WSB ROUND 5, MONZA, SUNDAY 9TH MAY

Mixed fortunes for Arai riders in Monza



LEON HASLAM, ALSTARE SUZUKI
Race 1: Fourth Race 2: Second Championship Position: First

“IT WAS A VERY CLOSE THING!”
After a fourth place in the first race, Leon Haslam fought tooth-and-nail to take a podium in the second race to keep his series lead intact; Haslam was charging after Cal Crutchlow in second place, but then inherited runner-up spot when Crutchlow slid off at the first chicane. Troy Corser (BMW) was in Haslam’s wheel tracks for the last few laps, but the GSX-R1000-mounted Briton held him off to take his seventh podium of the season. Max Biaggi and his Aprilia won both races; the Italian is now just three points behind Haslam.

“Today was a hard day and I’m happy to leave Monza still leading the title race. Max was strong here and I knew it was going to be a tough pair of races. The podium in race two was very hard work, but I didn’t want to miss out and kept battling away. I had a really big ‘moment’ and was way out of the saddle twice in the space of a fraction of a second. Somehow I stayed on the bike, but it was a very close thing! After Cal crashed, Troy kept me on my toes, but Max was too far in front for me to catch so I just made sure of runner-up spot. I did something to my wrist when I nearly crashed and it felt pretty sore, but I managed to carry one to the end. In race one, I lost contact with the leaders and then had a bit of a grip problem for the last four or five laps and couldn’t get out of the corners as fast as I wanted. We made some little suspension changes ­­– just a few clicks here and there – for race two and the bike was definitely better to ride.”

JONATHAN REA, TEN KATE HONDA
Race 1: DNF Race 2: DNF Championship Position: Third

“I’M NOT DOWN IN THE DUMPS”
Jonathan Rea crashed out of both races at Monza, ending the weekend without a single point but still retaining third place in the championship standings. Starting from the front row of the grid, Rea got away slowly in the first race, ending lap one in 11th place. The 23-year-old calmly fought his way up to fourth before falling unhurt at the fast entry to the Parabolica turn on lap eight. In race two, the Northern Irishman was caught in a first-corner melée after getting clipped by another rider. Rea was transferred back to the medical centre but nothing more than a sore left ankle was diagnosed.

“Well it’s been a bad weekend for our assault on the championship. I made a small mistake at the end of the back straight in the first race when I was trying to avoid Haslam and Crutchlow. Then race two ended before it had begun when I got skittled off going in the first corner. But I’m not down in the dumps about it. It’s times like these that you can really tell the strength of a team and I know that this team is really very strong. They gave me a good bike this weekend but we couldn’t really make the most of it. I’m actually really excited at the challenge ahead, because we were able to make up quite a lot of points in the middle and end of last season. We’ll all pull together now and I fully intend to get back to winning ways at Kyalami next weekend.”

CAL CRUTCHLOW, STERILGARDA YAMAHA
Race 1: Third Race 2: DNF Championship Position: Tenth

“ALL CREDIT TO YAMAHA”
Cal Crutchlow had a great first race, mainly with his team-mate James Toseland, battling and slipstreaming all the way to the line – in the end there was just four hundredths of a second between them, with Toseland ahead by a short nose. Crutchlow made a good start for race two and was chasing Biaggi in second place just 0.1s behind the leader. On lap 11 stones from Biaggi’s rear wheel flicked up, peppering Crutchlow’s helmet, with one piercing his oil cooler. This caused him to low side going into the first chicane on lap 12; He was uninjured in the fall but unable to continue.

“I felt like I put together a really solid first race, we didn’t get the best of starts but made up for it and got stuck in. All credit to Yamaha, they’ve done a good job to give James and I a competitive package so it was great for us both to deliver them the podiums here for their home round. It was a strong result and we rode well so I was looking forward to the second race. I started really well and didn’t take long to get tucked in behind Max, I knew exactly what I was doing and had my strategy sorted to pass him on the last lap. Incredibly some stones flew up off his back wheel, I was so close behind I felt some hit my helmet and unfortunately a big one made a hole in my oil cooler. I made it through another lap, but coming into the first chicane it must have reached my back tyre and I went straight down.”

