British Superbike News

Round Eight At Knockhill

Joy Ryder - Tuesday 12.08.08, 13:43pm

Tom Sykes

Tom Sykes on the Rizla Suzuki, took victory in the first race in round eight at Knockhill on Sunday, with the second race being won by Leon Haslam on the HM Plant Honda.

Race One

Sykes took second place off the line after qualifying on the second row, as Michael Rutter on the North West 200 Ducati, led the race.

Leon Haslam was in third place after starting from pole position until he crashed out on lap ten, with his team-mate Cal Crutchlow having already crashed on lap six, a bit of a disaster for the Honda team.

Sykes almost high-sided off his bike as he attempted to get past Rutter, who shut the door forcing Sykes onto the curb. He finally got past Rutter on lap nine and Shane Byrne past the Ducati rider on lap twenty to take second place.

James Ellison on the Hydrex-Bike Animal Honda, past Rutter next to claim the final place on the podium.

Scott Smart crashed out on lap nineteen on the Hawk Kawasaki, and on the next lap there was a coming together for the MSS Discovery Kawasaki rider, Billy McConnell and the Rizla Suzuki rider, Atsushi Watanabe. Watanabe was seen being carried off track on a stretcher, although it is believed he is only badly bruised.

Lap twenty-seven, saw Shane Byrne making contact with the MV Agusta rider Chris Burns, nearly losing his second position.

Here are the results;

Pos – Rider – Bike – Team – Time

1 - Tom Sykes - Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki - 25:09.296
2 - Shane Byrne - Ducati – Airwaves Ducati - 25:12.389
3 - James Ellison - Honda – Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 25:12.775
4 - Michael Rutter - Ducati – North West 200 Ducati - 25:15.048
5 - Leon Camier - Ducati – Airwaves Ducati - 25:18.641
6 - Michael Laverty - Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS - 25:18.757
7 - Karl Harris - Yamaha – Team Yamaha - 25:28.347
8 - Simon Andrews - Yamaha – Jentin Racing / Lloyds British - 25:45.351
9 - Tristan Palmer - Honda – Tena for Men Honda - 25:48.393
10 - Gary Mason - Honda – Quay Garage - 25:49.317
11 - Tom Grant - Honda – SMT Honda - 25:49.377
12 - Steve Mercer - Kawasaki – MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 25:10.086
13 - David Johnson - Honda – Team MAXXIS - 25:17.264
14 - Martin Jessopp - Honda – Riders Racing - 25:18.241
15 - Chris Burns - MV Agusta – STP Superbike - 25:19.257
16 - Leon Morris - Ducati – Brookspeed - 25:39.011
17 - Aaron Zanotti - Honda – Red Viper Racing - 25:46.845
18 - Tom Tunstall - Honda – Hardinge – Ice Valley Motorsport - 25:52.310
19 - Shannon Etheridge - Kawasaki – MAR Adept - 25:13.987
20 - Michael Howarth - Honda – Tena for Men Honda - 25:27.590

Not Classified

DNF - Billy McConnell - Kawasaki – MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 18:10.609
DNF - Atsushi Watanabe - Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki - 16:27.886
DNF - Scott Smart - Kawasaki – Hawk Racing - 15:24.634
DNF - Kenny Gilbertson - Kawasaki – Astro Racing Kawasaki - 13:15.947
DNF - Leon Haslam - Honda – HM Plant Honda - 9:53.231
DNF - Guy Martin - Honda – Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 5:08.270
DNF - Cal Crutchlow - Honda – HM Plant Honda - 2:39.390
DNF - Dean Ellison - Yamaha – Co-ordit Racing - 3:18.893

Race Two

Leon Haslam took victory in the second race of the day at Knockhill after Shane Byrne crashed out and the race had to be stopped.

The race had previously been stopped after a three bike crash between Tom Grant, Kenny Gilbertson and David Johnson, on the ninth lap.

As the red flag was waved, Haslam was in the lead followed by Byrne, Rutter and Crutchlow. The race would now consist of only twenty laps.

Some of the riders had to restart the race from the pit lane as they had not got out in time, including, Cal Crutchlow and Guy Martin.

Here are the results;

Pos – Rider – Bike – Team – Time

1 - Leon Haslam - Honda – HM Plant Honda - 11:58.300
2 - Michael Rutter - Ducati – North West 200 Ducati - 12:01.514
3 - Karl Harris - Yamaha – Team Yamaha - 12:01.841
4 - Tom Sykes - Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki - 12:01.980
5 - James Ellison - Honda – Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 12:04.891
6 - Simon Andrews - Yamaha – Jentin Racing / Lloyds British - 12:14.176
7 - Cal Crutchlow - Honda – HM Plant Honda - 12:14.839
8 - Leon Camier - Ducati – Airwaves Ducati - 12:16.908
9 - Billy McConnell - Kawasaki – MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 12:21.728
10 - Chris Burns - MV Agusta – STP Superbike - 12:24.739
11 - Steve Mercer - Kawasaki – MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 12:24.905
12 - Tristan Palmer - Honda – Tena for Men Honda - 11:38.548
13 - Scott Smart - Kawasaki – Hawk Racing - 11:44.627
14 - Guy Martin - Honda – Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 11:46.835
15 - Atsushi Watanabe - Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki - 11:47.653
16 - Martin Jessopp - Honda – Riders Racing - 12:00.088
17 - Gary Mason - Honda – Quay Garage - 12:00.247
18 - Michael Howarth - Honda – Tena for Men Honda - 12:01.172
19 - Dean Ellison - Yamaha – Co-ordit Racing - 12:09.165
20 - Tom Tunstall - Honda – Hardinge – Ice Valley Motorsport - 12:16.967
21 - Michael Laverty - Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS - 12:18.095
22 - Shannon Etheridge - Kawasaki – MAR Adept - 12:20.258
23 - Aaron Zanotti - Honda – Red Viper Racing - 12:04.868