The third event of the 2010 Mondello Superbike Championship moves the new series on to the County Kildare circuits’ International track layout for the first time, with two day’s of Action this coming weekend (August 7th & 8th).

Over the previous three rounds the main battle has been in the Superbike Class where Waterford’s Brian McCormick and Portadown’s Marshall Neil have traded victories to sit locked together at the head of the championship standings. Just one point separates them with third placed David Haire more than thirty points in arrears. The two front runners will have some additional competition this weekend with the first Mondello appearance of the year by ISB front runners Kirk Jamison and Denver Robb along with a number of other ISB racers. The Cup class for less experienced riders continues to be led by Martin K Murphy from Balyfoyle who also sits fifth in the overall championship.

The Supersport class has been dominated by Glenn Irwin who has taken five wins from five races so far. Next best is Gary Jeffers who is forty points adrift. Irwin’s closest challenger from the first event of the year Jonny Buckley returns this weekend having missed an event and with Brian McCormick also competing in Supersport this time around, Irwin will really have to prove his worth to retain his 100% record. The Cup class battle is much closer with Jordan Bonner, Dermot Deegan and Austen Wilson the top three.

All of the classes will race three times over the weekend with qualifying and the first race taking place on Saturday. Sunday’s programme will see the remaining two races per class run off, with the third race for Superbikes and Supersport and the Grand Final as the features. The headline acts will race between 14:00 and 16:00 with pre race grid interviews and podium presentations as part of the show.

Alongside the Superbikes and Supersport the remaining races will be made up of a combined grid of 125cc and 250cc two-strokes, Sidecars, Lightweight Supersport, the combined Pre ’97 and Supertwin machines and the ‘B’ races for Superbike and Supersport Cup riders. Admission for each day is €15.00 but information on ticket discounts can be found on www.mondellopark.ie/specials.

For full timetable and championship information see the Mondello Park web site

The HM Plant Honda team had a valuable weekend at the World Superbike Championship round at Silverstone, working hard on various settings ahead of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship event later in the season, with Josh Brookes scoring championship points in a hard-fought twelfth place in the second race at the Northamptonshire circuit.

The team used the event to adjust various settings ahead of the penultimate round of BSB later in the season, when the championship reaches the final stages, as both riders continued to improve their pace throughout the weekend.

Josh finished the opening race in sixteenth place, but having made some setting changes ahead of the second race he was able to steadily move up the order, passing Noriyuki Haga in the closing stages to finish twelfth. Kiyo also improved his pace and after finishing 21st in race one he moved to 16th in the final race of the day.

Brookes said: “The weekend didn’t get off to the best start for me, as we had an engine problem on Friday in the first practice session and that cost me time on track. In the second session we continued working on the set-up and our times continued to improve but we were playing catch-up as what worked at Snetterton for the BSB round wasn’t working here. We worked really hard with different shock and fork settings as this track is so different from any other we have raced on this season so we had to really get our heads down and make changes to see how they would affect us. We did continually improve though each time we were out on circuit and then the second race with twelfth was better than the first, so we were making steps forward. It gives us a better idea of what to expect later in the season when we are back for BSB and we have to look towards the podium again at Brands Hatch next weekend.”

Kiyonari said: “This weekend has been useful for us as we are now in a better position ahead of the BSB round at the circuit later in the year. We have worked very hard here, every day, trying different settings and it has taken time but I think in the end we will benefit – not just here but also at the next BSB rounds at Brands Hatch and Cadwell Park. I need to thank the HM Plant Honda team as they worked to change the settings and make me faster and improve. I am disappointed that we couldn’t be nearer the front, but it has been a good test and now I am looking forward to Brands Hatch next weekend.”

Team Manager Havier Beltran concluded: “This weekend has been a very positive test for the whole HM Plant Honda team. We came here with the intention of gaining as much knowledge as possible in order to be in a stronger position when we return for the penultimate round of the BSB championship. We have had a few chassis issues, however the track time has been invaluable and we have made steady progress with both riders throughout the weekend. We now have a good basis to start with when we return in September which will prove vital as the championship will be reaching a critical stage.”

The Kawasaki Racing Team has named its replacement rider for the injured Chris Vermeulen at the forthcoming Silverstone round of the World Superbike Championship.

