RUTTER READY FOR HOME ROUND
14 March 2004 - Honda Racing

Michael Rutter is confident he can put his championship challenge firmly back on track at his home round of the Think British Superbike Championship this weekend. Mallory Park is quite literally on the doorstep of the 31-year-old rider who lives at Kirkby Mallory.

Rutter trails championship leader John Reynolds by 38 points with five of the 13 rounds remaining. He will be hoping to score his fourth win of the season on the HM Plant Honda Racing CBR1000RR Fireblade over the 1.39-mile circuit. Rutter will also want to grab a fifth victory in the second leg of the round to put him back in contention for the title. He is determined to record his first double win of this season’s championship.

Adverse weather conditions during the previous rounds at Brands Hatch and Knockhill affected the Leicestershire rider’s race-winning potential. Despite qualifying on the front row, Rutter only managed fifth and 14th places respectively in the two races at Brands Hatch because of problems with tyre choice and an electrical fault.

A critical decision over tyres again cost Rutter dearly in the first race at Knockhill, when he crossed the line in ninth. However, in the second race he proved that he can still challenge the race leaders by finishing fourth after a four-way podium battle.

Ryuichi Kiyonari is aiming for two more points-scoring finishes after picking up eight points at Knockhill two weeks ago. This has elevated him to seventh overall in his debut British Superbike Championship season.

Michael Rutter (2nd = 252 points): “I’m looking forward to Mallory Park because it’s my local round and I think you always race better in front of a home crowd. It would be great for me to get a race win at the circuit, which is practically on my doorstep.

“It’s important for me to at least finish on the podium in both races – and win them – if I’m going to catch up with John Reynolds before the end of the season. I still feel confident about my chances of winning the championship on the HM Plant Honda Racing CBR1000RR Fireblade. Some of my favourite circuits are still to come and I think that if we get the bike set-up right we can score a few more wins.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari (7th = 95 points): “I have been testing in Japan for the Suzuka 8-hour race since the last British Superbike Championship round at Knockhill. This has given me the opportunity to build my confidence and work hard on the development of the CBR1000RR Fireblade. Overall I''m happy with the progress that I''ve made and I hope that I can show this at Mallory Park. I have never been to this circuit before, but I''ve heard that it is easier to learn than some of the other tracks – we''ll have to wait and see how it goes.''

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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