Alex Lowes secures maiden title with Samsung Honda

The Samsung Honda team is celebrating its fourth British Superbike Championship title after Alex Lowes defeated Shane Byrne in the final race of the season at Brands Hatch to become the youngest-ever BSB champion.

The triple-header event – which took place in mixed conditions – was packed with drama that kept the fans on the edge of their seats and took the title fight down to the final lap of the final race. Lowes took second place in the first race of the weekend on Saturday, but a crash in the second race on Sunday would have put him on the back foot had title rival Byrne not also crashed out, leaving the Samsung Honda rider with a three-point advantage.

With Josh Brookes snatching an early and unchallengeable lead in the final race, Lowes and Byrne went head-to-head for second place, battling fiercely for the points that would ultimately award one of them the championship title. In the end, it came down to the last lap and it was Lowes aboard the Samsung Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade that had the edge, taking second place to secure his first – and the team’s fourth – BSB crown. Freddy Foray finished thirteenth, tenth and fourteenth as he deputised for Ryuichi Kiyonari.

In the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Jason O'Halloran missed out on the podium in the Sprint race with a fifth place and crashed out whilst dicing with the lead group in the final race. He ends the season in sixth place overall.

Alex Lowes
I’m pretty happy. It was an unbelievable last race, really difficult, and I just didn’t know how fast to push. I saw on my pit signals that Shane was closing on me and round here that is the last thing you wanted to see. It was a case of keeping focussed and when Shane had got past me I knew that I had to pass him if I wanted the title so I pushed on real hard. I had a few moments but luckily kept it all together and beat him to take the title. To me that really is incredible, because its always difficult with the weather playing such a big part. Saturday’s race was hard – it was difficult to know where the grip was so it was a case of keeping calm and then pushing hard. It felt pretty good but it was quite slippery. In Sunday’s first race Josh Brookes touched my bar and I went down – it was not my fault and I can’t be angry about something that is out of my control. It was one of those things, unfortunate.

Freddy Foray

To come into this championship for two rounds was not easy but it was an opportunity that I could not turn down. I was more confident here than at Silverstone even though the conditions were difficult. I didn’t want to make any mistakes and was pleased to score points. I am very happy to have worked with the team, who are all very friendly, and it has been very good experience for me.

Jason O’Halloran
That was not the way I wanted to finish off the season, but that's racing. I was pushing to try and catch the lead group and I just folded the front at Paddock Hill, which was obviously disappointing but it's been a good second half to the season with podiums, pole positions and fastest laps. I just want to say a big thanks to the whole Samsung Honda team for a great season.

Havier Beltran – Team Manager
It was a fantastic end to 2013 for Samsung Honda and Alex. The whole team and everyone involved worked so hard and I can’t emphasise enough the effort that has gone into this season. Our partners and everyone involved have done a superb job and that has put us where we are today. Alex was so confident and I had little doubt that he would be able to do this here at Brands Hatch and it was a fabulous end to a great season of BSB.

2013 British Superbike Championship final standings:

1) Alex Lowes (HON) 643

2) Shane Byrne 636

3) Josh Brookes 621

4) James Ellison 589

5) James Westmoreland 564

6) Ryuichi Kiyonari (HON) 522

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MILWAUKEE YAMAHA END THE SEASON WITH PODIUM FINISH

The Milwaukee Yamaha team ended their season with a podium finish at Brands Hatch as James Ellison overcame his disappointment of race one to claim a third place in the second race of the weekend whilst Tommy Bridewell claimed a fourth place in the final race.

In the second race of the weekend Ellison got a flying start and carved his way up the order to hit the front of the pack, but as the conditions changed he was passed in the closing stages by Lee Costello and Josh Brookes who claimed the win. Bridewell had slid out of contention in the challenging conditions at Druids, but fought back to in the final race of the season to claim a fighting fourth place ahead of team-mate James Ellison.

Ellison said: “A podium was what we were going for but qualifying where we did I thought it would be an uphill battle today, but I had a good line for the first few corners and it seemed to work out and then I found myself in the lead and I thought ‘that will do’. I pushed so hard and full credit to all of them on the podium as there was nothing more I could squeeze out. We couldn't quite do it in the final race but I want to thank the Milwaukee Yamaha team for their hard work this season.”

Bridewell said: “It was a difficult day and it was tough with the conditions and I just spun it out in the first race today on a wet patch. The last race I started quite far back and the bike felt unbelievable. I followed Shakey through the pack and I honestly thought about having a go and it was a big decision but I decided to let them decide the championship and not get involved. I think one hundred percent we could have been on the podium but I am happy to have ended the season strongly and I need to thank Milwaukee Yamaha.”

Team owner Shaun Muir concluded: “It is a shame the Showdown didn't work out for us and our challenge petered out because the deficit was too much to close here and it wasn't meant to be for James. In respect of Tommy he worked hard all weekend and was on the back foot with the conditions but he ground on throughout. He took a sensible view in race two not to get involved with the title fight but it was a great end to the season. Big congratulations have to go to Alex Lowes and Samsung Honda for the title win and I also want to thank Milwaukee and all of our partners for this season. Let’s hope the winter goes quickly!”