The factory ride has been given to 39-year-old Akira Yanagawa, who has a long standing history with Kawasaki in both the All-Japan Road Race and World Superbike Championships.

From 1997 until 2001, Yanagawa made over 100 WSBK starts, from which he claimed three race wins and a further 20 podiums finishes.

Yanagawa also became the first Japanese rider to win a WSBK race outside of his homeland, at the A1 Ring in Austria in 1997, on his way to a best championship position of fourth in that same year.

From 2001-to-date, the Japanese has been involved in testing and development for the ex-MotoGP squad - he also gave the ZX-RR its race debut as a wild-card at Motegi in 2002 - plus the existing ZX-10R and the all new 2011 Ninja machine.

“I feel sorry for Chris Vermeulen for his injury and I wish him the best of luck for his recovery, however I am very happy to help the Kawasaki Racing Team in his absence," said Yanagawa.

" It has been many years since I raced in World Superbikes so it will be a pleasure to be part of this series once again and attend the Silverstone event. I have a long-standing relationship with Kawasaki and the Ninja ZX-10R machine so I am sure I will fit in to the team just fine and hopefully make a good result.

"I am very excited to return to England and to race again in this Championship. ”

“We are delighted to welcome Akira to the Kawasaki Racing Team for our home race at Silverstone later this month," said team owner Paul Bird. "To have someone of his experience and racing history join my team is an honour.

"He is probably one of the most famous Kawasaki riders and someone who has a very competitive, fighting spirit which will be greatly received on this side of the garage.

"Obviously Chris has struggled ever since his crash at Phillip Island and although it is a shame to not have his presence in the garage, we wish nothing more than to move forward and get both bikes back inside the points again.”

Vermeulen will miss the rest of the season and is awaiting further medical instructions on how best to proceed.

The fact that Yanagawa is only due to ride at Silverstone suggests another rider may take over the seat in the 2010 rounds thereafter.

The next round of the World Superbike is still a few weeks away, but Silverston Motorcycles and Tom Sykes are getting ready to kick off the weekend with a bang.

Silverstone Motorcycles are having a launch night before races begin on the 30th. The event will celebrate the newly refurbished Silverstone track, but it will also mark the unveiling of Silverstone as the new Kawasaki dealer in the UK.

Sykes, who is currently trying his hand for a round at the British Superbike, will be at the event to showcase the Ninja ZX-6R, a bike that a few guests will get a chance to ride.

“World Superbikes at Silverstone has effectively given us a target date to finish our ambitious rebuilding programme by and we can’t wait to see what people think of the new Kawasaki store on the night. To have Tom here to officially open Silverstone Motorcycles will be the perfect foundation for our plan to create a Kawasaki destination dealership,” Silverstone said in a release.

The event will kick off on Thursday night, July 29th, before a weekend of World Superbike racing around the Silverstone track.

Points leader Josh Brookes edged Alastair Seeley to set the pace in practice for this weekend's seventh round of the British Superbike Championship at Snetterton.

The HM Plant Honda rider, who holds a four-point lead at the top of the standings, topped the timesheets in each of Friday's two sessions at the Norfolk circuit, with Relentless Suzuki rider Seeley just 0.120secs behind.

This weekend's meeting features three races, with an extra one added on Saturday afternoon to make up for the weather-ravaged Knockhill round.

"This is the best practice day I have had this year and the first time I have topped two consecutive free practice sessions so I am feeling really positive now ahead of the first race," said Brookes.

"It has been a pleasant return here after the past two rounds. I don't really like Mallory Park and then Knockhill was ruined due to the weather, but this track is great for Superbikes and you can really utilise the full speed on the straights here and the turns are so flowing.

"I am therefore enjoying it more and when you ride like that it gives you more confidence and the times just come."

Aside from Seeley, Knockhill winner Michael Rutter (RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati) was also at the sharp end of the field a fraction ahead of longtime series leader Tommy Hill.

Matt Layt has been handed a wild card to compete in round seven of the British Superbike Championships at Snetterton this weekend.

It is the first time the 31-year-old rider from Dereham, who usually rides in the Superstock series, will compete in the Superbikes class.

