WSB ROUND 13, MAGNY COURS, SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER -ARAI RACE REPORT

Arai riders finish 2010 fighting for wins and podiums


LEON HASLAM, ALSTARE SUZUKI
Race 1: Second                 Race 2: 10th                         Championship Position: Second

“THE BEST SEASON I’VE EVER HAD!”
World Superbike runner-up Leon Haslam fought his way to second spot in front of 81,500 fans at the final round of 2010 after battling from seventh position on the first lap. Towards the end, he was locked in a dogfight with newly-crowned World Champion Max Biaggi but managed to overtake him just two corners from the end of the final lap, and make it stick. After race one, Haslam knew that another podium was a possibility despite his third-row grid position. His start was not particularly good, but he began attacking the leaders and looked on course for podium number 14. But on lap six James Toseland highsided in front of him, and he had to take to the grass to avoid hitting him. By the time, he rejoined the track, he was in 16th place, but a lap later was up to 13th. From then on in, Haslam was on a charge, but the leaders were too far ahead for him to better 10th.

“The first race was the kind of race I love; full of fighting and everything on the line. I was so happy to get second and so happy to have beaten Max. On the last lap, Max defended his line going into the final two turns, but I was determined to get the better of him and dived underneath him! That surprised him and he wasn’t able to recover in time. It was a pretty hard move, but racing’s a hard game and sometimes you just have to be tough. I was particularly happy to get on the podium because I didn’t get a very good start; I just worked away and gradually got back into contention. So, although I was on row three of the grid, I knew that a podium was also a possibility in race two. That is until, JT’s highside right in front of me! Tenth is not how I wanted the season to end, but that’s racing. It’s been a great year. I only had a couple of DNFs – one my fault and one not – and I’ve scored 14 podiums. I’m very happy with the season and would like to thank everybody at Alstare Suzuki for all their hard work and support. They made this all possible – the best season I’ve ever had!”

JONATHAN REA, TEN KATE HONDA
Race 1: 12th                         Race 2: DNS                        Championship Position: Fourth

“I KNOW THIS IS A WINNING TEAM AND I’M A WINNING RIDER…”
Jonathan Rea was forced to sit out the second race at Magny-Cours after injuries sustained in a warm-up crash exacerbated those from last weekend at Imola. Rea had confounded many his determination to contest this weekend’s final races at the 4.411km Magny-Cours circuit; a specially-constructed cast supported his fractured wrist, while twice-daily strapping by the Clinica Mobile protected his injured shoulder. However, an innocuous clamp on a water hose broke on his second lap of morning warm-up, spraying water on to the rear wheel of his Honda CBR1000RR which resulted in a high-speed crash. Rea sustained additional injuries to his right shoulder and backside. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland was determined to fight to hold on to his third place in the championship standings and finished in 12th place in the opening 23-lap race. But the effort exhausted Rea both physically and mentally, and a joint decision with his team saw him sitting out race two.

“It’s not been a great weekend but my championship was pretty much over at Imola with the injuries I picked up there. My surgeon back in Manchester said it would be a pretty dumb idea to ride here but that it would cause no more injuries, only pain. The plastic cast they made helped to get me out there and I had quite good pace, but not for more than three or four laps. Then we had a bit of a freak accident in warm-up this morning with one of the hose clamps on the water pump coming loose and putting water all over the back tyre. It caused me to have a big high-side and I landed on my ass, which really hurt. It wasn’t so bad and they patched me up pretty well but race one just drained all my energy and concentration and I was in quite a lot of pain. The difference between third and fourth was not that much and I know this is a winning team and I’m a winning rider. I learned a lot last year, which I brought to this and a lot this year, which I’ll take into next. I’m going under the knife on Tuesday to start the repairs, so I just want to thank all the team and my fans who have made me strong.”