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DOUBLE PODIUM FINISH FOR MILWAUKEE YAMAHA AT SILVERSTONE

The Milwaukee Yamaha team returned to the podium at Silverstone today at the penultimate round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship as Tommy Bridewell claimed a pair of third places whilst James Ellison scored a fifth and a fourth place.

In the opening race of the day Bridewell fought his way up to third over the opening laps, passing the Tyco Suzuki pairing of Josh Brookes and PJ Jacobsen. Bridewell then aimed to close the gap to the lead pair and claiming third place. Ellison charged through from his sixth row start to make up nine places on the opening lap, continuing to move up the order to score a fifth place.

Race two was another strong performance from Bridewell as he scored his best performance in the championship with his first double podium finish with another strong third place finish, breaking away from the pack. Ellison had been in close contention with his team-mate until he suffered a huge moment on the seventh lap; he saved a huge high-side by holding onto the bike despite being completely out of the seat and off to the side of the Milwaukee Yamaha. The moment dropped Ellison back off the pack but he closed back to claim fourth place. 

Ellison said: “I am still annoyed with myself here as it should have been more here this weekend. The first race we were on the back foot because of qualifying and it started well; I passed nine people on the first lap but we had made a tiny change and the bike wasn’t handling the same as it was when we did our best lap in free practice three. We thought it would have helped and fifth was the best we could. I didn’t get a great start in race two but was then up behind the Tyco Suzuki boys and I was desperate to get passed. I took a big handful of throttle at Vale and before I knew it I was looking at the sky! I thought just don’t touch the floor and I just kept the throttle open and was lucky enough to get on – those sit ups in the gym and the core strength paid off! I certainly haven’t given up on the title yet because there are still three race wins to be had at Brands Hatch.”

Bridewell said: “The first race was a bit messy to begin with and I didn’t get the start I needed but after a few laps I managed to get behind Josh and PJ and it turned into a good race. I enjoyed it a lot, I was sat behind PJ for a lot of laps and I knew I had to pass him, but I just couldn’t and when I did I then couldn’t lose him which was great. The second race was difficult as I got behind Josh and PJ at the start again and I knew I had the pace to run with Alex and Shakey so I needed to get passed them fast. By the time I did the lead two had dropped me and I didn’t have the pace to catch them. I think we are just lacking that extra two tenths even though our pace was fast but I am happy as this is my first double podium and I am pleased with how I rode. The Milwaukee Yamaha team have done a phenomenal job to turn it around for me since Friday so we will see what we can do at Brands Hatch.”

Team owner Shaun Muir concluded: “It was another weekend of mixed fortunes for the team. James’ qualifying performance put himself on the back foot and made it a tall order for race one. In race two he was stuck in a battle and then had that big moment which lost him the chance of a better result and it does feel like the championship is going to be difficult now but we will keep pushing. Tommy picked up two podiums which was good to see and his confidence is growing all the time. We now need to try and end the season on a high at Brands Hatch in two weeks time.”  

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Lowes shares Silverstone spoils for Samsung Honda

Alex Lowes took a win and a second place in today’s two ‘Showdown’ 11th-round British Superbike Championship races at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, sharing his finishes with championship rival Shane Byrne and so taking the series down to the wire at Brands Hatch in Kent on 20 October.

Byrne held a lead of a single point going into today’s two Showdown races and maintains the lead over the 23-year-old Samsung Honda rider after sharing the Silverstone spoils equally today.


Frenchman Freddy Foray, deputising for the injured Ryuichi Kiyonari, finished in 11th and 15th positions in the day’s two 14-lap races around the 3.7-mile (5.9km) Silverstone circuit taking two points-scoring finishes on his Samsung Honda CBR1000RR debut.

In today’s Motorpoint British Supersport championship race, Samsung Honda rider Jason O’Halloran was taken out of the lead by another rider on the penultimate lap whilst heading for his debut victory. Fortunately, the Australian rider was uninjured. After qualifying in pole position, O’Halloran also crashed out of contention in Saturday’s Sprint race, consequently leaving Silverstone empty-handed.

Alex Lowes
It was a great first race with Shakey and it was really nice after the mistake at Assen. I am pretty lucky that he wasn’t fully fit as that race could have been even more difficult so fair play to him and that is why he is champion! It was a fantastic second race and I said to Shakey afterwards again that races like that are what we live for. You obviously want to come out on top but even to finish second in that one left me with a smile on my face. We improved our pace for race two and the Samsung Honda was great; I tried to push again at the end of the race but fair play to Shakey and now we go to Brands Hatch pretty level with just one point in it. It is still all to play for!

