SNETTERTON VICTORY FOR LOWES AND SAMSUNG HONDA

Samsung Honda celebrated victory at the fifth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Snetterton yesterday, with Alex Lowes claiming the win in the opening race.
Lowes put in a sensational performance in the first BSB outing, passing both Shane 'Shakey' Byrne and Josh Brookes on the same lap, then edging ahead of his rivals to take the win – his second of the season. Team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari continued his new-found improvement to take fifth place after a battle with James Westmoreland. 

Alex Lowes

In race two, Lowes dropped down the order from pole position, but the determined Lincolnshire lad battled back through the pack to second place behind Byrne. Despite several hard-fought attempts to catch the leader, Lowes was unable to pass and settled for second place. Kiyonari improved once again to finish fourth, which moves him up to fifth in the standings ahead of the next round at Brands Hatch.

In the opening race of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, Jason O'Halloran fought a hard battle with his rivals to claim fifth place. The Australian was looking strong for the second race and was challenging for the lead when the belly pan was ripped from his Samsung Honda machine and he was forced to retire from the race. 

Havier Beltran – Team Manager
We have seen a really impressive performance from Alex with his tally of points and pace. I’m pleased that he used his head and we have really seen him build his race-craft. With Kiyo I have mixed emotions; pleased with two solid results to put him fifth but he needs more pace to get the gap down in the podium credit table ready for the Showdown. We have to improve his machine set-up still in a few areas but two solid results were good overall for the championship. I feel really disappointed for Jason as he worked so hard. He had a few issues in the first race that he overcame and then the belly-pan ripped off the bottom of the bike in the second race. It was disappointing as he has not been able to fulfil his potential this weekend in front of such a fantastic crowd.

Ryuichi Kiyonari

Alex Lowes
It would have been nice to take a double win and I pushed as hard as I could, but in the second one I couldn't take my normal lines for some reason and nearly clipped Byrne twice. I worked so hard after a nightmare Friday putting in a lot of laps and the team gave me a fantastic bike. The first race was hard work but it was also good fun and I was comfortable so it felt good to win. I made a pretty terrible start to the second race but felt good sitting behind Byrne. I tried and wanted to take him but I never quite got there. I learned a lot from him over the final five laps, pushed as hard as I could and I’m not complaining taking two podiums here.

Ryuichi Kiyonari
This weekend we have had some improvements again. I was happy before qualifying with tyre life and lap times but then something was different for race day which meant we were not as close to the first group. I thought we had things good but it changed and I am not sure why, maybe it was cooler than in the races, but I am happier and ready for the next round at Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit which is good for me.

Jason O’Halloran

Jason O’Halloran
There are some positives to take from this weekend; we had two front row starts and I moved forward with how I want the bike to feel, which gave me a better feeling on the opening lap. I had a good battle in race one and I was in a comfortable second place when I had to stop so I did about all I could do, which was obviously disappointing. We now just have to think ‘roll on Brands Hatch’ and I’ll be there giving it 100% again. This year won't beat me as I'm stubborn and we will get there in the end.

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WINNING WEEKEND FOR GEARLINK KAWASAKI - SNETTERTON

It was another fantastic weekend for the Gearlink Kawasaki team in the Motorsport British Supersport Championship at the long Snetterton 300 circuit. Alastair Seeley this time took the double race win in fine style with Ben Wilson gaining a third and second place in the two Supersport races.

Alastair was on form on a track he has been particularly strong at in previous years and all weekend he was showing fast form and ultra-quick lap times, convincingly setting a comfortable pole position. He was on fine form in both of the races on Saturday and Sunday and led from the start of the shorter ten lap race on Saturday taking the win by 5.3 seconds. He was keen to repeat this on Sunday and despite not leading from the front by lap two he had taken the lead again winning from his team-mate by 3.7 seconds.
 

Gearlink Kawasaki's Alastair Seeley

Alastair Seeley - "I'm really pleased to have taken the double race win here and also regain the lead in the Championship. It's been a hard weekend with the conditions and heat here and we all had to work really hard to get the results we got. It was a huge benefit for us to come and do the test here and get a good set up before we arrived for the race weekend. I'd like to thank all the Gearlink Kawasaki team for all their hard work this weekend and I'm glad I was able to repay them with a double race win.