CAL CRUTCHLOW, STERILGARDA YAMAHA
Race 1: First                        Race 2: Second                  Championship Position: Fifth

“I’M PLEASED WITH THE END RESULTS…”
Cal Crutchlow wrapped up his year in the World Superbike Championship in style, taking two podiums with a win and a second place. The Moto GP-bound rider dealt with his penultimate WSB race in style, taking a clear victory nearly four seconds ahead of Haslam at the line. Crutchlow had dropped off pole initially to fourth but recovered quickly on the second lap, passing both Sylvain Guintoli and Michele Fabrizio in one clean move to take second behind race leader Max Biaggi. He made his move on Biaggi on lap eight; a sequence of corners saw the two fight for position before Crutchlow closed the door and moved into the lead, which he held to the end. Race two saw him drop off the line initially to sixth before moving back through to challenge Sylvain Guintoli for second, eventually passing the French rider on lap 14 and moving on to close down race leader Max Biaggi. The fastest lap of both races was taken by Crutchlow, giving him eight fastest race laps for the year, beating Carlos Checa to take the Pirelli Best Lap Award 2010: Fastest Rider of the Year. He leaves the championship in fifth place in the final standings just 13 points adrift of Checa in third. He can also claim Rookie of the Year with three race wins, six Superpoles and ten podiums.

“They were two really close and enjoyable races. All credit to Max, he rode really well. To have +0 on the board every lap is a big pressure so he did fantastically. He is the championship winner so to be battling with him at the end is good for me. Finishing fifth is not too bad; I'm Rookie of the Year as well. I came into the championship with high expectations, Yamaha has done a great job and I’m pleased with the end results. The team have been fantastic so I owe them all a big thank you along with all the sponsors and everyone that’s made it possible for us to go out there and give it our best this year.”

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

“THEY PERFORMED MIRACLES TO PREPARE MY BIKE IN TIME!”
Noriyuki Haga lost a couple of positions off the line in race one and struggled to catch faster riders ahead of him. By mid-race he had regained some of the lost ground but there was already a three-second gap between him and Jakub Smrz, ahead of him in seventh, and he was unable to catch the Czech rider who had a slightly faster pace. The Japanese rider finished race one in seventh position. Haga got away much better in race two, lying third by the end of the first lap. When Crutchlow got past Haga lost some ground but held fifth position from the third lap to the finish line, running a solitary race sandwiched between the leaders and chasing group. The final race of the year also marked the last outing for the Xerox Ducati team, as the Italian manufacturer is ending its factory support for the 2011 season.

“I was expecting a much faster second race to tell the truth. In race one I was having problems with the rear tyre and so I thought that the changes we made before the second race would improve the situation. But in race two it was difficult to push because I didn’t have great balance. Anyway, I want to thank my team. The guys have been absolutely fantastic, especially before Superpole and ahead of the morning warm-up when they performed miracles to prepare my bike in time. We close this chapter sadly, but for the Ducati Xerox Team I have an incredible respect that I will always carry with me.”

 
Jakub Smrz qualified a brilliant third, finished the first race fifth and sixth in the second. He ended the season 13th in the championship.

Well done to all Arai racers for a brave and well-fought season!

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

MOTOGP ROUND 14, MOTEGI, SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER-ARAI RACE REPORT

A tough break for Pedrosa in Japan; mixed fortunes for the other Arai riders

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

“I DON’T FEEL AS THOUGH I DESERVE IT”
Unfortunately, for Dani Pedrosa the MotoGP at Motegi proved a disaster; he fell early in Friday’s free practice session and suffered a double fracture of the left collarbone. The unlucky fall was caused when a small problem with the throttle cable didn’t allow Pedrosa to close the throttle when he came to brake, an issue which has been investigated and resolved. Pedrosa has returned home to Spain for an operation to plate the fractured collarbone.

“Obviously this was a really bad day for us. It was a strange crash in only my second full lap, in a slow section of the track. I tried to stop the bike as usual but I knew something was wrong and couldn’t avoid going down. After the crash, I knew immediately that I was injured because it was very painful. I had a big impact in my left ankle and also my collarbone was broken as I hit the track; obviously, it feels very unlucky because recently we have had really good results. I’ve been very healthy through the pre-season and through the year and we had been working a lot to get to and stay at the maximum level. Another injury to contend with is really not what I needed – I don’t feel as though I deserve it.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: 12th                          Championship Position: 10th

“IT WASN’T TO BE TODAY…”
A difficult weekend for Nicky Hayden – he crashed on Friday and qualified 11th on Saturday – concluded with an unfortunate race, the American running off track on the second lap. Despite returning to the track in last place, he posted some solid lap times to recover four positions and claim twelfth place.