Freddy Foray
I'm proud to have raced this weekend for Samsung Honda; the team is very strong and very friendly and it has been great to have been a part of this event. This weekend was a little bit hard for me but the team worked very hard to help me and I want to thank them. I thought I could be better for the second race but it's the game you have and it is never easy. I want to wish all the best to Kiyo for his recovery.

Jason O’Halloran
The weekend was good for me apart from the races! We topped three of the four sessions and were second fastest in the other so we showed that we had the pace. We showed the same in the races but in both of them I got taken down whilst battling for the lead which is obviously disappointing but now we just have to look to Brands Hatch.

Havier Beltran – team manager
Alex again has shown his determination to win this title and we have had some areas we need to look at for Brands Hatch. However, his performances in both races were unquestionable and it was a fantastic show. The first race he won was another display of how well he is riding at the moment and the last race with the photo finish could have gone either way too and that sets up for surely an incredible final round at Brands Hatch. We need to thank Freddy for standing in this weekend. He put in a great amount of effort to learn the track and adapt to our Samsung Honda in a short space of time and I was happy with his progress. In the Supersport class, it was a really disappointing weekend for Jason and today’s no-score was no fault of his own. It was an unfortunate outcome after he had worked so hard but we will regroup and come back ready for the two final races of the season at Brands Hatch.

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PODIUM FINISHES FOR MILWAUKEE YAMAHA AT DRAMATIC ASSEN

The opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Showdown at Assen produced a mixed raceday for Milwaukee Yamaha, but the team were still able to celebrate two podium finishes from both sides of the garage with Tommy Bridewell and James Ellison.

In the opening race Ellison had been fighting in the lead pack for the race victory until he lost oil pressure which disappointingly forced him out of contention. Bridewell though had fought his way up the order to move third on his debut with the Milwaukee Yamaha team.

Race two was as dramatic as the first and Ellison and Bridewell were both in the hunt for a podium finish in the early stages of the race, however on the fourth lap Bridewell slid out of the race ending his hopes of another strong finish. Ellison continued to battle on and he held the lead until the closing stages when Alex Lowes made a move and despite trying to fight back he finished second on the track. Lowes was later excluded from the race for an incident with Shane Byrne which promoted Ellison to the win.

Ellison said: “That second race was all a bit of a blur to be honest with you! It was a good race in the second one, especially as we were so disappointed to not have finished the first one as we were fighting at the front. I certainly believe we would have been on for a podium, especially now in the Showdown when it matters and that was a shame. We had a new engine in for the second race and I can’t thank the team enough as the bike didn’t miss a beat and we were able to go all out. I thought maybe we had the chance of the win, but at the start I had tried really hard to get by Haga and a few others and it meant I had less tyre left for the end of the race. Alex started chipping away and then he came by and I tried to stay with him but I had nothing left. We are now looking forward to Silverstone, especially as we have been there recently for the support race at MotoGP.”

Bridewell said: “It was a fantastic first race for me and for sure we managed to get it done. I am obviously disappointed for James (Ellison) as he was running well, but I saw on my board I had a gap behind me but at the end I just couldn't close the leading two. I had fallen asleep on the opening two laps and unfortunately I got caught up with Nori who was a bit excited so to speak. In the second race it was turning into a good fight and then I had a crash and took out Nori at the same time which was disappointing but I am looking forward now to Silverstone. Thanks to the Milwaukee Yamaha team for all their hard work.”

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Second consecutive double win for Lowes and Samsung Honda

The Samsung Honda team had a spectacular weekend at the ninth round of the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park, with Alex Lowes securing his second consecutive double win. He and team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari now occupy two of the six Title Fighter places ahead of the end-of-season Showdown.

In the opening race, Lowes got off to a flying start from the front row to hold the lead from the first lap. Despite coming under pressure from Shane 'Shakey' Byrne and James Ellison, the Lincolnshire lad put in an incredible performance to keep his rivals at bay and secure the victory.

A hard-fought and incredibly close second race saw Lowes score Honda’s first double win at Donington since 2004. Kiyonari meanwhile finished thirteenth and eleventh to secure his position as a Title Fighter ahead of the first of the Showdown rounds at Assen in The Netherlands on 21/22 September.

In the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Jason O'Halloran put in an impressive performance to finish on the podium for the third consecutive event with his best result of the season in second place.

Alex Lowes
I don’t think I have ever pushed as hard as I did at the end of those races to take the double. I wanted wins this weekend as the points make it close and I am really excited about the Showdown. It is so close so it should be really good fun at Assen.

Ryuichi Kiyonari

I have not had big problems but we haven’t been able to fix the small ones. We have been trying to improve set up again as I don’t have the feeling I need, but we have been trying things in order and trying to get a balance. I am happy for the Showdown and we need to see what we can do now at the final rounds.

Jason O’Halloran
The first part of the race is never the strongest for me and I always come good towards the end of the race and we have improved a lot from qualifying to the race. It has been great for the team so I need to thank them. It took me a long time to get ahead of Ben (Wilson) as he is so strong on the brakes. I then was trying to pass Billy but we made a pass at the Old Hairpin and we had to defend a little bit so he didn’t get ahead. It was a shame that Stuart got away a bit but I think we would have closed the gap in the final laps.