The first lap of the race today was a little messy and we were all very bunched up, I just wanted to get my head down and try and make a break. I've always gone well here in the past and luckily I was able to do the same again, everything went right and I hope we can continue this form for the rest of the season."

Ben Wilson also had another good weekend and is now third in the Championship standings after having a good third and second place in the two races. Ben got away with Alastair in race one but in the closing laps his bike suffered a technical problem and he had to nurse it home to third. In race two Ben was eager to run up the front with Alastair and despite some low and fast lap times he was unable to reel his team-mate in.

Gearlink Kawasaki's Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson - "I'm pretty pleased with today, Snetterton has always been one of my bogus circuits and it's not somewhere that I have ridden really well at in the past. So to come away with two podiums is great. I had a few problems in qualifying and ended up on the second row, luckily I was able to get a good start and away with the front runners. I had a problem in the first race and I was adamant I was going to bring the bike home in one piece and get some good points but it took some nursing!

I felt much better for the race today and really happy with the set up I had on the Gearlink Kawasaki, my guys worked really hard to ensure everything felt good. I pushed too hard in the opening laps and with the heat it affected my tyres so knew I just had to ride for a solid second place. I'm back where I want to be now and need to keep getting the podiums, to come away with two podiums from a track I'm not particularly fond of I'm really pleased with and can't wait to get to Brands in a few weeks, it's a great track and Alastair and I have had some close battles there in the past."


Pirelli National Superstock 600s
In the Pirelli National Superstock 600 class, Luke Hedger had another awesome weekend and secured another podium and another second place, hoisting him to second in the overall Championship standings. Australian Mark Wilkinson also had a fantastic weekend and once again gained his best position in the National Superstock 600 class of sixth place.

Luke Hedger - "After setting my first pole position of the season I was really pleased with how the weekend was going and was eager to get into the race and try and secure my first race win. I got a really good start and was away at the front, however, I had a big out the seat moment on the opening lap and this lost me loads of time. I was battling with Cal (Cooper) for second and I knew Jordan (Simpkin) was getting away at the front. I just wasn't able to pull the time back and had to settle for second in the end. Once again the Gearlink Kawasaki worked really well all weekend and the team worked really hard to make sure everything was right for me. Once again a big thanks to friends, family and sponsors that allows me to be here and for all their support."

Mark Wilkinson - "I had my best qualifying position this weekend and was on the front row in fourth place. I knew the race would be tough because of the competition and also the heat played a factor in it all. It's the first time I've actually gone backwards in a race but that's because the competition at the front is so close and competitive. We made no changes to the bike this weekend just a few tweaks to allow me to ride well here at Snetterton, everything worked perfect again and the Gearlink Kawasaki team have been great to me providing me with such a well prepped bike. It was a tough race but really enjoyable to ride, it's great to be running up at the sharp end and I've really got on well with the Kawasaki. A big thank you to everyone back in Australia for their support and Plaza Auto Sales, GS Automotive, ROMP Design, The Oil Warehouse for all their help in 2013."

Team Manager Michael de Bidaph - "I'm really pleased again with the results that we have secured this weekend and Alastair is back leading the Championship and Ben is up to third so we are very happy.

Alastair was on form all weekend and he does love Snetterton and holds the lap record here, the test was really useful for both riders and from the offset they were both riding well. Alastair found a good set up early on, Ben took a little longer but was still able to qualify in fifth.

Ben was unfortunate in race one and a small bike problem caused him what should have been a second place but two wins and two podiums in such a difficult class is a great achievement for us. I'm really pleased for the entire team as they all work so hard and put so many hours in so to get results like this makes it all worthwhile.

Luke had another really good weekend, he's disappointed as he has been so strong all weekend and was really keen to push for the race win. He made a few mistakes in the opening laps but still rode a fantastic race to finish in second place and is now sitting in second place in the Championship standings. He is riding really well in his rookie year in this tough Championship and doing a great job for our team.

Mark has settled into the team really well and every race now he has improved his results every time he has gone out on the bike. He got his best qualifying position and this might have put some pressure on him. This is only his third race on the Gearlink Kawasaki and each time he is improving rapidly and we are really pleased with what he is managing to do in a very experienced and tough Championship."

