News 24 Aug 2014

Byrne quickest in Cadwell Park BSB free practice

Brookes best of the Australians in fifth on Saturday.

Source: BSB.

Source: BSB.

Shane Byrne edged out his MCE Insurance British Superbike title rival Ryuichi Kiyonari in a high-speed duel for the top spot in free practice ahead of Bank Holiday Monday’s eighth round at Cadwell Park as the pair bid for a record-breaking fourth crown.

Japanese rider Kiyonari, who lives nearby to the Lincolnshire circuit had set the pace in the morning session, and despite putting in a sequence of fast laps in the afternoon session he was narrowly edged out by fierce rival Byrne.

Byrne hit back strongly, putting in a scorching lap of 1m26.990s aboard his Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki late in the second session to signal his intention to end a run of seven races without a win.

“We have been chipping away in the first session this morning and found more pace this afternoon but we still need to work hard,” Byrne said. “The team have some good ideas and fingers crossed we can have an even better day tomorrow.”

Milwaukee Yamaha’s Brookes was pushed back into fifth place by the late charges from both Dan Linfoot, continuing his recent run of form on the Quattro Plant Kawasaki, and Chris Walker on the Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki.

Stuart Easton on the second Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki, Tommy Bridewell on the Milwaukee Yamaha and James Ellison, who is bravely making a racing return following an injury, are all pushing to secure the final places in the Showdown. Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters was 12th overall.

Billy McConnell underlined his determination to regain the lead in the Motorpoint British Supersport title stakes with a strong performance in free practice highlighted by a scorching lap in the closing moments of the second session under the existing lap record.

The Aussie charged his Smiths Triumph inside the two-year-old lap record with a time of 1m29.021s to finally head off the challenge of the determined Luke Mossey who had been consistently fast throughout the day on the Techcare Profile Triumph.

Graeme Gowland, who leads his teammate McConnell by a single point in the overall standings, worked hard across the two sessions, ending the day less than a third of a second down but it was a tough start for former champion Alastair Seeley.

Seeley arrives here four points down on Gowland, but the Martrain Yamaha could only clock sixth and then seventh fastest times in the two sessions, with his afternoon best two seconds down on McConnell.

Luke Stapleford, cruelly denied the chance of victory in the previous round by a machine problem while leading, will be back in the scrap at the sharp-end of the pack on the Profile Triumph, having set competitive times in free practice.

In the opening Superstock 1000 qualifying session Jason O’Halloran was second for Honda Racing, with countryman David Johnson ninth on his PR Racing Kawasaki. Top Aussie in Superstock 600 was Levi Day in seventh and Benjamin Currie in 10th.

2014 MCE British Superbike Championship
Round eight – Cadwell Park

Free practice results:
1. Shane Byrne 1m26.990
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari 1m27.318
3. Dan Linfoot 1m28.103
4. Chris Walker 1m28.185
5. Josh Brookes (AUS) 1m28.198
6. Peter Hickman 1m28.394
7. Stuart Easton 1m28.753
8. Barry Burrell 1m28.794
9. Jon Kirkham 1m28.943
10. Howie Mainwaring 1m28.968
12. Josh Waters (AUS) 1m29.137

Click here for detailed results

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