British Superbikes Oulton Park [merged]

[MrJan]

Going to be going to my first BSB race at the beginning of May. The weekend clashes with my birthday and Exeter City's last game of the season in Rotherham. Luckily my brother lives in Manchester so I'll hammer it up there on Friday night, maybe pick up some wheels for the car on Saturday morning, football in the afternoon, hopefully a promotion shaped lash up Saturday evening, hangover Sunday morning and then bikes in the afternoon and Monday before shooting back home in the evening.

Going to be a heavy weekend and will cost a fair bit (the car only gets about 33mpg if I'm being kind to it) but will hopefully be filled with awesomeness.

Is anyone else going to make the effort?

Edit: Also can anyone advise a decent spot for some action, obviously that second corner is fairly decent but my only experience of the circuit is form computer games and watching the telly :D

[patnicholls]

Hey Jan,

Yeah, I should be going with a couple of mates - have been for the past few years. It's a short trek for me - about 35 miles from where I live so we'll just nip down on raceday.

I generally sit on the outside of the circuit just before they come into Knickerbrook/Hizzy's chicane - from there you get the bikes coming out of the first corner all the way down through Cascades and alongside the lake as they go out of sight towards the Island Hairpin. They then come back into view right in front of you down the longest straight (the one between the two chicanes) and you see them until they go under the Dunlop Bridge going back up the hill. Imho that gets you the best possible view of the action.

Make sure you get in pretty early cos the traffic can be a bit crap - narrow country lanes - and also you can have a wander across into the paddock and meet the riders and get a few autographs. I'd also have a trip round the track during some of the support races - it's a great track for taking photos all round so have a look around and sample as much of the place as you can.

Anyone else going? We could make this into a forum meetup!

[MrJan]

:up: Cheers for the advice Pat, certainly sounds like a good spot to watch at, we usually wander about a fair bit anyway but seeing them for such a long time is quite appealing. I've only really been to one bike race which I remember and that was the GP a few years back and lacked action TBH (properly awesome though). Apart from that I know that my old man took me to Castle Combe once but I can only remember some bloke sliding on his arse :D

If you see a fat bloke in an Exeter shirt then make sure to say hi :D

[The Phantom]

Anyone else going? We could make this into a forum meetup!

I can dream... sigh. If I hadn't become a (3x) daddy in the past 5 years, my better half and I would be traipsing over the world now attending moto events.

BSB is by far the most exciting series I've ever seen, my 1999 season review tape is one of my genuine treasures :cool:

Have fun Jan and Pat and any other lucky sods who get to see BSB live...

[patnicholls]

:up: Cheers for the advice Pat, certainly sounds like a good spot to watch at, we usually wander about a fair bit anyway but seeing them for such a long time is quite appealing. I've only really been to one bike race which I remember and that was the GP a few years back and lacked action TBH (properly awesome though). Apart from that I know that my old man took me to Castle Combe once but I can only remember some bloke sliding on his arse :D

If you see a fat bloke in an Exeter shirt then make sure to say hi :D

What's Exeter's kit look like?

I have seen them once - when a Man United fan gave us his tickets for an innocuous-looking FA Cup tie at Old Trafford, which finished 0-0 :p 10,000 Exeter fans were quite noisy and the 60,000 United fans were silent!

I'll be the blonde guy - REALLY blonde - and will probably be either Relentless Suzuki-clothed or the yellow and blue of Alstare Suzuki (I have a very fetching bright yellow Alstare raincoat, won in a competition Patricia Batta did on this very forum, when I was a regular punter as opposed to a moderator).

I get to the GP at Donington too - have been every year since 2001, amongst various car events and WSB at Brands in 06 and Donington the last couple.

[MrJan]

Here's the City kit, or at least the shirt that I have. Football shirts are tacky, chavvy things but I'll be proudly showing my colours during that weekend :D :
http://www.mswalk.co.uk/images/auction_home1.jpg

I managed to get tickets for the United game too (most of the county were after them). One of the best games of my life and it ended goalless :D TBH it was a fairly impressive 0-0 game, both teams came within a gnats gonads of a goal and we very nearly punished them for fielding a crap team. All ifs, buts and maybes though and the important thing was the cash injection that the 2 united games brought us, without that money then the team may not have survived to the present day.