NORIYUKI HAGA, XEROX DUCATI
Race 1: Eleventh Race 2: Sixth Championship Position: Sixth

“I COULDN’T KEEP PACE WITH THOSE AHEAD”
Noriyuki Haga spent the best part of race one battling with privateer Luca Scassa and then, in the second half of the race, with Sylvain Guintoli. From sixteenth on the grid, he immediately made up three positions before moving up to eleventh place. Noriyuki held eleventh position for the remainder of the race; although managing to pass Guintoli on two occasions, the Frenchman quickly regained the advantage. In race two Haga quickly moved from sixteenth to seventh position. He then battled for sixth position against Tom Sykes on the Kawasaki for the remainder of the race, losing out only in the final stages. Crutchlow’s crash up ahead of them meant that Haga eventually concluded the race in sixth.

“In both races I was having a lot of difficulty turning the bike and didn’t have enough grip at the rear. In race one I had to put it right down on its side to get it to turn as I wanted and this of course meant that I couldn’t keep pace with those ahead of me. We changed a few things before race two and improved the situation a little. Grip was good in the first five laps or so but from mid-race it was really hard, as the bike was drifting wide and was hard to control. In the end I’m quite satisfied with sixth position, as it was tough here this weekend.”

Jakub Smrz bought his PATA Ducati home in fifteenth place in race one and eighth in race two. He remains 13th in the championship overall. Daisaku Sakai – making his European debut for both himself and the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 – high sided out of the first race, and didn’t start the second.

The WSB paddock now packs up and flies to Kyalami, South Africa, with racing on May 16th.

Arai at the Thundersprint

This weekend – the 8th and 9th of May – sees the Thundersprint take place in the town centre of Northwich, Cheshire; over the last few years this event has become one of the most popular and well-attended events on the motorcycling calendar.

Over 100 classic, custom and race machines will be on display alongside the Bikesafe Interactive Learning Experience and numerous trade stands. On Saturday afternoon there’s the chance to meet the stars of the show, with plenty of places to eat, drink and watch the two-wheeled world go by on offer. The individually timed sprints, run over a 400m course, take place on Sunday and racers taking part will include the ever popular BSB racer Chris Walker (riding the brand new Norton 961) and BBC MotoGP commentator Steve Parrish, on a Yamaha R1. Admission on both days is free.

Phoenix Distribution, the UK importer of Arai helmets is based very close to the Thundersprint and has been a long term supporter of the event – the Arai Race Support Service that is usually seen at BSB paddocks will be in attendance, assisting any member of the public with an Arai that needs advice, service or attention. In addition, Arai is providing the trophies for winners of the following Thundersprint Races; Sidecar, Golden Age, Classic 250, 350 and 500, Lightweight and Modern Classics.

Thundersprint Organiser, Frank Melling said: “We are delighted to have Arai sponsor our race trophies again. It so pleasing to have one of motorcycling’s most iconic companies being so closely involved with the Thundersprint: truly, the world’s greatest “Grand Prix in a Car Park.”

John Wakefield, Managing Director of Phoenix Distribution, is as equally happy to be involved: “It’s great being part of this event with our Arai sponsorship and Race Service. It’s a day out the whole family can enjoy and showcases all the positive things about motorcycling – it’s certainly a unique occasion.”

