HYDREX BIKE ANIMAL HONDA
Rounds 3 & 4 - Thruxton, Hants
 ROW
FOUR FOR ELLISON AT DAMP THRUXTON
For the second meeting in succession the weather played a
vital part in qualifying for round two of the Bennetts British
Superbike Championship at Thruxton in Hampshire today.
After the weather-affected first round at Brands Hatch two
weeks ago, everyone was hoping for dry conditions but yesterday's
cool and blustery weather gave way to showers and heavy rain,
none more so than just before the important fifty-minute qualifying
session this afternoon.
With some radical changes and alterations to both of the
HRC-backed Hydrex Bike Animal Honda Fireblades, riders James
Ellison and Guy Martin were hopeful going into the session
but at the end, just as the track dried up, Ellison's best
time put him on row four of the grid with Martin joining him
one row further back.
However, with drier and warmer conditions hopefully forecast
for tomorrow, the team is hopeful of a good result in both
twenty-lap races.
James Ellison: "It's turning into a
difficult weekend again. We're still trying to find a good
setting and I'm not comfortable on the bike just yet but we're
not too far away. It's a fast pace out there so we need to
be on the money to get some good results. I'm hoping for a
dry race tomorrow as we've still got a lot of work to do with
the settings, but we're getting there."
Guy Martin: "I'm still struggling with
the front end and I've got not a lot of confidence in the
bike at the moment, especially in the wet. We're trying to
get a better feeling in the forks but we can't do anything
drastic. We missed the first session on Friday due to a misfire
but good things come to those who wait and it will come."
Shaun Muir (Team Owner): "James has
had some problems with the new front forks which we are in
the process of sorting. He wants the confidence to push harder
on the front but we've had problems developing the PI system
so we've had to shelve that and run the bikes on the HRC kit
parts. I would have liked him to be on the second or third
row but we've got a good base setting to start the race. If
the conditions are fair, I think James should get a couple
of top eight positions. Guy has a vague feeling from the front
that he needs to iron out and needs to get his confidence
up in the next two events in readiness for the roads. I think
it was the right decision to run with the Fireblades on the
roads events and it is looking positive."
Race one gets underway at 1.00pm on Sunday, with race two
at 3.30pm.
Qualifying
1, Shane Byrne (Ducati) 1m19.704s, 2, Leon Haslam (Honda)
1m19.872s, 3, Michael Rutter (Ducati) 1m19.949s, 4, Cal Crutchlow
(Honda) 1m20.026s, 5, Karl Harris (Yamaha) 1m20.372s, 6, Leon
Camier (Ducati) 1m20.491s, 7, Adam Jenkinson (Honda) 1m20.842s,
8, Michael Laverty (Suzuki) 1m20.858s, 9, John Laverty (Ducati)
1m21.205s.. 15, James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 1m22.056s.
19, Guy Martin (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 1m23.194s.
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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