Really looking forward to the race weekend now, hopefully the weather, racing and football will all go the right way :D

[Hazell B]

Is anyone else going to make the effort?



The guy who fixes my Range Rover (which means I see more of him than most people :p : ) has accidently on purpose booked himself and the wife a 'romantic' weekend away near Oulton.

That poor woman of his .......

Anyway, enjoy it yourself. If you see a woman strangling anyone, let her get on with it :D

[MrJan]

:laugh:

My old man has been accidently booking motorsport holidays for years. "Oh look dear the 1000 Miglia is in town", "oh wow, Class 1 powerboats are at Cowes the same week that we're going".

The trend has been passed on to the next generation too, my brother convinced his girlfriend that a weekend in the Forest of Dean would be nice and full of picturesque scenery. He didn't lie per se but failed to mention that there would be rally cars thrashing about in the scenery :D

[themo]

Top 10 from the 1st free practice
1.Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) 1m:37.395s
2.Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) +0.213s
3.Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +0.877s
4.Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +0.962s
5.Tristan Palmer (Buildbase Kawasaki) +0.289s
6.Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +1.386s
7.Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) +1.442s
8.Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +1.514s
9.Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1.741s
10.James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +1.813s

[themo]

Top 10 from free practice 1 for the British Supersport bikes
OULTON PARK
1. Glen Richards MAP Embassy Triumph 1.40.537
2. Chris Martin Gearlink Kawasaki 1.41.124
3. Ian Lowry Relentless Suzuki 1.41.198
4. Steve Plater AIM Racing Yamaha 1.41.448
5. Hudson Kennaugh Raceways Yamaha 1.41.499
6. Craig Fitzpatrick BLDS Couriers Yamaha 1.41.504
7. Marty Nutt Nutt Travel T&G Yamaha 1.41.580
8. BJ Toal Virgin Media Yamaha 1.41.790
9. Aaron Walker TJW Racing Honda 1.41.916
10. James Westmoreland Centurion Racing Honda 1.42.058

[patnicholls]

Top 10 from free practice 1 for the British Supersport bikes
OULTON PARK
1. Glen Richards MAP Embassy Triumph 1.40.537
2. Chris Martin Gearlink Kawasaki 1.41.124
3. Ian Lowry Relentless Suzuki 1.41.198
4. Steve Plater AIM Racing Yamaha 1.41.448
5. Hudson Kennaugh Raceways Yamaha 1.41.499
6. Craig Fitzpatrick BLDS Couriers Yamaha 1.41.504
7. Marty Nutt Nutt Travel T&G Yamaha 1.41.580
8. BJ Toal Virgin Media Yamaha 1.41.790
9. Aaron Walker TJW Racing Honda 1.41.916
10. James Westmoreland Centurion Racing Honda 1.42.058

Those results are from the time machine I think, they're 2008 results! :p

[themo]

Those results are from the time machine I think, they're 2008 results! :p

your right my mistake i was compairing those results with this years and i put the wrong ones on
the right ones to follow
:\

[themo]

British Supersport Free Practice 1

1 7 Billy McCONNELL Yamaha - MAP Raceways Yamaha 1:40.928
2 26 Chris MARTIN Kawasaki - Gearlink Kawasaki 1:40.952
3 24 Lee JACKSON Honda - Astro Racing Honda 1:41.369
4 15 Ben WILSON Kawasaki - Gearlink Kawasaki 1:41.490
5 200 Dan LINFOOT Yamaha - North West 200 Coca Cola Zero 1:41.531
6 96 Paul YOUNG Triumph - TAG Triumph 1:41.535
7 22 Steve PLATER Honda - HM Plant Honda 1:41.561
8 14 Jack KENNEDY Yamaha - JK Racing/Rob Mac Pro Ride 1:41.683
9 13 Lee JOHNSTON Yamaha - MAP Raceways Yamaha 1:41.860
10 75 Craig FITZPATRICK Yamaha - BLDS Couriers 1:41.910
11 39 Allan Jon VENTER Yamaha - MAP Raceways Yamaha 1:41.920
12 2 Hudson KENNAUGH Yamaha - Linxcel-Seton Tuning 1:41.926
13 25 Dennis HOBBS Yamaha - AIM Racing 1:42.009
14 77 Marty NUTT Yamaha - Nutt Travel.com / T&G 1:42.462
15 6 James WEBB Honda - Padgetts Motorcycles 1:42.530

