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Bennetts BSB Championship: Reynolds race to race
John Reynolds has a race to win just to make the starting grid for the opening action in this year’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch on Easter Monday – the defending title holder is battling against the odds to be racing his Rizla Suzuki just 38 days on from breaking his right leg in testing.
Reynolds has been having intensive laser and hyperbaric treatment, also having a special protective boot made, in his efforts to make the double race opener. “I have a title to defend and am determined to be out there,” he said as he prepared for a secret test which will decide his fitness prior to the start of first qualifying at the Kent venue.
Should Reynolds be ruled out of the action, the team have lined up the experienced Spanish rider Gregorio Lavilla to deputise and last week he showed well in testing on the short Indy circuit, recording the third fastest time, marginally faster than Scott Smart who has put in highly competitive performances on the all-new Suzuki since his close season switch from Hawk Kawasaki to the Rizla team.
“The engine is phenomenal, but we still have work to do – there is so much more to come out of this bike,” smiled Smart as plans for maiden title glory, something that will not come easy for anyone in this year’s packed 35 strong entry that features factory backed teams from five of the world’s leading manufacturers.
Honda riders Ryuichi Kiyonari and Michael Rutter will make life difficult for their rivals – the HM Plant Fireblade duo have sent the lap records tumbling during pre-season testing and are planning a dominant campaign.
“Things are going really well, but it will be a tough season with so many good riders out there,” admitted Rutter who finished last season as runner-up to Reynolds.He is aiming to go one better, but has to overcome the revitalised threat of Sean Emmett, especially in the opening action. The Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha rider reckons this is his favourite circuit: “I’ve been very successful there over the years and am looking for a strong start to act as the springboard for the season.” His team-mates are the fast maturing Tommy Hill and last year’s Yamaha R6 Cup winner Richard Wren.
Hawk Kawasaki have a twice Aussie challenge, with Dean Thomas and Glen Richards spearheading their efforts while the main Ducati thrust is expected to be provided by the returning force of GSE Racing with their riders James Haydon and Leon Haslam.
Adding further depth to the entry is the return to domestic action, after a dozen years and 186 grand prix races, of Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams to head up the three rider Stobart Honda team alongside Gary Mason and Michael Laverty on their all-new Fireblades, while triple British Supersport champion rides a similar machine in the http://www.honda-racing.co.uk colours. And, Jonathan Rea has a Honda in Red Bull colours while John Laverty rides the Vitrans Ten Kate bike.
Steve Plater and Jon Kirkham ride the Sendo Kawasakis while Dean Ellison and Gareth Glynn have Jentin Yamahas and as Vivaldi Racing graduates into the top flight, they will have a pair of Kawasakis for Ben Wilson and Tristan Palmer.
Ensuring action through the pack, there will be the chase for honours in the British Superbike Cup, for independent teams and riders, which should produce interesting action between former British 125GP Champion Chris Martin, James Buckingham, Marty Nutt, Malcolm Ashley and Michael Pensavalle.
And, for each of the riders, there is the added incentive for consistent fast riding, the Audi Performance Award. This takes account of fastest riders in all sessions and races plus rewarding pole starters and race winners as they bid for the end of season prize of a £30,000 limited edition Audi TT Quattro.
Around the two Bennetts British Superbike Championship races there is a packed racing programme featuring the Metabo British Supersport Championship, the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship and Cup, the British 125GP Championship and the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup.
LOVE IS GIVING SOMEONE THE ABILITY TO DESTROY YOU, THEN TRUSTING THEM NOT TO.
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, Vodka in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming…….WOO HOO, what a ride!
British Superbike Champion shows Bulldog spirit – JR to race at Brands Hatch
RIZLA SUZUKI British Superbike Champion John Reynolds will race at the opening round of the 2005 British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch on Bank Holiday Monday, March 28th, only 39-days after breaking his right leg in five places in a testing accident.
Famous for his typically British fighting spirit, JR was given the go-ahead to race by his specialist doctor yesterday. Today he rode his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000K5 at Mallory Park and told his team that he is going to start the defence of his title at Brands Hatch.
The 39-year-old Nottingham-based Champion has made a miraculous recovery from the four breaks to his tibia and single break to the fibula that he suffered at a team test at Valencia on February 18th. This type of injury can take many months to heal but thanks to the support of his team as well as expert care using a pure-oxygen hyperbaric chamber, lazer treatment and a specially made Alpinestars race boot, JR will be back in action this weekend.
Rizla Suzuki racer Scott Smart is fired up for the start of the 2005 Championship after a successful pre-season test programme. With riding time on the GSX-R1000K5 on his side and a comfortable set-up, Scott is keen to make a successful debut for his Rizla Suzuki team.
The first round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in Kent on Bank Holiday Monday, March 28th. It will be shown live on Sky Sports. Highlights will be shown on Channel 4 the following weekend.
John Reynolds:
“I completed 15-laps of Mallory Park today and I am pretty happy that I can ride at Brands Hatch this weekend. I’m going to defend my title from the off and my rivals had better be ready.“I have asked my team technicians to alter my right foot brake settings so I can move around the bike more easily, but apart from that I am ready. I am not at full fitness, but I want to ride and more importantly, race. See you all at Brands Hatch.”
Scott Smart:
“I am properly looking forward to Brands Hatch and getting the season underway. It’s great news for Rizla Suzuki and all the race fans that JR is going to be lining up at Brands – it’s probably not so much good news for his rivals.“My Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000K5 is a really strong bike and I’ve enjoyed some very good tests on it. I am comfortable and it’s time to show what I can do, I can’t wait!”
Robert Wicks, Rizla Suzuki Team Manager:
“It’s nothing short of miraculous that JR has recovered sufficiently in just over five weeks to race at the opening round. Let me be the first to call him a hero, because the British Bulldog determination and effort he has put into healing has been truly inspirational.“Thanks to everyone who has made his recovery possible, including the Rizla Suzuki team, JR’s surgeon David Hahn at Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham, Brian Simpson who has been treating him in Ipswich, to Jonathan Palmer from Motor Sport Vision for assiting with a plane to bring him home to the UK from Valencia and the pilots John Daly and John Scurr who flew him back so quickly and comfortably, as well as Stuart Higgs at the MCRCB for arranging an ambulance to transport him from the airport to hospital.
“JR is so fast at Brands Hatch that we hope he’ll score some decent points and that’s the main aim for this weekend.
“Scott is on top form and is happy with the set-up of his Rizla Suzuki. He’s going to be very hard to beat and now has the tools to prove what we already know – that he’s a world class rider with the ability to win Championships.”
Wow!!! What a recovery!!!
LOVE IS GIVING SOMEONE THE ABILITY TO DESTROY YOU, THEN TRUSTING THEM NOT TO.
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, Vodka in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming…….WOO HOO, what a ride!
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