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REYNOLDS AND RIZLA SUZUKI STRETCH CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD MAKING IT FOURTEEN DUNLOP SUPERBIKE WINS FROM EIGHTEEN STARTS.
19 July 2004 - Dunlop
With twelve victories from the sixteen races contested so far in the 2004 season, Dunlop had honour to defend at Mallory.
Superbike Race One Qualifying gave them the perfect launch pad with Dunlop shod machines occupying the first three places on the grid. With a track temperature of thirty-four degrees and all Dunlop riders using the wide section rear slick, tyre choice was fairly universal. From the lights it was a green Kawasaki leading in the hands of Scott Smart and a fantastic scrap ensued behind.
Michael Rutter chased and was quickly passed by James Haydon on the Virgin Mobile Yamaha. The Rizla Suzuki’s of Yukio Kagayama and John Reynolds were in close company and this battle raged for fourteen laps with Smart leading.
The first four machines were Dunlop shod and the Suzuki domination was further enforced when Reynolds and Kagayama made it a “Rizla one-two” on lap twenty. James Haydon slipped back with a visible mechanical fault and Scott Smart found himself locked in a new battle with HM Plant Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari. A thrilling dash to the flag saw Reynolds increase his title lead and take the win. Race Result
1 – John Reynolds Rizla Racing Suzuki
2 – Yukio Kagayama Rizla Racing Suzuki
3 – Scott Smart Hawk Kawasaki
4 – Ryuichi Kiyonari HM Plant Honda
5 – James Haydon Virgin Mobile Yamaha
6 – Michael Rutter HM Plant Honda Superbike Race Two Another flying start for Scott Smart saw him battle with John Reynolds on the Rizla Suzuki with a revived Michael Rutter close in third. After just five laps of hectic action the race was stopped for a faller at the Devil’s Elbow. Rutter had effected a tyre change between races as the specification he chose for race one was different from that used by his Japanese team-mate. The fact that he was defeated in race one by that very man obviously made Michael Rutter rethink. With a track temperature of thirty degrees this time out, conditions were similar and the Dunlop runners opted for the same tyres. The restart saw a terrific scrap with Scott Smart leading John Reynolds and Rutter dropping back down the order. The Virgin Mobile Yamaha’s of James Haydon and Tommy Hill were also in the thick of the action. At half distance, another incident brought out the safety car again and riders held station. This easing of the pace had the effect of cooling the tyres and the difficulties that might bring. Under the green flag and the race was on again. Smart was imperious at the front and then suddenly – Rutter lost the front end and crashed out at Gerrards. Haydon passed Reynolds and began a fantastic charge. The Dunlop runners appeared to be having the best of the tyre battle and the Suzuki/Kawasaki/Yamaha scrap was fantastic. On adjusted time Scott Smart took the win and resisted a determined challenge from Kiyonari on the road. Race Result
1 – Scott Smart Hawk Kawasaki
2 – John Reynolds Rizla Racing Suzuki
3 – Ryuichi Kyonari HM Plant Honda
4 – James Haydon Virgin Mobile Yamaha
5 – Sean Emmett Monstermob Ducati
6 - Tommy Hill Virgin Mobile Yamaha Championship Standings
1 – Reynolds 335 Points
2 – Rutter 262 Points
3 – Smart 240 Points
4 – Kagayama 229 Points
5 – Emmett 226 Points
6 – Kiyonari 124 Points British Supersport
Local man Jay Vincent was favourite for this one and he had ample local support.
The Dunlop shod Padgett’s Honda raced hard at the front with Michael Laverty, Spaniard Pere Riba, and HM Plant Honda’s Karl Harris.
Harris was defending his championship and was under severe pressure from Vincent.
One third in and Vincent took the lead with his team-mate Leon Camier moving into fourth. Then mechanical gremlins struck the MSS Kawasaki and Riba was out. This elevated Camier to third and Dunlop shod machines were now in the top three slots.
Harris played the waiting game until the very last lap as he stalked Jay Vincent.
On the exit from Gerrards, the Dunlop shod Honda CBR600 forced past the Padgett’s machine and Harris had done enough.
