In the opening Superbike race, Michael Laverty returned to the podium with a third place finish for the Samsung Honda team. Laverty had taken the lead on the opening lap but slipped back to third position by race end. However, this result was enough to secure his position in the season Showdown. Kirkham showed glimpses of a return to form with a fifth place at the line, after an intense battle with several riders throughout the race.

In race two Laverty again took the lead before again being shuffled back to third by title rivals Tommy Hill and Josh Brookes. The second podium finish of the day cemented his position in the Showdown Kirkham meanwhile was hampered by a third row start and endured a difficult second race to finish 12th.

In the Superstock 1000 Championship race, Jason O'Halloran claimed a podium finish with a fine third place at his home round. The Australian dropped down the order at the start to fourth but a determined ride saw him force his way back into podium contention. Gary Johnson returned with the team and continued to build on his previous experience to finish 10th on his return to the Lincolnshire circuit for the first time in several seasons.

John Kirkham- quick snack before work

Michael Laverty: “It feels good to know we have the position in the Showdown secured as that was our agenda here this weekend. It is one thing to tick off the list and now we need to keep getting as many podium credits as we can to try and close that gap. I was quite disappointed that we didn’t have the pace to match Tommy in race one so we wanted to try and be a bit closer to give him hassle in race two. I was a lot happier with race two even though it was the same result. Two third places is another two credits for the Showdown and it was good to be on the podium twice at the Samsung Honda team's home round. I was settled into the race until Josh came by me and that ruined my rhythm so the end of the race wasn't as good as the beginning, but I can't complain as we are in the Showdown and ready to try and get more credits at Donington Park."

Jon Kirkham: “It’s been a better weekend overall for us as we were back up on the front row in qualifying and then fifth in the first race so that was a positive start. I seemed to be losing out a bit in some places but the team worked hard and we hope to have that sorted for Donington Park. I was able to hold off the pack in race one but my grid position for race two made it difficult. At the start I got beaten up and it messed up my rhythm but the problem returned and I struggled a bit. Overall though I am happy as fifth place in race one was my best result since the opening round so we will look to improve again at Donington Park for my home round.”

Jason O’Halloran: “I am happy to be on the podium here for the team and my sponsors as it is the home round, but it was disappointing that the conditions changed. We struggled at the start of the race with the dry settings still in the bike as it only changed when we were on the grid. Normally I would like it set up softer for the wet but we just had to do the best we could. I dropped back to fourth and we were chipping away and as it dried out a bit we were able to push again. Third was a good result today and we just need to push on again at Donington Park."
Gary Johnson: “It has been a difficult weekend in front of my local fans; however I feel we have made some progress. We have a new direction we are going with a dry set up, but conditions changed just before the start of the race, so we had to go out on a compromised set up and struggled. I am looking forward to Donington now and hopefully make amends.”

Havier Beltran, Team Manager: “It was good for Michael to be back on the podium again today and two third places was more podium credits for his tally which is important. It was great that he confirmed his position in the Showdown and we have some work to do now before Donington Park to try and close the gap we had today. It was also good to see Jon back up where he needs to be and now we hope he can maintain this. Jason had a consistent result and that has kept us where we need to be in the championship and for Gary it was great to see him back with the team and building on his previous performances. The Samsung Honda team have had a fantastic reception by the fans this weekend and I am pleased that we could score podium finishes here.”

For further information about Honda, the Honda Racing team and its riders please visit
www.honda.co.uk or www.honda-racing.co.uk 

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Samsung Honda Racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..

LONE RANGER HILL TAKES CADWELL PARK DOUBLE VICTORY FOR SWAN YAMAHA

Tommy Hill scored a sensational double win at the eighth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park on the lone Swan Yamaha after team-mate Noriyuki Haga was sidelined through injury after his crash yesterday.

Haga- had to sit this one out. Speedy recover, sir!

In the opening race Hill took the lead on the opening lap before championship rival Michael Laverty made a pass. However the defending champion regained the lead on the third lap with a move at Coppice before holding an advantage over Alex Lowes and Laverty to claim the victory. In race two Hill again fought with Laverty to take the lead before edging out a two second advantage at the line to score six podium credits for his title bid ahead of the beckoning Showdown.

Haga was unable to compete today after sustaining a broken collarbone in yesterday’s final free practice session, however is aiming to return to the final round ahead of the Showdown at Donington Park in two weeks’ time.

Hill said: “It is great to have a double win here at Cadwell Park, it is a really physical circuit and the races are never easy. I think the nature of it has made my shoulder injury from last year reappear but other than that it was good for us. We knew we had a good pace and our aim was to get those six podium credits and that is what we did so it’s onwards and upwards for Donington Park now.”