[themo]

Top 10 2nd free practice british superbikes

1. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) 1m:36.794s
2. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +0.276s
3. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +0.520s
4. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) +0.963s
5. Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1.011s
6. Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) +1.028s
7. Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +1.230s
8. Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +1.479s
9. Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +1.514s
10. Tristan Palmer (Buildbase Kawasaki) +1.635s

[themo]

Both Hydrex honda bikes looking good,maybe a different story tomorrow ?

[themo]

British Supersport Free Practice 2

1 200 Dan LINFOOT Yamaha - North West 200 Coca Cola Zero 1:40.134
2 7 Billy McCONNELL Yamaha - MAP Raceways Yamaha 1:40.205
3 26 Chris MARTIN Kawasaki - Gearlink Kawasaki 1:40.377
4 22 Steve PLATER Honda - HM Plant Honda 1:40.648
5 25 Dennis HOBBS Yamaha - AIM Racing 1:40.774
6 4 James WESTMORELAND Triumph - J W Racing 1:40.775
7 77 Marty NUTT Yamaha - Nutt Travel.com / T&G 1:40.813
8 13 Lee JOHNSTON Yamaha - MAP Raceways Yamaha 1:41.126
9 96 Paul YOUNG Triumph - TAG Triumph 1:41.154
10 2 Hudson KENNAUGH Yamaha - Linxcel-Seton Tuning 1:41.186

[themo]

British Superbikes Free Practice 3

1 5 Karl HARRIS GBR Honda - Hydrex Honda 1:36.855
2 2 Leon CAMIER GBR Yamaha - Airwaves Yamaha 1:36.866
3 3 Stuart EASTON GBR Honda - Hydrex Honda 1:36.996
4 45 Glen RICHARDS AUS Honda - HM Plant Honda 1:37.223
5 7 James ELLISON GBR Yamaha - Airwaves Yamaha 1:37.362
6 11 Ian LOWRY GBR Suzuki - Relentless Suzuki by TAS 1:37.634
7 101 C Gary MASON GBR Honda - Quay Garage 1:37.688
8 50 Sylvain GUINTOLI FRA Suzuki - Worx Crescent Suzuki 1:37.737
9 8 Graeme GOWLAND GBR Yamaha - Motorpoint / Henderson Yamaha 1:38.121
10 9 Chris WALKER GBR Yamaha - Motorpoint / Henderson Yamaha 1:38.196
11 25 Josh BROOKES AUS Honda - HM Plant Honda 1:38.259
12 17 Simon ANDREWS GBR Kawasaki - MSS Colchester Kawasaki 1:38.288
13 4 John LAVERTY GBR Kawasaki - Buildbase Kawasaki 1:38.462 42
14 76 Atushi WATANABE JPN Suzuki - Relentless Suzuki by TAS 1:38.614

[themo]

Riders through to second qualifying in roll for pole

1. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) 1m36.504s
2. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda)
3. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha)
4. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki)
5. Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki)
6. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha)
7. Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda)
8. Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS)
9. Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda)
10. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda)
11. Jon Kirkham (Jentin Racing Yamaha)
12. Julien Da Costa (MSS Colchester Kawasaki)
13. Jason O'Halloran (SMT Honda)
14. Tristan Palmer (Buildbase Kawasaki)
15. Chris Walker (Motorpoint Henderson Yamaha)
16. David Johnson (Team Maxxis Adept)
17. Atsushi Watanabe (Relentless Suzuki by TAS)
19. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki)
20. Kenny Gilbertson (Jx Fuelcard Kawasaki)

[themo]

Riders through to final shootout
Leon Camier,
Simon Andrews,
Glen Richards,
Josh Brookes,
Karl Harris,
James Ellison,
Sylvain Guintoli,
Stuart Easton,
Ian Lowry
Chris Walker.
First time Karl Harris not fastest all weekend !