Laverty’s Ducati was fourth and Dunlop riders filled the rostrum. Race Result
1 – Karl Harris HM Plant Honda
2 – Jay Vincent Padgett’s Honda
3 – Leon Camier Padgett’s Honda
4 – Michael Laverty Monstermob Ducati
5 – Paul Young Vitrans Honda
6 – Matt Llewellyn Coventry Ducati
Championship standings
1 – Harris 181 Points
2 – Laverty 145 Points
3 – Vincent 117 Points
4 – Riba 101 Points
5 – Andrews 76 Points
6 – Quigley 70 Points 125ccGP
Twenty-four laps, thirty-five riders and Dunlop shod machines dominating qualifying. That was the situation in the tiddler class as round nine got under way.
Christian Elkin made the most of his pole position and kept his UK1 Racing Honda in command from the word go.
His main challenge came from the fourth placed qualifier Ashley Beech who’s Dunlop shod Appleyard Honda reeled off lap after lap as if he were on rails.
Red Bull Rookie Eugene Laverty was half a second adrift in third and that is how it finished.
Race Result
1 – Christian Elkin UK1 Racing Honda
2 – Ashley Beech Appleyard Honda
3 – Eugene Laverty Red Bull Honda
4 – Brian Clark Brian Clark Honda
5 – Kris Weston Brooklands Racing Honda
6 – Joe Dickinson Appleyard Honda Championship Standings
1 – Elkin 163 points
2 – Laverty 142 Points
3 – Wilcox 123 Points
4 – Pearson 83 Points
5 – Weston 78 Points
6 – Bridewell 71 Points National Superstock Championship
Following tragic events at Brands Hatch and the subsequent abandonment of the Superstock race, two races were run at Mallory.
Race One
In a class where Dunlop is not traditionally strong, Marshall Neill muscled his Dunlop shod Suzuki to third on the rostrum in Saturday’s race.
This great result was backed up by a flying Doug Cowie on his Wilson and Collins Kawasaki who made sixth place on Dunlop rubber.
Race Result
1 – Tristan Palmer, 2 – Danny Beaumont, 3 – Marshall Neill, 4 – Ben Wilson, 5 – Howie Mainwaring, 6 – Doug Cowie
Race Two
The second outing for the Superstocks took place under cooling conditions at the end of the day.
Marshall Neill had something up his sleeve because he kept the tyre-warmers on his Dunlops until the very last minute.
The race was pretty much a re-run of the first encounter with a four-strong scrap at the front. The Dunlops of Neill held up well and he just missed out on the podium with scrap to the line.
Race Result
1- Tristan Palmer, 2 – Ben Wilson, 3 – Danny Beaumont, 4 – Marshall Neill
5 – Howie Mainwaring, 6 – John Laverty. Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup
With series leader Richard Wren not enjoying the best of qualifying, the twenty-two lap race was up for grabs.
Jon Boy Lee, tipped in the race programme as favourite, never looked back from the word go. He grabbed the “hole-shot” from his pole position start and kept his head down in truly mature fashion.
The seventeen-year old opened a gap and by lap eight he headed Victor Cox, James Hillier and Richard Wren.
At two thirds distance, Gareth Glynn had come to play, Wren was vying for second with the title in mind and Hillier had dropped away.
The “All Dunlop” race formula was again delivering incredibly close racing all the way down the field but at the front, Lee was in superb form with a ten-second lead never looking in doubt.
A thrilling final two laps saw Glynn come home second and Wren with a solid third, stretched his title lead.
Race Result
1 – Jon Boy Lee
2 – Gareth Glynn
3 – Richard Wren
4 – Victor Cox
5 – Guy Sanders
6 – Ollie Bridewell (All Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 mounted) Championship Positions
1 – Wren 142 Points
2 – Hillier 104 Points
3 – Bridewell 90 Points
4 – Lee 87 Points
5 – Jenkinson 84 Points
6 = Sanders/Glynn 79 Points The Dunlop D208 Race Replica is the control tyre for the R6 Cup and is available for sale at all reputable tyre and motorcycle dealers.
www.dunloptyres.co.uk
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