British Superbike News

Rizla Suzuki

Rizla has sponsored Suzuki for the past seven years but a statement has been released confirming that they will no longer be backing the factory team.

Paul Denning, Crescent Suzuki’s Managing Director has said,

“We thank all at Imperial Tobacco for Rizla’s support over the last seven years;  We have enjoyed a very close, proactive relationship and achieved great success on and off the track.

Rizla Suzuki British Superbike team will be remembered as one of the most colourful, successful and popular teams of the decade and that is no small part due to Rizla’s enthusiasm as a sponsor.

Crescent will continue with its BSB activities and we are grateful for the full backing and support of Suzuki.

Obviously, there are pressures upon a team when it loses its main sponsor but we are actively discussing alternative opportunities.

British Superbikes has been enriched by the Rizla Suzuki era and now we will move forward and write a new chapter - one we hope will be steeped in success, starting with the new signing Sylvain Guintoli and the awesome 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000.”

Shane Byrne - Brands Hatch 2008

Shane Byrne won both races at Brands Hatch yesterday in his final weekend in the British Superbike Championship.

Race 1

Cal Crutchlow on the HM Plant Honda took the lead of race one into the first corner but on the second lap, Byrne dived up the inside heading towards Druids to take his place at the front.

The battle for second place was taking place behind between James Ellison on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda, Leon Haslam on the second HM Plant Honda and Leon Camier on the Airwaves Ducati.

At one point it looked as if Haslam would pass Ellison, but he wasn’t close enough, giving Ellison a chance too pull away from him.

Rizla Suzuki rider Tom Sykes was tailing Camier, followed by Michael Laverty on the TAS Relentless Suzuki and Michael Rutter on the North West 200 Ducati.  Laverty’s race ended on lap twenty-seven while running in eighth place.

Here are the results;

1. Shane Byrne Airwaves Ducati 23.21.717
2. Cal Crutchlow HM Plant Honda 23.23.609
3. James Ellison Hydrex Bike Animal Honda 23.23.861
4. Leon Haslam HM Plant Honda 23.23.907
5. Leon Camier Airwaves Ducati 23.27.464
6. Tom Sykes Rizla Suzuki 23.28.276
7. Michael Rutter North West 200 Ducati 23.41.052
8. Simon Andrews Lloyds British Jentin Yamaha 23.41.719
9. Jon Kirkham Rob Mac Racing Yamaha 23.45.245
10. Tristan Palmer Tena for Men Honda 23.46.958
11. Gary Mason Quay Garage Honda 23.46.975
12. Billy McConnell MSS Discovery Kawasaki 23.48.052
13. John Laverty Buildbase North West 200 Ducati 23.48.052
14. Atsushi Watanabe Rizla Suzuki 23.53.059
15. Jason O’Halloran SMT Honda 23.58.862
16. Guy Martin Hydrex Bike Animal Honda 23.58.902

Race 2

Leon Haslam led the race from lap one and by lap three, he had set the fastest time, but nearing the end of the race he started to lose time giving Shane Byrne the chance that he was waiting for.

Byrne took the lead from Haslam on the final lap of the race at McLaren forcing Haslam to run wide and move to the second step of the podium.

Byrne’s team-mate, Leon Camier took the final place on the podium after slipping past Cal Crutchlow on the HM Plant Honda.

Tom Sykes on the Rizla Suzuki was battling it out with James Ellison on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda until lap twenty-five ended Sykes hope when his machine developed a mechanical problem.

Michael Laverty on the Relentless Suzuki suffered further problems in race two and was seen going into the pits on lap two due to further mechanical issues.

Here are the results;

1. Shane Byrne Airwaves Ducati 23.21.124
2. Leon Haslam HM Plant Honda 23.22.941
3. Leon Camier Airwaves Ducati 23.25.429
4. Cal Crutchlow HM Plant Honda 23.29.685
5. James Ellison Hydrex Bike Animal Honda 23.30.907
6. Michael Rutter North West 200 Ducati 23.32.524
7. Simon Andrews Lloyds British Jentin Yamaha 23.45.389
8. John Laverty Buildbase North West 200 Ducati 23.46.968
9. Gary Mason Quay Garage Honda 23.46.991
10. Jon Kirkham Rob Mac Racing Yamaha 23.54.225
11. Chris Burns STP Superbike MV Augusta 23.56.605
12. Jason O’Halloran SMT Honda 23.56.638
13. Tristan Palmer Tena for Men Honda 23.59.512
14. Atsushi Watanabe Rizla Suzuki 24.02.517
15. Guy Martin Hydrex Bike Animal Honda 24.02.749
16. Peter Hickman Red Viper Racing Honda 24.03.117

Shane Byrne - Brands Hatch Qualifying

ucati, claimed his fifth pole position of the season today for the final round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch.

Leon Haslam on the HM Plant Honda took second place despite a heavy crash at the beginning of the session and suffering a bruised shoulder, followed by team-mate Cal Crutchlow in third.

Rizla Suzuki rider, Tom Sykes, completed the front row of the grid ahead of tomorrows final race and who is still in with a chance for that runner-up prize.

James Ellison on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda, took fifth position to start the second row alongside Leon Camier on the second Airwaves Ducati.

Relentless Suzuki rider, Michael Laverty, finished in seventh place followed by MIchael Rutter on the North West 200 Ducati and Jon Kirkham on the Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, who is replacing Karl Harris this weekend after withdrawing due to personal problems.

Simon Andrews on the Lloyds British Jentin Yamaha completed the top ten riders.

