A nice little line-up for Shoei at the Dutch Moto GP recently – Kenan, Marc and brit Bradley Smith on the Assem Moto2 podium (photo Nico Schneider) Moto2 race in Assen was not to bad for Shoei. Bradley on 3rd, Kenan 2nd, and Marc on 1st. Congratulations.
All of our three riders fighting for the podium…
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.”
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.”
Shoei Premium Helmets continue to receive plaudits around the world.
The first is the “best brand” award from the German sportsbike magazine, “PS”, the second ist the “helmet of the year” award from WebBikeWorld.com for our Shoei Qwest model.
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.”
Newcomer Simon Andrews in action yesterday
By Edgar Jessop in The Railway
Image by www.iomtt.com
Wednesday evening saw a number of the major contenders run into trouble - Michael Dunlop stopped at Ginger Hall, Ryan Farquhar pulled in at Sulby for a spot of overheating before proceeding, John McGuinness stopped at the Mountain Box and Ian Lougher retired at the Creg.
McGuinness tried some different tyre compounds and suspension settings last night on the Superbike which didn’t work so he’s going to go back to Tuesday’s settings tonight. He went out on the stocker but the clutch was slipping so pulled in straightaway, then went out on the 600 but that started misfiring at Ramsey so he pulled in at the Bunglow before carrying on (hence the 96mph lap). By the time he got back to the pits, the clutch had been sorted on the stocker so he went back out and did 123mph+.
Team-mate Keith Amor will sit out this evening’s session after bashing the AC joint in his shoulder. The Scot had a slow-speed off at Quarterbridge. He Tweeted: “The specialist has seen me and said have a day off and I can ride on friday so fingers crossed!”
William Dunlop was delighted to have posted his best ever lap of the Mountain Course – 125.872mph – but admitted ‘It was a great lap and everything felt really comfortable but I’m not quite sure where I’m going to find the other 5mph from!”
Brother Michael admitted to be suffering a number of handling issues with the new ZX-10 Superbike but when asked how he was going to overcome them, his answer was simple ‘ “keep it flat out.”
McGuinness, Gary Johnson and Keith Amor tried a new tyre combination but all three went slower.
Newcomer Simon Andrews almost broke the 120mph barrier on his third night of practice, with a best lap of 119.485mph, and was delighted with his progress. “That was a wicked lap and real good fun. The BMW is handling like a dream and it’s a real pleasure to ride but we keep running out of petrol on the second lap. It died out of both the Creg and Governors so we need to sort that out. The only problem I had was with the low sun and that makes it tricky to see where you’re going.” Straight down the sliproad at Signpost, Si…
Conor Cummins is heading for Jurby airfield today to see if he can cure his Superbike’s ‘problem’ with some straight-line testing.
Klaus Klaffenbock and Daniel Sayle were quickest in the sidecar class but Sayle reported there was a considerable amount of Manx wildlife out on the course – “There’s birds flying around and all sorts, I saw some geese on the track at one point!”
John Holden, whose Suzuki engine was running too lean on Tuesday evening, went too far the other way on Wednesday and found it to be running too rich.
Byrne on the grid before race two. The eyes have it…
By David Miller
Image by Double Red
HM Plant Honda’s Shane Byrne says he is pleased with his win and podium in yesterday’s Thruxton British Superbike races given it was the first time he had ridden the bike in the wet and added he could have gone faster in the second race.
The two-time champion, who increased his series lead over John Hopkins at the Hampshire circuit, had serious vision problems in the first outing where he was mugged by Michael Rutter into the last corner but no such issues in the second which he won by a country mile.
“That was the first time I had ridden the HM Plant Honda Fireblade in the wet conditions and I have to say it was great. I had some real vision problems with my visor and to be honest I couldn’t read my pit board and I only knew it was the last lap because I saw the flag on the start line,” said the Kent man.
“I thought ‘oh no it’s the last lap’ and I couldn’t have pushed it any harder. I had a good battle with Michael (Rutter). Race two was a bit easier as I started from pole rather than the back of the grid! After the first race I was desperate to get to the front and just ride my own race.
“I was smoother and the bike was on rails so I couldn’t have been happier. The track was quite grippy and once I got to the front I was comfortable and in a rhythm. I think I could have even gone faster if I pushed a bit but it has been a great weekend and all credit to the team. I can’t wait for Knockhill now.”
By David Miller at Thruxton
Image by Double Red
MSS Colchester Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes has dedicated his debut British Superbike pole position to Shoei Man Stuart Easton, the man for whom he is standing in this weekend.
Lowes blasted to his and the team’s first ever pole at Thruxton this afternoon as Easton recovers from a successful operation to pin his broken legs and pelvis in Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.
“It is just an awesome feeling, mega. In each of the sessions, I was able to go faster and that really is a testament to the work that had been put in on the bike by Stuart,” said Lowes.
“This is for Stuart – we all want to get him back out there on track as soon as possible. This will give him a lift, as he has done all of the development work on the bike to make this possible and it will do the whole team good.
“It has not been easy since his crash for the team, seeing one of your own badly injured, as they are like a big family. Now I have to a good job for all of them in these races.”