Podiums for Crutchlow and Haslam as Brogan crashes at Mallory
Park
HM Plant Honda’s Cal Crutchlow took a pair of third
places at today’s Bennetts British Superbike races at
Mallory Park, putting him back into second place in the championship.
His team-mate Leon Haslam took a superb second in the first
race, but slipped to sixth in the second outing with a tyre
choice that didn’t suit the drying conditions on the
1.41-mile Leicestershire track. In the Fuchs-Silkolene British
Supersport Championship Steve Brogan crashed his HM Plant
Honda CBR600RR out of the race and broke two bones in his
foot. The 27-year-old rider is banking on being fit for the
second meeting of the season at Oulton Park in around three
weeks time. Today’s race schedule at Mallory Park did
not include the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 championship.
Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
British Superbike – Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
RACE ONE: 2nd position
RACE TWO: 6th position
“In the first race our pace behind Cal wasn’t
that great so when I knew Shane Byrne was coming I passed
Cal and tried to go faster but I realised that there wasn’t
any extra pace to have! It was a real shame towards the end
of that race as I wanted to have a go at Shakey, but we got
well and truly baulked by Martin Jessopp and didn’t
get the chance. In the second race we simply had the wrong
tyres on for the drying track, which was a shame as the first
race showed that we could have had another podium.”
Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda
British Superbike – Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
RACE ONE: 3rd position
RACE TWO: 3rd position
“Race one wasn’t too bad, I led for most of it
and it would have been nice to win my local race, but there
you go! In the second race I was well down at the start as
my tyres didn’t suit the conditions until later on,
but I soon came up through the field. I had a go at Shane
Byrne towards the end of that second race into the hairpin,
but I locked the front brake and ran wide. Big thanks this
weekend to Mallory Park who always put on a great event and
to HM Plant Honda for all their hard work.”
Steve Brogan – HM Plant Honda
British Supersport – HM Plant Honda CBR600RR
DNF
“Obviously I’m not happy with the crash but things
like this happen. I’ve snapped two metatarsals in my
left foot, but I hope I will be riding at Oulton Park next
month. I was basically trying a bit too hard. The bike was
a bit lazy coming out of Edwina’s Chicane and I was
waiting for the power to come in, but when I crashed it was
a case of too much too soon. I’m now going to spend
the rest of the week with the foot in ice and elevated and
then see how I feel. I’ve slipped to fourth in the Supersport
championship, but with series leader Glen Richards coming
fifth today it’s pretty close and we’re only just
at the halfway point in the season. Anything can happen in
the second half.”
Havier Beltran – HM Plant Honda team manager
“We’re happy for the two podiums for Cal and Leon
did brilliantly to take second in race one, but it’s
just a shame he didn’t have the right tyres on in race
two. The conditions were very hard to predict and Shakey,
Michael Rutter and Cal had the right tyres on towards the
end of the race. We have to be happy with the improvements
we’ve made with the HM Plant Honda Fireblades, we’re
still getting podiums, but we know we’ve got a little
way to go to be able to challenge regularly for the wins.
So much has changed in the team with riders, tyres and the
like, but we’re not giving up until we’re winning
races regularly again. Steve’s broken two bones in his
left foot, so it is important now for him to rest up and not
aggravate the injury. It’s still close in the Supersport
championship and there’s still a long way to go.”
Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Race One Result
1. Shane Byrne – Ducati
2. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
3. Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda
4.Tom Sykes – Suzuki
5. James Ellison – Honda
Race Two Result
1. Michael Rutter – Ducati
2. Shane Byrne – Ducati
3. Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda
4. Tom Sykes – Suzuki
5. Karl Harris – Yamaha
6. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
Championship Points
1. Shane Byrne, Ducati – 280 points
2. Cal Crutchlow, HM Plant Honda – 183 points
3. Leon Camier, Ducati – 160 points
4. Leon Haslam, HM Plant Honda – 148 points
5. James Ellison, Honda – 119 points
Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship
1. Glen Richards, Triumph – 116 points
2. Hudson Kennaugh, Yamaha – 96 points
3. Ian Lowry, Suzuki – 79 points
4. Steve Brogan, HM Plant Honda – 75 points
5. James Westmoreland, Honda – 51 points
Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship
1. Steve Brogan, HM Plant Honda – 120 points
2. Jon Kirkham, Yamaha – 80 points
3. Marshall Neill, Suzuki – 75 points
4. Alistair Seeley, Yamaha – 64 points
5. Peter Hickman, Yamaha – 38 points
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