HARD-EARNED POINTS FOR HARRIS
26 June 2005 - Honda Racing

Karl Harris competed courageously against the odds in the seventh round of the 2005 Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Knockhill.

His eighth and 11th places do not reflect the effort that the 25-year-old Sheffield star expended in relative discomfort due to a rib injury sustained three weeks ago at Croft.

Starting from his qualifying position of ninth on the grid, Harris made good progress throughout the first race. Eleventh at the end of the first lap, the gritty Yorkshireman powered his Dunlop/BLD-backed CBR1000RR Fireblade up to eighth position at the end of 30 laps around the 1.3-mile Fife circuit.

In the second leg, Harris battled against his Superbike adversaries – and the pain from his injury. After settling down into the race in a group that included James Haydon and fellow Honda rider Jonathan Rea, Harris struggled to maintain their pace. He was forced to ride with a degree of caution to take five hard-earned points for 11th position at the chequered flag.

Karl Harris: “It was hard work today. I didn’t think that the injury would cause me so much grief but it did! I had particular trouble breathing, which in turn made changing the direction of the bike a real chore. It’s been a frustrating weekend for me but at least I’ve been able to maintain my top six position in the championship overall. I am now going to have a period of rest in order to get fit for the next round at Snetterton.”

Race one: 1. R. Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda Racing) 25:04.260; 2. M. Rutter (HM Plant Honda Racing) +12.538; 3. M. Laverty (Honda) +24.692; 4. G. Richards (Kawasaki) +26.361; 5. L. Haslam (Ducati) +26.732; 6. G. Lavilla (Ducati) +27.393; 7. J. Reynolds (Suzuki) +30.496; 8. K. Harris (Honda-Racing.co.uk) +38.127; 9. G. Mason (Honda) +40.659; 10. D. Thomas (Kawasaki) +41.473

Fastest lap: 0:49.787 – Kiyonari (new lap record)

Race two: 1. R. Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda Racing) 25:06.287; 2. M. Rutter (HM Plant Honda Racing) +7.122; 3. G. Lavilla (Ducati) +15.522; 4. M. Laverty (Honda) +16.690; 5. L. Haslam (Ducati) +17.473; 6. J. Reynolds (Suzuki) +19.148; 7. G. Richards (Kawasaki) +21.524; 8. J. Haydon (Suzuki) +25.697; 9. J. Rea (Red Bull Honda) +26.633; 10. D. Thomas (Kawasaki) +27.074; 11. K. Harris (Honda-Racing.co.uk) +31.263

Fastest lap: 0:49.651 – Rutter (new lap record)

Championship points: 1. Rutter – 275; 2. Kiyonari – 232; 3. Lavilla – 216; 4. Richards – 160; 5. Haslam – 152; 6. Harris – 115; 7. Thomas – 97; 8. Laverty – 93; 9. Mason – 82; 10. Emmett – 79

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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