BSB 2014 – Round two – Oulton Park
Datatag Extreme Superbike Qualifying:
- Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 1m:34.557s
- Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.327s
- James Ellison (Lloyds British GBmoto Racing Kawasaki) +0.381s
- Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.879s
- Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +0.939s
- Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.992s
Shane “Shakey” Byrne overcame the issues of the opening day at Oulton Park to fire in a lap under the lap record to claim his first pole position of the 2014 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship season.
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Byrne broke the challenge of Aussie Josh Brookes at the Cheshire circuit with a stunning lap of the 2.69-mile circuit as he bids to add to his winning tally from the opening round at Brands Hatch in the races tomorrow (Bank Holiday Monday).
Byrne said: “I was pretty excited when that time popped up. We had done a 1m:34.9s on a used tyre, so I knew that I could make some improvements but that time is great. Now we have to make the right choice, depending on track temperatures, on tyres for the race but we have done our homework on them so hope we will make the right decision,” added Byrne.
Brookes who has been pushing him hard throughout the weekend on the Milwaukee Yamaha was 0.327s down on his rival, but vowed to fight back in the races. “I had to accept second today but I tried really hard to try and get it back at the end. I did a whole heap of laps in the 1m:34s and so I suppose I am a little bit disappointed not to have pole, but at the same time I am happy to be on the front row. We have been consistent with our times and our race set up is heavily in our favour for tomorrow’s races, but all credit to Shakey. Tomorrow is more important to me so we will see what we can do then.”
James Ellison was third fastest to give the Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki team their first ever front row qualifying start. The team’s second rider Chris Walker, who had escaped unscathed in an earlier fireball crash in free practice, rewarded their efforts to re-build his bike by securing a third row start.
Stuart Easton on the second Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki, Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Dan Linfoot and Milwaukee Yamaha’s Tommy Bridewell start from the second row with former three times title winner Ryuichi Kiyonari on the Buildbase BMW and Richard Cooper aboard the Anvil Hire TAG Kawasaki on row three.
Billy McConnell wins Supersport Race
Billy McConnell won a dramatic Motorpoint British Supersport Championship sprint race but third place was enough to give Glenn Irwin a single point lead in the title stakes over the Aussie.
Graeme Gowland had made the early running ahead of his Smiths Triumph team-mate McConnell but pole starter, and then series leader, Alastair Seeley was closing in on them prior to swooping into the lead on the fourth lap.
McConnell, bettering the lap record, took him next time around and held firm as Seeley went even faster on the next lap before disaster struck the MarTrain Yamaha rider on the seventh lap as he went down with Gowland at Druids.
Luke Stapleford, aboard the Profile Triumph, took over in second position, ahead of Irwin, but there was no catching the confident McConnell who tasted the winners’ champagne for the first time this season.
“I wasn’t aware of what had happened behind me just saw the gap on my pit signals and kept chipping away. The whole team is working well and we are on good form – we tested here and that made the race easier as we got a good set-up,” said race winner McConnell.
Stapleford enjoyed his first podium finish in the series: “Delighted, fantastic – you can say I was bit lucky but this is my first podium. Irwin, in third place on the Gearlink Kawasaki, moved top of the standings, and reflected: “Last year I was a nobody, now I’m leading the points – awesome.”
Sam Coventry, riding the Road & Racing Performance Kawasaki, won the Supersport EVO class.
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Sprint race
- Billy McConnell Smiths Triumph
- Luke Stapleford Profile Triumph +5.278s
- Glenn Irwin Gearlink Kawasaki +7.095s
- Luke Jones Acumen Industrial Services Triumph +8.304s
- Jake Dixon Appleyard Macadam & Doodson Yamaha +11.228s
Motorpoint British Supersport Championship standings
- Glenn Irwin Gearlink Kawasaki 52
- Billy McConnell Smiths Triumph 51
- Luke Jones Acumen Industrial Services Triumph 43
- Alastair Seeley MarTrain Yamaha 41
Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship qualifying
Danny Buchan eased comfortably to pole start aboard the Tsingtao WK Kawasaki ahead of Honda’s Jason O’Halloran and PR Racing’s David Johnson. Adam Jenkinson, Karl Harris and Jimmy Storrar line up on the second row.
Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship qualifying
Ben Godfrey starts the Tsingtao WK Kawasaki from pole position with a best lap of 1m 40.363s which put him 0.350secs clear of Be Wiser Kawasaki’s Joe Collier with Benjamin Currie on the Moto-Breakers Kawasaki, a split second down, completing the front row. Opening round winner James Lodge ran tenth fastest and with it a fourth row start. Levi Day qualified seventh.
Motul British Motostar Championship qualifying
Edward Rendell starts the 125GP Banks Racing Honda from pole position after beating off the triple challenge of Moto3 riders Jordan Weaving, Joe Irving and Jayson Uribe while Ryan Saxelby and James Flitcroft running fifth and sixth completed the top three 125GP qualifiers.
TriStar R&G Triple Challenge qualifying
Series leader Freddy Pett starts from pole position, with a lap of 1m 42.841s before the session was stopped premeturely following a crash at Island bend for Oliver Hill and Matt Coles. Pett head off the challenge of Phil Atkinson by 0.226 with Sam Cox completing the front row. Tom Carne, Scott Pitchers and Sam Thompson start from the second row.
