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.”
Long-time Shoei guy Shane Byrne has said it felt good to get back to winning ways on his return to the British Superbike Championship, wrapping up the race-one victory at Brands Hatch before dicing for the win again in the second outing.
Shakey's looking comfortable on the podium...
The two-time champion, who partners reigning BSB king Ryuichi Kiyonari, cruised away in race one but had a great scrap with Tommy Hill in the second leg which almost saw him run off the track with a handful of laps to go.
“I didn’t have any excuses if I didn’t have a result today riding for the championship-winning team! It was a hectic race and I got a good start and then Michael’s crash happened in slow motion right in front of me and I was lucky that I managed to miss him,” said Byrne.
“That incident then bunched us all up and then I had a fight with Stuart Easton but I knew I had to get passed him as soon as possible. It’s fantastic to have won the first race of the season.
“I felt good again in the second race and I had another good start so I was happy with that! I was able to lead for a few laps and I was pushing but then Tommy came past me and I wanted to get back to the front. I had been losing to Tommy a bit coming out of Clearways and then with three laps to go I got a better drive out of the corner.
“As we approached Paddock Hill Bend I thought ‘I can make this’ then I realised ‘no you can’t’ so I had to scrub off some speed which lost me the place. It was one of those things, but to come away from here with a first and a third ahead of Oulton Park next weekend is a good start to the season and all credit has to go to the HM Plant Honda team.”
Thanks to David Miller at Bike Sport News for the content and the guys at Double Red for the images.
Shoei man Tommy Hill is not letting the fact he is once again the British Superbike Championship series leader following two sterling rides at Brands Hatch, saying there is a long way to go before the trophy is lifted.
Tommy recovers from injury to show a promising start.
Hill came back from a 160mph off-track excursion along the Brabham Straight as he avoided fallen team-mate Michael Laverty to finish second in race one and then bagged his first win of 2011, crossing the line ahead of Ryuichi Kiyonari in the second race.
“It has been a long four days as it has been the most I have ridden for a while! Last week I was concerned about my elbow and I had a lot of treatment throughout the week to be ready which has paid off. It is fantastic to be leading the championship but it is only round one and it is early days still,” said the Lingfield man.
“The bike has been working well and we couldn’t have asked for a better start today. We are now looking forward to Oulton Park and getting the bike to work around what is a completely different track. Hopefully we can get there and come away with a very similar result.”
Thanks to David Miller at Bike Sport News for the content and the guys at Double Red for the images.
Suzuki racers Alvaro Bautista and Toni Elias took to the track this week for official MotoGP testing.
Bautista wearing new Shoei in Sepang
Former 125cc world champion, Bautista, is the sole Rizla Suzuki rider this year as he embarks on his second season in the elite class. The Spaniard, using a new design on his Shoei X-Spirit II for this test, was suffering from flu for the second consecutive test but remains positive.
Alvaro Bautista, Rizla Suzuki: “It seems like at this moment the bike has better durability than the rider! This has been bad luck to get sick at two consecutive tests – I feel very drained but I am confident that I will be ok tomorrow after maybe 12 hours sleep! But there was also some positive points today – my best lap was with race distance already completed on the tyres, so for sure I can go quicker with new tyres but today my condition was not the best for a ‘qualifying’ style lap. I’m frustrated but happy – we have improved the Suzuki quite a lot since the end of 2010.”
Reigning Moto2 champion, Elias, is still getting reacquainted with MotoGP power on his LCR Honda RC212V after a season onboard a 600cc. The Spaniard suffered a bout of flu during the test session held at the track earlier in the month, but is now healthy, upbeat and motivated at the task ahead.
Toni Elias, LCR Honda: “We still have a lot of work to do because I am struggling to find the right setting for me but this is normal as I am continuing my adaptation to the RCV.”
The three day test concludes today (February 24, 2011).
Courtest of the Team Suzuki Press Office – February 2.
Rizla Suzuki’s Alvaro Bautista continued the first test of 2011 in encouraging form today by recording his fastest ever time at the 5’548m Sepang circuit.
Shoei MotoGP rider, Alvaro Bautista
Shoei racer Bautista clocked a time of 2’01.687 during the morning session of today’s test, faster than his qualifying time at last-year’s Malaysian Grand Prix. He completed 63 laps and finished in eighth place on the time-sheets, 0.917 from the quickest but only 0.253 from second place.
The team was again able to evaluate many new developments to the Suzuki GSV-R, including different chassis and rear swing-arm, and to make comparisons between previous parts and updated components for the machine. Bautista was happy with his day’s work and is looking forward to finishing the test on a positive note. Today’s fastest time was set by Dani Pedrosa on his factory Honda.
Rizla Suzuki has one more day at Sepang in which it plans to complete race simulation runs as well as continuing with the remainder of its intensive test schedule.
Alvaro Bautista:
“Immediately I left the pit lane this morning the feeling was more normal than yesterday – after my first day back at work it was easier to understand everything. On my first run I set a good lap-time and this was very close to the fastest guys, except Dani who made a real qualifying lap! Much more important was that I could make high 2.01 lap-times with very old tyres, and my rhythm felt good. Also, I tried three different chassis today and the results of that test were quite clear, and we have made an improvement to front feeling and turning. The engineers have also done some good work with the traction control and this is helping me get out of the corners more smoothly.