Havier Beltran – team manager
Following Cadwell Park the plan was to continue to be strong as a team. We discussed with Alex the need to beat the opposition on track ahead of Showdown so to do the double shows effort and his determination to try and win the championship, which is great moving on to Assen and Silverstone two circuits he loves and knows he can win. Today Kiyo secured his place in the Showdown although it is clear there is work to do to give him the winning package, I hope the Showdown gives us that opportunity, as we all know when he is on form his is capable of winning and we are yet to find the key to that form. Jason, from three rounds we have had three weekends of progressive approach and the determination shown has been fantastic to finish second today, I think if he hadn’t diced with Billy McConnell for so long he could have caught Stuart Easton so I am very happy with progress and looking forward to Assen.

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Mediocre Weekend for Gearlink Kawasaki at Donington Park

It was a disappointing weekend at Donington Park for the Gearlink Kawasaki Supersport riders, the first time all season that neither rider has managed to be on the podium in either Motorpoint British Supersport race podiums. Ben Wilson gained a strong fourth place in race one but crashed out in race two, Alastair Seeley was only able to salvage a ninth and eighth place riding injured.

Ben Wilson was eager to have a strong weekend at a track he has had previous form at the circuit and was keen to follow on from his results at Cadwell. However, disaster struck early on in the weekend, with shocking weather conditions on Friday halting most practice sessions and then a crash down Craner Curves for Ben during qualifying saw him qualify in a low 14^th place. Despite this he rode a fantastic race and brought the Gearlink Kawasaki home in fourth place. He was able to gain a better qualifying position and started the second race from the second row in sixth place, sadly despite his best efforts in fighting for a podium place he crashed out at McLeans, uninjured but disappointed.

Ben Wilson - "It certainly wasn't the ideal weekend for myself nor the team. Donington is always a track we have struggled at in the past and I've made hardly any mistakes all year then have two crashes in one weekend. I was really desperate for the team to bring them a good result and maybe I was pushing too hard in the second race for a podium, I just missed a gear and down I went.

I will as always pick myself up and walk away and come back strong at Assen, I am looking forward to getting there for our second year and now we have some data from last year this should help us and I will be fighting as always to get a good result."

After his big crash at Cadwell a few weeks ago, Alastair Seeley had another bad weekend and crashed heavily on Friday aggravating his already very sore injuries. During the crash he re-injured his already infected arm and his ribs; he also sustained a back strain in the fast crash in the wet. Despite this he qualified in ninth for the opening race in which he finish in ninth and qualified in tenth for race two and finished in eighth.

Alastair Seeley - "It was another tough weekend and really frustrating, the last thing I needed to do was crash on Friday but I needed to test some things on the bike and down I went early on in the session and pretty quick. I ended up in the medical centre and missing out on the rest of free practice. I knew I wouldn't be able to do much in qualifying and so only did 11 laps and ended up in ninth.

The races were really tough especially at Donington with the change in direction of the track it was very difficult with my rib and back injuries. I really need to get myself back fit and ready for Assen and the last races of the year as I still have a Championship to fight for. I have now dropped to second in the Championship standings so I have to make sure I'm fully fit and ready to go at the final three rounds of the series."

Pirelli National Superstock 600s

It was another good weekend for the two Pirelli National Superstock 600 riders at Donington for Luke Hedger and Mark Wilkinson. With the poor weather on Friday the main qualifying session was during the dry on Saturday. Luke qualified in second on the front row and Mark in ninth place. They both had a solid race with Luke taking a solid second place and Mark Wilkinson locked in a tight battle finishing the race in sixth he was later promoted to fifth after the exclusion of another rider, his best result of the season so far. 

Luke Hedger - "The race was really good and it was nice to be back there up on the podium after the big crash at Cadwell. It went well all weekend and I was looking forward to another dice for a podium place. I got a pretty good start and away with the leaders but I got stuck behind Joe (Collier) and Jordan (Simpkin) and I could see Callan (Cooper) bridging the gap. By the time I got past I knew I would just have to settle for second and try and pull in the gap on the Championship standings. My times were good and I'm pleased with the way I rode and hoping for a good end to the season."

Mark Wilkinson - "It was a really good race and I enjoyed riding in it and being a part of a really good scarp and tidy battle for sixth. We had a good race and we kept making a few passes on each other but it was good tidy racing, I later found out I was promoted to fifth which I'm over the moon with. Everything has been great and I've really gelled well with the Gearlink Kawasaki team and the results are definitely coming on good."

Team Manager Michael de Bidaph - "It was a bad weekend as far as the Supersport class is concerned. Ben rode his heart out this weekend and was desperate to bring home a good result for us it was just a shame about his qualifying crash. He rode well to get fourth in the first race and then he missed a gear in race two and crashed out.

