John Hopkins is pictured on his 2009 Honda

Oulton Park is a challenging circuit, and more lengthy than most faced by Superbike racers in the UK. Ryuichi Kiyonari had won all three races there in the 2010 season finale, Stuart Easton had won there twice in the last two years, and Michael Laverty had also won in the wet last year. In qualifying this time, the Swan Yamaha pair came out on top. Hill took pole position, with Laverty second. Another Yamaha was in fourth, that of Motorpoint rider Loris Baz.

Honda men had been at the front at Brands, but here they were no better than seventh. Suzuki riders were closest to Yamaha this time, with John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent) on the front row in third, and Josh Brookes (Relentless by TAS) fifth. The best of the new Kawasaki ZX-10R machines was sixth, ridden by Easton for MSS Colchester. Then came Byrne (HM Plant Honda) and James Westmoreland (Motorpoint).

Kiyonari headed row three in ninth place for HM Plant, from Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati), Dan Linfoot (Sorrymate.com Honda) and Evo racer Alex Lowes (WFR Honda). Tommy Bridewell, recent podium finisher for Tyco Honda, had damaged his bike in a practice crash and would not race, but his team-mate Peter Hickman was in P13, from Glen Richards (WFR), Chris Walker (Primo Kawasaki) and Jon Kirkham (Crescent).

In the morning warm-up there was bad news for championship leader Hill. A crash for Baz resulted in oil on the circuit, and this led to Tommy’s own crash which damaged his shoulder. He would not be able to race, and could potentially miss further rounds of the series as well. From being one of the main contenders, this single incident looked like being enough to end his title challenge before two rounds were even complete. In his absence, everyone else advanced by one grid position, putting Laverty in pole and moving MSS rider Gary Mason into the last place on row four.

The start of race one saw circuit newcomer Hopkins only away in fifth, behind Laverty, Brookes, Easton and Byrne, and with Rutter right behind him, then Linfoot and Kiyonari. The US rider soon moved up one place. Steve Brogan on the Jentin Honda crashed out at Hizzy’s on lap one, which is the right-left-right chicane at the foot of the downhill straight beyond Hill Top. The lap ended with Hopkins passing Easton for third at the final right-handed Lodge Corner.

The Hopkins charge saw him move past Brookes next, taking the inside line through the fast left Island Bend and cutting to the inside for the banked right-hand loop Shell Oils hairpin. Laverty was already moving clear in the lead, leaving a group contesting second: Hopkins, Brookes, Byrne, Easton then Linfoot, Kiyonari and Rutter. Easton regained his position from Byrne on the inside at the first right Old Hall Corner, and at the same place he would soon do the same to Brookes. Kiyo was setting fastest lap at this stage.

Laverty’s lead started to reduce as the action continued amongst the next few riders. Kiyonari overtook Linfoot for sixth, and soon he was passing team-mate Byrne for fifth at Lodge. At this stage, ninth man Lowes bettered the fastest lap on his Evo machine as he pulled clear of Baz, Kirkham and Mason and looked to engage the leading racer-spec. Superbikes. The first six began to distance themselves from Linfoot, Rutter and Lowes, and then sixth man Byrne started to lose touch with Laverty, Hopkins, Easton, Brookes and Kiyonari.

Easton tried a move to pass Hopkins braking on the inside for the first apex at Hizzy’s, but he ran on into the escape road, fortunately rejoining the track proper still in front of Brookes and Kiyonari. He didn’t hold Kiyo behind him for long, and soon the Japanese rider was passing Hopkins for second. Thereafter he closed in on leader Laverty and took a run on the inside to make a pass at Lodge. Once in front, Ryuichi started to stretch his lead and ran out the winner.

Finding more speed through Island Bend, Hopkins passed Laverty on the inside for Shell Oils, then found enough advantage to leave a tussle over third place. Easton took the place from Laverty, and meanwhile Byrne was also on the move. The Honda man made his passes at Hizzy’s chicane, first relegating Brookes and then Laverty. Shane was then in place to attack Stuart for P3. He had a look through Island, and on the final lap the Kawasaki man managed to defend from him at Lodge and hold on for a podium result.

Behind Kiyonari, Hopkins, Easton and Byrne, the fifth finisher was Laverty, from Brookes. Kirkham had advanced to take seventh, from Baz and Mason, the trio of Linfoot, Rutter and Lowes having dropped back into the next three positions, P10 to P12. Then came Hickman, Westmoreland, Martin Jessopp (Bathams Ducati) and Walker.

