British Superbike News

British Superbikes Championship At Mallory Park 2009

Joy Ryder - Monday 20.07.09, 22:09pm

James Ellison - Airwaves Yamaha - Mallory Park 2009

It was an incident filled race one at Mallory Park yesterday with the Airwaves Yamaha men, James Ellison winning race one and Leon Camier taking race two.

Race One

James Ellison won the first race of the seventh round of the British Superbike Championship yesterday after the race was red-flagged with seven laps remaining.

Chris Walker on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha was the initial leader after Leon Camier, on the second Airwaves Yamaha, was almost caught-up with Richard Cooper on the Team Co-Ordit Yamaha, who went down in front of him, bringing Camier to a virtual halt and down into twenty-third place.

On lap 4, Walker was passed by MSS Colchester Kawasaki rider Simon Andrews, who within two laps had created a gap of 1.5 seconds before once again battling with Tommy Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki and Walker.

Andrews led for the majority of the race and looked certain of his first win until disaster happened on lap 22, while Hill was behind in second and Walker in third.

Josh Brookes on the HM Plant Honda, was running in fourth position when he suddenly appeared up the inside, going into Shaw’s hairpin, passing Walker and then lost control as he passed Hill, sliding across the track directly in front of Hill and side-swiping Andrews off his bike from the lead. Unable to avoid the incident in front of them, Chris Walker, Tommy Hill, Karl Harris and John Laverty all went down bringing out the red flag.

According to the regulation, only the riders that are still racing can be counted the moment the red flag is shown, therefore, the front six runners that were involved in the accident had crashed and were not racing.

James Ellison, who had been sitting in seventh position was therefore handed the win much too the surprise of Simon Andrews who felt that the race should have been his.

Leon Camier, who had clawed his way back up the grid and finished in second place followed by Graeme Gowland on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha, who was on the podium for the first time in third place.

Michael Rutter on the SMT Honda took fourth ahead of Julien De Costa on the MSS Colchester Kawasaki and Cup rider Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda.

Steve Brogan, replacing the injured Glen Richards for the HM Plant Honda team, finished in seventh followed by Ian Lowry on the Relentless Suzuki in eighth, David Johnson on the Team Maxxis Yamaha in ninth and Tristan Palmer on the Buildbase Kawasaki completing the top ten.

Stuart Easton retired from the race after suffering problems on the Hydrex Honda along with Aaron Zanotti on the Red Viper Honda and Michael Howarth on the STP-JHS MV Agusta.

Here are the results;

1. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 21mins 01.786secs 22 laps
2. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha +4.345secs
3. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +7.401secs
4. Michael Rutter GBR SMT Honda +9.701secs
5. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki +12.870secs
6. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +13.504secs Cup
7. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +15.617secs
8. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +17.531secs
9. David Johnson AUS Team Maxxis Adept Yamaha +18.568secs
10. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +20.443secs
11. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +20.614secs Cup
12. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +22.413secs Cup
13. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda +28.248secs Cup
14. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki +32.548secs
15. Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki +32.825secs Cup

16. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda +1 lap Cup

Not classified:

17. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki 22 laps completed
18. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda 22 laps completed
19. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 22 laps completed
20. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki 22 laps completed
21. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda 22 laps completed
22. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki 22 laps completed
23. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 12 laps completed
24. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda 10 laps completed
25. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta 7 laps completed
26. Richard Cooper GBR Co-ordit Yamaha 0 laps completed Cup

Race Two

The second race of the day was red flagged after just sixteen laps as standing water on the track at Gerrards corner made riding conditions treacherous.

It was Leon Camier on the Airwaves Yamaha that took the victory in the second race of the day, ahead of team-mate James Ellison in second and Chris Walker on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha in third.

Walker took the lead as the race got underway followed by Tommy Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki and Cup rider Richard Cooper on the Co-Ordit Yamaha. Cooper passed Hill on the inside heading into the chicane followed by Camier, as Walker got his head down and pulled away from the pack.

Cooper then began chasing down Walker and passed as Camier started to put the pressure on the Motorpoint rider, passing him briefly but losing it until lap 8, when he made the move stick.

Camier passed Cooper on lap 9 and sped off into the distance as his team-mate first passed Walker and then Cooper to grab the second step of the podium.

Walker passed Cooper on lap 14 as they went into the hairpin with John Laverty moving up into fourth on the following lap as the red flag was raised and the race stopped.

In sixth place was Michael Rutter on the SMT Honda followed by Karl Harris on the Hydrex Honda in seventh, Tommy Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki in eighth, Steve Brogan on the HM Plant Honda in ninth and Julian Da Costa on the MSS Colchester Kawasaki completing the top ten riders.

Josh Brookes, HM Plant Honda rider, did not take part in race two after suffering a broken thumb in the race one accident.

Brookes has since received a two-race ban from the British Superbike Championship after being found guilty of reckless riding. The Honda rider has also received a one race, suspended for two events.

Worthy of a ban or just a racing incident, I’m not sure, what do you think?

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 15mins 34.550secs 15 laps
2. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +2.032
3. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +3.738secs
4. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +4.385secs
5. Richard Cooper GBR Co-ordit Yamaha +5.134secs Cup
6. Michael Rutter GBR SMT Honda +6.504secs
7. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +8.580secs
8. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +18.674secs
9. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +27.661secs
10. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki +27.904secs
11. David Johnson AUS Team Maxxis Adept Yamaha +36.805secs
12. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +37.624secs
13. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +44.808secs
14. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +50.870secs Cup
15. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +52.800secs

16. Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki +55.625secs Cup
17. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda +57.119secs Cup
18. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +59.479secs Cup
19. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki +1 lap
20. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +1 lap
21. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda +1 lap
22. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda +1 lap Cup
23. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta +2 laps