For more information on the Thundersprint please visit http://www.thundersprint.com

For more information about Arai and our range of helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

BSB ROUND 3, OULTON PARK, Monday 3rd May

A mixed outing for Arai riders, much like the weather…

JOSH BROOKES, HM PLANT HONDA
Race 1: Sixth Race 2: Eighth Championship Position: Third

“IT’S BEEN A DIFFICULT AND FRUSTRATING DAY”
Honda’s HM Plant team had a challenging day at Oulton; in the opening race of the day Josh Brookes was running in the top four early on, but as the race progressed he continued to suffer with chatter which inevitably dropped him down the field to finish sixth while Stuart Easton took his first win of the season. In the second race, Brookes was struggling for rear grip as the conditions continued to change, leaving him eighth at the end of the shortened second race, which was won by Michael Laverty.

“It has been a difficult and frustrating day for me. I think that somewhere along the line we made the wrong decision on the setting and I was desperate to go out and make amends for it in race two, but that didn’t happen. In the second race it was difficult as we were on a wet tyre on a drying track and by the end everyone’s tyres were destroyed as expected, but ours went off very quickly. I feel annoyed that I couldn’t get back up there in the second race, despite the whole team putting in a huge amount of effort and hard work. The reality is that these things happen sometimes though, so we just need to learn from today so it doesn’t happen again and get back up there at Cadwell Park.”

ALASTAIR SEELEY, RELENTLESS SUZUKI BY TAS
Race 1: Fourth Race 2: Sixth Championship Position: Fifth

“I GOT MY HEAD DOWN AND TRIED TO BE SMOOTH”
In race one Alastair Seeley looked odds on for his second BSB podium of the year, but a missed gear on the final lap allowed John Laverty to steal his thunder, leaving the Carrickfergus man to narrowly pip his team-mate Michael Laverty to the line for fourth.
In race two, Seeley fought his way through from mid pack to take ten very valuable points in sixth place.

“I am a bit frustrated about not getting on the podium in race one, but there’s no point moaning about it. I missed a gear and fought back to fourth so we have to be pleased with that after a tough weekend at the previous round. In race two I spun up going off the line and ended up bashing bars and fairings mid-pack. I got my head down and just tried to be smooth on the throttle and when I got onto the back of Brookes he was all over the place. His tyre was obviously in worse condition than mine at that stage, so to get past for sixth was a good result in difficult conditions. I’m learning all the time about this
superbike and I’ve stayed fit and healthy with the North West 200 just over a week away – so that’s a big positive.”

Quay Garage Racing rider Tommy Bridewell scored his first points of the season with a superb double top ten placing. Despite having the little finger on his right hand amputated following a crash at Thruxton two weeks ago, the 21 year old finished tenth in race one and seventh in race two.

Steve Brogan, racing back in the EVO-class with the issues surrounding the series-supplied Motec ECU on his Jentin Racing BMW S1000RR resolved, had a solid weekend – he finished 15th in both races and moves up to third place in the EVO championship.

Steve Plater rode his HM Plant Honda Fireblade to a third consecutive podium finish in the National Superstock 1000 Championship with a hard-fought second place, to keep a 19 point advantage in the overall standings. Plater had dropped back to eighth on the opening laps but a determined performance saw him carve his way through the field as the race progressed. He was reasonably happy with his efforts; “For sure that was a tough race as I dropped back a bit in the opening laps but I came through. It was hard work and busy in the opening laps but I just kept my head and stayed out of trouble and that did the trick. I really wanted to catch Jon (Kirkham) for the win and I thought if there were backmarkers then I might be able to just do it, but I really needed another lap as I wasn’t close enough to make the move. I am happy to be back on the podium though and still have the championship lead for HM Plant Honda.” Ian Hutchinson, riding a Pagetts Honda FireBlade finished fourth.

Ben Wilson won the British Supersport race on his Gearlink Kawasaki and lies third in the championship; Jack Kennedy was third, Daniel Cooper fourth while Glen Richards – who slipped off his Padgetts Honda on the warm-up lap – remounted and stormed through to fifth place. Tom Grant finished in sixth position.

The 125GP race was won by John Mcphee riding a KRP/Bradley Smith Racing Honda. Deane Brown finished third and Racing Steps Foundation-backed KRP rookie Wayne Ryan ended up seventh, followed by Dakota Mamola in eighth – RSF’s Fraser Rogers posted a DNF and now lies fourth in the championship overall.