Hill: getting good at spraying the Moet..

Team owner Shaun Muir concluded: “I am really happy with Tommy, today was another excellent display and I couldn’t have asked for anymore from him. It was disappointing for the team and Noriyuki that he was unable to race this weekend. I would like to say congratulations to Team WFR Honda on their first podium and this has just given us an even greater challenge. We are still in with a fighting chance of Noriyuki making the Showdown and whilst it was a shame for all his fans that he couldn’t compete in the races today he is targeting a return at Donington Park and will continue to chase for a place in the Showdown.”

For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Swan Yamaha racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..

 

Gearlink Kawasaki Round 8 Cadwell Park

Motorpoint British Supersport

Ben Wilson on the Gearlink Kawasaki had a bad start in race one at his home circuit of Cadwell Park; Ben was fifth in qualifying but was unfortunate to suffer a technical problem on his Gearlink Kawasaki in the first sprint race, forcing him to retire. In race two he was placed in fifth again on the grid for the second race on Sunday and finished in sixth.

Ben Wilson- lady luck not shining on him this season

His new team-mate for the weekend at Cadwell Park was Scott Hudson; Scott has been racing for the Gearlink Kawasaki team in the National Superstock 600 class and moved up into the main Supersport Championship this weekend. He had two fantastic races for his first attempt finishing in in 17th place in race one and a great points scoring position in race two where he finished in 13th position.

Ben - "It's been another frustrating weekend for me and I feel like it's the story of the year for me. We have been working really hard to try and progress and move things forward but it's pretty disheartening. I have to remember the success and the fantastic season Gearlink Kawasaki and myself had last year and I knew it would have been hard to beat something like that. I've not been able to find a good set up and the problem in race one was a nightmare and I just seem to have no luck this year."

Scott Hudson- stepped up to Supersport at Cadwell

  
Scott - "I'm delighted that Michael and Norma gave me the chance to race the Supersport bike here and to be able to walk away with three Championship points is awesome. I really enjoyed the whole weekend and the difference between the two bikes is huge. I've never ridden on Pirelli tyres and it was a nice feeling to have some real grip and some power. The more time I spent on track the more time I wanted to spend on track! I hope to be on the Gearlink Kawasaki Supersport bike for the rest of the season and it would be nice to get a few more points also."
 
 
Metzeler Superstock 600s

With Scott Hudson moving up into the British Supersport class he was replaced in the Metzeler National Superstock Championship for Gearlink Kawasaki by Jack Groves. The 23-year-old from Swindon, who has not raced a full season in BSB since 2009, stepped up to the pace and found himself gaining a couple of Championship points, finishing in 14th place.

Jack Groves- hoping to see the season out with Gearlink Kawasaki

Jack - "I was really pleased to step in at Gearlink Kawasaki in the stock 600 class for Cadwell Park, I've not raced at this circuit since 2009 and it has been hard to get back up to speed with it all. I've been training hard and become part of the KX Akademy, they have been helping me train and has become a big help. I've lost over a stone and really enjoyed my time racing with Gearlink Kawasaki and thank the team for giving me the opportunity. I hope to be racing with them for the remainder of the season."


Team Manager Michael de Bidaph - "I'm really disappointed with the weekend, at a track we did so well at last year, coming here this year and struggling so much with everything has made things extremely difficult. We've been working really hard and changing several aspects on the Gearlink Kawasaki to try and help Ben progress and we struggled to get close to the times that were set last year here by Ben. We really have not been having the year we'd have hoped for and still hope that we can take one win away from this season.

We thought Scott did a great job in the Supersport class he got better as the weekend progressed and just kept digging deep, he stayed on all weekend and walked away with some Championship points which is brilliant. We want to keep working closely with him and hope he can keep improving and gain some more points.

Jack also did a great job for his first time out on our Superstock bike he also improved his times all weekend and settled in nicely to the Gearlink Kawasaki team, he was good to work with and also gained some valuable Championship points and it would be nice to improve on that at Donington with him."

For more information on Gearlink Kawasaki please visit: www.gearlinkracing.com

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Gealink Kawasaki racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..

Double Win And Series Lead At Cadwell For Smiths Racing Team

The Performance Parts Ltd supplied Smiths Racing Team were back in action at round eight of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship over the Bank Holiday weekend and the Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire proved to be a very successful venue for the Gloucester-based squad.

Wizard of OZ- great weekend for Glen Richards

On the same weekend they unveiled a new partnership with Finning UK and CAT, Aussies Glen Richards and Billy McConnell shared the two race wins as McConnell kept his outside hopes of the title alive with a superb victory in Sunday's sprint race but the win for Richards in Monday's feature race was particularly sweet as it saw him lead the series for the first time this season.

