Both HM Plant Honda riders made Britain proud today with their performances against the World’s best Superbike riders at Donington Park. Cal Crutchlow took his maiden WSB podium in the second race with a superb runner-up position behind race winner and former HM Plant rider Ryuichi Kiyonari, while Leon Haslam was looking assured of a third-place finish in the first race before being taken out by an errant Robbie Rolfo at the Fogarty Esses. Haslam eventually got back on track to take a hard-fought eighth. In race one Crutchlow retired with a faulty quickshifter sensor after just two laps, while in the second race Leon crashed out at the Old Hairpin while in a strong fourth place with just three laps remaining. Both riders will be hoping that their positive showing in the World Superbike Championship will give them confidence ahead of the next round of the Bennetts British Superbike championship which takes place at Croft next weekend.
Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda World Superbike –
Honda CBR1000RR FirebladeRACE ONE: 8th
RACE TWO: DNF position
“I’m very disappointed with the results to be honest, but it’s tinged with the fact that I’ve shown once more today that I can run with a World-class field, as I’ve done in the past. A podium was ours in the re-started race one until Robbie Rolfo took me down with a rash move up into the Foggy Esses. I came back as strong as I could, but that was as high up as I could finish. In race two again I was holding a strong fourth when I went down at the Old Hairpin and that was that. We’ve got to move on from this now and look to Croft where I’m chasing second in the Bennetts British Superbike title.”
Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant HondaWorld Superbike –
Honda CBR1000RR FirebladeRACE ONE: DNF
RACE TWO: 2nd position
“This result is going to Jonesy – my good mate Craig Jones. Obviously I was disappointed in the first outing with the problem I had, but I so wanted to make amends in race two, which I did. I was confident of catching Kiyo when we were clear of the pack, but as soon as I got close I was getting spray and debris on my visor so it was difficult to close on him to make a pass. Discretion is the better part of valour and eventually I decided to stick in second and get a good result for HM Plant Honda and myself. Thanks to the team for all the hard work they put in this weekend.”
Havier Beltran – HM Plant Honda team manager
:“Well, what a weekend! For Leon we are so disappointed as in the re-started race one no-one really knows what circuit Rolfo was on as he was never going to get past Leon at the Esses to be honest. It’s a massive shame that Leon wasn’t able to realise his true potential with a podium finish that was so rightly his, but there we go – that’s racing. It was a shame that our electrical gremlin put Cal out of the first race with the quickshifter sensor problem, but it was good to see him make amends in race two. To get a podium with one of our riders is superb and shows the HM Plant Honda team’s quality. We now need to leave here and concentrate on Croft and the Bennetts British Superbike series in one week’s time.”
World Superbike Championship
Race One Result:
1. Troy Bayliss – Ducati
2. Tom Sykes – Suzuki
3. Max Biaggi – Ducati
4. Gregorio Lavilla - Honda
5. Yukio Kagayama - Suzuki
8. Leon Haslam
DNF. Cal Crutchlow
Race Two Result:
1. Ryuichi Kiyonari - Honda
2. Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda 3. Troy Corser – Yamaha
4. James Ellison – Honda
5. Michel Fabrizio – Ducati
Leon Haslam – DNFCheck out
honda-racing.co.uk for more on Honda’s racing activities and
honda.co.uk/motorcycles for more on Honda’s extensive range of two-wheelers, including the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade and CBR600RR sports machines.