Layt told BBC Radio Norfolk, "We're up against the best teams in the country and the rest of the world."

He will be part of the three race meeting which starts on Saturday.

"To build the bike in a shed in Dereham and then turn up here and race against these boys is going to be a tall order but we will give it our best shot," said Layt.

The Norfolk rider was handed a wildcard when his sponsors agreed to back his ambition to compete in a Superbike round.

"Every time you're on the bike, in any session, no matter what class or country you're riding in, you're always trying 100 percent," he added.

And although he is unfamiliar with the class, Layt has some experience of the challenges that the Snetterton track has to offer

"I know my way around pretty well," he said. "I came up about two weeks ago on a Superstock bike for an evening track day, but other than that I don't ride here anymore than anyone else.

"Realistically I would like to go faster than I have ever gone before, and to qualify, finish both races and just try and finish as high up as I can."

Spectators at this weekend's meeting will also be treated to extra racing with three races, following the postponement of a race during the previous round at Knockhill.

Meanwhile, at the top of the leader board Honda's Josh Brookes leads the championship with just three rounds to go before the top six showdown.

One of the most interesting aspects of the 2010 World Superbike season thus far is the performance shown by the factory Ducati Superbikes. Results this season have been suprisingly inconsistent for a team which challenged for the championship in 2009. Both factory Ducatis struggled even last weekend at Monza, a track the brand has dominated in the Superbike era.

The incredible potential of Nori Haga has been illustrated countless times in the past. While clearly facing defeat he's won races from the nether regions of the grid, showing he has within him a Carl Fogarty-like ability to simply will his bike to the front. And he's also invariably displayed such lackluster form that one is almost prompted to walk up and ask him for photo identification, to make sure that he is indeed "Nitro" Nori Haga.

The Haga largely seen in 2010 is the latter version, sadly.

At Imola last year I walked down to the grid before race two and found Nori Haga laying against the pit wall, talking to his mechanics in Italian. The lines on his face, the flecks of white in his hair and the general grimacing he did while trying to coax his body into his leathers, gloves and helmet made it apparent that what Haga has accomplished since 1998 has been in no way as easy as flicking water from the back of his hand.

It's impossible to predict what Haga's near future will be. He may continue with his current "Nowhere man" performance. And absolutely no one will be surprised if he wins both races next Sunday in South Africa.

ENDS

Oulton Park is set within 320 acres of fantastic rolling countryside in Cheshire, which provides a great stage for many racing events throughout the year.

The 2.629 mile rolling and twisting circuit was host to the British Superbikes Championship. The weather was deemed to be good with a possibility of rain on the Sunday, which would certainly shake things up for the qualifying and Roll for pole.

Going into the weekend, Championship leader Tommy Hill was predicting a riot. “There will definitely be some paint-swapping going on because everyone is so close in terms of lap times and every rider out there is really pushing hard to get the best results possible. I reckon it's going to be a cracker!” Hill predicted.

The pressure was on for Superstock Rider Steve Plater as he was leading the championship with 2 race wins, although in the qualifying stages the luck was not to go his way with a qualifying position of 5th, with Jon Kirkham putting in some great flying laps to gain pole.

The Qualifying was as follows for Superbike and Superstock 1000:

Metzeler National Superstock 1000 combined qualifying

1 Jon Kirkham Kirkham BMW 1'38.287
2 Tristan Palmer TP BMW 1'38.597
3 Ian Hutchinson Padgett's Honda 1'38.648
4 Richard Cooper Jentin BMW 1'38.760
5 Steve Plater HM Plant Honda 1'38.876
6 Howie Mainwaring MS Kawasaki 1'39.117
7 Conor Cummins Blackhorse Kawasaki 1'39.169
8 Sam Warren Midland Motorsport Honda 1'39.247
9 Michael Rutter Riders BMW 1'39.434
10 Scott Smart Moto Rapido Ducati 1'39.498

