Pirelli Tyres - BSB Knockhill

ROUND 8 - KNOCKHILLBENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE
Race 1Tom Sykes secured his third win in succession with a dominating performance over the opening 30 lap Superbike race at Knockhill (10 August).
The Rizla Suzuki rider was high on confidence after a double at Oulton Park and two strong rides as a wild card rider in last weekend’s World Superbike meeting at Brands Hatch. Michael Rutter took the early lead, muscling his NW 200 Ducati in purposeful manner as he claimed the drying line just ahead of Sykes.
The Rizla Suzuki rider finally made his move stick at the second time of asking at Seat on lap 9, setting his sights on the chequered flag. Behind Sykes, the action hotted up with Byrne moving through the field to eventually maintain his record of podium finishes. Rutter, leading for the first third, was the man to lose out as James Ellison claimed the final podium spot.
Tom Sykes, Race 1 Winner: "Absolutely fantastic! I said I was happy with the dry setting and with the wet setting and a little bit iffy with the damp setting in qualifying but this morning Rizla Suzuki worked absolutely fantastic and fortunately it was slicks all round. The first couple of laps were sketchy with a couple of moments, then when Rutter put me onto the kerb and the dirty stuff it was really quite a near do but it's one of them things. Third one on the bounce and totally happy with theway things are going and just all credit to the Rizla Suzuki team and it's working perfect and hopefully you know if it stays like this we will have a another go at making it another race win. It's obvious what I'm going to say and I'd just like to dedicate this one to my man Jonesy, good man!"
Race 2The weather was back to haunt the second Superbike race, with heavy rain falling as the riders left on the first of two sighting laps. Race start was delayed as riders returned to pit, changing slicks for Pirelli rain tyres. As the race finally got underway, HM Plant’s Leon Haslam made the early running from pole, eking out a 1.5s gap to the chasing pack.

Haslam looked to be unstoppable, and it would only be a red flag incident on lap 9 that would momentarily halt his charge for his first win of the season. The track was starting to dry, and once again it was all hands on deck as teams scrabbled to select the correct tyre choice. For the so far luckless Karl Harris, the option of slicks would later prove right. The 20 lap restart saw ShaneByrne finally take the lead for the first time this weekend, fending off the challenge from Haslam and Harris. Michael Rutter was starting to close on the Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, and passed him on lap 13.
Cal Crutchlow, starting from the back of the grid, elevated himself up to 8th, but would be denied any more opportunity to gain on Simon Andrews just ahead as Shane Byrne’s Airwaves Ducati let go spectacularly at Seat, throwing the championship leader from the track. The race was instantly red-flagged and result declared as of lap 14, minus Byrne.
For two riders it may not be the way they wanted to claim podiums, but Haslam will be grateful for his debut win of the season, and for Karl Harris the bad luck that has blighted the team all season looks to have gone.

Round 9 takes place at Cadwell Park over the August Bank Holiday weekend (23-25 August).Tom Sykes, Winner Race 2: “We've come this weekend full of confidence and from the last few rounds and the team has made some big progress. We have had troubles, I've had troubles getting to grips with the Honda.
The last few rounds I've been feeling really confident with the bike and the team have been really behind me and I was so disappointed after that electrical problem in the first race and it could have been another win there but to do it in the second race on my spare bike I'm just over the moon. It was mega difficult to pass and back markers started to come into play and I managed to reel him back in but he (Shane Byrne) did go down pretty hard and I'm just glad really he's ok and we can have another battle next time with each other.”