“We haven’t had the best of weekends so we made a few more changes to the bike going into the race than we normally would and actually it felt pretty good from the moment the lights went out. Maybe I got a little too excited because I made a mistake into turn five on the second lap, got in there too hot and a few of us ran pretty deep. Spies went off in front of me and I followed him into the gravel. We touched coming back onto the track and then there was a big kerb that I had to avoid so I lost a lot of time there. Once I got into my rhythm the pace wasn’t too bad and I passed a few guys but each pass took me longer than I would have liked because I didn’t have much confidence on the brakes. By the end, I could see ninth place and maybe with a couple of extra laps I could have made it, but it wasn’t to be today. I have to apologise to the team because I crashed on Friday, which got us behind, and even though they worked hard all weekend, we didn’t find the traction I needed to be competitive. Luckily we don’t have to wait too long to put it behind us in Malaysia.”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3
Race Position: 5th                             Championship Position: 10th

“IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO GET A RESULT IN JAPAN!”
Colin Edwards made a stunning return to the top six in MotoGP at Motegi, producing his best performance of 2010 to finish in fifth position. Edwards made a fast getaway from fifth place on the grid and held fifth for the opening two laps, the American engaging in an exciting early fight with Italian duo Marco Simoncelli and Loris Capirossi. Simoncelli took fifth on lap three but having comfortably pulled away from Capirossi, Edwards used his experience to exert intense pressure on Simoncelli; he made a decisive attack on lap 18 and then opened up a three-second gap in the last seven laps to secure his best finish since the final round of 2009 in Valencia.

“In terms of the result I’m really happy because it is my first top six finish of the year and I think it was deserved after all the hard work we have been putting in to improve our results. And it is always good to get a result in Japan with the race being so important for Yamaha and the Tech3 Team. I rode good all weekend and was only four-tenths off pole, but what I’m a little disappointed about is that I’m 27 seconds behind the winner. That’s a big chunk of time and I’m riding as hard as I can. I feel comfortable and I feel good on the bike now we improved the setting but I guess we just have to shoot for being top non-factory rider. It was hard in the first few laps because I didn’t have a lot of feel in the left side of the rear tyre. But once I got confident, Simoncelli passed me but I was happy just to sit behind him and study him, check where I was faster while making sure I wasn’t going to leave the door open for Capirossi. I think my rear tyre had good grip for a little bit longer than Simoncelli’s and I managed to pass him, put my head down for a couple of laps and pull a gap.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: 10th                          Championship Position: 16th

“THIS WEEK I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND MY BIKE A BIT BETTER…”
Hiroshi Aoyama’s home race at Motegi went well, but held a lot of ups and downs. The 28 year-old did his best however and Aoyama managed to repeat his strongest result of the season so far with a tenth place. After a difficult qualifying, where he finished 14th, Aoyama was happy that the race went better and is now looking forward to Malaysia.

“The conditions in the race were a bit cooler and that was not so good for the tyres. I had to wait a couple of laps to warm them up and then I could start to overtake the other riders in front of me. On this track, you don’t have so many possibilities to pass. This race was not ideal for me, but at least I could repeat my best result of the season so far. This week I started to understand my bike a bit better and, especially as I know this track so well, I could learn more about the bike and we improved the set up. Now I am looking forward to Malaysia, which is my favourite track.”

The next MotoGP round is at Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday October 10.

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

BSB ROUND 11, SILVERSTONE, SUNDAY 26th SEPTEMBER

A challenging weekend of weather and racing for Arai riders 

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

“THAT SECOND RACE WAS JUST CRAZY!”
In the opening race at Silverstone Josh Brookes quickly took the lead but the race was red flagged due to rain and on the restart he was battling for the win in the early stages before securing a strong second place in the difficult conditions. In the second race Josh was forced to take evasive action when title fighter rival Michael Laverty crashed in front of him at Copse on the opening lap, and then had to battle his way through the field. A determined effort saw him secure a hard-fought third place and has put him within eleven points of championship leader Tommy Hill.

“The first race started dry and everything was going to plan and I knew we had good pace but then it was red flagged for the rain. When the race was restarted Michael Laverty seemed to have a bit of an advantage and I followed him, but then as the track dried it was Michael Rutter who then seemed faster so I pushed as hard as I could and if I had done any more I would have crashed. That second race was just crazy; I got away and then Michael Laverty went down in front of me. That really ruined my train of thought and I then got passed by a whole heap of riders and then had to really fight my way back. I had trouble getting past a few of them and then there seemed to be oil down on the track as I nearly crashed about ten times; it would have looked pretty dramatic as I had the bars all crossed up and was lucky to stay on to be honest. I found the speed in the last laps but it was too much to try and close James and Kiyo by then, but I had luck on my side and it has put me back up there in the championship now.”


