Andrews will have to have four inches of bone cut out of his leg
By David Miller
Image by Double Red
Our thoughts are with Worcestershire British Superbike star and Shoei man Simon Andrews, who will undergo a bone graft later this week to replace four inches of shin that will have to be removed from this right leg after a massive crash at Snetterton yesterday.
Andrews slid off at Riches alongside the Jentin Honda of Steve Brogan and the Liverpool rider’s Fireblade collected Andrews’ leg, badly broke the tibia and fibula, and ripped open the skin.
“They will have to take out around four inches of bone and graft some on from his pelvis, then the plastic surgeons can close up the wound and we can go from there,” said Charle Aitchinson, Andrews’ close friend.
“They are very confident of a full recovery and have already put fixator pins on the bone so a cage can be attached as soon as the operation is done. There are no current problems with circulation and Simon is chatty but in quite a lot of pain.”
Kiyo anchors-up and Hill has to get out of the way
By David Miller at Snetterton
Image by Jamie Morris
Shoei man Tommy Hill had to take evasive action in the second British Superbike race at Snetterton on Sunday after Ryuichi Kiyonari anchored-up unexpecedly hard into the new hairpin (Monterey), leaving Hill nowhere to go but down.
The Lingfield man had podiumed behind John Hopkins in the first outing but could do nothing about this spill. Even though the race was red-flagged for Simon Andrews and Steve Brogan’s get-off, Hill wasn’t allowed back on track.
“In race two I knew we had the pace to challenge for the win and I got off the line well and maintained third position. We just went into Montreal and Kiyo stopped directly in front of me and there was nothing else I could do other than brake hard but I had nowhere to go,” said Hill.
“I got back on and there was some damage to the Swan Yamaha and unfortunately I couldn’t make the restart as I hadn’t made it back out before the red flag. I am gutted as I thought we could have won that second race and I desperately wanted to be out there rather than watching from the garage.”
Tinmouth in action at Snetterton last weekend
By Martin Knighton
Image by Double Red
Shoei Girl Jenny Tinmouth tackled the much talked about new 2.97 mile Snetterton 300 circuit last weekend. Getting to grips with the new layout Jenny finished in 27th place in Saturday’s sprint race but followed up with an impressive 18th position in Sunday’s feature race.
Using both of Friday’s free practice sessions to find her lines and braking markers she would improve her times by over three seconds to end the day with a time of 1 minute 57.744 seconds placing her in 24th position going into Saturday’s one and only qualifying session.
As everybody increased their pace during qualification, Jenny did the same, reducing her times by a further second to take 23rd place on the grid for the sprint race.
Unfortunately the race didn’t go altogether to plan with Jenny losing several places in the early laps largely due to braking issues in the heavy braking areas, but despite the 27th place finish she had gained further knowledge of the circuit which she would take forward into Sunday’s feature race.
With different brake pads fitted Jenny lined up in 28th place on the grid for Sundays 15 lap feature race. This time she made a good start and immediately benefitted from the improved braking performance. At the completion of lap one she had gained three places, and was in 20th position by lap five.
Continuing to battle hard with her rivals, she gained two further places, taking the chequered flag in a highly respectable 18th position setting her best time on lap ten, a time of 1 minute 55.132 seconds, which equates to a huge six seconds improvement from the time she set during the opening free practice.
Now having two rounds under her belt back on the trusty Manx Glass and Glazing backed Honda CBR600RR Jenny’s confidence is coming back in abundance as she looks forward to her ‘home’ round next time out at Oulton Park.
“I really enjoyed the new Snetterton 300 circuit, first of all getting used to the new layout and then to progressively improve my lap times. During the weekend I got myself settled back into Supersport racing and had a really good second race,” said Tinmouth.
“I’m pleased with the result and my progress over the weekend, I’m really happy on the bike and my confidence is growing each time I go out on track. It was a really good weekend and now I’m looking forward to Oulton Park, my local round in just over a week’s time. As always massive thanks to Steve, Martin, Ken at Majestic Engineering, and my main sponsor, Manx Glass and Glazing.”
Hill in contemplative mood earlier in the season
By BSB desk
Image by Double Red
Shoei Man Tommy Hill is more confident going into this weekend’s British Superbike round at Snetterton than he has been all season after his first ever double win last time out at Knockhill where he dominated both races.
The Lingfield rider romped away from series leader Shane Byrne and reckons that the base setting he has for the YZF-R1 should suit the Norfolk circuit where he did a handful of laps in testing before crashing at Riches, damaging his elbow.
“We have a very strong base setting on the Swan Yamaha and I think that should be a place for us to start this weekend. It has been good for us; it took us to pole at Oulton Park and then a pole again and double win at Knockhill so we are hopefully not going to be far off from the start,” said Hill.
“I am just looking forward to getting out in practice and getting some laps in as I have done fewer than most of the other riders as when we were here for the test I had a crash and only did a handful of laps. The new track is going to be exciting that’s for sure and really for the first time this season everyone is in the same position with a completely new track.
