SYKES TAKES 4TH IN BRITISH SUPERBIKES
Source: Suzuki
Oct 13, 2008 - 9:37:58 AM
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Rizla Suzuki's Tom Sykes finished the 2008 Bennetts British Superbike
Championship in fourth place after putting on a brave and battling performance
at the 12th and final round at Brands Hatch in Kent today.
In the second
race he was holding fifth place when, with five-laps remaining, his Rizla Suzuki
simply stopped. The Yorkshireman desperately tried to restart it but to no avail
and he could only watch as third in the Championship cruelly slipped from his
grasp to Honda's Cal Crutchlow. Rizla Suzuki rider Atsushi Watanabe finished
14th.
In the first race, in bright glorious sunshine, Sykes slotted into
sixth place at the first corner and held station until the chequered flag at the
hilly 1.1986-mile Indy circuit, unable to overtake due to the fast tight nature
of the track. Watanabe started 12th and fell back to 16th before two retirements
promoted him to 14th and a points-scoring finish, giving him equal 14th place in
the Championship.
2008 British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne won both
races on a Ducati.
While it is the end of the British Superbike
Championship, Rizla Suzuki will be on track again at the annual Race of the Year
at Mallory Park in Leicestershire next Sunday, October 19th. Sykes will be the
lone Rizla Suzuki racer and is hoping to bring the silverware back to the team
for the third consecutive year.
Tom
Sykes:
"That's not the way I wanted to finish the 2008 season
and it is not what the Rizla Suzuki team deserved. My bike simply stopped in the
second race with a few laps to go and there was nothing I could do. I am an
optimist by nature though and will take the positive from finishing fourth in
the Championship and look forward from here. A big thank you to PJ, Stuart,
Simon and Dan my technicians for their hard work this year - well done boys, you
are brilliant. Thanks also to all the fans and Rizla Suzuki for what has been a
great BSB campaign."
Atsushi Watanabe:
"In race
one I hade lack of grip and pushed as hard as I can. It was difficult to make
drive out of corners onto the straights. For race two we made setting changes to
my Rizla Suzuki which I hoped would help but the feeling remained the same - no
grip. This is not the best results to finish the season; I had hoped for better.
I have enjoyed my first season in BSB and learnt much; thank you to Rizla Suzuki
for all its support."
Jack Valentine - Rizla Suzuki Team
Manager:
"We came here wanting to finish on a high note but instead we
are all disappointed with fourth in the Championship. Tom went out fighting as
usual and the fact is we have had a cracking season and will not let this final
round tarnish what has been a cohesive, well-executed campaign that has brought
the team three wins, numerous podiums and World Superbike champagne as
well.
"Thank you to Tom Sykes and Atsushi Watanabe for their
determination and effort this year - they have both been a pleasure to work with
and I wish them all the best for the future. Thanks also to all of my team; they
are winners to a man and I respect every one of them.
"Last but not
least, I'd like to thank all of the Rizla Suzuki team sponsors and fans for
their support this year. Our plans are already well laid for 2009 and we look
forward to challenging for the British Superbike title; we hope all of the
sponsors and fans will join us again and share in the
success."
Race One Result:
1: Shane Byrne
(Ducati) 23:21.717
2: Cal Crutchlow (Honda) +1.892
3: James Ellison
(Honda) +2.144
4: Leon Haslam (Honda) +2.190
5: Leon Camier (Ducati)
+5.747
6: Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +6.559
7: Michael
Rutter (Ducati) +19.335
8: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +20.002
9: Jon Kirkham
(Yamaha) +23.528
10: Tristan Palmer (Honda) +25.241
14: Atsushi
Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) +25.258
Race Two
Result:
1: Shane Byrne (Ducati) 23:21.124
2: Leon Haslam
(Honda) +1.817
3: Leon Camier (Ducati) +4.305
4: Cal Crutchlow (Honda)
+8.561
5: James Ellison (Honda) +9.783
6: Michael Rutter (Ducati)
+11.400
7: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +24.265
8: John Laverty (Ducati)
+25.844
9: Gary Mason (Honda) +25.867
10: Jon Kirkham (Yamaha)
+33.101
14: Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) +41.393
DNF:
Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki)
Championship
Standings:
1: Shane Byrne (Ducati) 474
2: Leon Haslam (Honda)
357
3: Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 318
4: Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki)
316
5: Leon Camier (Ducati) 306
6: Michael Rutter (Ducati)
256
7: James Ellison (Honda) 230
8: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 176
9:
Michael Laverty (Suzuki) 141
10: Tristan Palmer (Honda) 111
14:
Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) 69
14: Scott Smart
(Kawasaki) 69.
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