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

“I DECIDED TO BRING IT HOME FOR THE POINTS”
Alastair Seeley regained his composure after a high-speed crash on Friday, coming from his fourth row grid slot in race one to take a fine sixth place. In race two Seeley slowed to miss his fallen team-mate Michael Laverty at turn one after a solid start from the second row, narrowly missing out on the podium in fourth place after ten pulsating laps.

“It turned out to be a decent enough day for me after my crash on Friday and a bad qualifying. The first race was damp and with a drying track my wet tyres chewed up on both sides and the bike was also spinning in a straight line. Michael highsided in front of me at turn one in race two. I had to sit up and get on the anchors, which allowed the others to get away. I had a good race with Tommy Hill, Gary Mason and Josh Brookes but I couldn’t find a way round Brookes for a podium spot. After a bit of a moment starting the last lap I decided to bring it home for the points.”

Tyco Racing rider Tommy Bridewell endured a difficult meeting in the wet conditions. The 22 year old suffered a big crash during Friday’s second free practice session which substantially damaged the machine and left Bridewell nursing a knee injury and bruised ribs. Changeable conditions in race one saw Tommy challenging for the top ten when a machine problem ended his bid halfway through the race and as conditions deteriorated in race two, he did well to salvage a twelfth place finish in a shortened race. The result sees Bridewell drop a place to twelfth in the points table but on a more positive note, it was announced at Silverstone that Bridewell will be part of a two-rider team in the 2011 British Superbike Championship aboard this year’s ex-HM Plant Honda Fireblades. The team will compete under the Tyco Racing banner. 

Over to Tommy: “Silverstone hasn’t been kind to me this weekend and following my World Superbike rides I was hoping for much better. The crash put us back on Friday and while things were OK on Saturday, Sunday was tough. The mechanical problem that we had in race one was unfortunate for us and then the conditions in race two meant I couldn’t get in a good rhythm so a twelfth place finish was the best I could do. Hopefully we can bounce back at Oulton and end the season in style.”

Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad’s Steve Brogan hit the first restarted race well, fighting his way to the front of the EVO riders but, as the rain eased off and the track developed both wet and dry patches, his bike began to chew up its wet rear tyre and he opted to ride sensibly and bring it home in sixth place. In the rain-lashed second race Brogan got a good start, and by lap two was the second-placed BSB-EVO rider and 12th overall. On lap nine, however, he fell victim to the very tricky conditions and ended his weekend’s racing prematurely. Brogan still holds a valuable eight-point lead in the BSB-EVO championship going into the final round at Oulton Park which is a triple-header, with 75 points still available. He was philosophical as ever; “I don’t mind riding in the wet, but weather like this is so unpredictable. I went well all race and crashed on the last lap. I didn’t do anything different that time, but I came off. There’s a fine line in the wet between crashing and not. I gave it my best but it was tough luck.”

Padgett’s Honda rider Glen Richards finished the Supersport 600 race in fifth, ahead of Ben Wilson, who in the closing stages dropped his bike while challenging for a podium place – he remounted and crossed the line sixth. Unfortunately Richards’ team-mate Ian Hutchinson suffered a leg break in a multi-bike pile up off of the start, which bought out the red flag.

The Superstock 1000 Championship was postponed due to the conditions and HM Plant Honda’s Steve Plater will now have a second race at Oulton Park for the final round – which for him, as he recovers his fitness is probably a blessing in disguise.

Deane Brown – recipient of the 2010 Craig Jones Arai Sponsorship Award – took a well-judged victory in the 125GP class, the first of many, surely. Racing Steps Foundation rider Fraser Rogers finished fourth.

The final round of BSB is at Oulton park, with racing 9th/10th October.

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

WSB ROUND 12, IMOLA, SUNDAY 26th SEPTEMBER -ARAI RACE NEWS

 Highs and lows for Arai riders in Italy

LEON HASLAM, ALSTARE SUZUKI
Race 1: Fifth                Race 2: DNF                 Championship Position: Second

“IT IS FRUSTRATING THAT IT’S ENDED THIS WAY”
Leon Haslam’s hopes of taking this year’s Superbike World Championship title ended in the second race at the penultimate round at Imola in Italy. He started the race in second place behind fellow countryman Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) and was battling with the lead group after seven laps, but went in a bit too hot at the final chicane and had to go across the gravel trap. He rejoined the track in sixth place and was fighting his way up again when he suffered with a mechanical issue, possibly connected to his off-track excursion.