“I definitely want to be back at the front collecting the points and the podium credits for the championship. My confidence is probably the highest it has been since before my crash at Oulton Park so it can’t come soon enough.”
Hill giving his electronics a lot to do. It’s damp up there. And cold…
By David Miller
Image by Double Red
Shoei Man Tommy Hill picked up where he left off this morning and has set the fastest time in this afternoon’s second British Superbike free practice session at Knockhill but he now has youngster Loris Baz and ex-MotoGP rider John Hopkins for company.
In another wet-but-no-longer-pissing-down session, Hill was the only rider to go under the 53s barrier with a 52.810 while Frenchman Baz lapped just three-tenths slower than the Lingfield man. Hopkins tested at the track last week and is just another 0.154s further back while Michael Laverty, on the sister Swan bike, is fourth on a 53.394.
The Irishman was second fastest this morning on a 53.576 so managed to go fractionally faster while Shane Byrne, third earlier, dropped to fifth but also went four tenths faster.
Relentless Suzuki’s Josh Brookes was a big mover in the second outing, jumping from 14th up to sixth place and is now only three-quarters of a second off the pace while his team-mate from last year, Ryuichi Kiyonari, is seventh. MSS Kawasaki’s Gary Mason, never a fan of the wet, is eighth with his 2010 team-mate Simon Andrews, now on an Evo bike, in ninth. Samsung Suzuki man Jon Kirkham, who crashed unhurt, rounds out the top ten and is 1.1s in arrears.
The second works Kawasaki of Alex Lowes is in 11th place and he has Dab Linfoot and Chris Walker, together again, for company. Michael Rutter is uncharacteristically slow for these conditions in 14th while Glen Richards is 15th and the second Evo man. Scott Smart’s Moto Rapido Ducati is third in the Evo standings.
Tinmouth with her trusty Honda CBR600
By Martin Knighton
Shoei lady Jenny Tinmouth will make a return to British Supersport action at Knockhill this weekend and says she is relishing going back to having her own team around her again after recently BSB trials and tribulations.
Tinmouth parted company with the Splitlath Aprilia British Superbike team after Croft, missing out on the Thruxton round and hopes to get back into the premier class again but is satisfied with her lot for now, wheeling out her CBR600 to ride in the main BSS championship.
‘Its great to be back running our own little team again, its a shame things didn’t go as I’d hoped in the Superbike Team and I miss being in the class, but it’ll be great to get back to some racing and some fun. I hope I can return to the Superbike class in the future but for now it will be great to be back on my Supersport bike,” she said.
“Knockhill is one of my favourite circuits, it’s a quick lap but there’s so much going on that it’s really enjoyable to ride. I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve had this season so far and to have such fantastic sponsors who are supporting me this year means a lot, without them I couldn’t go racing!
“I would like to give a special thanks to Greg at Manx Glass, Fergus at sorrymate.com, Steve and Martin. I’m looking forward to the season ahead and it’ll be great to get stuck back in at Knockhill.”
Shoei racer Tommy Hill is asking his fans to design a helmet colour scheme for him.
Go to Tommy’s new Facebook page where, posted on his wall, you’ll find a blank version of the design he wore throughout 2010 on a Shoei X-Spirit 2 where the British Superbike title narrowly evaded him.
- Get your crayons out and colour Hill’s Shoei
Simply get out the crayons or use computer wizardry and then post your design back on Tommy’s Facebook wall; the Swan Yamaha Rider will then pick the best design before Christmas and the winner will receive five Tommy Hill 2011 calendars and perhaps even see their design in action on British Superbike grid next year.
So, what are you waiting for?
Tommy Hill will once again be wearing Shoei helmets for the 2011 British Superbike Championship.
Having led the 2010 championship for the majority of the season, Tommy will be gunning for the title that eluded him with his new team, Swan Yamaha.
Another memorable moment for Tommy in 2010 was the release of his first replica Shoei on the popular XR1100; a reflection of his loyalty to the Japanese brand and his popularity with race fans.
- Tommy Hill with his replica Shoei
On continuing his Shoei relationship for the fifth consecutive year, Tommy Hill said: “I’ve been working hard to prepare for the coming season and I’m very pleased to have secured a continued relationship with the premium helmet brand Shoei.
“Feridax, the importers of Shoei helmets in the UK for over forty years, and I both really wanted to continue our relationship and maintain our success of the Tommy Hill replica; which for me is an interesting project to be part of.
“To be using the Shoei X-Spirit 2 again for 2011 is all part of the confidence you need as a rider; to be using what I feel is the best helmet on the market is just what I need.”
Feridax Sales Director, Steve Clifford, quoted: “We are delighted to announce that we will be continuing our support for Tommy with his efforts to secure the 2011 BSB Championship title.