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

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Podiums and Crashes for Gearlink Kawasaki

Motorpoint British Supersport

Ben Wilson had a steady weekend at the 2.9-mile Snetterton circuit this weekend riding for Gearlink Kawasaki on the Kawasaki Ninja-ZX-6R. After a hard fought first race battle with Jack Kennedy and Glen Richards for the win, he had to settle for third place in the opening 10-lap race. Sadly in the second race Ben was caught up in an incident, which saw him crashing out of the race from sixth place.

Gearlink Kawasaki's Ben Wilson

 After a few initial set up problems on a circuit that has never been a strong one for the Gearlink Kawasaki team, Ben managed to qualify in fifth place. He gained an awesome start and was leading by the second corner. He was soon locked in a tight battle with Kennedy and Richards and the trio were exchanging places for the first few laps. They soon settled down into a rhythm and Ben had a few rear grip issues and had to bring the Gearlink Kawasaki home in third.

The second race was just as action packed, Ben once again gained the hole-shot from fourth place on the grid. He had the lead but touched the gravel on the exit to the back straight and he lost at least half a second allowing Richards to sneak through. The race became a 12 bike battle and Ben was sat in sixth place when a rider in front of him slowed drastically and Ben and Luke Jones had no-where to go forcing the pair of them to crash out of the race.

Ben Wilson - "I'm hugely disappointed with my results this weekend, it was good to get a podium yesterday as we've been struggling all weekend to get the Gearlink Kawasaki set up properly. We made a fair amount of changes over the weekend to try and get things more settled with the bike. We did struggle here last year and we knew we might be on the back foot coming here this season. I couldn't possibly do anything to avoid the crash in race two I became a sandwich and I just had nowhere to go, I'm gutted. I just hope things will change for the better at Knockhill." 

Metzeler Superstock 600s

Scott Hudson qualified in 17th place on the grid for the 12-lap race at Snetterton and had been improving on his times all weekend. Despite a low qualifying position he gained a great start and was sitting in 11th after the opening lap by lap four he was up to ninth but had a small crash at Palmer and was unable to re-join and continue in the race due to the new BSB rules.

Scott Hudson- Gearlink Kawasaki Superstock 600

Scott Hudson - "I'm really gutted to have crashed out as I was running well in the race and felt really comfortable on the Gearlink Kawasaki and was eager to get some more good results after Donington. I was enjoying it and riding well and after a good start I was keen to run within the top ten again, the back just came round on me and that was me out. Gutted, I'd like to thank all the Gearlink Kawasaki team for all their hard work this weekend and sorry I couldn't get them a result. I need to get myself sorted during qualifying and try put in a good time to get me a higher place up on the grid."

Team Manager/Owner Michael de Bidaph - "Snetterton has always been a track we've struggled to get a good set up on the Gearlink Kawasaki, we struggled last year also so after many changes this weekend that maybe it was too much to change.

Ben as always has ridden extremely hard all weekend but was suffering with brake problems in the second race today, he just couldn't get the bike stopped and sadly was unable to get a result. I would like to thank all our team sponsors and sorry we couldn't get them a good result. It's been a difficult weekend and we hope to move things forward at the next round.

Scott was riding well during the race but we really need to try and get good times with him during qualifying so it puts him higher up on the grid so he does not have to fight his way through from mid pack to get some good results for the team.

We are still looking for another rider to partner Ben in the British Supersport Championship if anyone is interested then please get in touch with us, e-mail Gearlink@aol.com or call 07900 570900."

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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SWAN YAMAHA SCORCH TO RACE ONE VICTORY AT SNETTERTON

Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill became the first rider to score his second win of the season at the fourth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Snetterton.
Hill had fought his way through from third place on the opening lap to take the lead by lap seven after passing Michael Laverty and Josh Brookes. 

Tommy Hill: 2nd win of the season, retired in race 2

 The defending champion was then able to edge ahead to claim his second win of the season despite an overheating issue that he calmly overcame and he then looked set to again be in fierce contention in race two. However the issue returned in race two and despite running in second and looking set to challenge to the lead he was disappointingly forced to retire.

Noriyuki Haga continued to get comfortable on the Swan Yamaha at the Norfolk circuit and was able to secure a fourth place finish in the opening race with a determined challenge from his second row start. In race two further improvements had seen the Japanese ace again run in a position to challenge for his second podium finish of the season but he crashed out at Murrays ending his high hopes for race two.

