DOUBLE RACE WIN FOR RUTTER
15 August 2004 - Honda Racing

Michael Rutter has claimed a double victory for HM Plant Honda Racing at the 2.127-mile Croft circuit.

The 31-year-old Leicestershire rider crossed the line 1.991 seconds ahead of Scott Smart for his fifth victory of the 2004 British Superbike Championship.

The HM Plant Honda Racing star took the holeshot aboard his CBR1000RR Fireblade, but quickly dropped back to third. The competition at the front of the field was fierce with Smart, Yukio Kagayama and Rutter all dicing for the lead.

On lap three though, the pressure proved too much for Kagayama and he crashed out of contention. Rutter moved up into second, closely followed by Reynolds, and began to hunt down race leader Smart. A tense battle ensued between the top three.

The HM Plant Honda Racing rider maintained second place ahead of Reynolds and decided to make his move on Smart on lap 14. He passed the race leader momentarily at Clark Esses but quickly fell back into second position. One lap later at the same point, spectators witnessed a replay of the manoeuvre but Rutter held onto the lead for slightly longer.

Smart had regained the top spot by lap 17 with 31-year-old Rutter dropping back to third place on the next circuit after being passed at Tower Bend by title rival Reynolds. Undeterred, the HM Plant Honda Racing rider fought back at the appropriately named Sunny In corner and once again moved into second position.

With just four of the 22 laps remaining, Rutter powered the factory Fireblade into the lead. He extended his advantage on lap 20 and pulled away from the pack to reach the chequered flag first.

Team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari reached the line shortly afterwards in fourth place after slicing through his opponents from further back down the field. His second fourth position of the day consolidated his sixth position in the championship overall.

Michael Rutter: “That was a great race for HM Plant Honda Racing and it’s good to know that we’re going to Cadwell Park with the gap down to 50 points. I saw Kagayama go down in the early stages and knew that I had a good chance of victory. I tried to get past Smart several times but kept running wide and that made the race more interesting.

“To be fair to him, the CBR1000RR Fireblade gave me the advantage that I needed to make my last move stick. Then I just put my head down and was confident I could pull out a winning advantage. This is my first double win on the HM Plant Honda and I’d like to thank everyone associated with the team who has made it possible.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I am frustrated with my result because I didn’t start as well as I did in race one. That meant that I had to work hard to get through the pack and by then it was too late to make any impression on the leaders. I know that I have made a big improvement over the last two races and now I feel that I am ready to challenge at the front of the field. That means that I am really looking forward to preparing for HM Plant Honda Racing’s home round at Cadwell Park.”

Race two result: 1. M. Rutter (HM Plant Honda Racing) 30:08.942; 2. S. Smart (Kawasaki) +1.991; 3. J. Reynolds (Suzuki) +2.912; 4. R. Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda Racing) +11.722; 5. J. Haydon (Yamaha) +16.491; 6. Gary Mason (Yamaha) +24.979; 7. J. McGuinness (Kawasaki) +26.204; 8. C. Coxhell (Honda) +27.568; 9. J. Ellison (Yamaha) +37.061; 10. S. Plater (Yamaha) +37.183;

Points after round ten: 1. Reynolds – 362; 2. Rutter – 312; 3. Smart – 276; 4. Kagayama – 249; 5. Emmett – 240; 6. Kiyonari – 150; 7=. Thomas, Haydon – 132; 9. Hill – 105; 10. Mason – 95

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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