BRANDS HATCH GEARS UP FOR START OF BRITISH SUPERBIKES ON MARCH 26
21 March 2006 - MotorSport Vision

Shane Byrne returns to fight for UK’s top bike racing championship

The Bennetts British Superbike Championship is widely regarded as the world’s best national bike racing series, and attracts some of the finest riders from around the world. The 2006 season gets underway at Brands Hatch this weekend (March 25/26) with the first major race meeting of the circuit’s 80th anniversary year. Local hero Shane “Shakey” Byrne returns to his home circuit with the aim of regaining the championship title he took in 2003.

The Sheppey rider raced in MotoGP for two years after winning the BSB title but now, back to racing in the UK with the frontrunning Rizla Suzuki squad, Byrne is one of the favourites for victory this weekend, and to challenge last year’s champion Gregorio Lavilla for the overall title.

Both Shakey and the Spaniard have been quick in pre-season testing and with Lavilla riding for the same Airwaves Ducati squad who took him to last year''s title, he has consistency on his side. Their closest challenger could well be the man who pushed Lavilla so close in the race for the 2005 championship - HM Plant Honda''s Ryuichi Kiyonari. The Japanese rider was awesome at the Brands season opener in 2005 and took pole position, two fastest laps and two wins, but dropped back in the title race after an early season crash.

Along with Lavilla and Kiyonari, their respective team-mates Leon Haslam and Karl Harris have the speed to win; both just need to build on consistency for this season. At Virgin Mobile Yamaha, Tommy Hill will be looking to add to his first BSB win he took last season, and it will be interesting to see how Michael Rutter performs after switching from the HM Plant to Stobart Honda squad. Byrne’s team-mate, James Haydon, had a tough 2005 season which was blighted by injury at the start of the year, but he proved his pace with good results for several different squads throughout the year.

With competitive teams from five manufacturers - Honda, Ducati, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki, any one of more than 10 riders could win the opening round and challenge for the 2006 title.

As well as two British Superbike races on Sunday, there will be a host of support action. Competing in the Supersports will be Ashford’s Leon Camier, the reigning British Supersport Champion. Despite winning four times on his way to the title last year, none of Camier’s victories were on home ground – that’s something he’ll be keen to put right from the start of 2006.

Tickets for the BSB meeting cost £26 per adult on the gate, with children aged 12 and under admitted free. Qualifying starts at 9:00am on Saturday, with BSB qualifying at 12:15pm. Racing starts at 12:30pm on Sunday with the first of two BSB races at 1:15pm. The pit walkabout and autograph session will be at 11:35am.

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