SECOND ROW START FOR BYRNE
22 July 2006 - Rizla-Suzuki

Rizla Suzuki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne will start tomorrow’s double-header ninth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park from fifth place on the grid.

The Zurich-based Londoner only completed one lap on a qualifying tyre after spending time building confidence in the front end of his Rizla Suzuki. He will try minor changes to both his bikes in tomorrow’s warm-up before deciding on a final setting for the races.

Standing in for the injured James Haydon, Steve Plater qualified on the fourth row of the grid in 16th place. He continues to build his pace after a six-week break from racing.
Honda’s Karl Harris took pole position.

James Haydon is at Oulton Park lending his support to the Rizla Suzuki team and will be joining ITV1 as a guest commentator for the races tomorrow when coverage starts at 1500.

Shane Byrne:

“I am not riding my Rizla Suzuki exactly the way I want to. I am tiptoeing into corners instead of throwing the bike in like I want to; it just isn’t giving me the feeling and feedback it normally does. We will be trying a couple of changes for tomorrow morning to see if we can sort it out.

“I only had one lap on a qualifier and it was my fastest. It’s a shame I didn’t get another lap on a qualifier because I could’ve gone faster again but I’ll take fifth on the grid with a smile - it’s on the outside of the track so is a good place to start.”

Steve Plater:

“I’ve been working on getting feeling and confidence in my bike. We tried a few things with the forks and tested various tyres and I think we made good progress.

“The pace this weekend has been red hot and I’ll be working with my mechanics this evening on ideas to try in morning warm up. I’ve always been a better racer than qualifier and I hope I can get away and challenge for the top 10 tomorrow.”

Niall Mackenzie - Race Operations Manager:

“Shakey is riding well on race tyres and if he can get a good start from fifth on the grid he will certainly be in contention. He has recorded his fastest ever lap of Oulton Park today and if his mechanics can deliver the front-end feeling he wants in time for the races then he is going to be a happy man.

“Steve is doing a solid job. He is riding safely and building his speed gradually. For never having ridden the bike before practice yesterday morning, to qualify just 1.7secs behind his team mate is no mean feat. If he can continue his progress then he should be able to out perform his starting position and score points.”

Qualifying Times: 1: Karl Harris (Honda) 1:34.515, 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.219, 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.548, 4: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.806, 5: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +1.068, 6: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +1.269, 7: Michael Rutter (Honda) +1.296, 8: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +1.478, 9: Glen Richards (Honda) +1.731, 10: Michael Laverty (Honda) +2.322. 16: Steve Plater (Rizla Suzuki) +2.753.

Audi Performance Award: 1: Haslam 60, 2: Lavilla 55, 3: Harris 45, 4: Kiyonari 37, 5: Rea 34, 6: Rutter 30, 7: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) 24, 8: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 12, 9: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 11, 10=: Laverty, Hill 8.

www.rizla-suzuki.co.uk

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