AIRWAVES DUCATI WIN THE BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
09 October 2005 - GSE Racing

Gregorio Lavilla and Leon Haslam today showed that they are the two best riders in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with an outstanding display of top quality riding at Brands Hatch.

The Airwaves Ducati team had two excellent races today ending the season with another set of one-two’s. Gregorio Lavilla taking the victory in the first race and Leon Haslam in the second.

Having had a good warm up in the morning the riders were feeling confident going into race one. Gregorio Lavilla stated before the race “If I do well in the first race and hopefully get a win then I can go out and enjoy the second race with Leon.”

Both Airwaves Ducati riders lined up on the front row of the grid and moved into first and second position from the start. Leon led the race for the first 6 laps before being overtaken by his team mate. Leon and Gregorio pulled away from the battle for third, between James Haydon, Dean Thomas and Lavilla’s contender for the title Ryuichi Kiyonari, and stretched their lead out to eventually finish 7 seconds ahead of Haydon.

With an Airwaves Ducati one-two safely under their belts Gregorio and Leon returned to the circuit for the second race knowing that Gregorio just had to finish the race to be the 2005 Bennetts British Superbike Champion, something that means a great deal to him, “It maybe British Superbikes but I am thinking of it as a World Superbike Championship…that’s how much this Championship means to me.”

The second race was another outstanding exhibition of world class riding with the Leon and Gregorio taking to the front once again after two laps. As in the first race the two Airwaves Ducati riders opened up an enormous lead from the chasing pack and were 6 seconds up on Dean Thomas by lap six.

With very vocal support coming from the Airwaves Ducati supporters on the home straight Leon Haslam and Gregorio Lavilla started to enjoy the ride and push each other to faster lap times, with Lavilla clocking the fastest time of the race, 1:25.7. By lap 12 there was 0.096 seconds between Haslam in first and Lavilla in second and then a massive 12 seconds to the third placed rider.

Leon came home to take the chequered flag with Gregorio in second, a result which meant that he was the 2005 Bennetts British Superbike Champion.

It has been an outstanding season for the Airwaves Ducati team, Team Manager Colin Wright said “It’s the Airwaves Ducati Team who have won this championship.” With Team Principal Darrell Healey adding “Winning the British Championship for the third time has been a tremendous achievement by all concerned. To return after a year away from competitive racing and to take on the might of HRC Honda with FO4 Ducati’s has been a truly awesome feat. Big thanks must go to Ducati Corse and our other technical sponsors Dunlop Tyres and Q8Oils and obviously the teams title sponsor in 2005 Wrigley’s Airwaves. This is GSE Racing’s greatest achievement to date.”

www.gseracing.com

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