Tommy Hill will be looking for two more strong rides at round 8 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, as Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha heads to Oulton Park in Cheshire for the second time this season (13 - 15 July).
After the rain-soaked events of Knockhill in Scotland two weeks ago, Tommy will be hoping for the dryer spell of weather that greeted the riders at Oulton Park over the Bank Holiday at the beginning of May. Renowned for being technically demanding, the picturesque, undulating 2.69-mile circuit is famous for providing some thrilling race action, as round 4 paid testament to two months ago.
After a lonely tenth in the first race, Tommy muscled his way to the lead on the first lap of race two, battling hard with Leon Haslam and giving a glimpse in the process of what the Yamaha YZF-R1 is capable of. Tommy will be aiming to improve on that brace of top ten finishes with his first visit to the podium come Sunday afternoon.
With the departure of Hudson Kennaugh back to Raceways Yamaha and the National Superstock Championship earlier this week, Tommy will be the sole representative for Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha on the Superbike grid. Tommy will arrive at Oulton Park in confident mood after a strong test session at Croft last Wednesday, 4 July.
Tommy Hill:
"Last time here, I proved just what I can do when I'm up there and running at the front. Knockhill was disappointing for me, especially as I felt really strong going into the second race. I'm determined to make amends this time out."
Rob McElnea - Team Principal:
"All eyes will be on Tommy this weekend as he's the sole Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha Superbike rider. Hopefully he can step up to the mark and produce another similar performance to the second race here earlier in the season."
Supersport:
The Virgin Media Yamaha Supersport pairing of Tom Grant and Billy McConnell head to Oulton Park riding high in confidence after completing the most successful weekend of their debut season last time out at Knockhill.
A shrewd dry Pirelli tyre choice by Team Principal Rob McElnea gave Tom Grant the opportunity to secure the first podium finish in his rookie season, elevating himself above his team-mate in the Championship table.
Billy McConnell will look to build on his strong and mature ride in Scotland to exorcise the demons of Oulton Park two months ago. Running in the top four from a starting position of second on the grid, the young Australian crashed out at Druids midway through the race.
Tom Grant:
"What a fantastic feeling it was to get my first Supersport podium at Knockhill. It was great to be able to repay Rob and the team for all of their hard efforts throughout the season. I'm hungry for more this time out at Oulton."
Rob McElnea, Team Principal:
"The boys rode brilliantly at Knockhill. Their results haven't always reflected their strong qualifying performances but hopefully Knockhill was just the kick-start our season needed."
Virgin Media Cup
The disappointment of a cancelled race after the long trip north to Scotland last time out will hopefully be eradicated this weekend as the 24-strong field take to the grid for round 7 of the 2007 Virgin Media Cup.
David Paton will be the most determined rider on track at Oulton Park. The 18-year old Scot was denied victory for the second successive year at his home circuit after dominating both practice and qualifying sessions. David will look to improve on the third place he received at Oulton Park last time out.
Newcomers, Ronan Quarmby and Steven Cusick will finally have the opportunity to prove their worth after the cancellation at Knockhill. Previous Oulton Park race winner, BJ Toal still heads the Championship but will expect to face stiff opposition from Midge Smart and James Webb, who crashed after making an uncharacteristic mistake last time out at the Cheshire circuit.
Niall Mackenzie - Cup Mentor:
"They made the right decision to postpone the Virgin Media Cup race due to the weather conditions at Knockhill. The boys now have the race rescheduled as a double-header at Donington on September 23. However, there is still plenty more racing before that, starting with Oulton Park this weekend. Last time we came here everyone witnessed an epic battle and possibly the most exciting race of the day. I'm sure that this one will prove the worth of the Championship yet again."
The action gets underway on Friday with Free Practice. Saturday brings the final Superbike Free Practice and Qualifying sessions for all classes. The lights go out for Sunday's race programme at 13.10 with 12 hard fought laps of the Virgin Media Cup. The two 17-lap Superbike races are scheduled for 13.50 and 16.15, while the lights go out on the 16-lap Supersport race at 14.40.
ITV1 Broadcast window: 15.30 - 17.00
Sky Sports 2 (delayed coverage): 19.30 - 23.00
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