“We felt it important to continue our relationship to show our respect for the amazing courage and skill that Tommy displayed throughout the season to become a main contender for the 2010 British Superbike championship – these are the personal values that we admire and wish our brand to be associated with.
“We’re looking forward to an exciting season ahead with Tommy and we are especially excited about the new Tommy-designed ‘Hill Replica’ that is now available for 2011.”
Shoei rider clinches his third BSB title in nail-biting final round.
- Kiyonari with special championship Shoei helmet
Ryuichi Kiyonari took three sensational victories in the final triple-header race event of the season at Oulton Park to secure his third British Superbike Championship crown.
The Japanese star arrived at the final round trailing fellow Shoei racer, Tommy Hill, on points. The HM Plant Honda rider took the first race win on Saturday from Hill to reduce the points deficit, but then the drama unfolded.
Riding in second position in the early stages of Race 2, Hill was challenging another Shoei rider, James Ellison, for the lead into Lodge corner when his bike kicked off a bump, causing Hill to come into the corner faster than planned, leading to a collision with Ellison. Both riders crashed.
Hill remounted in 19th position and was attempting to regain positions when the damaged master cylinder to his front brake failed completely (again at Lodge) and Hill was forced to the lay the bike down. Travelling at high speed the damage to the bike was extensive and he was unable to make the restarted race, won by Kiyo.
Hill’s Worx Crescent Suzuki team did however regroup to rebuild what was a written-off machine in time for the third race. In the circumstances the bike lacked the precision set-up and feel of the original and, after starting from the third row, Hill overcame set-up issues to finish a fighting fifth. Kiyonari and team mate Josh Brookes finished race 3 in first and second positions to seal the same championship positions, with a gallant Hill placed third in the championship.
Ryuichi Kiyonari said: “Saturday’s race was awesome and the second race was good for me but I was feeling more nervous ahead of the last race as I felt that the pressure was on me and that I had more to lose. It was a good race and I wanted to win so badly.
“The third race I was pushing hard as I knew that the others needed the win, but it feels a relief now as the win was enough to be champion again. It has been a big fight all season and all the other riders haven’t made it easy for me all year. It has been tough and there have been good and bad moments but now I can relax. The championship means as much to me as the others and I have to thank everyone for their support and the team for their hard work.”
Tommy Hill said: “I’m devastated. The team has put so much effort into this championship, and we wanted this championship so bad – and it’s not happened.
“Its been an incredible year, though. We started fantastic, we were fastest in testing and we started the season so well. The pressure then came on but we responded and stayed at the front – so for it to go away in one race, well, we’re all disappointed. I just have to thank everyone in the Worx Crescent Suzuki team, they’ve been incredible, and they’ve given me the championship of my life.”
Shoei’s sponsored British Superbike riders, Michael Rutter and James Ellison, enjoyed the spoils in both headline races at the penultimate round at Silverstone yesterday (September 26, 2010) while Tommy Hill retained his championship lead.
Shoei's Tommy Hill and Yukio Kagayama at Silverstone, yesterday
In challenging conditions thanks to the autumnal weather, Michael Rutter lived up to his reputation as a rain master to take the victory in the re-started first race on his Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati ahead of Josh Brookes and Michael Laverty.
In Race 2, Swan Honda’s James Ellison made a welcome return to the podium after an eight month absence to record a popular win with a masterful display of wet riding.
Shoei’s Tommy Hill, overcame the difficult weather conditions and technical set backs on his Worx Crescent Suzuki, to retain his lead in the BSB title standings with an eighth and fifth in the two wet races and takes an 11 point lead into the final round of championship at Oulton Park in two weeks time.
Tommy Hill: “I’m not over the moon with today’s performances but I am happy with the outcome. We had a few setbacks today but the job was to keep a level head throughout, bearing in mind my championship lead, and not take excessive risks. Consequently it was my rivals who were taking the risks and so suffered the worst misfortune.
“So I’m looking forward to Oulton Park, it’s probably my favourite track of the championship. While not everything went to plan this weekend we did again find podium pace both in the wet and dry so I’m confident that we have everything we need to fight for the title come the final Showdown.”
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship
Round 11, Silverstone
Race one result:
1. Michael Rutter (Shoei)
2. Josh Brookes
3. Michael Laverty (Shoei)
4. James Ellison (Shoei)
5. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Shoei)
6. Alastair Seeley
7. Simon Andrews (Shoei)
8. Tommy Hill (Shoei)
9. Chris Walker
10. Dan Linfoot
Race two result:
1. James Ellison (Shoei)
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Shoei)
3. Josh Brookes
4. Alastair Seeley (Shoei)
5. Tommy Hill (Shoei)
6. Dan Linfoot
7. Gary Mason (Shoei)
8. Chris Walker
9. John Laverty
10. Peter Hickman
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Silverstone:
1. Tommy Hill (Shoei) 589
2. Josh Brookes 578
3. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Shoei) 574
4. Michael Laverty 570
5. Michael Rutter (Shoei) 546
6. Alastair Seeley 529