LAVERTY LOSES TITLE AT DONINGTON DECIDER
19 September 2004 - Honda Racing

Eugene Laverty was denied the British 125GP Championship title after misfortune struck in the final race of the season.

Following a tense battle at the front of the pack, the two Red Bull Rookies Hondas came together at the Esses on lap 12.

The incident, which also caused Gregg Black and Ashley Beech to crash, handed the title to Laverty’s championship rival Christian Elkin. Laverty’s adversary was the only rider at the front of the pack not to be adversely affected by the four-rider collision. He went on to claim the race win and the championship on his Honda RS125.

Toomebridge teenager Laverty entered the final round with a four-point advantage. He had to deny Elkin victory to secure the title. Laverty powered into second position from the grid and was dicing for the lead for the majority of the 15-lap race.

Steven Neate followed his team-mate to the front of the field and had been successfully riding shotgun to aid Laverty’s championship challenge. However, an overtaking manoeuvre into the Esses saw Neate’s back tyre and Laverty’s front tyre touch.

Both riders defiantly re-mounted their Honda RS125s and continued over race distance to complete the event, but were unable to make up on the ground that they had lost. It was an emotional end to a nail-biting race in an ultra-competitive season for Red Bull Rookies Honda.

Eugene Laverty: “It was all going so well right up until the time of the crash. I had a plan in mind as to how the race would materialise, but I hadn’t accounted for the eventual outcome. I’m absolutely devastated, but I’m sure that I can bounce back with the support I have around me. The most frustrating thing is that I could see it all happening in front of me. Another millimetre and everything would have been okay. It’s a hard lesson to learn in the final race of the year.”

Steven Neate: “It’s been a season of ups and downs – no more so than today. I had no idea what was going to happen on the approach to the Esses on that lap. I was just concentrating on my own race and the next thing I knew I was off. I managed to get back on, but I don’t know where I finished. I’m really gutted – not just for Eugene, but also for myself because I felt that it was going to be a good result for Red Bull Rookies Honda.”

Result: 1. C. Elkin (Honda) 25:39.809; 2. M. Gines (Honda) +11.789; 3. J. Morris (Honda) +11.861; 4. J. Dickinson (Honda) +16.778; 5. J. Pearson (Honda) +17.805; 6. A. Walker (Aprilia) +19.142; 7. J. Webb (Honda) +19.294; 8. B. Clark (Honda) +24.364; 9. D. Cooper (Honda) +25.525; 10. T. Hayward (Honda) +25.644; 13. S. Neate (Red Bull Rookies Honda) +42.532; 21. E. Laverty (Red Bull Rookies Honda) +1:02.813

Final points: 1. Elkin – 224; 2. Laverty – 203; 3. Wilcox – 153; 4. Weston – 127; 5. Beech – 106; 6. Pearson – 98; 7. Clark – 92; 8. Bridewell – 88; 9. Dickinson – 84; 10. Neate – 73

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