Tommy Hill transformed his second row start into a brace of seventh place finishes at Snetterton today, 20 May, in the fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The 22-year old from Lingfield in Surrey fought with championship leader Gregorio Lavilla and Chris Walker during the opening laps onboard his Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha. Tommy placed as high as fifth position during the first third of race one but had to settle for his second seventh place in as many races at the chequered flag.
Race two saw a similar start with Jonny Rea stealing the holeshot. Tommy stuck to the shirttails of Gregorio Lavilla as the two again passed Chris Walker, before a technical problem for Lavilla elevated Tommy into sixth. Leon Camier, starting from the back of the grid came through the pack to duck under the Lingfield-based rider into the Esses on Lap 12.
With Kiyonari stretching his lead at the front, a Michael Rutter highside at Russell's brought out the safety car on Lap 17 and a two-lap extension to proceedings. The field bunched up and Tommy recorded his second seventh place of the weekend.
Team-mate, Hudson Kennaugh, fresh from a second in the National Superstock race onboard his Raceways Yamaha, posted a 19th around one of the fastest circuits in the UK in the first Superbike race. The South African got to grips with the Pirelli-shod Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha and improved tremendously throughout the weekend. Battling with a group of mid-order riders, Hudson's weekend culminated with 12th and four points in the second race - his first points in the British Superbike Championship.
Tommy Hill: "We knew that we'd struggle a little on power here, I felt like I rode hard today and managed a pair of 7th places. To be honest I want to be in the next group ahead battling for the podium places. I won't be happy until I'm on that podium."
Hudson Kennaugh:"I'm just improving all the time, every lap I do it feels better. My confidence is rising and the second race showed a little more of what I can really do. I'm happy to be up in the points and knocking on the door of the top 10 now."
Rob McElnea, Team Principal:"This weekend has been better for us, we showed a bit of promise. It was always going to be a tough weekend in the respect of it being a high-speed track, it's never really suited us. Tommy had some good solid rides and rode really well. Hudson improved a lot this weekend, he's put in a good ride in the second race to put us in the points."
BSB - Race 1 Results:1 - Kiyonari (Honda),
2 - Rea (Honda),
3 - Haslam (Ducati)
4 - Skyes (Honda),
5 - Camier (Honda),
6 - Lavilla (Ducati),
7 - Tommy Hill (Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha),
19 - Hudson Kennaugh (Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha)
BSB - Race 2 Results:1 - Kiyonari (Honda),
2 - Rea (Honda),
3 - Byrne (Honda)
4 - Skyes (Honda),
5 - Haslam (Ducati),
6 - Camier (Honda),
7 - Tommy Hill (Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha),
12 - Hudson Kennaugh (Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha)
Championship Standings:1) Kiyonari 190,
2) Lavilla 179,
3) Rea 149,
4) Haslam 131,
5) Camier 117,
9) Tommy Hill 70 (Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha)
SupersportBilly McConnell lined up his Virgin Media Yamaha YZF-R6 on pole position for the second time this season at Snetterton today, 20 May. Taking the holeshot, Billy's lead lasted half a lap until Michael Laverty out-braked the 20-year old Australian into the Esses. Hot on his heels, Billy made a concerted effort to pass, backing his Yamaha into Russell's at the end of lap 1 but ran in too hot. As the front-runners crossed the line, Billy had been shuffled backwards into 5th.
By the fourth lap, Billy had passed Jamie Robinson for third and held of the persistence of fellow Pirelli runner Ian Lowry until lap 12. Consistent laps for Billy throughout the remaining laps enabled a strong fourth position finish, elevating the young Australian into joint fifth in the chase for the title.
Tom Grant was hoping for an early birthday present but a technical problem on the sighting laps saw the 18-year old return to the pits for urgent repairs to his Virgin Media Yamaha. Starting from the back row, Tom fought hard to cross the line in 22nd at the end of the first circulation. Running in the low one minute nine's Tom quickly closed down and past the mid-order, settling into tenth by mid-race distance. Looking to gain the better of John McGuinness over the closing stages, Tom took the inside line into Russell's for ninth on the final lap but lost out on the drag to the flag.
Billy McConnell:
"I ended up fourth and feel that I could of pushed harder but I had a few moments and didn't want to come away without any points. It's a long championship and I need to start bagging some strong points to get back up there. The next round is Mondello and I really go well there so we'll see what happens then."
Tom Grant: "I'm absolutely gutted, my bike developed a problem on the formation lap and I had to pull in to get it fixed. I started from the last position on the grid and managed to bring it home 10th."
Rob McElnea, Team Principal:
"Billy was a bit wild on the first lap and it made his ride a bit more reserved to bring it home with some strong points rather than battle for the podium. He's got a strong race finish under his belt now so we can move on to the next round expecting more. Tom had a problem with the fuel supply on the warm up lap, he's obviously frustrated but he can't really expect to do any better than that from dead last."
Supersport Race Result:1 - Lowry (Suzuki),
2 - Laverty (Suzuki),
3 - Hobbs (Honda),
4 - McConnell (Virgin Media Yamaha),
5 - Robinson (Honda),
6 - Young (Triumph),
10 - Tom Grant (Virgin Media Yamaha)
Championship Standings:1) Laverty 102,
2) Lowry 81,
3) Hobbs 66,
4) Robinson 58,
=5) McGuinness 38,
=5) Billy McConnell 38,
11) Tom Grant 27
Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha riders will now enjoy a four week break before heading across the water to Mondello Park in Ireland for round six over the weekend of 15 - 17 June.
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