Alastair had a bad weekend and the crash in practice set him back and sadly he wasn't able to ride to his full potential in the races and now we've slipped back to second in the Championship after having a healthy lead before Cadwell."

The stock 600 riders really did ride well this weekend and they both deserved the results they gained. Luke bounced back well from his crash at Cadwell and gained another podium, he's worked hard all weekend and gained the result he was hoping for, back on the podium. Mark once again showed his form and rode a very solid race to finish sixth; he was promoted to fifth after an exclusion of a rider which helped him secure his best result of the year. Both riders are working very hard and getting great results, they are both capable of podiums and hope to end the year on a high note."

For more information on Gearlink Kawasaki please visit: www.gearlinkracing.com
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MILWAUKEE YAMAHA’S ELLISON SECURES SHOWDOWN POSITION AT DONINGTON PARK

The Milwaukee Yamaha team have secured their position in the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Showdown for the third consecutive season as James Ellison scored a third place in the opening race at Donington Park.

In the opening race Ellison was pushing hard in the leading pack as he put in a determined performance to move up the order and was running third and despite trying to make a move on Shane Byrne ahead of him and maintained his position to claim the podium credit. In the second race Ellison was pushing to claim another haul of podium credits but as he made a bid to move ahead at the Esses on the tenth lap he ran on and then had to make up the places again, working his way through to sixth. Josh Waters scored a pair of twelfth places.

Ellison said: “It is job done now to get our position in the Showdown which was the main thing but I still wanted a podium. It was a really hot pace and we managed to gap some of the other riders; none of the guys were making any mistakes so we were all looking to try and make a move but as usual there were areas where someone was stronger than someone else. I saw Shakey have a few looks at Alex and I thought he might have a go, I thought maybe he might and push them both wide, but it didn’t happen and we had a third but I was happy with that. Race two was looking good until we had that moment, but we showed our pace and we will be ready for the 

Showdown.”

Waters said: “We had two hard races and in both of them I had a bad couple of opening laps and that really cost me in both races. I enjoyed Donington Park though and I feel we made some more improvements so I am looking forward to the next round at Assen.”

Team co-ordinator Mick Shanley concluded: “It was really positive for the Milwaukee Yamaha team to secure the position in the Showdown and overall we had a positive day despite the race two result. James had a great podium in the first race and again showed what he was capable of, it was just a shame he couldn’t get on the podium in the second race when he ran on at the Esses. Josh is continuing to try hard but there is obviously still work to do. The whole team are now going to prepare for the Showdown and we look forward to Assen.”

For more information visit www.milwaukeeyamaha.com

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WINNING PERFORMANCE FROM MILWAUKEE YAMAHA AT ULSTER GP

William Dunlop gave Milwaukee Yamaha their maiden Ulster Grand Prix victory yesterday in Supersport race two after a thrilling battle with Kiwi Bruce Anstey. The 28-year-old also came of age in the premier class with third place in the Ulster Grand Prix Superbike race.

His team-mate Conor Cummins also claimed two podiums with third place in same Supersport race alongside William, and took the same step on the podium in the second Superbike encounter – after Dunlop stopped with a technical problem whilst disputing second place.

Supersport race two was only settled on the final lap on the run to the flag at the famous Dundrod circuit, with Dunlop taking victory by a miniscule 7/100ths of a second; his team-mate Conor, finished third behind Bruce Anstey. William also took the fastest lap of the race with a lap speed of 127.931mph on the sixth and final lap.

William’s best lap in the Ulster Grand Prix Superbike race was 131.983mph with Manxman Conor posting a lap of 131.438mph.

Dunlop said: “Missing out on a certain second place in the second Superbike race is disappointing but I’m delighted with the Supersport win after a tough race with Bruce. Normally if you lead into the hairpin on the last lap you win the race, but fair play to Bruce he came back past me. I was riding so hard and it could have gone either way but I squeezed him into the last corner and we got the win. A podium in the Superbike race proves the progress we have made on the big bike. I made a little mistake and lost the two on Michael and Guy, but we proved we have the pace, although seven laps around here on a Superbike is tough going. Thanks to the Milwaukee Yamaha guys for putting in a such a big effort; I can’t thank Shaun, Dale and the rest of the team enough.”

Cummins said: “The old days of Conor Cummins are dead and buried now. We’ve had a decent day with two podiums and my Superbike was flying in that second race, I just got a bad start. It’s been a great day for Milwaukee Yamaha, so a big thanks to the team and also to my personal sponsors for their continued support.”

Team Principal Shaun Muir concluded: “Overall I’m delighted really. We’ve had a win, a handful of podiums and we’ve come a long way this season on the roads. We started off pretty slowly at the North West and made baby steps at the TT. We haven’t gone backwards and that’s important, but this has been our strongest day on the roads and good progress for us to take into the off-season and the winter. I’m really pleased for William to get that win. He’s growing in confidence all the time and proved it in that battle with Bruce. With Conor it’s maybe just a little too late. He’s found his self-confidence in the latter part of the season, but in saying that, we haven’t signed anyone yet for next season. I think it’s fair to say Milwaukee and Yamaha can be proud of both riders.”

