BSB HEADS NORTH OF THE BORDER
30 June 2004 - Honda Racing

The British Superbike Championship (BSB) teams head north of the border to Knockhill to begin the second half of what has already been a riveting season.

HM Plant Honda Racing’s Michael Rutter trails championship leader John Reynolds by 29 points with six of the 13 rounds remaining. Two weeks ago at Brands Hatch, after the first two wet races of the campaign, the deficit increased by 21 points.

Two days of dry practice and qualifying counted for nothing when the BSB contenders were faced with the daunting challenge of racing on the 2.6-mile Grand Prix circuit in atrocious conditions.

The weather proved a great equaliser and Michael Rutter was one of the big names that found his race-winning ambitions well and truly restricted. The 31-year-old Leicestershire rider battled relentlessly against the elements to finish the first race in fifth after challenging for a podium position throughout. Then, in the early stages of the second leg, his HM Plant Honda Racing Fireblade developed an electrical problem. Despite another dogged ride, it restricted Rutter to only two points and he finished in unchartered territory in 14th place.

Ryuichi Kiyonari, who was making his debut on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix track, struggled to cope with the Kent circuit’s undulating characteristics and blind corners. The 21-year-old Japanese rider remains in eighth overall in the ultra-competitive series, despite finishing outside the points in both races.

Michael Rutter (2nd = 232 points): “I’m happy with the season so far, or at least I was until the last round at Brands Hatch. I had a few problems but there is nothing that can’t be solved before Knockhill. It’s been a brilliant season so far for HM Plant Honda Racing and the new CBR1000RR Fireblade. I’m only 29 points behind John Reynolds and still have a good chance of winning the championship.

“I feel confident that I can make up the points difference, especially as some of my favourite tracks are still to come. I like Knockhill and have always gone well there in the past. The factory Fireblade’s characteristics should be suited to the circuit and I’ll be looking for a return to the podium. Hopefully, I can win at least one of the races.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari (8th = 87 points): “I was unhappy with my performance at Brands Hatch and I know that I must work hard at Knockhill. I have been testing for the Suzuka 8-hour race in Japan since the last round and I hope this will help me. I have not been able to test at Knockhill so I am hoping for good weather and a dry run in practice. I need as much time on the HM Plant Honda Racing Fireblade as possible to learn the circuit and find a good set-up.”

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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