DOUBLE PODIUM FOR HARRIS
02 August 2005 - Honda Racing

Honda Racing’s three riders dominated the front row of the grid at Castle Combe before securing three podium finishes between them at this year’s Superbike Grand National in Wiltshire.

Jonathan Rea grasped his second pole position of the season aboard the Red Bull Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, but it was Honda-Racing.co.uk’s Karl Harris who enjoyed the most successful race day.

Harris finished in second position in both races for a double-podium on the Dunlop/BLD-backed machine. The Yorkshireman had a poor start to race one in the wet, leaving him in sixth place at the end of lap one, but by lap six he was up to second place and fending off team-mate Steve Plater.

On lap eight the race was red flagged due to a faller at Quarries, causing debris and fluid on track. A re-started seven-lap dash had been planned but in order to keep the schedule moving the race was declared finished and the results announced.

Team-mate for the event Steve Plater also put the other Dunlop/BLD-backed Honda-Racing.co.uk CBR1000RR Fireblade on the rostrum in race one after passing the chequered flag in third position. Rea made it three Fireblades in the top four places on his Red Bull Honda.

Plater looked like he may improve on his podium performance in race two after coming from seventh place off the line to take the lead towards the end of the race. Victory looked well within his grasp until a technical problem forced him to retire.

The red flags came out again at the start of the second leg, when Red Bull Honda’s Rea and Yamaha’s Tommy Hill came together at the chicane. Rea''s mechanics worked furiously to get his Red Bull Honda ready for the re-start and it was wheeled out of the garage just as the grid was reformed. Despite being forced to start from the pit lane, Rea managed to finish in sixth place, four places behind Harris who was promoted to second after Plater’s retirement.

Karl Harris: “I’m happy to be back on the podium for the first time since Oulton Park. I needed time on the Honda-Racing.co.uk CBR1000RR Fireblade to help me regain my confidence again. I’m especially thankful to the team for the opportunity to ride in the Grand National, but now I’m focussing on training hard in preparation for the final five rounds of the British Superbike Championship.”

Jonathan Rea: “I’m well rested since my accident at Snetterton and my results at Castle Combe prove that I’m back to race fitness. Pole position and two top six finishes in a top class field make up for missing the last British Superbike round. Slowly but surely I’m building my race pace aboard the Red Bull Honda to match my qualifying times.”

Steve Plater: “After finishing second at the North West 200 on the Honda-Racing.co.uk CBR1000RR Fireblade, I knew that I would be competitive at Castle Combe. The event proved to be a useful run-out for me as I’m now riding a Hydrex Honda machine in the British Superbike Championship. I guess the Superbike Grand National has been a day of mixed fortunes for me, but I’ve certainly shown that I can run at the front of the pack again.”

Race one results

1. Tommy Hill
2. Karl Harris
3. Steve Plater
4. Jonathan Rea
5. James Haydon
6. James Buckingham
7. Ollie Bridewell
8. Richard Wren
9. Nick Pusey
10. Steve Brogan

Race two results

1. Tommy Hill
2. Karl Harris
3. James Buckingham
4. James Haydon
5. Richard Wren
6. Jonathan Rea
7. Ollie Bridewell
8. Steve Brogan
9. Les Shand
10. Dean Ellison

DNF Steve Plater

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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