Hill said: “There were six different winners from the first six races so to be the first one to win two is a good feeling. The new rules without the traction control mean you have to ride harder but at the same time you don’t want to push too hard although you know the other guys will be pushing hard too. I knew it would be tough, especially towards the end of the race. When Josh came passed me I was worried that there might be a pack waiting to do the same. I had an issue with water coming up in my face during the race but we got through it. In the second race I had the same issue and I managed to get close to Michael (Laverty) and then I just had to pull in. It is so frustrating as we had made some good changes between races and I think we could have had a good race so I do feel pretty gutted. I suppose that is because it is my passion and I really wanted a double podium today. It has been a weekend of ups and downs; race one was fantastic and now we will regroup and prepare for Knockhill where the Swan Yamaha team will come out fighting.”

Haga: starting to settle nicely on the Swan Yamaha

 Haga said: “I am happy with the result we had in race one with fourth but I also at the same time feel a little disappointed because I still couldn’t find the right feeling with the Swan Yamaha and that made it tough. We had worked hard on the suspension during the weekend to get a good feeling from the tyre but we didn’t quite solve it for the first race. We made some changes for race two and the Swan Yamaha was feeling much better, but my crash was just a stupid mistake and I was disappointed as I lost the chance to get a podium finish. I have to apologise to the team and now I am looking forward to getting some better results at Knockhill.”

For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk 

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Laverty takes win at Snetterton

Samsung Honda celebrated wins and podium finishes in both the British Superbike Championship and Superstock 1000 Championship classes at Snetterton, as Michael Laverty became the seventh race winner of the season in the premier class.

Laverty leading: confidence is back

In the opening race Laverty proved that his title campaign is back on track with a solid second place but in race two he made amends to lead from the start to the finish to give the team their second win of the season. Jon Kirkham returned following his high-speed Oulton Park crash, but cruelly was denied a points-scoring result in the first race when he crashed out on the opening lap which put him on the sixth row for the second race. Kirkham fought his way through to twelfth before a mistake dropped him to fourteenth, however the Brands Hatch race winner was happy to score points on his return.

In the Superstock 1000 Championship, Jason O'Halloran took a commanding win from the pole position to score his second victory of the season for the Samsung Honda team. The Australian got a flying start to lead the pack before edging out an advantage to cross the line by just over six seconds at the finish.

Michael Laverty: “We were due a result and after the first races of the season and not breaking into the top five I am relieved that we have finally achieved it today. It wasn’t without drama though as I knuckled down and had a good battle with Tommy (Hill) and Josh (Brookes). I had a collision on the final lap with a slower rider so it was a frantic last lap but I wanted to go better in race two! We made some slight tweaks to the Samsung Honda and it worked awesome; I just knew I needed to make a break and not make any mistakes. On the last lap I was looking at the crowd and really enjoying it, knowing I was the seventh race winner as that is my lucky number. I am really chuffed and to get 45 points out of a possible 50 is a brilliant result and we really are back on track. I have to thank the team for their hard work for us to achieve these podiums as the Samsung Honda Fireblade was working fantastically.”

Jon Kirkham: “For me this weekend was about scoring points and getting myself back up to speed after the big crash at Oulton Park. It was a steady start to free practice and I was making progress; I missed out on Q3 in qualifying but I was quite happy with 13th which sounds surprising but I just wanted to keep building the speed throughout the weekend and have two good points scoring races. In the first race another rider went underneath me and I went down and I was gutted as it was only the first lap. That left me right down the grid for race two and I was careful over the first few laps to avoid any trouble and then the times really picked up. I was up to twelfth but I ran so wide I was nearly in Norwich and that cost me dearly as it dropped me two places but I am happy to have finished the race and gain more confidence. Since the crash I have been unable to train to my normal level so now I am ready to come back kicking at 100% at Knockhill.”

Jason O’Halloran: “It is fantastic that we have been able to carry the momentum from Donington Park to here and from free practice we only needed to make minor changes. We were in a strong position in the race and my aim was to get a good start and then try and control it from the front. I got the start and then got my head down and managed to make a break; I kept seeing the gap go up and down but I just kept the concentration and it topped off a fantastic weekend for the team.”

