BSB ROUND 12, OULTON PARK, 9th/10th OCTOBER-ARAI RACE REPORT

Brogan bags the BSB-EVO title for Arai, Brookes finishes second and Deane Brown grabs the ACU Cup!

JOSH BROOKES, HM PLANT HONDA
Race 1: Fifth                        Race 2: Third                      Race 3: Second
Championship Position: Second

“I SUPPOSE IT IS SOMETHING TO COME BACK FOR NEXT SEASON!”
While Ryuichi Kiyonari sealed the BSB crown at Oulton his team-mate Josh Brookes made it an HM Plant Honda one-two in the standings by taking a double podium. Race one on Saturday proved hectic with a number of fallers although Josh managed to stay clear of the debris, and eventually finish fifth, while title fighter rival Tommy Hill crashed out of contention. Josh fought hard for his two podiums on Sunday after two bad starts off the line dropped him down the order, but he put in two determined performances and elevated himself to second in the overall standings.

“The start of the first race on Sunday was not great for me but I was making progress, then Tommy went down and Michael went out in front of me; it was crazy as I was on the grass and doing all I could just to keep going. The red flag came out and we changed the tyre but then had a chatter problem and I was doing everything I could, but it just wasn’t enough as I was struggling. It was so frustrating when Stuart Easton went past me but it was points that mattered. In race two I didn’t get a good start and I think I clipped the kerb going into the first corner. Then it all was pretty mad and I dropped down the pack. We had made a slight change from the first race and it meant that I had the confidence to really push it. I was catching Kiyo but I just couldn’t get that final bit, although it was a good race to finish the year with a podium, I really wanted the championship win. I suppose it is something to come back for next season!”

ALASTAIR SEELEY, RELENTLESS BY TAS SUZUKI
Race 1: 15th             Race 2: Fifth                        Race 3: Seventh
Championship Position: Sixth

“ANOTHER VALUABLE LESSON LEARNED…”
After a disappointing result on Saturday Alastair Seeley demonstrated his steely resolve – the Carrickfergus man digging very deep on Sunday, producing two quality performances taking fifth and seventh placed finishes. The series rookie finishes 2010 in sixth place, but should be commended for his year-long consistency, which saw him take his debut British Superbike victory at Brands Hatch in August.

“I struggled all weekend with set-up which wasn’t helped by having a touch of flu to deal with as well. After Saturday’s race my crew changed the bike back to the settings we used at the previous Oulton meeting. It really transformed it and made it feel more stable and helped me steer through the fast stuff at Oulton. Fifth place was a decent result but I also feel I should have finished higher than seventh in the second race. A bike blew up at Clay Hill and covered my visor in oil and I was really expecting the race to be red flagged; I slowed down and two riders got past me. The organisers sent the Pace Car out instead, so that was another valuable lesson learned, even though I was able to fight my way back.”

Tyco Racing’s Tommy Bridewell put in one of his best performances of the season with a superb ride into sixth place in the opening race. Having qualified on row two of the grid for Saturday’s race, Bridewell battled his way up into the top ten early on before closing in on the leading bunch as the race progressed. Going into the final lap, Bridewell was well placed on and closing in on Josh Brookes but couldn’t quite pass the Australian and brought it home inside the top six for the third time this season. However, any hopes of continuing his great form disappeared when his machine suffered a mechanical problem in the warm up session just before Sunday’s first race, which meant he had to sit out the remainder of the day’s action much to his disappointment. Consolation came in the smallest of forms however as he managed to hang onto 11th place in the championship.

Tommy took it all in his stride; “I felt really good during Saturday’s race and the bike felt strong so I was delighted to finish inside the top six and thought we could do even better on Sunday, but after the problem in the warm up, it was game over. Naturally I’m disappointed as we have put a lot of effort in during these final few races, but it wasn’t to be. I’d like to thank the Quay Garage Team and our sponsors Tyco and everyone else who has helped us this season; we’ll be back next year where the plan is to challenge for the British Superbike Championship title.”

Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad rider Steve Brogan clinched the inaugural BSB-EVO Championship at Oulton Park. In a thrilling finale to the year’s racing, Brogan took a win and a second place to secure the title ahead of runner up Hudson Kennaugh. In the first race, Brogan took 11th overall and was first BSB-EVO rider, extending his lead up to eight points once again. The final race saw Steve take an early lead over Kennaugh; with his South African rival soon keeping pace, Brogy opted to let him pass and rode home to secure a safe second, and the first ever BSB-EVO title, in the bargain. Obviously, he was a happy man; 

“I couldn’t have done this without all the guys in the Jentin Racing-BMW Motorrad team this year, they’ve all been fantastic, and of course everybody at BMW Motorrad UK who I have to thank for giving me the superb S1000RR to ride this year. I’d especially like to dedicate this to my friends and family back home in Liverpool who’ve supported me from start to finish. Thank you everyone! We’ve done it!”

Gearlink Kawasaki rider Ben Wilson took victory in the Supersport 600 race and rounded out the championship in third place, while Padgett Honda’s Glen Richards finished fourth, leaving him seventh overall.

In the Superstock 1000 class Glen Richards finished second on his Padgett’s Honda, and ended up second in the championship, with Jentin Racing’s Tristan Palmer third after finishing fourth in the race. HM Plant’s Steve Plater rode valiantly to take the chequered flag in sixth on his CBR100RR, and secured fourth place in the overall championship, despite missing half of the season through injury. He finished this season looking forward to the next: 

“I am quite content with fourth place, especially after all that has happened this season. I came here with a podium in my head, but I knew that a top five finish would do me. I was a little tentative in the opening laps and lost time, but I came back through and was happy to end the season with that. It is now about building up for next year and I have to thank the HM Plant Honda team for this season.”

