The Henderson Yamaha R1 Cup reaches the climax of the Spring Cup this weekend with all eyes trained on Championship leader Jon Kirkham and pretender to the throne, Sam Warren (28th-29th June).
Jon Kirkham heads Mallory Park with a 19-point lead over Warren, knowing that a top ten finish will claim the Spring Cup title, irrelevant of where Warren takes the chequered flag. With three race victories already under his belt, Kirkham can finish level on points with Warren and still claim the crown. The Derby based rider will be full of confidence after another dominating performance to claim the double as the Henderson Yamaha R1 Cup series showcased its talent at the British MotoGP last weekend (21st June)
Sam Warren has set the paddock alight in his debut short circuit road racing season. The 26-year old claimed the race win in just his third Cup race back in May at Oulton Park, and has pushed the more experienced riders for podium positions all season. Sam knows that nothing short of the win at the end of the 20-lapper on Sunday will give him a remarkable victory in the Spring Cup, setting himself up nicely for the second half of the season.
Jack Kennedy has made a late charge, sneaking in under the radar, as the Spring Cup draws to a close. The 20-year old Dubliner now stands in eighth place on 51 points, sandwiched between Marty Nutt (50 points) and Adrian Coates (52 points). With two podiums in the last three races, Jack will be gunning for another podium this time out.
While many fans focus attention on the sharp end of the field, the riders further down the field will be jostling for points and positions. Former Australian Superbike rider, Shannon Etheridge has impressed with his ability to learn new tracks during his first season in the UK. Under the guidance of some of the senior Australian riders, Shannon currently stands in 12th but with the real prospect of a top ten position at the close of play.
Stu Wilson heads up the lower order, and will reignite his season long battle with senior MCN road tester Michael Neeves at Mallory Park. Steven Cusick and Kyle Kentish will look to end the first half of the season on a high by recording their first point scoring finishes.
Co-ordit Racing team owner, Pete Bradshaw will replace Snetterton race winner, Richard Cooper for the Mallory Park round. Bradshaw stepped into Richard's shoes for the MotoGP double header and will look for a solid top ten finish at his local circuit this weekend.
Israeli rider, Yaron Salinger, a former Virgin Media Cup rider, makes his return to the British racing scene this weekend onboard the DART/Mansion.com Cup machine.
With no Metzeler national Superstock 1000 class running at Mallory Park, all Cup riders will be able to focus intently upon the task in hand this weekend. Track time will be the same for all riders, with just 50 minutes combined riding time before the lights go out for 20-laps on Sunday at 14.00.
Rob McElnea, Team Principal: "The weather at the MotoGP made it a tough weekend for the lads, but offered them the opportunity to showcase their talents to the MotoGP hierarchy. The winner of the Spring Cup will be crowned this weekend. Kirkham looks hot favourite but some of the other riders will have other ideas. If the racing is anything like the previous five rounds, it will be explosive and a must-see for all race fans."
Eurosport 2 Live TV Broadcast Window, 13.00 - 14.00 and 15.30 - 17.15 (29th June)
