2008 Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Rounds 1 & 2 - Brands Hatch GP, Kent
RAIN RUINS BRANDS QUALIFYING FOR HYDREX BIKE ANIMAL
HONDA
 Hydrex
Bike Animal Honda riders James Ellison and Guy Martin finished
fourteenth and eighteenth respectively after a weather-affected
opening qualifying session at the first round of the Bennetts
British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch today.
After a successful and intense three days of testing in Spain
aboard the factory-backed Honda Fireblades, the team arrived
at Brands Hatch with high hopes and following the free practice
sessions, whereby the riders were regularly in the top ten,
the team mood was optimistic.
But 27 year old Ellison from Kendal suffered a problem with
his main machine and had to revert to his spare, whereas 26
year old Humbersider Martin, continued to get used to the
Pirelli tyres in the fifty-minute session.
However with the rain clouds threatening throughout the one
and only qualifying session this afternoon, everyone was hoping
the rain would hold off but both riders saw their hopes of
progressing up the grid dashed as going into the final ten
minutes, a heavy rain shower put paid to any further track
action leaving them languishing down the grid.
Shaun Muir (Team Owner): "It is disappointing
that James didn't get enough time on the bike. He had a problem
with the HRC bike and had to change to the PI electronics
bike. He was just about to put his softest rubber in and the
clouds opened up, so we'll be hoping for rain tomorrow. I'm
pretty happy with Guy, he's just getting his confidence up
with the Pirellis and he's been in the top ten all weekend
up until the last session and I think he can run with the
top boys in tomorrow's race."
James Ellison: "We had to change bikes
as we had a problem and then we had some issues with that
bike also, but it's really just a lack of time. We crammed
all of our testing into three days and it didn't really give
us much chance to find out any problems with the bike. We've
not really got a setting for the dry so wet conditions will
probably be better for us tomorrow. It's a shame I didn't
get a chance to go for it in the last session."
Guy Martin: "I'm struggling a bit with
the tyres, but I'm getting there. The weather didn't help
at the end of the session as I wanted to put a fast lap in
but we're making little tweaks here and there and remember
Rome wasn't built in a day - but we're getting there."
Race one gets underway at 1.45pm on Sunday, with race two
at 4.30pm.
Qualifying
1, Shane Byrne (Ducati) 1m25.832s, 2, Cal Crutchlow (Honda)
1m26.155s, 3, Karl Harris (Yamaha) 1m26.364s, 4, Leon Haslam
(Honda) 1m26.552s, 5, Tom Sykes (Suzuki) 1m26.641s, 6, Leon
Camier (Ducati) 1m26.833s, 7, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 1m26.926s,
8, Michael Rutter (Ducati) 1m26.974s, 9, Atsushi Watanabe
(Suzuki) 1m27.893s, 10, Michael Laverty (Suzuki) 1m27.937s..
14, Guy Martin (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 1m28.873s, 18, James
Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 1m29.059s.
Round 1 - 4th/6th April - Brands Hatch GP, Kent
Round 2 - 18th/20th April - Thruxton, Hants
Round 3 - 3rd/5th May - Oulton Park, Cheshire
Round 4 - 24th/26th May - Donington Park, Leics
Round 5 - 13th/15th June - Snetterton, Norfolk
Round 6 - 27th/29th June - Mallory Park
Round 7 - 18th/20th July - Oulton Park, Cheshire
Round 8 - 8th/10th August - Knockhill, Fife
Round 9 - 23rd/25th August - Cadwell Park, Lincs
Round 10 - 12th/14th September - Croft, North Yorkshire
Round 11 - 26th/28th September, Silverstone, Northants
Round 12 - 10th/12th October - Brands Hatch Indy, Kent
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