Josh Day took the honours for Arai in the Superstock 600 championship and Deane Brown – recipient of the 2010 Craig Jones Arai Sponsorship Award – finished the 125GP race in second place, securing him the ACU Cup and third overall in the 125GP championship, proving him a very worthy winner of the award and a talent to watch in the future. Filling out the podium of the ACU Cup are John McPhee and Racing Steps Foundation rider Fraser Rogers.

Phoenix Distribution, the UK Arai importer, would like to thank all racers who’ve used Arai this year and are now looking forward to the 2011 season.

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

MOTOGP ROUND 15, MALAYSIA, SUNDAY 10th OCTOBER-ARAI RACE REPORT

 The Championship maybe decided, but the fight goes on for Arai riders

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

“THE SURGERY WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL…”   

Dani Pedrosa may have missed out on a trip to Malaysia but is making a swift return to racing following surgery to fix the collarbone he broke in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. He left Barcelona for Australia on Monday and will have a few days down under to acclimatise to the time difference before his first outing on the RC212V in Friday practice. The 25-year-old Spaniard, who is continuing with physiotherapy after the successful operation to fix a titanium plate to his fractured collarbone, is under no illusions about the challenge that awaits him: Phillip Island is a fast and physical circuit which requires commitment and strength to master. With the world championship title now decided in favour of Lorenzo, Pedrosa is determined to defend second place and the 47 point lead he has over Valentino Rossi.

“It was hard to take the decision to not go to Malaysia, but after another week I feel it was the right thing to do because during these days my condition has improved quite a lot. After the operation I began rehabilitation immediately. The surgery was very successful and the plate was well fixed, so the main problem was not the collarbone but the stiffness in my neck and all around my shoulders. I’ve been having massage and doing exercises with my physiotherapist and I will keep this up in Australia. The championship is decided, but for us it’s still not over. The target now is to retain second place in the standings and continue working on the bike so that we arrive in good shape for the winter tests, when we will start working for next year.”

NICKY HAYDEN, MARLBORO DUCATI
Race Position: 6th                             Championship Position: 7th

“I WAS STRUGGLING FOR FEEL UNDER BRAKING”
Nicky Hayden¬ – who missed out on his first pole position by just 0.1s – made a strong enough start, into third place into turn one but lost touch with the lead group when Casey Stoner slid out in front of him in the final corner at the end of the first lap. From there the American became embroiled in a battle with a group of hard chargers and was forced to concede positions, to due to unexpected difficulties under braking.

“After qualifying and even warm-up this morning we were confident we could have a good race and put up a better fight than that. I got a decent start but I was struggling for feel under braking, I don’t know why. It has been a strong point for us all weekend but in the race I had no feeling in the front tyre from the first corner and couldn’t brake how I wanted. It made life difficult, especially when it came to battling with other riders. Sixth isn’t a terrible result but we thought we could put up a stronger fight here.”

COLIN EDWARDS, MONSTER YAMAHA TECH3
Race Position: DNF                         Championship Position: 11th

“RIGHT OFF THE LINE I FELT GOOD”
It was an eventful 20-laps for Colin Edwards, the 36-year-old looking to carry on the momentum gained from his season best fifth place in Japan a week ago. A minor braking issue hampered Edwards in the early laps and once he’d adapted his riding style to compensate, he then battled a front-end grip issue. He was embroiled in an exciting four-rider tussle when he crashed at turn four on lap ten. His Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team worked frantically to repair his YZR-M1 machine, with Edwards returning to the track to try and score 13th place. Unfortunately his efforts were unrewarded as he missed the cut-off for scoring points by just one lap.

“That wasn’t an easy race at all. Right off the line I felt good and made a couple of passes but I understood from the start that I had small problem with the front brake. At one point I nearly ran into the back of Ben and that made it really difficult in all the hard braking points and there are plenty of those. Once I adapted to that I was having some issues with the front tyre. I’d had a couple of moments over the weekend but after about four laps I was struggling to hold a line. I was still pushing hard because I was in a good fight when I crashed at turn four. I don’t know whether it was the brake or the tyre or a combination of both that put me down, but it was one of those where I was waiting for it go. I wasn’t going to give up, run wide and let a load of people fly by but just lost the front. I’d like to congratulate Jorge, too. He’s been the fastest rider all year and he’ll be the man to beat next season that’s for sure.”

HIROSHI AOYAMA, INTERWETTEN HONDA
Race Position: 7th                             Championship Position: 15th

“PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY I WAS ON THE LIMIT”
Hiroshi Aoyama had a miserable qualifying at his favourite track – 14th – but finished the race in 7th place, the best position of his rookie year in MotoGP. Aoyama was able to fight in the middle group, which was scrapping for 4th position, and could comfortably hold his own amidst a whirlwind of position changes.

“The race was very tough, as the conditions with the heat and humidity were really hard. Physically and mentally I was on the limit. At the beginning I was finding my rhythm and then I started to overtake rider by rider; then I was able to stay with the group that was fighting for fourth position. I could have led this group, as my rhythm was better than theirs, but Simoncelli rode a very aggressive race and we touched a couple of times… I had to give him best to not risk anything. The seventh place is the best result so far in this season and I want to thank my team and I hope that we can improve the result at Phillip Island.”

The next MotoGP round is at Phillip Island, Sunday 17th October.

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

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