FAIRY TALE RETURN TO CADWELL PARK FOR YUKI
30 August 2004 - Rizla-Suzuki

ONE-YEAR after suffering a near fatal accident at Cadwell Park, Rizla Suzuki superstar Yukio Kagayama took an emotional victory and a podium third on his courageous return to the Lincolnshire circuit and the 11th round of the Think! British Superbike Championship.

Yuki absolutely decimated the opposition in the second race of the day, which was run under wet but drying conditions, leading from start to finish and never looking like he would be challenged. When he crossed the finish line, the nearly 40,000 strong crowd went wild with delight - using shouts, screams, air-horns and applause, they left the Japanese rider in no doubt how much they have taken him to their hearts.

His fourth win of the season, on top of a third in the first race, takes Yuki to within six points of third place in the overall standings with two of his favourite circuits still to come at Oulton and Donington Park. It also marks Rizla Suzuki''s 22nd consecutive rostrum of the year out of 22 starts - including nine victories - giving Suzuki a strong 77-point lead in the manufacturers table with just 100-points left to score.

Championship leader John Reynolds did not finish the first race after tumbling off his Rizla Suzuki, but scored a solid eighth place in the second event to go into the final two rounds of the Championship with a healthy 33-point advantage over his nearest rival Michael Rutter, who won the first and failed to finish in the second race.

The 12th and penultimate round of the 2005 Championship takes place at Oulton Park on September 12th, the scene of Rizla Suzuki''s double 1-2 victory celebrations earlier in the season and a happy hunting ground for the team.

Yuki:
''Before I come here, I had many bad memories of Cadwell Park from last year and my big accident. But now I have only good memories and thoughts. I wanted so much to win and beat Cadwell Park. I am so happy.

''Thank you my fans for supporting me and my team for helping me so much to win this race. Now, one year later, I have finished with bad memories and my body is nearly completely healed. How you say? This is full circle. I now want to win more races this year and help John-san to take title for best team in British Superbikes, Rizla Suzuki!''

JR:
''I normally shift from fourth to third on the change of direction at turn one. I missed getting the bike into third and ran wide and crashed early on in the first race. Luckily I wasn''t hurt physically, although my Championship hopes took a bit of a fall in that turn. Thank you to all the fans along the start-finish straight who cheered and applauded as I walked back to the pits, you gave me a big lift just when I needed it most.

''Race two and the wet but drying conditions are probably the worst for any rider to try and race under. It''s a tyre lottery and even then, you can be caught out very quickly by track conditions. I rode as hard as I could with my bike and tyre set-up and was determined to finish at all costs. I achieved that and stole a few points back on Michael in the process. It''s game on for the Championship still. Oulton Park where we visit next is historically a good track for Rizla Suzuki. I''ll be looking for a change in my recent fortune when we go there in two weeks time and need to win races.''

Paul Denning, team manager:
''Yukio Kagayama is a true hero. He showed determination, effort, riding ability and sheer courage on his Rizla Suzuki at Cadwell Park today, especially when you consider the life-threatening crash he suffered here last August. It is a fairy tale ending for a very difficult time in general for Yuki and the whole team salutes him as the world-class rider and competitor he is.

''JR had a challenging day but he leaves here leading the series and still very much the man everyone else needs to beat. Oulton Park is a circuit where Rizla Suzuki scored its best ever results last time we visited and we''ll be looking for more of the same in a fortnight''s time. The Championship is still JR''s aim and Yuki is back on track to challenge for third in the series; those are the targets and we have the riders, the bikes and the team to achieve them.''

Race One Result: 1: Michael Rutter (Honda) 22:31.896, 2: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.195, 3: YUKIO KAGAYAMA (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.493, 4: James Haydon (Yamaha) +7.093, 5: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +8.034, 6: Dean Thomas (Ducati) +9.011, 7: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +12.671, 8: Kieran Clarke (Yamaha) +13.291, 9: John McGuinness (Kawasaki) +1lap, 10: Sean Emmett (Ducati) +1lap.

Race Two Result: 1: YUKIO KAGAYAMA (RIZLA SUZUKI) 27:37.598, 2: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +6.592, 3: Emmett +27.925, 4: Thomas +28.001, 5: Richards +30.238, 6: Haydon +45.587, 7: Clarke + 48.132, 8: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +52.300, 9: McGuinness +1:03.422, 10: James Ellison (Yamaha) +1:07.207.

Championship Positions: 1: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 370, 2: Rutter 337, 3: Smart 296, 4: YUKIO KAGAYAMA (RIZLA SUZUKI) 290, 5: Emmett 262, 6: Kiyonari 170, 7: Haydon 155, 8: Thomas 155, 9: Hill 116, 10: Mason 100.

www.rizla-suzuki.co.uk

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