In race one, watched by more than 69,000 fans, Haslam was just behind leader Carlos Checa on the last lap and lining up a passing manoeuvre when the smallest of mistakes made him run wide. He recovered, but three other riders took advantage and passed him in the process. With series leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia) finishing 11th, Haslam still had hopes of beating the Italian in race two and making the fight go all the way down to the wire at Magny Cours in France. Ducati mounted Checa won both races.

“It is frustrating that it has ended the way it has because I was hoping to take the fight to Magny-Cours, but that’s racing. We always knew it was going to be a hard task because Max’s lead in the points was so great, but while there was hope, we kept fighting. I should’ve won the first race and I would’ve won it if I hadn’t made a mistake on the last lap. I saw that Max had only finished 11th, so at least the fight would carry on and maybe I could get a podium and Max would have another low finish. I was chasing Tom Sykes in race two. He was fast on the straights, but holding me up in the turns, so I thought I’d have a go at him in the final chicane. I went for it, but got in a bit too hot and had to straighten up and go across the gravel. I was using the same bike as race one and it had been OK at the end of the race, but when something happened I pulled off the track as soon as I could. Obviously, I hadn’t wanted the title fight to end this way, but I knew that this weekend was all about having to go for it – and that’s what I did. So I better make up for it in Magny-Cours by winning both races!”

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

“WE HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION…”
Jonathan Rea was unable to race at Imola after fracturing his collarbone and wrist in a qualifying crash on Saturday. After further pain-killing injections before the morning warm-up, Rea went out to see how his injuries would stand up to the physical demands of 21 race laps. However, a further crash just two laps in effectively ended his participation. The 23-year-old Northern Irishman bravely went out again on his spare Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade but he was unable to effectively control his machine and was subsequently officially withdrawn from the event. Rea is back in the UK and consulting more than one specialist in order to evaluate the possibilities of his taking part in next weekend’s final round race at Magny-Cours in France.

“We had to make the decision after warm up to sit out the two races because my injuries from yesterday were just too painful on the bike. I tried in warm-up but I didn’t have sufficient strength or control in my left wrist for left-handed corners. It’s very frustrating for me and the whole team – it’s been a tough weekend and I know I’ve had a lot of support behind me from the guys here and all my fans. I’m really sorry that we couldn’t make the race but I have to look after my body and I’m going to get some medical opinions. Until we’ve got them in we won’t be able to give a proper prognosis but I’d like to thank the team, our sponsors and all my fans for their support.”

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

“I THINK WE SHOWED WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF”
The second race at Imola saw Cal Crutchlow deliver an inspired ride. Coming from a bad start, dropping to 13th off the line, Crutchlow put the hammer down and chased down the lead pack; an engine failure by Leon Haslam scattered the following riders. Undeterred he kept on pushing, overtaking Biaggi with six laps left to go for fourth place. Lap 18 saw him swiftly pass Tom Sykes at the last chicane before the start finish line for third place, which he then held to the line to claim his podium finishing just 3.9 seconds off the leader. Race one saw Crutchlow dropped to 14th off the start line from his 12th position on the grid but he fought back to seventh by lap seven. Coming into lap 12 he’d climbed further and took Smrz for fifth going into the first corner. Unfortunately he ran wide onto the gravel the following lap, dropping to tenth where he held on, fighting off Biaggi to the finish line.

“I’m happy with today in the end. I’m disappointed with the first race, I think I had podium pace and was catching up to the guys in front but made an error, which dropped me back. The second race was good, I had a bad start then Noriyuki Haga and Carlos Checa and I all had to come from the back which made it interesting. Big thanks to Yamaha who put together a great bike this weekend for me, we were really strong and put in some good laps towards the end of the races and I think we showed what we are capable of.”


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

“I’D SAY WE CAN ALL BE HAPPY WITH THAT!”
In race one Noriyuki Haga made up a lot of ground off the line, in ninth after the first lap. A drop in the performance of some of the frontrunners, in the second half of the race, allowed the Japanese rider to catch first Tom Sykes and then Jakub Smrz, putting him fourth. On the final lap Haga moved into third position and secured a podium spot when Leon Haslam ran off track. A warmer track greeted the start of race two, and Haga was again able to make rapid progress, making up eleven places in nine laps. The Japanese rider never gave up, passing Max BIaggi, Tom Sykes before going after Carlos Checa who had already built up a significant advantage. Haga did all he could but the Spanish rider only increased his pace, to take his first double win on board the 1198 Ducati.