The next round of the BSB championship takes place on the 23rd of May, at the spectacular Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire.

For more news and information on Arai helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

MOTOGP ROUND 2, JEREZ, SUNDAY 3rd MAY

A good day’s work for Arai riders in Spain

DANI PEDROSA, REPSOL HONDA
Race Position: Second Championship Position: Third

“MMM, MAYBE THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT!”
Dani Pedrosa took second place in a gripping Grand Prix of Spain at Jerez, crossing the line just half a second behind the winner and setting the fastest lap of the race along the way. From pole position, Pedrosa led the race right until the final few corners of the last lap, when fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo slipped by to win. The second round of the MotoGP World Championship was a nail-biting affair with Pedrosa’s lead never growing to more than two seconds as Valentino Rossi slotted in behind the fast-starting Spaniard. Pedrosa would edge the gap open only for Rossi to pull back a few tenths, while all the time Lorenzo was creeping his way towards the leading pair. As Lorenzo mounted his challenge on the penultimate lap, Pedrosa held him off as best he could and the pair touched fairings as they battled for the lead.

“Well this result is a little bit surprising for me and, even though I came so close to winning, I’m pleased to be on the podium and so close to the top step. I didn’t think I was going to be able to lead the race for this long and I was nervous at the start because I knew that to maintain a front-running rhythm was going to be very difficult for us. So I was pleased to be out in front of the race, but then I saw on the pit board that Lorenzo was closing at a pace that was half a second faster than me and Rossi and I thought, “Mmm, maybe this is going to be difficult!” I tried to hold him off for as long as possible but in the end I couldn’t. Second place after leading for all but half a lap is disappointing obviously, but after the first race at Qatar this is a good result for us. I’d like to thank all the fans who came here and supported us, and all the people around me in the Repsol Honda Team. We must keep working really hard so that we can improve for Le Mans.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: Fourth Championship Position: Fifth

“I THOUGHT WE MIGHT FIND A LITTLE EXTRA”
Nicky Hayden looks like he’s now got the package he needs to race consistently up at the front of the MotoGP field, and made his qualifying speed stick when the red lights went out at Jerez. He made a great start and was lapping in third place over the early laps, but didn’t quite have the pace to stick with the leaders, eventually finishing fourth, nine seconds behind Lorenzo.

“Fourth place is no disaster but I was hoping to stay closer to the top three towards the end and put up a bit of a fight. I’m not happy to be nine seconds adrift but we’re trying to build something here and we’ve had another solid weekend. The team, the bike, everything has been great this weekend but we just fell a couple of tenths short on race day. To be honest I thought we might find a little extra for the race, like we did in Qatar, but it wasn’t to be. My guys worked like dogs to put me in this position and we’ve got more to do so I want to give a big thanks to them. This is the Ducati factory team and we don’t jump up and down at fourth place but we’ll take it. We got some great data to work from that should help us be stronger at Le Mans and hopefully we can keep this upward trend going.”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH 3
Race Position: Twelfth Championship Position: Seventh

“I’D JUST LIKE TO BE IN A RACE…”
Colin Edwards fought a determined battle at the rear of a frenetic battle for seventh position; the Texan eventually had to settle for 12th after he encountered small rear grip issues in the crucial final stages that left him unable to mount a sustained offensive on the exciting mid-pack dice.

