It was another positive weekend for the NW200 Ducati team at Oulton Park this weekend. Michael Rutter on the North West 200 Ducati scored a fourth and seventh place respectively in the two Bennetts British Superbikes races on his Ducati F08. Team-mate John Laverty on the Buildbase NW200 Ducati gained a sixth and a strong win in the Daily Star Cup races. Following an incident between Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam in race two, Haslam has been excluded from the second British Superbike race subject to a 'rights of appeal' from Honda. Therefore this promotes Rutter from seventh to sixth and John Laverty from 14th to 13th.
The NW200 Ducati team secured a stunning start to the Bennett British Superbike season at Thruxton Circuit. With Michael Rutter taking two superb third positions and John Laverty winning both the Daily Star Cup races. Rutter gained his first double podium since Knockhill in 2005, in doing so he picked up the Eurosport 'Rider of the Day' award and John Laverty was exceptional on the standard 1098R Ducati in the Cup.After cold and wet conditions throughout the weekend the sun finally managed to break through for the two 20-lap races today (Sunday 20th April). Rutter qualified third on the grid in wet conditions yesterday with John Laverty in ninth.
The NW200 Ducati team was unable to race this weekend at the opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, due to extreme snow falls throughout the day (Sunday 6th April) which put a stop to all proceedings. The decision was made by the Championship organisers MSVR that the race would be canceled and re-run on May 10th and 11th using the qualifying positions from April 5th, putting North West 200 rider Michael Rutter in eighth on the grid and his team-mate John Laverty on the Buildbase NW200 Ducati in 17th position.
The wait is finally over! The British Superbike season starts this weekend, 4th - 6th April at Brands Hatch GP Circuit, Kent. The NW200 Ducati team are eager to get the ball rolling with riders Michael Rutter and John Laverty. Rutter will be contesting the fiercely competitive British Superbike Championship under the North West 200 banner and his team-mate John Laverty will be running in the tough British Superbike Cup Championship in the Buildbase NW200 livery.