With Richards, Luke Mossey and McConnell securing a first ever 1-2-3 to box out the front row for the team in qualifying aboard their 675cc Triumphs, Sunday's 10-lap race saw Richards grab the lead before McConnell hit the front on lap four. Richards broke the lap record but slipped back due to a radiator problem and had to settle for a third place finish behind McConnell and rival Christian Iddon as Mossey ended up in fifth.

Monday's 15-lap race started in damp conditions but with a rapidly drying track Richards moved to the front on the second lap and despite coming under extreme pressure throughout the race from both Iddon and Richard Cooper, he held on masterfully for his sixth win of the season. McConnell and Mossey took fourth and fifth to complete an excellent weekend for the team and with main title rival Jack Kennedy only finishing seventh, it also meant Richards took over at the top of the table with four rounds remaining. 

Despite suffering a heavy crash in Saturday's free practice session, Johnny Blackshaw qualified in sixth place for the Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship race and a great start saw him running in third place for the first half of the race only to retire with a steering problem.

Glen Richards: "To come away with a first and third place, as well as the championship lead is brilliant and I'm over the moon with how the weekend's gone. I had a small problem in the first race with the bike running a bit hot, which turned out to be a holed radiator, but I was able to hold onto the final podium spot and claw a few points back on Jack. Then when I saw he was running an intermediate tyre on Monday, I knew it was vital I finished ahead of him and finished well. It was greasy off line so I concentrated really hard and tried to ride as controlled a race as possible and it all worked out perfectly. It's only a slight lead but it's the first time I've been there all season so long may it continue."

Billy McConnell

 Billy McConnell: "It was fantastic to get back to winning ways on Sunday and claim a few points back and although I couldn't repeat it on Monday, I'm still in there fighting. The fourth place finish was my fault as I made a few mistakes and ran off line a couple of times where it was still damp so I lost a bit of ground and any chance I had of getting on the podium once more. The bike's working well and there's still plenty of races left so we can go to Donington, where we had a good ride in the World Supersport Championship earlier in the year, in a good frame of mind. I'll keep chipping away and, hopefully, more wins will come my way."

Luke Mossey: "Cadwell's not really my type of circuit as it's tight and twisty and I prefer faster, more flowing circuits so to come away with a brace of fifths is very pleasing. I was happy with how qualifying went and although I couldn't get onto the podium this weekend, I'm pleased with how I rode and with the haul of points whilst the fastest lap of the race in Monday's race was an added bonus. The next few circuits suit my style a lot more so I'm very hopeful of continuing the form there and getting back onto the podium."

Johnny Blackshaw: "The race couldn't have been going any better for me but on lap nine, the handlebars locked on me on two occasions and I had no option other than to retire. The big crash on Saturday set me back a bit so the steering issue could have been a result of that and it's a great shame as our pace was really strong. It's disappointing but I was pleased with how I was riding, putting in some consistent lap times and a definite podium position was on the cards so we'll take the positives from the weekend and look forward to the next round at Donington."

Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: "It's pretty much been a faultless weekend and we've had no major issues at all. All the little problems were ironed out during practice and from that moment on, the boys were able to concentrate on racing and that was borne out in both the results and in the championship positions. To take both the Supersport race wins and come away with the championship lead is just reward for the hard work of all the team and it's been a brilliant effort by everyone concerned. The only disappointment of the weekend was Johnny being forced to retire and it was a really cruel end to his race as he was riding really well."

For more information on Smiths Triumph please visit www.smithsracing.co.uk

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Smiths of Gloucester racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..

Samsung Honda Gearing Up For Home Round at Cadwell Park

The Samsung Honda team are preparing for the eighth round of the British Superbike Championship at their home event at Cadwell Park this August Bank Holiday weekend.

Laverty- hoping it won't be wellies at Cadwell

During the calendar break since the previous round the team has completed two positive test sessions at Croft and Donington Park, with the team now ready to carry that momentum to Cadwell Park this weekend. Laverty is on the cusp of securing his position in the Showdown and Kirkham determined to return to action with a strong showing.

In Superstock 1000, Jason O'Halloran and Gary Johnson are eager for a determined performance at the team’s home round; the Australian is capable of snatching the lead in the standings with a win at the circuit whilst Johnson is aiming for his best result of the season.