“I think I’ve had one good race at Jerez in my entire career and today wasn’t it. This weekend has been a struggle and I’ve never been comfortable on the bike to show the pace I know I am capable of. Right from the start I had issues with the rear grip and I couldn’t hold any load on the tyre at full lean angle. That also created some problems with the front-end, so I just struggled with the balance of the bike. It’s the exact same issue that I had in Qatar even though the set-up I’m running is quite a bit different. I’d just like to be in a race. At the moment I just feel like I’m riding around and suffering. I can only look forward to Le Mans knowing that I go really well at that track and so does the Yamaha.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: Fourteenth Championship Position: Thirteenth

“THIS WAS NOT AN EASY RACE FOR ME”
A braking misjudgement meant Hiroshi Aoyama lost touch with the riders ahead of him early in Sunday's Spanish Grand prix at Jerez. The MotoGP rookie, who had qualified in twelfth, was already 17th and last at the end of the first lap – then ran wide to avoid colliding with another rider at turn eight. From then on it was a lonely ride to 14th place for the Interwetten Honda rider.

“I didn’t have a good start and I made a mistake. After braking too hard I had to avoid crashing into another rider and went wide. After that I lost the connection. This was not an easy race for me. I am so sorry for my team to have destroyed all their work of the weekend with this mistake – I really hope the next race will be better again.”

Top placed Arai man in the action-packed second race of the brand new 600cc Moto2 championship was Yuki Takahashi in fourth place, while the spectacular supermoto riding style of Yonny Henandez bought the reward of tenth.

The next MotoGP round is at Le Mans, on the 23rd of May.

For more Arai Helmet news and information please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

WSB ROUND 4, ASSEN, SUNDAY 25TH APRIL

Arai riders super strong in Holland

LEON HASLAM, ALSTARE SUZUKI
Race 1: Eleventh Race 2: Second Championship Position: First

“ELBOWS WERE EVERYWHERE!”
Leon Haslam recovered from a disappointing 11th place in race one of the Assen World Superbike to take runner-up spot in race two and extend his championship lead. Haslam’s position in the first race was a result of a loss of air pressure in his front tyre which meant he couldn’t push hard at all; at first he thought it was a brake problem, but kept going and collected five valuable points. Race two was an absolute scorcher – one of the best in World Supers history: Rea won it, but only after the ‘Mother of Battles’ with Haslam, Troy Corser and Toseland, which saw plenty of close contact involving elbows and handlebars.

“Today was very, very hard, but I am happy because I’ve extended my lead in the series. In race one I had a problem with the front end and was struggling in 16th after five laps. I wasn’t sure if it was a brake problem, but when the bike was checked over after the race, the team discovered that air had escaped from the front tyre. It was a real struggle to keep going especially when I was with a couple of other riders, but I was determined to bring the bike home one way or another. The team changed the front discs and pads – in case they were part of the problem – for race two and I was able to do a normal race. It was a fantastic race, with plenty of close contact. Elbows were everywhere and we were close enough to touch each other’s handlebars. It was very hard, but fair, and we all enjoyed it a lot. It must have been great for the fans and of course, having both podiums filled by Brits was also great.”

JONATHAN REA, TEN KATE HONDA
Race 1: First Race 2: First Championship Position: Third

“I’M AS PROUD AS PUNCH”
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Jonathan Rea stamped an indelible mark on the World Superbike championship by winning both races at Assen – his third and fourth championship wins, the first of this season and his debut double. Rea’s stunning weekend performance also included his maiden WSB pole position and the fastest lap of the weekend in a dramatic and thrilling race two – setting a new lap record for the revised 4.452km Dutch circuit. Rea’s results have leapfrogged him from fifth to third in the championship standings.

“You know, it’s been great, but I couldn’t have done it without my team; they gave me a fantastic bike today, so thanks to everyone – my crew chief, data guy, suspension guy, everyone involved. We changed the balance of the bike quite a lot for this weekend and it’s made it more comfortable to ride. I guess you could say that today’s two races were probably the smartest I’ve ever ridden; I never got frustrated or caught in traffic and, when it was time to pull the pin, I did, and I’m really, really happy with the double. It’s a clean sweep with pole position, a double win and, I think the fastest lap, so I’m as proud as punch and I can’t wait to take this home. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and going to Monza but we’ll definitely savour the moment and I’ll stick around the hospitality this evening and definitely buy the big boss a drink!”