[themo]

Final positions in the roll for pole

L. Camier Airwaves Yamaha
S. Easton Hydrex Honda
K. Harris Hydrex Honda
S. Guintoli Worx Crescent Suzuki
S. Andrews MSS Colchester Kawasaki
J. Ellison Airwaves Yamaha
G. Richards HM Plant Honda
I. Lowry Relentless Suzuki by TAS
C. Walker Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha
J. Brookes HM Plant Honda

[NinjaMaster]

Go Andrews! (and Brookesy)

[tha_jackal]

O'Halloran qualified 11th, just missing the final QP shootout..

Hope he ends up in WSBK/WSS one day soon..

[NinjaMaster]

O'Halloran qualified 11th, just missing the final QP shootout..

Hope he ends up in WSBK/WSS one day soon..
He has a good opportunity if he's up to it (which I think he is). Lots of good young talent around at the moment though.

[Allyc85]

Good first superbike race, but the 125's were brilliant. hopefully the next superbike race in a few minutes will be a dry one :)

[Corny]

wow, was just looking BSB, what a great great (and maybe also a bit dangerous, hehe) circuit!! Amazing

BTW, why do they race on monday?

[Forum Buddy]

It is a holiday in UK on Monday.

[Wim_Impreza]

Yes, that is also the reason why the World Championship Snooker always ended on a Monday since 1996.

[Mach24]

O'Halloran qualified 11th, just missing the final QP shootout..

Hope he ends up in WSBK/WSS one day soon..

When he filled in, in WSS he was already a gun, this is simply a step in the process. JO'H is a potential World Champ at the highest level!

(I think being Superbike Champ is a better achievement than winning a MotoGP championship over the past few years)

[MrJan]

Had a great day yesterday, some really good racing and the rain made it a bit interesting. O'Halleran really impressed me in the wet, he was making great strides and pulling off some ballsy moves. Also thought that Ellison did well and Mason was awesome to get ahead of some of the bigger teams :up:

[patnicholls]

Aye, also a good day this end.

Interesting conditions - it was a bit damp but not full-on wet by any means, why played havoc with the Supersport race in particular.

Leon Camier looks like the strong favourite so far - GSE haven't really tested and yet he's been super-fast out of the box, backing up the theory that he goes better on four-cylinder machines than twins (there aren't any twins in BSB last year, but he was on a Ducati last year and underwhelmed a little). Sylvain's really taking well to the British tracks, he looks like Leon's closest challenger at the minute but the Hydrex Honda boys (Karl Harris and Stuart Easton) will also be in there.

James Ellison and the HM Plant Honda boys have a tiny bit to do to be up with the front boys, although Brookesy of course is new in the UK so with time they'll pick up.

Agreed on the Jason O'Halloran shout - he's with a fairly small team but they're working really well together. He's also new to many of the tracks after doing a part season last year. Ian Lowry was also pretty impressive at the weekend, ditto Simon Andrews on the Kawasaki though he unluckily fell in race one and slipped back at the end of race two. The guys that are really struggling are Rob Mac's Yamaha squad - Chris Walker's working hard just to be in the top ten and Michael Rutter (largely considered one of the best riders never to have taken the title, and a race-winner last year) hasn't yet scored a point. Graeme Gowland - Spanish Supersport champ of 2007 and with a fractured WSS campaign last year - is also riding for them but broke his collarbone in qualifying so didn't start.

Bit of a crazy race in Supersport with it being red-flagged due to rain, re-started after being declared a wet race but most of the front-runners chose full slicks. It then started to rain so most of them fell off or slipped well back, and Dan Cooper came through for his first-ever win with Dennis Hobbs second after missing all of 2008 injured - a welcome return. Dean Hipwell, another unfancied runner, took an excellent fourth. Supersport is definitely worth a look - I was having a glance back over my old photos and saw the lead battle from 2006, Eugene Laverty ahead of Tom Sykes and Cal Crutchlow!

[Wim_Impreza]

Great to read your comments, Pat. Really interesting, thank you.