Honda men were re-established at the front of the grid for race two, based on fastest race one laps, with Evo man Lowes a very creditable second behind Kiyonari. Then it was Brookes, Easton, Rutter, Byrne, Kirkham, Hopkins, Linfoot, Mason, Laverty and Baz. Taking the inside line for Old Hall, Easton made a typical good start to pass Brookes for the lead, with Lowes third and Kiyonari back to fourth. Soon the champion would also be pushed back by Rutter, Hopkins and Byrne, and heading Laverty, Mason and Linfoot.

The contest for the lead saw Brookes pass Easton on the inside at Lodge, with a similar move from the Scot reversing the positions again moments later at Old Hall. Josh had a ‘moment’ with a brief wheelie on the Lakeside straight, leading into Island, and this let Lowes through into second. Rutter was on Brookes’ tail and there was a slight gap now to Byrne, Hopkins, Kiyonari, Laverty, Mason, Kirkham, Walker and Westmoreland. Richards had already gone off and was out of the race.

Closing on one-time former team-mate Rutter, Byrne tried a move on the Ducati rider at Hizzy’s but found no room. He went onto the grass for a moment and was therefore passed by Hopkins and Laverty. These two would change places themselves when Michael went through on the inside at Old Hall. Meanwhile, leader Easton was pulling away from closest pursuers Lowes and Brookes. Alex lost ground when he went wide at Shell and let the Australian through. Rutter was close enough now, and was about to also pass Lowes.

This left Easton and Brookes out in front, then a gap to Rutter, who had a bit of a margin over the fourth man. Laverty had passed Lowes for that position, with the newcomer still ahead of Hopkins, Byrne and Kiyonari. Laverty now took his turn to try and overtake Rutter at Hizzy’s, but running across the grass and returning to the circuit in front of a whole group of riders. His positioning somehow impeded Rutter and allowed Hopkins to move ahead of the Ducati on the inside at the final right-hander at this complex. Laverty’s part in this was investigated, but no action was taken against him.

Hopkins now led the pursuit of leaders Easton and Brookes, but the Australian was about to bow out. On the run from Shell Oils to the left-right-left Foulstons chicane, Josh suffered a lowside crash. His Suzuki was then launched off the chicane kerb and smashed up spectacularly. The safety car was needed, wiping out any lead held by Easton. The restart saw him lead away again, from Hopkins, Laverty, Rutter, Kiyonari, Linfoot and Byrne. Kiyo had better drive from Foulstons onto Hill Top and passed Rutter, with Byrne also quick to move up one.

Laverty passed Hopkins on the inside at Old Hall for second place, and now Byrne went by Rutter for fifth. Michael began to lose ground, but still headed Kirkham and Baz. Laverty overtook leader Easton on the inside at Old Hall, but this stage of proceedings was about Hopkins showing that he had learned some lessons on his first visit to Oulton. He passed Stuart on the inside through Island to go second. A mistake from Laverty at the Cascades left-hander before Lakeside saw him wide and go over some dirt on the track near the edge. This was enough for John to pass on the inside at Island.

Hopkins now led a group of five, ahead of Laverty, Easton, Kiyonari and Byrne. On the final lap, Laverty made a mistake at Hizzy’s and rejoined in fifth. Easton tagged on behind Hopkins as they finished in that order, whilst the run in to the line over Deer Leap saw Byrne squeak ahead of Kiyonari, with Laverty maintaining P5. Then it was Rutter, from Kirkham, Hickman, Baz, Mason, Walker, Jessopp, Westmoreland, Lowes, Linfoot and Brogan.

Fourth and third place finishes for ‘Shakey’ Byrne allowed him to take over the championship lead, with non-racer Tommy Hill dropping back to fifth place. Stuart Easton’s consistent front-running results put him second, just ahead of race winners Ryuichi Kiyonari and John Hopkins, with one non-finish each. Like Sylvain Guintoli before him, former GP runner Hopkins had not been long in taking a BSB win as a new recruit to Crescent Suzuki, in this case his first victory since his pre-GP career in AMA racing. Meanwhile, another series rookie making a good showing here was Evo runner Alex Lowes, who seems like one to watch. The next round is at Croft.

Standings after four races: Byrne 70; Easton 59; Kiyonari 58; Hopkins 56; Hill 45; M Laverty 35; Rutter 34; Kirkham 29; Baz 27; Linfoot 23; Hickman 21; Mason 19
podium credits: Byrne 5, Kiyonari 5, Hopkins 5, Hill 5, Easton 3, Bridewell 1

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon
• Tweet

Related Articles:

• Hill in front after 2011 BSB opener at Brands