Byrne to continue early season domination

BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
Round four – Donington Park – Spring Bank Holiday Monday 26 May

Shane Byrne is the rider in form in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and he intends to continue his dominant run in the country’s premier series in the fourth round at the Donington Park grand prix circuit on Spring Bank Holiday Monday 26 May.

The Airwaves Ducati rider has won four of the six races so far, finishing second in the other two, as he bids to regain the crown he won some five years ago, but he feels that his record should be better, having missed out on completing a second winning double of the season at Brands Hatch.

“I really wanted to bring the team another another double there, we had the pace, but it wasn’t to be. We secured some good championship points though and I will come back even stronger at Donington,” promised Byrne, a message that will have the alarm bells ringing in the ears of his rivals.

Cal Crutchlow goes into the action at the Leicestershire parkland circuit in second place in the rankings, though 44 points adrift. The Coventry rider powered through the pain barrier of a dislocated right ankle and ruptured ligaments to take his second victory of the season at the Kent circuit.

“I am here to race and to win races,” said Crutchlow who was the British Supersport title holder in 2006 and who is determined to add to his collection of silverware this time around aboard the HM Plant Honda.

His team-mate, the local race-ace Leon Haslam, is hoping to use his home circuit to good effect as he plays catch-up in the title stakes. He knows that nothing less than an action replay of his winning double of last season will suffice is he is put his challenge firmly back on track.

The Derbyshire rider is currently sixth in the standings, adrift of Leon Camier riding the second Airwaves bike and former Superbike Cup winner and MotoGP rider James Ellison who is impressing aboard the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda.

Michael Rutter cannot be ruled out of a surprise result – he won the first of the modern era Superbike races at the circuit back in 1995 on a Ducati, and now back with that marque in North West 200 colours is riding strongly alongside Relentless Suzuki’s Michael Laverty, Tom Sykes on the Rizla Suzuki and Stuart Easton riding MSS Discovery Kawasaki.

John Laverty, riding the Buildbase NW200 Ducati looks all set to continue his domination of the Daily Star Cup.

Around the two Superbike races, there is action in the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship, which has produced three winners in as many rounds: Steve Brogan riding HM Plant Honda; Hudson Kennaugh on the Raceways Yamaha and Glen Richards on a MAP Embassy Triumph. Adding spice to that will be World championship contenders Andrew Pitt and Jonathan Rea aboard the Hannspree Hondas and Craig Jones on the Parkalgar Honda.

Steve Brogan and Derby’s Jon Kirkham will continue their duel for the Metzeler Superstock 1000 title, with Kirkham also expected to star in the Henderson Yamaha R1 Cup. Add to that action from the Relentless British 125GP Championship, the KTM SuperDuke Battle and the Metzeler National Superstock 600 Championship and there is full sporting programme.

And, on Bank Holiday Sunday, immediately following the grid deciding session for the Superbikes there is the British round of the World Sidecar Championship in which Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance need victory to speed their way towards retention of the title.

Superbikes on track
Saturday 24 May
10.20-11.10 and 15.25-16.15 free practice
Sunday 25 May
10.25-11.15 free practice
14.10-15.00 Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole grid deciding session
Monday 26 May
09.15-09.30 Warm-up practice
13.00 Race one – 20 laps
15.30 Race two – 20 laps

Lap Records
Lap records – 2.5 mile Grand Prix circuit
Superbike Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1m 30.899s, 99.01mph, 23/09/07
Supersport Katsuaki Fujiwara, Honda, 1m 33.848s, 95.89mph, 01/04/07
Superstock Michele Pirro, Yamaha, 1m 34.653s, 95.08mph, 01/04/07
125GP Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 1:37.312s, 92.48mph, 02/07/06
600 Superstock Domenico Colucci, Ducati, 1m 36.677s, 93.08mph, 01/04/07
Yamaha R1 to be established
KTM 990 Pauli Pekkanen, KTM, 1m 41.450s, 88.71mph, 24/06/07

Flashback
Round 12 23 September 2007
Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Pole: T Sykes Honda 1:30.901
Race One – 20 laps
1 L Haslam Ducati 30:37.871
2 T Sykes Honda 30:39.287
3 S Byrne Honda 30:39.497
4 G Lavilla Ducati 30:47.085
5 J Rea Honda 30:49.905
6 C Walker Suzuki 30:53.386
Fastest lap: R Kiyonari, Honda, 1:30.899
Race Two – 20 laps
1 L Haslam Ducati 30:35.829
2 T Sykes Honda 30:35.885
3 R Kiyonari Honda 30:39.245
4 C Walker Suzuki 30:42.961
5 G Lavilla Ducati 30:48.128
6 S Byrne Honda 30:52.396
Fastest lap: R Kiyonari, Honda, 1:30.943
British Superbike Cup
Race One
1 T Palmer, Honda, 1:3.932
Race Two
1 T Palmer, Honda, 31:43.147

Riders View
“My local circuit, 20 minutes from home, and the Grand Prix circuit, so there is always a mega atmosphere there and for me it is all the more special after my winning double there last year,” Leon Haslam, HM Plant Honda

Superbikes on television
British Eurosport 2
Mon 26 May
1230-1630 LIVE raceday
2045-2145 Highlights
Tue 27 May
1945-2045 Highlights
Wed 28 May
1915-2030 Highlights
Thu 29 May
2000-2100 Bennetts British Superbikes Extra
Sat 31 May
1915-2045 Highlights
Tue 03 June
1730-1900 Highlights
Wed 4 June
1915-2030 Highlights
Fri 06 June
1700-1830 Highlights
Sat 07 June
1830-1930 Highlights
Mon 09 June
2100-2230 Highlights
Tue 10 June
2030-2200 Highlights
Sat 14 June
1000-1100 Highlights
Channel 4
Wed 28 May
01.00-02.05 Highlights