Highs & Lows for Gearlink Kawasaki - Cadwell Park

Gearlink Kawasaki had a mixed weekend at round eight of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship with Ben Wilson taking a stunning first and second place in the two Supersport races. It was a different story for his team-mate Alastair Seeley who crashed out heavily in race one and feeling second hand for race two he was only able to salvage eighth position.

Ben Wilson had a great outing at his local circuit over the weekend and gained a comfortable pole position for the sprint race on Sunday and he dominated that race from the start to win the race by only 0.1 from Stuart Easton. In race two once again Ben was eager to get to the front and took the lead by the end of the opening lap and led until the final stages when Billy McConnell was able to reel him in.

Ben Wilson
"That was a mega weekend, to win the first race in front of my home crowd was an awesome feeling. The support for me was massive and you could really hear them cheering me on which was a huge motivation. I was keen to do the same again in race two and I managed to get another good start and take the lead by the end of lap one, I knew tyres would be a problem in the closing stages so I tried to gain a bit of a gap. I could see the time on my pit board coming down after half distance but even at that point my grip wasn't the best. I pushed hard but Billy rode a great race and took the win. I'm still really pleased leaving here with 45 points in the bag and keen to keep pushing for the good results at the remaining races."

It was a different story for Alastair, the weekend was going well and he placed himself on the front row for the opening race on Sunday in third place. He got a great start and was sat in second behind Ben and looking comfortable but on lap five he crashed heavily on the exit to Mansfield and was taken to the track medical centre. He was badly bruised and beaten up and suffered a cracked rib in the accident but he was eager to be back out on the grid on Monday. Despite his bravery the pain got the better of him and he was only able to finish in eighth place but he still leads the Championship from Stuart Easton.

Alastair Seeley
"I'm really gutted about this weekend as things have been going so well all season and this weekend it took a turn for the worst. I had a good set up and was feeling good during practice and qualifying. I felt strong in the race and even though I was struggling a little with grip I thought it was all ok. On lap five it just came round on me and I landed pretty heavily it knocked the wind out of me for sure. I knew the main race was going to be difficult and I tried to go hard from the start but as the race went on I was struggling and I knew then I just had to secure some points as it might help me at the end of the season. I will be resting now until Donington and getting myself fully fit for there. I'd like to thank all the Gearlink team for all their help and support this weekend."

Pirelli National Superstock 600s

It was a mixed weekend for the two Pirelli National Superstock 600 riders at Cadwell Park for Luke Hedger and Mark Wilkinson. Luke qualified on the front row in second place and suffered a bad start and crashed out heavily, but uninjured, into Charlies, turn two on lap one. Mark Wilkinson struggled with the tough testing circuit but knuckled down and was able to better his times in every session, qualifying in 21st place he did a fantastic job to once again finish in the points in 13th place.

Luke Hedger
"I'm so disappointed with the result today, things had been going really well all weekend at Cadwell for us and I managed to put in a good time during qualifying which put me on the front row of the grid for the race. I was keen to get a good start and that all went wrong and I was about ninth into turn one, I was wanting to get back towards the front and crashed out at turn two."

Mark Wilkinson
"I'm actually really pleased with the race today as at the start of the weekend I was really quite nervous as the track is quite daunting. I was trying to bide my time and learn the track properly but we don't get much time out on track so it was difficult. Every session I managed to improve my time and even more so in the race so I was really happy to once again get some more Championship points, I'm now one of only three people to score points in every round. I'm looking forward to getting back to tracks that I feel more comfortable at in a few weeks time."

Team Manager Michael de Bidaph
"All in all the weekend has been pretty good for the Gearlink Kawasaki team. We're disappointed for Alastair and I hate seeing one of my riders injured, he's had a lot of good fortune this year and sadly it took a downward turn this weekend at Cadwell. He worked hard over the weekend and despite his injuries still went and got some good points for his Championship hope.

Ben was brilliant all weekend and really deserved the results he got here especially more so at his local round. He worked hard and was rewarded with a first and second place, we made a bit of a gamble with tyre choice in race two and I think this caused a few problems in the closing stages and allowed Billy to catch him but it was a choice we decided to go with.

It was unfortunate that Luke came off on the first lap of the race but I do feel that he had a lot to learn. Sometimes being too confident is not a good thing but I know that he will bounce back at Donington.

Mark was lacking in confidence coming into this round this weekend so for him to gain some points here was great. He worked really hard all weekend and even in the race his times improved from his previous sessions. I'm confident he will be back up near the top end of the pack at the final three Superstock rounds."

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

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PODIUM FINISHES FOR SAMSUNG HONDA AT BRANDS HATCH

Samsung Honda became the first MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship team this season to finish a race with both riders on the podium, as Alex Lowes and Ryuichi Kiyonari claimed second and third respectively in the opening race of the day.