CAL CRUTCHLOW, STERILGARDA YAMAHA
Race 1: Eighth Race 2: DNF Championship Position: Tenth

“IT’S BEEN A VERY FRUSTRATING END TO THE WEEKEND”
Cal Crutchlow made a great start in race one, making it up to sixth on the first corner before a bunched up pack of riders pushed him wide, dropping him to 13th. He fought back with a determined push and was the fastest lapping rider mid-way through. He finally crossed the line in eighth having made up five positions. He was less fortunate in the second race, when a technical issue with the rear suspension forced an early retirement.

“It’s been a very frustrating end to the weekend for me, I know I had the pace to achieve really good results and be up there fighting with the front guys in both races. I made a good start but lost a lot of places on the first corner when the pack pushed me wide, but fought back. Race two was even more frustrating as I was determined and ready to fight for a podium. Unfortunately the technical issue was out of my control so there was nothing I could do.”

NORIYUKI HAGA, XEROX DUCATI
Race 1: Tenth Race 2: DNF Championship Position: Sixth

“IT’S VERY DISAPPOINTING”
Getting off the line in 13th in race one, Noriyuki Haga made up several places to move from sixteenth at the end of lap two to tenth, the position he held from lap seventeen until the finish. In race two Haga went wide at the first corner when he tried to pass riders by going around the outside; feeling strong vibrations from his engine, which only became worse during the first couple of laps, he was forced to return to the box, thus retiring from the race.

“It was very difficult for us today. In race one I didn’t make the good start that I needed to, and from the fourth row I had to push very hard even to make up one or two positions. In race two, I realized already during the warm-up lap that the engine vibrations I was feeling were maybe stronger than normal. I hoped it wouldn’t be a problem and started the race but it became worse as I rode and I knew there was something wrong technically. It’s very disappointing of course because this year, more than ever, it’s important to be consistent – there are so many of us fighting for the positions that count and it’s becoming more and more of a battle.”

The WSB paddock now heads to Monza, with racing on May 9th.

For more news and information on Arai Helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk

BSB ROUND 2, THRUXTON, SUNDAY 18TH APRIL

Another great day for Arai riders

JOSH BROOKES, HM PLANT HONDA
Race 1: Second Race 2: First Championship Position: Second

“I JUST GOT MY HEAD DOWN AND STAYED CONSISTENT.”

Josh Brookes secured his maiden BSB victory at Thruxton in race two by just 0.391 seconds, on the back of running a close second to the series leader Tommy Hill in the opening race. His win gave the HM Plant Honda team its first BSB race victory since the penultimate round in 2008, with Brookes also becoming the first Australian to win a BSB race since Troy Bayliss at Cadwell Park during the 1999 season. He was a happy man Sunday evening, and perhaps a very small monkey has been removed from the back of his leathers…

“I was feeling confident; I didn’t quite get qualifying right but I knew we would have the pace to be up there as I know the bike has the speed. There were some tough moves out there in the first race but I made them stick and when I got in the lead I had plus zero on my board and I knew it was going to be close. BSB is so competitive this season so I was expecting someone to have a go back at me. I was happy for second though and my first podium of the year, I just wanted to go one better in the second race. To win race two felt good as I have been waiting a long time to win in BSB – it was great for me to lead the race from the start to the finish and I knew Tommy was breathing down my neck so I just got my head down and stayed consistent. It’s amazing to have finished the day like this – I hadn’t put any pressure on myself to win as I knew I was capable of it, but at least now I have a trophy to prove it!”

ALASTAIR SEELEY, RELENTLESS SUZUKI BY TAS
Race 1: Twelfth Race 2: Ninth Championship Position: Fifth

“IT’S BEEN A TOUGH WEEKEND…!”

Alastair Seeley battled courageously after qualifying crashes and a number of minor problems during both races, scoring solid points that keep him at the sharp-end in the championship table. Seeley gambled with set-up in race one and the series rookie battled to 12th place; for the second outing he reverted to his qualifying set-up, and although he found Thruxton a tough proposition on his full superbike debut, ninth place keeps him well in the championship hunt.