“It wasn’t easy and I’m really happy to have reached the podium twice, even if I couldn’t win today. At this track the first corner is particularly narrow and that can make the first lap pretty dangerous but I got through it and made up some positions there, and then found a good rhythm in both races which meant I could start to catch up, finally reaching third, and then second. Of course it would have been even better to win but I would have needed a few more laps in order to do that. My congratulations go to Carlos, Lorenzo and Cal as they all rode extremely well, especially Carlos. A Ducati 1-2-3 and then a 1-2 – I’d say we can all be happy with that!”
Jakub Smrz and his PATA Aprilia, after a great qualifying, finished the first race in fourth and DNF’d the second. He lies 15th in the championship.

The WSB paddock now heads to the final round at Magny Cours, with racing on October 3.

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

NEW ARAI RX-7 GP LEON HASLAM REPLICA ARRIVES IN UK

Locked in battle for the World Superbike championship, and putting pressure on current leader Max Biaggi, Alstare Suzuki rider Leon Haslam has a lot going on as the season rolls into autumn. He also has a brand new Arai RX- GP replica to show off, which has just arrived into stock at Arai’s UK importer Phoenix Distribution.

Leon’s suitably chuffed with his new paintwork: “I’m really pleased with this evolution of my helmet design. I wanted to keep the two separate sides – as in the red and blue – as it ties in with the Devil and Angel theme I’ve had for a while, but freshen the whole job up a bit. Aldo Drudi came up with the H for Haslam – this is a bit of a take on my dad Ron’s old lids; he used to have RH on the front, back in the day. Now I’ve got a big, modern white H on the front!”

Underneath the trick paintwork is Arai’s RX-7 GP, a racing helmet considered by many as the benchmark against which all others are measured. Featuring a peripherally belted Structural Net Composite (SNC) shell, with hyper ridge strengthening in its lower section and wider aperture (plus larger visor) for better vision the RX-7 GP is the most technologically advanced motorcycle helmet Arai has ever produced. The RX-7 GP’s Air Intake Stabiliser Diffuser increases airflow through the helmet, while the Airflow Spoiler and visor brow ventilation ducts ensure suitable climate control for any situation. The five-position Air Wing reduces drag, turbulence and buffeting.

The Arai RX-7 GP exceeds ECE Regulation 22-05 and the new SNELL M2010 standard. ECE 22-05 represents the legal minimums for helmets in road use throughout the European Union while Snell M2010, introduced in October 2009, demands protective standards well beyond these legal minimums. The RX-7 GP easily surpasses ECE 22-05 and was the first helmet to meet Snell M2010, offering far superior head protection for motorcyclists.

The Arai RX-7 GP Haslam replica is available in sizes XS–XXL and has an RRP of £589.99.

The Arai Difference

Without exception all Arai helmets offer a peerless fit; the Japanese brand’s reputation for quality, comfort and safety has recently been further reinforced as, for the 12th consecutive year, Arai came out top of the JD Power and Associates Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study. Also, Arai placed three of its helmets in the overall top ten – including the number one spot – of RiDE Magazine’s 2009 RiDER Power Survey, an exhaustive poll taken from 5000 readers, reported in the November 2009 issue.

For more information on the RX-7 GP Haslam replica, or the Arai range call Phoenix on 01782 569800, or visit www.whyarai.co.uk 

Arai wearing Charley Boorman in Africa!

BSB ROUND 10, CROFT, SUNDAY 12th SEPTEMBER

A bumpy weekend for Arai’s riders…

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

“IT HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE”
Josh Brookes never looked comfortable on his CBR1000RR at the fast – and very bumpy – ex-airfield circuit. A dismal result (by his standards) moves him back to fourth in the Title Fighters' Shootout, 28 points behind the lead; five races – two at Silverstone and three at Oulton Park – remain for Brookes to make up the difference.

“We thought this could be a strong round for us, we were on the podium twice last year but haven’t been as competitive as we should have been and it has been a struggle. We had a bad start to the weekend and never really recovered and it was hard to know what we were doing wrong, but we need to look at what has happened in terms of the way we work through the changes and resolve it. Race two was better than race one for me, but we didn’t make any real drastic changes as it could have made it worse. We are just going to look at the weekend and then prepare for a better weekend at Silverstone.”

