News 28 Jun 2010

BSB: Brookes closes on lead, McConnell wins at Mallory

Ryuichi Kiyonari put his bid for the MCE Insurance British Superbike crown firmly back on track with a brilliant winning double in the fifth round at Mallory Park where he headed off Australian HM Plant Honda teammate Josh Brookes in each of the races.

The Japanese rider was at his best, lapping consistently and strongly, as he moved into fourth place in the standings while Brookes was not complaining too much about being second best as his points haul capitalised on a day of misfortune for series leading Tommy Hill.

The Worx Crescent Suzuki rider was complaining of a machine problem in the opener, but was given a life-line when the race was stopped on the fourth lap as Martin Jessopp and Dan Linfoot tangled. His team worked on the bike, but Hill was soon in trouble again on the re-start, pitting with a clutch problem.

Kiyonari was carving through from fourth on the opening lap be leading the pack at half distance with Brookes tucked in behind and trying everything he knew to find a way through as early race leader Michael Laverty on the Relentless Suzuki ran third, but not by much from the determined RidersMotorcycles,com Ducati riding Michael Rutter.

Next time out, it was local favourite Chris Walker, aboard his privately entered Suzuki who made the early running, but Kiyonari who blamed himself for a poor start had soon made amends and by the second lap was running at the head of the pack with Brookes now attacking Walker for second place.

Brookes was through to second on the seventh lap, but Kiyonari was dictating terms from the front. Walker was under pressure from Michael Laverty and by then Stuart Easton, fifth in the opener, had tipped off his Swan Honda.

Kiyonari ruled supreme taking his third victory of the season by some 3.601secs from Brookes and afterwards he reflected: “I am very happy to take these two victories which put me well up in the championship. In the first race, I had some special braking at the chicane and made a difficult pass on Michael Laverty – I said sorry to him as I pushed him wide!

“Then in the second my start was not so good and I was overtaken, but I got my head down and put in consistent laps and finished ahead of Josh again which was hard to do as he wanted the race wins,” added Kiyonari.

Meanwhile, Brookes admitted he lacked speed on Kiyonari.

“I was not able to bridge the gap, but Kiyo clearly had a good race strategy and I am please to have taken a pair of seconds when Tommy Hill has had a bad weekend,” Brooked said. “Now I am only four points down on him, but, it would have been even better if I had won.”

Michael Laverty took third place ahead of Rutter with Chris Walker fifth from John Laverty aboard the Buildbase Kawasaki and Simon Andrews on the MSS Colchester Kawasaki.

Hudson Kennaugh extended his lead in the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO category, despite running second in the opener to his Jentin BMW rival Steve Brogan – the Liverpudlian tipped off early on next time out as Kennaugh took the race victory on the MAR Kawasaki.

Australian CAME Yamaha’s Billy McConnell secured his second win of the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship at Mallory Park, holding off championship rivals Sam Lowes and teammate James Westmoreland.

Wilson took the hole shot off the line from McConnell and Westmoreland but by the third lap the CAME Yamaha had taken the lead, passing into Gerrards before his team-mate James Westmoreland followed his lead, taking second from the Gearlink Kawasaki on the sixth lap.

The Nissan GTR safety car was deployed when Leon Hunt crashed at the Esses and when the race resumed, McConnell held the lead. Sam Lowes on the GNS Racing Honda took advantage after the restart, getting the jump on Wilson to move to third.

Padgetts Honda’s Glen Richards, another Aussie, had moved to fifth after a steady start to the race, he passed Jack Kennedy on the 18th lap, whilst teammate Ian Hutchinson crashed out on lap three at the Bus Stop.

Lowes moved to second into Gerrards on the eleventh lap and edged ahead of Westmoreland who was forced to settle for second, with Richards moving to fourth at the Hairpin with five laps remaining to force Wilson back to fifth before Kennedy also forced passed the Gearlink Kawasaki to put himself back inside the top five.

Recent