In race two, Lowes was again fighting for the win but in the closing stages was forced to settle for third. He scored his fifth double podium finish of the season, moving back up to second place in the championship standings in the process. Kiyonari put in another good performance and was battling hard to push Josh Brookes, finally ending the race fifth and retaining his position in the top six.

Lowes and Kiyonari

In the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Jason O’Halloran made improvements at Brands Hatch. His weekend started well when he qualified second on the grid, followed by a fantastic start off the line in the Sprint race. He battled hard throughout both races to achieve two top-five results.


Alex Lowes
I want to win every time we go out, we all do. Race one was the hardest race of the year for me so far, I haven’t had the pace I was hoping for this weekend and then I had a crash in warm up trying to improve the bike. I wanted to get a good start and get into a rhythm which I did and then Josh got passed me and I thought that was perfect I could follow him for a bit and then Shakey came by me and I just hung in there. I saw Shakey make a brave move from what looked like a long way back and I thought it was brave as you don’t realise how fast that part of the circuit is and I hope he is alright.
Overall I am happy, I tried as hard as I could, but I have got to be happy with second. Race two was quite a difficult race again as we made some changes between the races and I don’t know whether it was down to the temperature rising, but it didn't feel quite as good. I enjoyed the race though and I did my best to stay with Shakey and James; I had a go at the end and didn't give in. I don’t think I have been as fast this weekend but we tried hard and I am happy with two podium finishes and I am now looking forward to getting back to Oulton Park.

Lowes

Ryuichi Kiyonari
The first race was quite tough, we had made some changes after warm up and it didn't feel as good. It was hard to push as hard as I would have liked. It is good to be on the podium but I wasn't happy with my pace because I couldn't get closer to Josh and Alex at the end of the race. In race two we tried hard but I couldn't push as much as we would like. I now look forward to Suzuka and the Eight Hour race.

Kiyonari

Jason O’Halloran
I gave 100% in both races today, but I just couldn't quite hang onto the lead group. I was losing out in a few areas which made it difficult, but I pushed right to the end in both races and finished 1.2 seconds from the winner in race one and 1.8 seconds in race two. Two fifth places is not what I go racing for but that's the best I can do at the minute.

O'Halloran

Havier Beltran
From a team perspective this has been a great weekend; we are the first team to have two riders on the podium together and also remain the only team to have two riders in the top six so it is a credit to the team. Alex continues to show maturity that we haven’t seen from him in previous seasons but we need to find that missing link to be able to challenge Shakey for the wins at every round. However we are confident that we can do that and we look forward to the next round. Kiyo continues to be pushing forward and is revitalised from earlier in the season and he also has the Eight Hour to look ahead to. We have a direction to move forward now and that means we will see more of the old Kiyo. Jason made progress between the races but we still have more improvements to make and it is just a matter of time before it clicks. We moved forward this weekend but not enough unfortunately to be up on the podium.

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MILWAUKEE YAMAHA BACK ON THE PODIUM AT BRANDS HATCH

Milwaukee Yamaha returned to the podium at the sixth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch today as James Ellison scored a second place in race two after bouncing back from a race one crash.

Ellison had narrowly missed out on a front row start and dropped down the order at the start of the race and was carving his way through the order when he crashed out unhurt at Graham Hill Bend. His fastest lap in the opening race put him on pole for race two and after a better start he was tucked in behind championship leader Shane Byrne. Ellison was pushing hard but took second position and some valuable podium credits. Josh Waters had a tough weekend claiming a fourteenth and twelfth place.

James Ellison

Ellison said: 
“I am happy that we were able to get back on the podium today for Milwaukee Yamaha. In the second race I was behind Shakey and I was hoping that he might make a mistake but he never did. Our bike is strong in some places going into the corners and Shakey was stronger out of the corners and then in other places we were identical so it was hard to make a move without taking us both out! I was riding hard and on the limit but it was comfortable and the Milwaukee Yamaha team have worked hard all weekend. I needed to make amends for the crash in race one so it felt good to be back up on the podium.”

Josh Waters

Waters said: 
“The positive we can take from this weekend is that we were in the points and I tried to change my style a bit to see if that made a difference. It hasn't come together this weekend so we need to find something as I feel like we should have been closer in the races.”

Team owner Shaun Muir concluded: 
“It has been a day of two halves for the Milwaukee Yamaha team. The first race was disappointing for James to crash because it then made it more difficult for him in race two with the lack of laps in the first one. He did have a push in the second race though and scored two podium credits which are important for the Showdown. He also showed the pace that the team are capable of in the race and that will be important here at the final round of the season.”

For more information on Milwaukee Yamaha please visit: www.milwaukeeyamaha.com

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

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ANOTHER BRILLIANT WEEKEND FOR GEARLINK KAWASAKI AT BRANDS!