MCE British Superbike free practice three - conditions dry

1 Stuart Easton Swan Honda 1'36.340
2 Josh Brookes HM Plant Honda 1'36.561
3 Ryuichi Kiyonari HM Plant Honda 1'36.779
4 Alastair Seeley Relentless Suzuki 1'36.922
5 Tommy Hill Worx Suzuki 1'36.969
6 Yukio Kagayama Worx Suzuki 1'37.015
7 Michael Rutter Riders Ducati 1'37.057
8 Michael Laverty Relentless Suzuki 1'37.094
9 Tommy Bridewell Quay Garage Honda 1'37.172
10 Ian Lowry Motorpoint Yamaha 1'37.253

Superbikes Race 1

So Race One was set to get underway at the Cheshire track and the bad weather seemed to be holding off, with a few grey clouds lingering and the sun in the distance.
On track - photo by Becci Stubbs The lights went out and the beautiful sound of 39 Superbikes hurtled into Old Hall Corner with Stuart Easton getting there first with Tommy Hill, Josh Brookes and Katayama, closely behind. Down into Cascades, Katayama crashes and looks injured as the rest of the pack hurtle pass with Rutter also running off and re joining in 15th place.

Ian Lowy clips Michael Laverty going into Shell Oils and goes down, (rider ok). The front group is fairly close and it seems as if the paint swapping has already started.
As the front pack start to pull away, Hill is looking for a way passed Easton. In the mean time, Seeley was giving Josh Brookes some heat as Tunstall goes down on the Avenue.

Lap 5 and the standings are Easton, Hill, Brookes, Seeley, with the front 2 pulling a gap on the Australian Brookes. Rutter pulls into the Pits on lap 6.

Meanwhile Kiyo is on the back on Seeley and looking to get past. As the gap increases from Brookes during the battle, Kiyo gets passed Seeley and starts to gun down Brookes.
Hill looks for a way past Easton into Lodge but Easton closes the door, the gap now only 0.083 s. The battle continues down the rest of the field as Kiyo runs wide at Shell Oils and Seeley increasing the pressure. Kiyo Rejoins but then runs straight on at Hislops Chicane putting him right in the middle pack.

Lap 10 sees Mason and Walker team mates on the MSS Kawasaki, fighting for 8th position as Hill and Easton are now 3.7s from Brookes. Kiyo pulls out of the race with a Technical problem. Michael Laverty gets passed Brother John on lap 14 only to be taken back by his brother on lap 16 as they were coming up to back markers.

The Final lap saw Hill continuing to looking for a way past Easton but Easton continued to be strong, hold his lines and braking markers to cross the Finish line and take the Chequered flag with only 0.058 seconds separating the pair.

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, race one:
1. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda)
2. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.058s
3. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +10.399s
4. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.843s
5. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.849s
6. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +11.073s
7. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +23.428s
8. Chris Walker (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +27.478s
9. Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +35.997s
10. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +36.709s

It was Stuart Easton’s first win of the season for the Swan Honda Team. Easton commented, "It's great to win the first race of the season for the Swan Honda team and I On track - Becci Stubbs had a good start and just managed to hold off Tommy Hill. I got off to a good start, which is quite typical, and then every lap my board just said +0 and it’s just a case of keeping it all together and just counting down the laps. It was a close one out there but hopefully we can make it two out of two in the next one."

Metzler Superstock 1000
The Superstock 1000 race was set to be an eventful one as on the sighting lap there were a few spots of rain appearing on the visors of the riders, but that was not going to dampen the spirits for the race.

The lights go out and Jon Kirkham catapults himself off the line and gets into Old Hall first with Hutchinson on his tail. The large pack are close and rubbing shoulders round the first lap as they all settle into the pace. The first man on the move was Steve Plater as he nudges his way passed Connor Cummins just as Kirkham starts to pull the pin.

John Howarth goes down on lap 3 (rider ok). After lap 3 positions are Kirkham, Palmer, Cooper, Hutchinson, Howie M, and Plater. Hutchinson takes Mainwaring closely followed by Plater and the hunt is now on for the front markers as Plater starts to pick them off. Kirkham is now into a steady rhythm and is pulling away from the group on every lap. Plater makes his move on Cooper and is now putting the pressure on Howie to secure 3rd position while Cooper hangs on the back of Plater.

Tristan Palmer is trying to fend off Plater as he goes up the inside at lodge on lap 6 to take 3rd place. As Kirkham crosses the line with a 2.831 s lead, Palmer then On track - Becci Stubbs retaliates and takes Plater back at Old Hall and the ballet is on. Coming out of Britians and down Hill Top Plater drives passed Palmer and get his head down for the long chase to Kirkham some 3.140 seconds away.