“Anyway, now I am quite tired after 63 laps and I didn’t push for a fast time at the end of the day like many guys did – it’s more important to understand the bike on old tyres. I am very happy with the developments Suzuki has made, and I’m enjoying myself – I think we can have some fun this season!”
MotoGP Official Test Sepang ( Day 2): 1.Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 2’00.770: 2. Casey Stoner (Honda) +0.664: 3. Ben Spies (Yamaha) +0.738: 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +0.742: 5. Marco Simoncelli (Honda) +0.752: 8. Alvaro Bautista (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) +0.917.
Shoya Tomizawa, who tragically died as a result of injuries sustained in the Misano Moto2 race on September 5, 2010, will be honoured by Shoei Helmets with the release of a strictly limited edition replica helmet.
The Tomizawa X-Spirit II is exactly the same of the design campaigned by the popular Japanese racer in 2010 when he made history as the first ever Moto2 race winner. A portion of the profit from every single helmet sold from this one-off production run will go to a memorial fund set up in Shoya’s name by his parents. The role of the fund is to educate young riders who dream of becoming professional racers, just like Tomizawa.
The race-developed X-Spirit II, as used by Shoei’s MotoGP, WSB and British Superbike riders, features the historic Japanese company’s most advanced helmet construction to date. The outer shell is composed from six layers of super-strong organic fibreglass and carbon while the inner EPS receives a dual-density shock-absorbing lining. Wind tunnel development on the range-topping helmet created vents that provide maximum ventilation without creating buffeting for the rider in any direction the head is turned.
The Tomizawa replica will be strictly limited to just 250 in the UK and will arrive at Shoei dealers from May 2010, costing £620 in sizes XS-XL.
For your nearest recommended Shoei dealer, visit www.shoeiassured.co.uk or call 01384 410384.
Shoei, the Japanese premium helmet manufacturer, will release the first ever John McGuinness replica on its range-topping X-Spirit II, available in UK dealers from May.
Front view of McGuinness replica
The ‘Morecambe Missile’ has revised his famous design with new colours for the 2011 season. As part of the new Honda TT Legends World Endurance team, McGuinness is looking to build on his tally of North West 200 victories and 15 Isle of Man TT wins with a fresh challenge of clinching the Endurance World championship.
McGuinness, the first man to lap the 37.73-mile TT course at an average speed of 130mph, is instinctively recognisable with his distinctive design on the race-developed X-Spirit II; the SHARP 5-star rated helmet, also used by Shoei’s MotoGP, WSB and British Superbike riders, features the historic Japanese company’s most advanced helmet construction.
The outer shell is composed from six layers of super-strong organic fibreglass and carbon while the inner EPS receives a dual-density shock-absorbing lining. Wind tunnel development on the range-topping helmet created vents that provide maximum ventilation without creating buffeting for the rider in any direction the head is turned.
The X-Spirit II also features Shoei’s latest quick-release visor mechanism which is entirely draft-free thanks to the “suction seal” self-adjusting concept. The improved visor system also provides a broader field of vision and features a modified and enlarged Pinlock insert for maximum clarity in all conditions.
The McGuinness replica will have a SRP of £600 and is available in sizes XS-XL.
For your nearest recommended Shoei dealer, visit www.shoeiassured.co.uk or call 01384 410384.
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 racer Stuart Easton won his third successive Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix with victory in the 44th running of the Far East classic Saturday (November 20, 2010) to make it an all-Shoei podium.
Stuart Easton wins his third Macau GP
The 27-year-old Scot, riding the Paul Bird Kawasaki Racing Team WSB machine, had to do it the hard way though, beating off a strong challenge from fellow Shoei rider, Michael Rutter, on board the Team of Paris AXA Ducati. Rutter, fastest in qualifying, chased his young rival in the first part of the race until it was red flagged after six laps following a crash.
In the restart, Easton made another attempt to open up a gap over his older rival and at one stage, had got a lead of almost two seconds, but Rutter, the 38-year-old British star, closed the gap again and threatened to catch and pass the Kawasaki man. Easton responded by setting a brand new lap record of 2:23.616 seconds on the seventh of the nine-lap race, breaking Rutter’s spirit.
Easton said: “When I saw that Rutter had caught me, I was devastated after trying so hard to break free. I thought if he could catch me after all that, there was no way I could beat him. But I tried again and managed to open a gap once more.” At the chequered flag Easton’s winning margin was almost 11 seconds over second placed Rutter.
Shoei podium in Macau - Rutter, Easton, Toye
Jeremy Toye, the 39-year-old American on the Lee’s Cycles Racing BMW grabbed a dramatic third place within sight of the finishing line after fellow Shoei rider, Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki), had struck mechanical problems on the final lap.
Macau 44th Motorcycle Grand Prix results
1st Stuart Easton (Shoei)
2nd Michael Rutter (Shoei)
3rd Jeremy Toye (Shoei)
4th Simon Andrews (Shoei)
5th Gary Johnson
6th John McGuinness (Shoei)