ALASTAIR SEELEY, RELENTLESS SUZUKI BY TAS
Race 1: DNF                        Race 2: 15th             Championship Position: Sixth

“MY HEAD’S NOT DOWN”
Alastair Seeley didn’t have quite the weekend he expected either at Croft with a first race DNF after being collected by another rider at the hairpin. Then in race two the BSB rookie battled bravely for points, eventually finishing 15th. He remains in sixth place in the Title Fighters' Shootout on 506 points.

“I had a good start in race one and was making progress until Gary Mason took me out at the Hairpin, and with a broken clutch lever I couldn’t re-start which I wasn’t too happy about. In race two I wasn’t feeling that comfortable with a number of small little problems hampering my progress, but that’s racing. Croft basically proved more difficult than I imagined but my head’s not down and I’m looking forward to Silverstone and Oulton.”

Quay Garage rider Tommy Bridewell was running inside the top ten in race one, and looking good to improve as the race progressed when he was unfortunate enough to experience an exhaust breaking which forced him into retirement on lap 13. However, with his performance in race one, his lap time was good enough to place him on row two of the grid for the day’s second race and he made the most of his opportunity. Slotting into fifth on the opening lap, Bridewell remained in contention for the final podium place as half a dozen bikes battled it out for third position throughout the race whereby he finished in seventh place, just two seconds off a podium place. The result consolidated the 11th place Bridewell holds in the points table going into the penultimate round at Silverstone. 

Tommy; “The frustration I felt in race one was somewhat eased in race two and I have to be reasonably satisfied with that performance. I felt in race one that I could have got a good result but then the exhaust split and my race was over. It just goes to show how important a good grid position is and, from row two, I got a good start in the second race and went with the leaders. I hung on in there but I was on the limit and to be dicing with a load of factory bikes and riders was good. I thought a podium was possible at one point but it didn’t happen but I’m pleased for the team and sponsors, who have done a great job for me again. Roll on Silverstone and I’m hoping we can challenge once again for that elusive podium.”

Jentin Racing BMW Motorrad Steve Brogan’s first BSB-EVO race was a nail biter, with the Liverpudlian rider pushing through the pain of his raw elbow – which he injured in a heavy fall in free practice on Friday – to chase eventual first-placed rider Hudson Kennaugh and take a very well deserved second. Brogan’s second race proved to be equally dramatic; following a good start, he moved into first place in the EVO class, with fellow championship contenders Kennaugh and Gary Johnson close behind. As the chequered flag approached, the two rivals managed to get past, making their moves stick. In a tight battle Brogan chased them to the line, finishing a very close third, and leaves Croft with a 38-point championship lead. He was pretty upbeat after a tough weekend;

“Considering the fall I had on Friday, I’d have been glad to be out there at all. The team did a fantastic job getting the bike ready to race in a very short time. To get a second and a third is very good, considering the position we were in just two days ago. We’ve got two more rounds, five races, on tracks I love, and two weeks now to rest my arm. I’ll be back at full fitness and I’m going to go for the championship title!”

Padgett’s Honda rider Glen Richards continued his unbroken spell of podiums since winning at Knockhill four races ago, by taking third-place in the Superstock 1000 race. Despite suffering a major off in Supersport practice which hampered his qualifying efforts in that class, the tough Aussie chased through the field from 11th place after suffering his second lacklustre start of the day. With six podiums from seven finishes, Richards can only reflect on where he might have been in the championship, had he not missed out on the first three races after his dramatic high-side at the first round. HM Plant Honda rider Steve Plater, continuing his return to fitness, finished seventh.

In the earlier Supersport race Richards had set the tone for his day by dropping down to 23rd place on the first lap, but once the race was in its stride, he got his head down and quickly made his way up to 15th and then lap-by-lap made his way through to 9th at which point the red flag came out because of oil on the track. Supersport team-mate Ian Hutchinson was holding onto 8th place in the race when he suffered electrical gremlins that compromised his race pace, to the extent that he decided to preserve his machinery and retired after completing 9 of the 14 laps.

Deane Brown finished second in both 125GP races, with John McPhee winning the first on Saturday and ending up third on Sunday.

The next round of BSB is at Silverstone, with racing on September 26th.

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