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RUTTER FIFTH IN FIRST SUPERBIKE ENCOUNTER
HM Plant Honda Racing’s Michael Rutter took fifth position in the first rain-affected Superbike race at Brands Hatch, while his team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari finished outside the points in 18th. It was one of the most difficult races of the season to date for all competitors with heavy rain before the start of the race making tyre selection critical. Rutter was second into the first corner on the factory Fireblade and remained in contention for a podium finish throughout an epic 20-lap race. A drying track added to the drama as Britain’s leading Superbike riders battled for supremacy around the undulating Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit. A crash on lap 11 necessitated the emergence of the safety car for three laps. John Reynolds led after the restart with Rutter in close contention with Sean Emmett, John McGuinness and Yukio Kagayama for the remaining podium positions. The leading HM Plant Honda Racing CBR1000RR Fireblade just missed out on a top three finish for only the second time this season. Michael Rutter: “I struggled for a good feeling throughout the race – the front and rear were drifting which made progress difficult under the most challenging of racing conditions. I pushed as hard as I dared under the circumstances but it was crucial that I didn’t crash with the championship in mind. We had hoped that the tyres would have become stronger as the race progressed but unfortunately it didn’t turn out that way.” Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I feel disappointed with my performance in that race. It is the first time that I have failed to score points in the races I have started this season. My confidence is low at the moment and I have found Brands Hatch difficult to learn on my first visit to the circuit. The conditions exaggerated the situation and so I was forced to ride in an overly cautious manner.” Race one result: 1. J. Reynolds (Suzuki) 33:42.324; 2. S. Emmett (Ducati) +5.561; 3. J. McGuinness (Kawasaki) +5.665; 4. Y. Kagayama (Suzuki) +7.231; 5. M. Rutter (HM Plant Honda Racing) +10.231; 6. J. Haydon (Yamaha) +12.736; 7. T. Hill (Yamaha) +12.791; 8. L. Haslam (Ducati) +16.842; 9. S. Corke (Suzuki) +21.069; 10. D. Thomas (Ducati) +22.890; 18. R. Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda Racing) +1:11.144
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