Crutchlow and Brogan win as Haslam nets more points
Cal Crutchlow battled to a brave win in today’s Bennetts
British Superbike races at Brands Hatch, less than a week
after dislocating his right ankle.
Cal led the first 15 laps of race one before being overtaken
by race-winner Shane Byrne down the Cooper Straight and then
by Suzuki’s Tom Sykes on the same lap at Surtees. He
eventually finished third. Meanwhile, HM Plant Honda team-mate
Leon Haslam was hampered by a poor start, which saw him down
in 10th at the end of the first lap. He eventually showed
that he had the pace for the podium by closing on his team-mate,
finishing in fourth, just seven-tenths behind Cal. In race
two Leon led from the start until lap nine when he went off
the track going into Surtees after hitting neutral at the
end of the Cooper straight. He dropped down to 11th place
and managed to battle back through to sixth place after the
race was run behind the Safety Car for four laps and then
red-flagged on lap 19 of the extended 23 lap race. Crutchlow
took advantage of his team-mate’s woe to lead the race
and win from Byrne, after the race was stopped when Sykes
crashed his Suzuki at Hawthorn’s.
In the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship Steve
Brogan led from flag-to-flag to win his third straight race
in the series, while in the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport
Championship, Steve fought hard in the race to take third
position to stay in the hunt for the title.
Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
British Superbike – Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
RACE ONE: 4th position
RACE TWO: 6th position
“I’m disappointed again to be honest. I got a
bad start in race one but was happy with the HM Plant Honda
Fireblade and showed I had the pace to be up there before
the end of the race. In the second outing I got a good start
and had a good pace at the front and was trying to put a gap
on the guys behind. Then as I went into the corner the back
came around, so I pulled the clutch in and when I let it out
I was in neutral and I had nowhere to go but straight on.
I got back on-track in something like 12th or 11th and to
be positive my lap-times at the end of the race were pretty
strong. I’m getting happier with the bike, but I need
some luck now. All I can do is look forward to Donington Park.”
Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda
British Superbike – Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
RACE ONE: 3rd position
RACE TWO: 1st position
“The first race was long and hard for me – leading
for the best part of 16 laps with a dislocated ankle isn’t
easy, believe me! The ankle went straight into ice after the
first race, ready for the second outing. By the end of the
second race, I was just pleased to see the chequered flag!
I came here with the intention of points so 3rd and 1st place
finishes are very good for us, as we’re trying to keep
this title alive. We hung on in there today and championships
are made of that. I’m well pleased overall and I’m
now heading to the North West 200 to enjoy the event and rest
the ankle! I have to mention the excellent work Coventry City
Football Club’s physio Damien Delahunty has done with
me this week and Toby Branfoot the medical delegate from the
BSB organisers. Also a massive thanks to the HM Plant Honda
team for doing such a good job with the CBR1000RR Fireblade.”
Steve Brogan – HM Plant Honda / Honda (UK)
Racing
British Supersport – HM Plant Honda CBR600RR
3rd position
British Superstock – Honda (UK) Racing CBR1000RR Fireblade
1st position
“What can I say about the Superstock bike? I’m
not doing anything different from what I did with the 2007
race bike, so that shows just how good the new-for-2008 Fireblade
is. I was able to control the race from the front, just as
I wanted to. It was a tough Supersport race and in the last
few laps I was trying to make myself as wide as possible as
I could see +0 on my pit-board! To be honest we were a little
bit off the leaders’ pace here today, so to get another
podium and still be up there so early in the championship
is just what we need. Many thanks again to the HM Plant Honda
team, they’ve done a brilliant job over the last two
days.”
Havier Beltran – HM Plant Honda team manager
“Overall to finish up with two wins from Steve and Cal
is great for HM Plant Honda – and all credit to Cal
for what he’s done after injury. For Leon we’re
all disappointed once more, but he’s been running at
the front and if it wasn’t for him leaving the track
in race two he would have been at least battling for the podium.
We will now help Leon pull everything together for his ‘home’
round at Donington Park in a few weeks time. Another win from
Steve is a superb result for both him and the new CBR1000RR
Fireblade: he got his head down at the start and was away!
In Supersport he also rode a shrewd race, we’ve maybe
not got the pace of the leaders just yet on the CBR600RR,
but to secure another podium means we’re still in the
hunt for the title and there are a lot of races still left
to run.”
Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Race One Result
1. Shane Byrne – Ducati
2. Tom Sykes – Suzuki
3. Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda
4. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
5. Leon Camier –Ducati
Race Two Result
1. Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda
2. Shane Byrne - Ducati
3. Leon Camier – Ducati
4. Michael Laverty –Suzuki
5. Michael Rutter – Ducati
6. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
Championship Points
1. Shane Byrne, Ducati – 140 points
2. Cal Crutchlow, HM Plant Honda – 96 points
3. Leon Camier, Ducati – 83 points
4. James Ellison, Honda – 64 points
5. Leon Haslam, HM Plant Honda – 56
Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship
1. Glen Richards, Triumph – 65 points
2. Hudson Kennaugh, Yamaha – 58 points
3. Steve Brogan, HM Plant Honda – 52 points
4. Chris Martin, Kawasaki – 29 points
5. Ian Lowry, Suzuki – 27 points
Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship
1. Steve Brogan, HM Plant Honda – 75 points
2. Jon Kirkham, Yamaha – 60 points
4. Marshall Neill, Suzuki – 39 points
5. Alistair Seeley, Yamaha – 35 points
3. Conor Cummins, Yamaha – 26 points
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