2008 Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Rounds 11 & 12 - Mallory Park, Leicestershire
28th/29th June 2008
 HYDREX
BIKE ANIMAL HONDA
MALLORY MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB FOR HYDREX BIKE ANIMAL
HONDA
The sixth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship
proved to be one of the lesser successful qualifying sessions
for Hydrex Bike Animal Honda riders James Ellison and Guy
Martin at Mallory Park today.
At the 1.41 mile compact Leicestershire oval, the pair couldn't
take advantage of the unusually dry conditions for once at
the end of the Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole qualifying session.
Experimenting with a new traction control system, 27 year
old Ellison ended up in 15th position and will start tomorrow's
two, 30-lap races from row four of the grid.
However it was even worse for 26 year old Martin whose best
time of 58.486s only qualified him in 24th position and as
a result he will start from the sixth row of the grid in tomorrow's
races.
James Ellison: "It was another bad
qualifying position. We were trying out the traction control
on the second bike but we haven't got a base setting for it
yet so its just been like a test day really. Half way through
the session I jumped on the bike I've been using all year
and immediately went quicker, but then I couldn't get a clear
track as the track is so small you just can't get past anyone.
I now need to decide which bike to use tomorrow, so I'll have
to sleep on it. I'm just disappointed as to where we've qualified."
Guy Martin: "We're still fine tuning
the bike. I felt I was really pushing the front end but I
seem to be going against a brick wall even though I feel like
I'm really riding the wheels off it. I think we just need
to do some work for the morning warm up, and I need to make
it count on the start so I can get some points this weekend.
Points make prizes, don't they."
Shaun Muir (Team Owner): "Both riders
haven't relished coming here. James can't quite get used to
riding so close to the barriers and his confidence has suffered
a bit. Both James and Guy have a lot of hard work to do tomorrow
but if James can get a characteristically good start there's
no reason why he can't come in the top six and get some points
in the bag."
The first of the two 30-lap races gets underway at 1.15pm
on Sunday with the second at 4.20pm. The British Eurosport
live broadcast window is 1.00pm to 2.30pm and 3.30pm to 5.15pm.
Qualifying
1, Tom Sykes (Suzuki) 56.005s, 2, Michael Laverty (Suzuki)
56.109s, 3, Shane Byrne (Ducati) 56.127s, 4, Cal Crutchlow
(Honda) 56.135s, 5, Leon Haslam (Honda) 56.234s, 6, Michael
Rutter (Ducati) 56.336s, 7, Karl Harris (Yamaha) 56.435s,
8, Tristan Palmer (Honda) 56.494s, 9, John Laverty (Ducati)
56.534s, 10, Billy McConnell (Kawasaki) 56.535s. 15, James
Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 56.941s. 24, Guy Martin
(Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 58.486s.
Photograph courtesy of Turn One Photography
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