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KIYONARI BACK ON TRACK The sixth round of the British Superbike Championship at Thruxton this weekend sees the eagerly awaited return of Ryuichi Kiyonari after missing the last two events of the series through injury. He will join his HM Plant Honda Racing team-mate Michael Rutter on the grid for Sunday’s two 22-lap Superbike races after undergoing surgery in Japan to mend a broken collarbone. Rutter has been in scintillating form in Kiyonari’s absence. The 31-year-old Leicestershire rider has stormed to three victories in Ireland over the past three weeks on the factory CBR1000RR Fireblade. A double win at the International North West 200 road races in Northern Ireland proved his undoubted natural ability and the HM Plant Honda’s suitability for public roads – as well as short circuits.
Then he resumed his British Superbike campaign by taking pole position and a second leg victory at Mondello Park in the Republic of Ireland. He was only denied a second consecutive double win by an uncharacteristic crash while leading the first race at the County Kildare track – his first non-finish of what has been an impressive first half of the season on Honda’s new Superbike challenger.
The secret to Rutter’s success has been consistency. The Mondello crash has been the only glitch in a run that has seen him step on to the podium at every other opportunity – a staggering nine top three finishes from ten starts. However, such is the pace being set by John Reynolds, that Rutter has slipped to 33 points behind the championship leader. That could all change this weekend after what promises to be the fastest event in the 13-round series over the 2.356-mile Hampshire circuit.
Michael Rutter (2nd = 174 points): “The success enjoyed by HM Plant Honda Racing in Ireland has given the whole team a boost. The win at Mondello in particular has given me the self-belief and confidence to maintain this winning run until the end of the season. My aim is to secure a double win at Thruxton, although you never know what’s going to happen in racing – as the last round proved. The CBR1000RR Fireblade is going really well and I’m focussed on reducing Reynolds’ advantage and hopefully taking charge of the championship.”
Ryuichi Kiyonari (8th = 76 points): “I am really sorry that I have missed the last two rounds of the championship. My collarbone is healed now and I feel fit to return to race at Thruxton. This is the type of fast track which suits my riding style and the power and handling characteristics of the HM Plant Honda Racing Fireblade. I’m looking forward to racing again in front of the British fans and making up for lost time on the track. I may be eighth in the series now after missing four races but I am only eight points from the top six overall. My aim at the weekend is to close this gap.”
Harris and Rea aiming high
Karl Harris and Jonathan Rea are aiming high as they prepare for the sixth round of the British Supersport Championship at Thruxton. The CBR600RR riders are hoping to pick up from where they left off at the last round at Mondello Park, where they displayed typical heroics in what is arguably the most competitive class in the series.
Harris ended a superb run of 16 consecutive front row starts when he qualified in unfamiliar territory on the third row at Mondello. His eagerness to get off the line quickly resulted in a mandatory ride-through penalty for a jump-start. The HM Plant Honda Racing star rejoined the race in ninth position and then stormed through the pack to take a superb third place at the chequered flag. The ride of the day ensured that the 24-year-old Yorkshireman restricted Michael Laverty’s lead in the overall standings to just five points.
His Red Bull Rookies Honda team-mate Jonathan Rea was on the comeback trail in front of his home fans. A qualifying crash at the previous Oulton Park round had sidelined the talented 17-year-old Ulsterman from round four but he bounced back to equal his best result of the season at Mondello Park and climb up to 18th overall in the points table.
Karl Harris (2nd = 86 points): “I wouldn’t usually be happy at finishing third in a race but with the way things turned out at Mondello it was like a win for me. That performance has given me added confidence – not just in myself but also in my HM Plant Honda Racing CBR600RR. My aim at Thruxton is obviously to get back to winning ways and take back the lead in the championship. I didn’t manage to win there last year but I’m determined to put that record straight.”
