Rizla Suzuki racers Chris Walker and Cal Crutchlow will start line astern at the head of the second row, in fifth and sixth places, for tomorrow’s opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at the historic Brands Hatch GP circuit in Kent. In blazing sunshine and perfect conditions, Stalker built his speed gradually and at the end of the 50-minute qualifying session he secured fifth position to lead the second row – despite being held up in the final sector.
Cal set his fastest lap well before the end on a pre-qualifying tyre. He was delighted with starting from sixth place on the grid on his British Superbike debut. Honda’s Jonathan Rea is on pole position.
Superbike racing starts at 1330 on Bank Holiday Monday, April 9th, at the 2.60-mile-long Brands Hatch GP circuit in Kent. It will be screened live on ITV4 starting at 1600.
Stalker:“I am quite happy with fifth on the grid and with my Rizla Suzuki. I’ve been pleased with the feel of my GSX-R1000 right from the first session and it has got better and better every time I’ve taken it on track.
“My biggest issue now is choosing which tyre to use in the race. I still have very little experience with Dunlop tyres and will be relying heavily on my Chief Mechanic’s advice on which rubber to choose. If we get it right, then I think I can challenge for the podium in the races.”
Cal:“The issues I had with my brakes from yesterday have been sorted and my Rizla Suzuki is now doing exactly what I want it to do. Thank you to my crew for working so hard to give me the bike I want and need to be competitive.
“I am delighted to be starting from sixth place in my first Championship event. I aim to get away with the leaders tomorrow and try to match their pace and see what I can achieve from there.”
Simon Buckmaster, Team Manager:“Rizla Suzuki is in good shape and I’m pleased with the team and rider performances. Chris is quick on race rubber and is happy with his GSX-R1000. He’s relaxed and enjoying himself; we expect that once the racing starts he will lift his game further and should be targeting the podium in both races.
“Cal has really impressed the team with his application and professionalism. This is his first weekend in the British Superbike Championship and he has done a great job so far. He needs a good start tomorrow and is targeting a top six finish.
“Well done to the team and a special mention to the Rizla Suzuki fans who have been cheering us from the banking opposite the garage. That support keeps us going – I hope we can reward it with strong results tomorrow.”
Qualification:1: Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:25.235
2: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.242
3: Leon Camier (Honda) +0.504
4: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.578
5: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +0.597
6: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +0.764
7: Shane Byrne (Honda) +0.988
8: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +1.043
9: Tom Sykes (Honda) +1.064
10: Dean Thomas (Suzuki) +1.260
Related Linkswww.rizla-suzuki.co.uk
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