LAVERTY BACK ON TOP
15 August 2004 - Honda Racing

Red Bull Rookies Honda’s Eugene Laverty has returned to the top step of the podium at Croft for his fourth victory of the season aboard the Honda RS125.

The Ulster teenager faced a tough battle for victory in the tenth round of the ultra-competitive British 125GP Championship.

Laverty powered into second from pole position after his team-mate Steven Neate took the holeshot from his first front row start of the season. However, 17-year-old Neate was ruled to have gained an unfair advantage through a jump-start, which necessitated a ride-through penalty.

The Red Bull Rookies Honda machine of Laverty remained at the front of the pack for the majority of the 16-lap race at the 2.127-mile North Yorkshire circuit, despite losing his lead to Kris Weston momentarily on a couple of occasions.

On lap 14, Weston grabbed the opportunity to pass 18-year-old Laverty. He maintained the advantage until the final lap when the determined Toomebridge teenager made a last dramatic charge and crossed the line to take a hard-fought victory.

The win means that the Red Bull Rookies Honda rider has pulled back nine points on championship leader Elkin – who passed the chequered flag in third.

After the enforced penalty, Neate sliced through the opposition on his return to the circuit. However, the Barton-le-Clay teenager ran off the track on lap six when another rider high-sided in front of him, leaving him with nowhere to go on the Red Bull Rookies Honda RS125.

Eugene Laverty: “I’m really happy to have won that race. I needed a victory to be in with a chance of mounting a serious challenge for the title. We’ve had a good weekend here at Croft and I managed to pull back some points on Elkin. I’m now looking forward to Red Bull Rookies Honda’s home round at Cadwell Park at the end of the month.”

Steven Neate: “That was a frustrating end to an otherwise positive weekend. I was really happy to have started on the front row and I felt confident that I could finish in the top three to make it a double podium for Red Bull Rookies Honda. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be so I have to put it behind me and look forward to round 11.”

Result: 1. E. Laverty (Red Bull Rookies Honda) 24:50.226; 2. K. Weston (Honda) +0.048; 3. C. Elkin (Honda) +0.563; 4. J. Dickinson (Honda) +0.810; 5. M. Wilcox (Honda) +1.367; 6. J. Webb (Honda) +4.618; 7. D. Cooper (Honda) +9.567; 8. T. Bridewell (Honda) +10.192; 9. D. Linfoot (Honda) +10.773; 10. P. Robinson (Honda) +10.779; DNF S. Neate (Red Bull Rookies Honda)

Points after round ten: 1. C. Elkin – 179; 2. E. Laverty – 167; 3. M. Wilcox – 134; 4. K. Weston – 98; 5. J. Pearson – 87; 6. T. Bridewell – 79; 7. P. Robinson – 68; 8=. Clark, Dickinson – 63; 10. A. Beech – 56; 11. S. Neate – 51

www.honda-racing.co.uk

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