Michael Laverty: “Cadwell Park is the home race for the team so it would be great to pull off a top result there. We had a good run out at both tests during the gap since the Brands Hatch event and we were able to work through lots of parts and did everything meticulously so we know where we are for the remainder of the season. We did improve our base setting and I think Cadwell Park should be a good track for us as we did much of our pre-season testing there. I am ready to close that gap in the standings and I think we can do it as the Samsung Honda works well around Cadwell Park. I just need to have a performance like we did at Snetterton and Knockhill. I may not mathematically have qualified yet for a place in the Showdown but in my eyes we should definitely be there and so this weekend is about getting the best results possible to secure that spot and with twelve Podium Credits still available we need to score as many of them as possible.”

Jon Kirkham: “It feels like it has been a long break since Brands Hatch but we have been lucky to have had tests at Croft and Donington Park to get some laps on the Samsung Honda before this round at Cadwell Park. That has kept us all up to speed and we did some good testing there earlier in the season and the lap times then on paper were a good starting point for us. Cadwell Park was the circuit where I had a good round last season and hopefully we can do the same at this round to get myself back up where we need to be. I am looking just one race at a time at the moment and the aim is to end the season strongly for Samsung Honda.”

Jason O’Halloran: “Cadwell Park is the one I consider my home round too as well as the teams so I have been really looking forward to it all year. I have actually only raced at Cadwell Park once and that was in 2010 but we did some pre-season testing there and had a good feeling with the Samsung Honda at the track. We had a good result at Brands Hatch and were able to close the gap in the championship and now are just one point off the lead so the plan is to have an even better round at Cadwell Park and come away with the championship lead.”

Gary Johnson: “It feels like a long time since I have raced at Cadwell Park but at the same time we did have a test there pre-season so I feel ready to get cracking. The team have gathered some more data from there when I have been away on other duties so I am hoping that we can use that to come back stronger as it is my home round too and I want to have a good result this weekend.”

Havier Beltran, Team Manager: “Cadwell Park is traditionally one of the biggest rounds of the year for the team as it is our home round and we always get fantastic support. The team have utilised the break since Brands Hatch to complete two positive tests and our aim is obviously to come out stronger this weekend. Michael is very close to securing his position in the Showdown so he is focused on podium finishes and Jon is hoping that this weekend he can return to the form that we saw from him at the start of the season. In the Superstock class Jason’s performance at the previous round means he can potential take the lead in the standings with a good result at Cadwell Park and Gary is constantly improving so we expect to see more of him this weekend.”

For further information about Honda, the Honda Racing team and its riders please visit
www.honda.co.uk or www.honda-racing.co.uk

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Samsung Honda Racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..

SWAN YAMAHA READY TO RESUME TITLE ATTACK AT CADWELL PARK

Swan Yamaha’s title campaign recommences this weekend as the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship reaches the eighth round of the season at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire for one of the biggest events on the calendar.

Haga- will make Cadwell debut at the weekend.

 Tommy Hill already has his position confirmed in the title-deciding end of season Showdown and arrives at the circuit leading the overall standings. However, in order to be in the best possible position ahead of the final three rounds of the season, the defending champion is keen to repeat last season when he took a double win at the circuit.

Noriyuki Haga currently holds sixth place in the overall standings with a seven point advantage over seventh position and will make his race debut at the challenging circuit. Haga has spent time back home in Japan following the Suzuka Eight Hour race and knows that he needs to have two strong performances this weekend to maintain his position in the Showdown.

Hill said: “It feels like a long break but we are ready to get back out, we had a positive test at Cadwell Park last week and we wanted to come away knowing we were ready for this event and I think we achieved that. The weekend for me is about getting the maximum number of podium credits. Last year we had a good race there, I had a double but it could have been the triple as I was having a good race with Michael (Laverty) before it was cut short for rain. I am aiming for the double win and want to raise the bar again. Brands Hatch was good for us with two podiums, but the same riders were finishing ahead so we will be giving it everything as I don’t want to get to the end of the season and miss out on the title by one or two points because we didn’t continue pushing for wins before the Showdown.”

Haga said: “I have had a good time back in Japan after the Suzuka Eight Hour and now I am ready for the next races. The team worked hard at Brands Hatch at the last round and they have been doing more during the break so this is good news. I have done some laps of Cadwell Park earlier in the year before we went to Oulton Park; I had a few hours and it was wet but I have an idea of the track. It is a funny track because it is different to the others we have raced on but on my first time there I need to push for results as it is important to stay in the top six for the Showdown.” 

For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk 

We're pleased to support, sponsor and supply performance parts to Swan Yamaha racing. for more information on the parts we have to add some 'bionics to your bike' please visit www.performanceparts-ltd.com

Performance Parts Ltd- 

Bionics for your Bike- 
Better, Stronger, Faster..