Havier Beltran, Team Manager: “We always knew what Michael was capable of and we have worked hard to overcome the problems he had in the opening races. The small chassis changes we have made aren’t massive but he is happier and his confidence showed in the races today. The win for him has been a long time coming and to become the seventh winner in eight races shows just how close the competition is this season. The results today have put him back inside the top six and now we want to continue moving forward and continuing the progress we have made with the Honda Fireblade. JK was unlucky to have had a crash in the first race and in race two he wanted to have a solid finish and he achieved that and I think once he is fully fit at Knockhill we will see more of him again.

“In the Superstock class Jason had a fantastic race and was smooth, controlled and really showed how well the Samsung Honda is working. I am happy with the results he had produced and it is a brilliant result for the Fireblade in the Superstock trim.”

For more information on Samsung Honda Racing please visit: 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

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Triple Podium For Smiths Triumph Racing Team At Snetterton

The Smiths Triumph Racing Team experienced another strong weekend at round four of the British Supersport Championship at Snetterton with Aussie Glen Richards claiming second and third in the two races and fellow Australian Billy McConnell scoring second in Sunday's second race. Third team member Luke Mossey was also in contention in both races and was unlucky to leave with just a solitary fourth place finish to his name.

Glen Richards- a good weekend for the OZ man

 Riding the Smiths (Gloucester)-prepared Daytona 675s, the trio had a good start to the weekend with all three qualifying inside the top seven, Richards taking pole position and it was him that grabbed the lead off the line in Saturday's 'Sprint' race with Ben Wilson, Jack Kennedy and McConnell close behind. Glen was managing to keep his rivals at bay but Kennedy hit the front on lap four only for Richards to immediately fight back. Positions continued to change hands but it was Kennedy who ultimately prevailed over Glen with Wilson taking third and a charging Mossey fourth. McConnell completed the top five.

The second, longer race on Sunday started at a frenetic pace with just two seconds separating a staggering ten riders. Richards was leading from Kennedy and Mossey as McConnell found himself at the back of the pack but a crash involving Ben Wilson and Luke Jones on lap five was enough to bring the safety car out. Racing resumed on lap eight with seven riders still fighting it out for the victory but it was Richards who led for the majority of the race despite coming under extreme pressure from championship leader Kennedy. Going into the final lap it was still anyone's race but despite a hectic final lap that saw positions changing all the time, it looked like it would be a 1-2 for the team with McConnell leading Richards out of the last corner. Kennedy had different ideas though and drove past the pair to take his second win of the weekend.

There was also disappointment for Royston rider Mossey as he slipped off on the penultimate lap when he was lying in sixth place.

Metzeler National Superstock 600cc Championship rider Johnny Blackshaw also enjoyed a good weekend with the Warrington rider involved in a four-rider dice that lasted the entire 12-lap race. Positions changed with frequent regularity but, at the chequered flag, he had to settle for sixth place with the ten points gained moving him up to tenth overall in the race for the championship.

Another Wizard of Oz- popdium for McConnell

Billy McConnell:  "A bit of a mixed weekend, really. I made a mistake in qualifying and didn't have time to go out on a soft tyre near the end and then in the first race we had a problem with the amplifier on the sighting lap so got a little preoccupied with fixing that and raced on an SC1 when we should have gone for the SC0.  Today's race was awesome though. I was a little frustrated with some of Sam Warren's moves and he pushed me about but I got away from him and got with the boys at the front so it's all good. Happy with the weekend, though a win would have made it a bit better."

Glen Richards:  "I tried to keep out of trouble and I knew I was never going to get away so I didn't get too worried about it I just prepared myself for the last lap. I got past Billy on the second to last corner and he got back and we both went wide and Jack was on the right line so he was lucky and picked up the pieces. That's the way it goes sometimes and that's racing. I'm happy enough, I just needed to beat Jack in that race for the championship, now he's some 30-odd points ahead and it's hard to get those back."

Johnny Blackshaw:  "I had a good race and good points from a tough weekend. We'd not been on the pace all weekend so it was good to be able to get down to decent times in the race. The front end felt absolutely mint and I had a few issues with the rear but then I'd put that down to the high track temperature. I've had a couple of big crashes that have dented my confidence so it's good to get a decent race result under my belt and start building some momentum."

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

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