Here are the results;

Pos – Rider – Bike – Team – 1st Quali – 2nd Quali – 3rd Quali

1 - Shane Byrne - Ducati - Airwaves Ducati - 46.512 - 46.081 - 45.799
2 - Leon Haslam - Honda - HM Plant Honda - 46.341 - 46.485 - 46.096
3 - Cal Crutchlow - Honda - HM Plant Honda - 46.256 - 46.493 - 46.118
4 - Tom Sykes - Suzuki - Rizla Suzuki - 46.616 - 46.508 - 46.201
5 - James Ellison - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 46.571 - 46.525 - 46.255
6 - Leon Camier - Ducati - Airwaves Ducati - 46.457 - 46.408 - 46.303
7 - Michael Laverty - Suzuki - Relentless Suzuki by TAS - 46.995 - 46.562 - 46.513
8 - Michael Rutter - Ducati - North West 200 Ducati - 46.582 - 46.445 - 46.518
9 - John Kirkham - Yamaha - Team Yamaha - 46.889 - 46.603 - 46.560
10 - Simon Andrews - Yamaha - Jentin Racing / Lloyds British - 46.952 - 46.602 - 46.579
11 - Billy Mcconnell - Kawasaki - MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 46.996 - 46.682
12 - Atsushi Watanabe - Suzuki - Rizla Suzuki - 47.011 - 46.842
13 - John Laverty - Ducati - Buildbase NW200 Ducati - 47.028 - 46.853
14 - Tristan Palmer - Honda - Tena for Men Honda - 47.132 - 46.857
15 - David Johnson - Honda - Team MAXXIS - 47.027 - 46.936
16 - Gary Mason - Honda - Quay Garage - 47.192 - 46.951
17 - Stuart Easton - Kawasaki - MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 47.058 - 46.979
18 - Guy Martin - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 47.311 - 47.082
19 - Shannon Etheridge - Kawasaki - MAR Adept - 47.207 - 47.100
20 - Scott Smart - Kawasaki - Hawk Racing - 47.249 - 47.197
21 - Jason O’halloran - Honda - SMT Honda - 47.346
22 - Peter Hickman - Honda - Red Viper Racing - 47.383
23 - Francis Williamson - Ducati - Moto Rapido Racing - 47.647
24 - Victor Cox - Yamaha -STP Superbike - 47.654
25 - Chris Burns - MV Agusta - STP Superbike - 47.693
26 - Leon Morris - Ducati - Brookspeed - 47.781
27 - Tom Tunstall - Honda - Hardinge - Ice Valley Motorsport - 47.786
28 - Malcolm Ashley - Kawasaki - MAR Adept - 48.059
29 - Martin Jessopp - Honda - Riders Racing - 48.512

Fans will flock to Brands Hatch this weekend to bid a fond farewell to the popular British Superbike champion Shane Byrne in his final race before departing for the World Superbike series next season.

Local boy Shane (Shakey) Byrne began his career at Brands Hatch and is expected to put on a show after clinching the British Superbike championship in the last round at Silverstone, his second BSB title in five years.

Those who have followed ‘Shakey’ throughout his career will know that despite already having won this years title, he will not be content unless he finishes on the top step of the podium at Brands Hatch. That may be easier said than done as no less than four of Byrne’s rivals are set to fight it out for the BSB runners up spot.

The British Superbike results from the last Brands Hatch meeting saw Shane Byrne winning race one with the second race going to Cal Crutchlow. Crutchlow currently sits in fourth place of the championship just ahead of another local rider Leon Camier who will be keen to shine at Brands.

They will both be slugging it out for the runners up position with third placed Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam who currently sits in second place in the Championship.

Of the four Leon Haslam is the current man in form having been the top points scorer in the previous four rounds, but they all share the same desire to end the season as runner up to Byrne, as best of the rest.

Ironically this will also be the final British Superbike race for Leon Haslam, Tom Sykes and Cal Crutchlow, with Haslam and Sykes joining Shane Byrne in World Superbike next year and Crutchlow departing for World Supersport, so everyone involved will be keen to finish this series on a high.

The latest British Superbike news from Brands Hatch is that Leon Haslam is setting the pace in free practise, of course that doesn’t count for much when it comes to the actual race, but one thing is certain,  the scene is set for  a grand finale to this years series.

Atsushi Watanabe

Atsushi Watanabe the Japanese rider has signed to ride with the Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing team for 2009.

Watanabe was the 2002 and 2007 Japanese Superbike Champion and has been partnering Tom Sykes in the British Superbike Championship in 2008 for the Rizla Suzuki team.

The 32-year-old rider, will be racing the all new GSX-R1000 for the Irish based team in his second year of BSB.  The team principle, Philip Neill said;

“We are very pleased to have secured Atsushi’s services for the 2009 British Superbike Championship and we look forward to welcoming, both he and his wife, to our base in Northern Ireland.  We trust they will enjoy the Irish hospitality and also our way of life.

Atsushi is obviously an immensely talented rider, indicated not only by his results, but also by his status in Japan with Suzuki.  He brings a wealth of experience to our team and his development experience throughout the GSX-R range, will I’m sure, prove to be invaluable.  Everyone at TAS Racing is excited about this new chapter and we’re already looking forward to testing and developing the 2009 GSX-R1000 with Atsushi in the coming months.”

Atsushi said,

“After enjoying my first season in BSB, I’m now very excited to be joining the Relentless Suzuki team for 2009.  I am aware of their past results and pedigree, both in British championship and also in international road racing, so I am confident that we can move forward together in 2009 with the all new GSX R1000 Suzuki.”