Jonathan Rea (18th = 8 points): “I achieved my personal goals at Mondello of finishing the race and collecting some points in the process. It was the first event that I have finished on the Red Bull Rookies Honda since the opening round at Silverstone and so I’m hoping that this result will give me the impetus to kickstart my season once again. To do that I need to work hard in practice so that I can get up to race pace quicker than I have done at the previous rounds.”
Birthday celebrations for championship leader Eugene Laverty and Steven Neate have already demonstrated why they have been selected for the Red Bull Rookies Honda youth team. The talented teenagers have accepted the challenge of competing in the British 125GP series and shown how much natural talent and technical ability that they have brought to the team’s championship challenge.
Laverty has taken the Honda-dominated series by storm to lead Christian Elkin by nine points after five dramatic rounds. The young Ulsterman celebrates his 18th birthday today (3 June) and he hopes to add to the party atmosphere at Thruxton by collecting his third victory of the season. His home round at Mondello Park was the inspiration behind a dominant victory and performance which underlined his title winning credentials.
His team-mate Steven Neate has also been improving steadily throughout the season. The 16-year-old’s consistency has been rewarded with a podium finish at Oulton Park and fourth place overall in the championship. The only blot on his copybook was a crash during the last round at Mondello Park, but the Barton-le-Clay rider is aiming to bounce back into the reckoning with one of his customary strong points-scoring rides at Thruxton this weekend.
Eugene Laverty (1st = 86 points): “Mondello Park was a really good event for me – especially because it was my home event. Expectations were high before the race, but I’m pleased to say that I managed to live up to them. It was even better for me when I realised that I had come away from Ireland with the championship lead once again. I’m not sure what lies ahead at Thruxton. I’ve raced there twice before and never really managed to achieve a good result. However, the Red Bull Rookies Honda RS125 is going really well and I’m confident of continuing my successful run.”
Steven Neate (4th = 49 points): “It was a real disappointment to fall off at Mondello, particularly after getting my first podium finish in the previous round. I want to put that behind me though and try to push myself forward at Thruxton. My aim is to improve continuously, so another podium finish for Red Bull Rookies Honda would be good progress at this stage of the season.”
Championship standings
British Supersport Championship – points after round five 2. K. Harris (HM Plant Honda Racing) – 86 3. J. Vincent (Honda) – 68 4. S. Andrews (Yamaha) – 65 5. P. Riba (Kawasaki) – 61 6. L. Quigley (Suzuki) – 52 7. C. Jones (Triumph) – 41 8. C. Crutchlow (Honda) – 31 9. T. Sykes (Suzuki) – 30 10. L. Camier (Honda)– 29 18. J. Rea (Red Bull Rookies Honda) – 8
British 125GP Championship – points after round five
2. Elkin (Honda) – 77 3. M. Wilcox (Honda) – 70 4. S. Neate (Red Bull Rookies Honda) – 49 5. J. Pearson (Honda) – 44 6. K. Weston (Honda) – 43 7. T. Bridewell (Honda) – 37 8. P. Robinson (Honda) – 36 9. J. Dickinson (Honda) – 28 10. R. Saxelby (Honda) – 26
Thruxton – vital statistics Superbike lap record: S. Hislop – 1:15.889 Supersport lap record: S. Easton – 1:17.841 125GP lap record: P. Robinson –1:21.424 2003 Superbike results: Race 1 – 1. S. Byrne; 2. S. Hislop; 3. M. Rutter Race 2 – 1. S. Byrne; 2. M. Rutter; 3. G. Richards 2003 Supersport results: 1. S. Easton; 2. K. Harris; 3. J. Crockford 2003 125GP results: 1. M. Wilcox; 2. D. Coutts; 3. J. Pearson
Profile: Thruxton is a flat airfield circuit with some fast and demanding corners. There are some good vantage points for spectators at the chicane and the ‘complex’ with its right-left swerves, but the variety and speed of the corners pose a challenge for competitors. This ultra-fast Hampshire track is the fastest circuit in the 2004 British Superbike Championship.
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