It was another brilliant weekend for the Gearlink Kawasaki team in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at the superb Brands GP circuit. Alastair Seeley secured a second place in race one and a stunning race victory in race two. His team-mate Ben Wilson gained a third and fourth place in the two tough British Supersport races.

Alastair was on form on a track he has been particularly strong at in previous years and he was able to put the Gearlink Kawasaki on the front row in fourth position for the opening ten lap race. He got a strong start and was up to second by the end of lap three, he was then locked in a tight battle with Stuart Easton and Graeme Gowland for the remainder of the race, he made several dives for the lead and hit the front on the penultimate lap but was beaten by Easton by 0.1 of a second. In the second race the role was reversed and in one of the most thrilling Supersport races we have seen in years it was Alastair that took a fantastic race win 0.004 in front of Easton.

Alastair Seeley

Alastair Seeley
"I'm really pleased with the results that we've gained today and I now have a Championship lead of 40 points as I leave Brands. We made a few changes after race one for race two, but in turn this caused me to have too much corner speed and on lap five I took to the grass, thankfully I have been out on my motocross bike the last few weeks and these skills came in handy. I was able to regroup, settle down and get myself back up with the front runners. I was really pushing hard and was really keen to try and get the win. Both races were really tough but I know I have to keep being consistent in all the races until the end of the season. The races were really good today and this is the form I want to carry on through the rest of the season."

Ben Wilson also had a solid weekend with a third and fourth in the two Supersport races and is in a good third position in the overall Championship standings at the half way point in the Championship. Ben got one of his fantastic starts in the second race and was happily leading until a grip problem saw his lap times slow and him drop to fourth place in the race.

Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson
"I'm a bit disappointed this weekend and I struggled to find a set up for qualifying which put me back in eighth in the opening race. We made some changes for race two but I had a major problem with grip from the early stages of the race and it made things really tough. I was losing a lot of time and dropping back position where I didn't want to be. I had to fight hard to get to fourth and it was a tough race I'm not sure what was wrong which was causing so many problems with the tyre. It was tough but hopefully I can turn things around again at Oulton and be back and fighting at the front of the pack."

Pirelli National Superstock 600s

In the Pirelli National Superstock 600 class, Luke Hedger finally got the win he so deserved and has been working so hard for. Luke who has been poised for a win at the previous races worked hard all weekend and despite a steady start he worked extremely hard to push his way through the tough pack. His team-mate Mark Wilkinson once again equalled his best race performance and finished in sixth place.

Luke

Luke Hedger
"I'm so pleased I've finally managed to take the win today and it was a very hard fought race one of the toughest this year. I got a pretty bad start and I could see everyone come past me into turn one and I knew then I had to get my head down and stay with the leading pack. I settled into a good rhythm and was able to set some good lap times which helped push me forward, the bike felt great and gave me the confidence to be able to keep pushing. I was soon making some passes and knew I could get to the front but didn't want to hang about so made the extra push and got up the front. I knew Cal Cooper was catching me in the closing laps but the Gearlink Kawasaki felt brilliant and I had to just keep focused. I'm so pleased to take the win and would like to thank everyone who has helped me especially 1st Choice, Shoei, Sidi, Damen, all my other sponsors and all the great people at Gearlink for all their help and support."

Mark Wilkinson
"It was another good result at the weekend for me, Andy and Michael worked really hard on my setup in practice and qualifying and the Gearlink Kawasaki was really good for the race. I made a very poor start and had to fight back from about 11th place. I was in a good dice with Tom Fisher and Grant Whitaker and I was waiting for the last few laps before making the move to get to sixth position. It was another solid points scoring position for the Gearlink Team. Hopefully we can move forwards and improve our good results at Oulton Park. I'd like to congratulate my team-mate Luke on his win. A big thanks to everyone back in Australia for their support and Plaza Auto Sales, GS Automotive, ROMP Design, The Oil Warehouse for all their help this season."

Team Manager Michael de Bidaph
"I'm really once again very pleased with the results we have had in both classes this weekend in Supersport and Superstock 600's. They all had bad practise and qualifying sessions and this thankfully was all turned around on race day and we gained some brilliant results.

Alastair once again had a great weekend and leads the Championship by 40 points, he is riding consistently well and keeps plugging away with podiums and wins. Despite his off track experience in the second race he was able to re-group and make the pass to take the win.

Ben was struggling all weekend with gearing set-up and in race two with grip issues, despite this he was still able to get two solid results for the team and holds third in the standings.

In the Superstock 600 we knew the win for Luke would be coming soon so we were really pleased that it came this weekend at Brands Hatch, he has been riding exceptionally well in every round and making very quick progress in his first season in that Championship. His win was great and also Mark is a brilliant rider and this is showing in the short time he has been with our team. They work very well together and I am very sure there is more to come from both of them.

We have a great team now and the results are showing that all the hard work, dedication and commitment by everyone in the team, the riders, mechanics and sponsors is all becoming very worthwhile."

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..