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British Superbikes Roar Into Croft! |
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Monday, 07 August 2006 |
| Attachment 16814 |
| Defending champion Gregorio Lavilla (Airwaves Ducati) in action at the recent Croft BSB Test. |
Britain’s premier motorsport series makes a welcome return to the race-starved North East when round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship rolls into Croft Circuit near Darlington this weekend (11/12/13 August).
And with the championship precariously poised and as close as it’s been all season, the North Yorkshire venue is sure to play a pivotal role part in deciding the destiny of the prestigious title.
Just 14 points separate the top three riders in the standings following three dramatic rounds in recent weeks and early season pace setter and defending champion, Spanish ace Gregorio Lavilla, has seen his healthy lead slashed following just one podium finish in the past five races aboard his Airwaves Ducati F06.
Taking over at the head of the standings is the on-form Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari who has won six out of the last eight races. Riding a factory Honda for the HM Plant Racing team, the 23 year old has just returned from racing to fifth place in the Suzuki 8 Hour race in Japan and ‘Kiyo’ will be hungry for more victories this weekend.
But the man who could really upset the apple cart is Britain’s Leon
Haslam – son of the legendary ‘Rocket’ Ron - who despite not winning a
race so far this season, has been the most consistent rider in the
series with only one non-finish to his name when he crashed his
Airwaves Ducati in the very first race of the season at Brands Hatch.
Ex MotoGP star Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne will be racing at Croft for the
first time aboard his Rizla Suzuki and having won this season, he could
well be a threat once again, as could the resurgent Yorkshireman Karl
Harris (HM Plant Honda) and young Ulsterman Jonathan Rea (RedBull
Honda).
Croft will form the local round for two teams eager to get their 2006
seasons back on track. Guisborough based Hydrex Honda, run by ex racer
Shaun Muir, will see Australian Glen Richards and Midlander Gary Mason
hoping to challenge further up the leaderboard, as will the Stobart
Motorsport team run by Penrith businessman Paul Bird. His riders
Michael Rutter and Michael Laverty have good form around Croft and they
could be the dark horses this weekend.
Virgin Mobile Yamaha have local connections and their star rider Tommy
Hill is another not to be discounted, as aren’t the Hawk Kawasaki squad
with Leeds-based Aussie Dean Thomas who will return from injury, and
the Vivaldi Suzuki team headed by York’s Scott Smart.
Hoping to maintain local interest in the British Supersport
Championship is Guisborough rider Dennis Hobbs aboard the Team Padgetts
Honda and already this season, the 23 year old has lifted the
silverware with a second place at Knockhill and another local rider
hoping for success is Middlesbrough’s Paul Veazey who races in the
Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship aboard his 1000cc
Astro GVD Kawasaki.
As well as the two, twenty lap feature races, a full support race
programme is included during the weekend. Wiltshire rider Daniel Cooper
(KRP Honda) leads the 125cc class whilst Shiptonthorpe’s Chris Martin
hopes to make the most of his main rival James Buckingham’s absence
through injury to consolidate his lead in the British Superbike Cup.
Coventry rider Cal Crutchlow (Northpoint Ekerold Honda) leads the
British Supersport Championship comfortably as main rival Eugene
Laverty (Red Bull Honda) makes his comeback after a couple of rounds
out with a broken hand.
Australian Brendan Roberts could wrap up the Metzeler Racetec National
Superstock Championship aboard his Suzuki at Croft with Londoner Bob
Collins hoping to maintain his lead in the Superstock Cup whilst
Beverley teenager Tom Grant leads the Virgin Mobile Cup.
Saturday’s action sees the all-important ‘Audi Performance Qualifying’
for the Superbikes, whereby points are scored on grid positions and the
winner gets to take home a £50,000 car at the end of the season and
also the first of the weekend’s seven races takes place.
Due to stringent noise restrictions and to comply with local authority
regulations, the action cannot commence until after 12.00 noon on
Sunday whereby the action kicks off with the warm up sessions before
the first race is scheduled to start at 13.10. However, during the
morning, as well as there being an open paddock, there will be an
hour-long ‘Pit Walk’ for fans to meet the riders and that is scheduled
for between 10.00 and 11.00am .
Admission costs £12.00 per adult on Saturday and £25.00 per adult on
Sunday with a weekend ticket costing just £32.00 per adult and limited
grandstand seating (£8.00 per person) is still available. Children aged
15 and under are admitted FREE and for further information call Croft
Circuit on 01325 721815.
Timetable
| Saturday 12th August |
| 09.30 – 09.55 |
National Superstock Cup |
Qualifying 1 |
| 10.05 – 10.40 |
British Supersport |
Qualifying 1 |
| 10.50 – 11.40 |
British Superbikes |
Free Practice 3 |
| 11.50 – 12.15 |
Virgin Mobile Cup |
Free Practice |
| 12.25 – 12.50 |
National Superstock Cup |
Qualifying 2 |
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Interval |
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| 13.50 – 14.15 |
British 125cc |
Qualifying 2 |
| 14.25 – 14.50 |
National Superstock C’ship |
Qualifying 2 |
| 15.00 – 15.50 |
British Superbike |
Audi Performance Qualifying |
| 16.05 |
Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Cup |
Race 1 – 15 laps |
| 16.35 – 17.10 |
British Supersport |
Qualifying 2 |
| 17.20 – 17.45 |
Virgin Mobile Cup |
Qualifying |
| Sunday 13th August |
| 07.00 |
Gates Open |
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| 10.00 – 11.00 |
Pit Lane Walkabout |
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| 12.02 – 12.10 |
Virgin Mobile Cup |
Warm Up |
| 12.15 – 12.30 |
British Superbike |
Warm Up |
| 12.35 – 12.43 |
British 125cc |
Warm Up |
| 12.48 – 12.58 |
British Supersport |
Warm Up |
| 13.10 |
Virgin Mobile Cup |
Race 2 – 12 laps |
| 13.55 |
2006 Bennetts British Superbike Championship |
Race 3 – 20 laps |
| 14.40 |
British 125cc GP Championship |
Race 4 – 15 laps |
| 15.25 |
British Supersport Championship |
Race 5 - 18 laps |
| 16.15 |
2006 Bennetts British Superbike Championship |
Race 6 – 20 laps |
| 17.15 |
Metzeler Racetec National Superstock C’ship |
Race 7 – 16 laps |
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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