“I tried a different set-up for the first race but it didn’t work for me, so we reverted back to the old set-up for race two. It hooked up a lot better and instead of the tyre going off at half distance, we were right on the money until it deteriorated about four laps from the end. The traction control works overtime around here and it’s a tough circuit to perfect your set-up on – but at least we got more points in the bag and remain top-five in the championship. Thanks to all the boys in the team as it’s been a tough weekend with all the travel problems and burning the midnight oil fixing bikes.”

Steve Brogan suffered an issue with the EVO-class ECU on his Jentin Racing BMW S1000RR and had to compete as a full Superbike runner; he finished 16th and 14th and moves back to fourth place in the EVO championship.

Steve Plater and his HM Plant Honda FireBlade took the top step of the podium for a second consecutive race in the National Superstock 1000 championship, further extending his series lead. The veteran campaigner was pushed wide at the start, undoing his pole position – he then fought hard through the pack to eventually trade the lead with Howie Mainwaring. The two riders then had a battle royale, with Plater ultimately coming out on top. “That was a tough race and I had to put in some hard moves after I didn’t make the best of starts off the line, but we got there and another win is good for me and the team. We put in a lot of hard work during practice and qualifying and that definitely paid dividends today.”

Ian Hutchinson finished sixth on his Padgetts Honda CBR600RR in the British Supersport championship, followed by Ben Wilson in seventh. Glen Richards, suffering shoulder damage sustained from his crash at Brands Hatch, was a frustrated spectator.

In the 125GP class Fraser Rogers turned adversity into triumph to claim another podium; the Racing Steps Foundation-backed KRP rookie finished top of the under-17 riders and sixth overall after overcoming a first lap slip-up that cost him 22 places. Rogers now heads the Academy Cup rider standings and lies second in the British 125GP Championship.

“It wasn’t the ideal opening lap but I’m pleased with the end result,” he reckoned afterwards. “I could maybe have done better still but by the time I’d got up to sixth I’d pretty much used up all my energy. That’s something I’ve obviously got to work a lot harder at. But the bike was fantastic, so a big thank you to KRP.”

The next round of the BSB championship takes place on the 3rd of May, at the picturesque and flowing Oulton Park, Cheshire.

For more information on Arai helmets and associated products please visit www.whyarai.co.uk and www.phoenixnw.co.uk

Up, Up and away...

GEORGE WHITE SUPERBIKES LIFT OFF

The innovative motorcycle, accessory and clothing retailer George White Superbikes,
chalked up another incredible first last week by test flying their very own hot-air balloon.

The hot air balloon, built by Chester-based specialists Lindstrand Balloons, will fly, weather permitting, at all rounds of the British Superbike Championship and other selected events in the UK and Europe.

The first official appearance was at round two of the BSB series at Thruxton, Hants, home round to George White's Swindon Head Quarters. (April 17 18)

The 37m high x 47m wide balloon was one of the most complex ever made by Linstrand Hot Air Balloons, founded by Per Lindstand over 25 years ago. It is a bike and rider scaled up 23 times and takes about twice as long to prepare and inflate than a 'conventional' balloon.

The pilot Chris Sanger-Davies says, "as one of the biggest shapes in the world you have to be aware of the size and scale of what is above you - but essentially it is still a hot air balloon and has the same characteristics as standard round balloons of similar lifting capacity, although it is much more weather susceptible."

The balloon will also be in action for day one (Saturday) of the George White Open Weekend held at its Swindon HQ over the weekend of April 24 and 25. One lucky visitor to the showroom will win a ride in the balloon over the store that will be visited by most of the BSB front runners over the course of the weekend.

On Sunday 25th April it will fly over the start to the annual London marathon - putting motorcycling in front of 46,000 runners and with BBC images fed to over 150 countries world-wide.