TOP TEN FINISHES FOR HM PLANT HONDA
04 July 2004 - Honda Racing

HM Plant Honda Racing’s Michael Rutter and Ryuichi Kiyonari finished in ninth and tenth positions respectively in the first British Superbike race at Knockhill – one lap down on race winner Scott Smart.

A morning of heavy rain had left the track damp with a dry racing line before the start of the 25-lap race.

This made tyre choice critical for the factory CBR1000RR Fireblades and the rest of the British Superbike Championship field. Kiyonari opted for Michelin wet tyres, while Rutter’s HM Plant Honda was fitted with a wet front and intermediate rear. Neither option worked to the full advantage of the riders over race distance.

Kiyonari made a strong start to the race, powering the Fireblade from the fourth row of the grid to fifth position on the third lap. A light shower enabled the 21-year-old Japanese rider to maintain a top five position for the first third of the race, but the subsequent drying conditions didn’t suit his tyre selection.

Rutter was sixth into the first corner but 15th at the end of the first lap. His progress gave an early indication of what lay ahead. By the time the conditions suited his intermediate rear tyre, he was in 18th position and more than 40 seconds down on the race leader. The determined 31-year-old rider upped his pace in the closing stages to take seven invaluable points towards his title challenge.

Michael Rutter: “I’m obviously frustrated at the outcome of the race. Tyre selection was always going to be a bit of a lottery and the conditions in the early part of the race made life difficult out there. We’ll regroup before the next race and hope to pull some points back.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I am happy under the circumstances to have finished a race in the top ten. The tyres worked really well in the early part of the race and I thought that I was in with a chance when it started to rain. However, it wasn’t to be and I had to work hard to hold my position towards the end.”

Race one result: 1. S. Smart (Kawasaki) 22:53.543; 2. J. Haydon (Yamaha) +18.147; 3. Y. Kagayama (Suzuki) +20.532; 4. J. Reynolds (Suzuki) +34.758; 5. J. Kirkham (Suzuki) +50.576; 6. G. Mason (Yamaha) +51.395; 7. J. Ellison (Yamaha) +1 lap; 8. I. MacPherson (Ducati) +1 lap; 9. M. Rutter (HM Plant Honda Racing) +1 lap; 10. R. Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda Racing) +1 lap

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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