Lap 8 sees the continuing battle with Hutchinson and Mainwaring as Palmer looks for a way past Plater into Shell Oils. Cummings goes out on lap 11 at the Chicane and cannot re join. (Rider unhurt). Meanwhile Plater and Palmer are still gunning for the place when palmer takes Plater at Cascades. The pair are so close the only thing between them is rubber and track and not even that much. Going into Lodge Plater slides the back in to regain 2nd and gets his head down for the drive into Old Hall and starts to make a gap on Palmer. Kirkham’s lap times start to come down as Plater starts to close up on the last few laps seeing them cross the line with only a 0.200s gap.

Kirkham said after the race "I needed that win and the bike was fantastic this weekend. I had a three seconds lead but then I had a bit of arm pump and I thought that's it, but I was able to control the race from the front."
Metzeler National Superstock 1000 - conditions dry

1 Jon Kirkham Kirkham Racing BMW 24.56.963
2 Steve Plater HM Plant Honda 0.200
3 Tristan Palmer TP BMW 1.264
4 Ian Hutchinson Padgett's Honda 1.480
5 Howie Mainwaring MSS Kawasaki 2.578
6 Richard Cooper Jentin BMW 5.631
7 Sam Warren Midland Motorsport Honda 18.403
8 Victor Cox J&L Yamaha 19.599
9 Luke Quigley Astro Suzuki 20.241
10 Barry Burrell Buildbase Kawasaki 20.494
Superbike Race 2
Well after a nice down-pour the track was well and truly wet, so the Superbike Boys were given a 7 minute wet practice to get tyre’s and anything else set up on the bike that they may need before lining up on the Shiny damp grid for some Race 2 action.

Out go the Lights and they all take a very careful line into Old Hall and all make it round safely with Kiyo nipping the lead from the front pack. With the track being very wet all riders are taking the first few laps a little more careful than normal. Iddon goes down at Hislops, with Michael Laverty then taking the lead over the start/finish straight into lap 3. The pack is now starting to come together and is fighting for positions when Rutter slips through and takes Hill with a closely followed Josh Brookes. John Laverty then sees an opportunity and also goes past Hill and Brookes on the back straight into Shell Oils. While Rutter is now breathing down the neck of Former BSB champion Kiyo, the pair battle it out taking each other continuously round the track as the dry line now start to become apparent.

Meanwhile the pack behind are having ballets of there own with Adam Jenkinson out braking Easton into Hislops and Tommy Bridewell following suit, which saw Easton Trailing behind as he seemed to be experiencing some grip problems with the Swan Honda. M Laverty crosses the S/F line with a gap of 1.4 seconds from the front group. As Easton pulls into the pits to change the rear tyre, the stop costs him dearly. Rutter is continuing his battle with Kiyo and takes him into Lodge, M Laverty sets fastest lap on lap 5 and then also again on Lap 7, its clear that now there is a dry line the Laverty brother is getting quicker and there is no stopping him.

Tommy Hill is starting to make his way through the pack and get his head down to try and claw back some vital points as he goes passed Kiyo into Lodge. The pair battle across the S/F line and into Old Hall but Hill holds his lines well and the speed of the Suzuki is to much for the Louth based Honda team and he starts to slip away and in pursuit of John Laverty.

Stuart Easton retires from race, Hill takes John Laverty and then Kiyo follows him but runs straight on into Hislops. Hill now has Rutter in his sights but the distance between them is too much and the race is won by Michael Laverty by 6.0 seconds.

After the race Michael Laverty said: "The only way I can describe that race was awesome, especially as I was able to win in such as convincing way and if I am honest it was quite easy. I have always found it hard at Oulton Park in the past but I have to say I am happy with that. You want to be able to win your first BSB race in style and that is what we did; the conditions played in to our hands a bit but the whole team deserved it after the last few rounds. It has been a good weekend for us Laverty’s so we will be celebrating tonight."

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, race two result:
1. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS)
2. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +6.00s
3. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +11.333s
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +16.029s
5. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +23.590s
6. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +27.258s
7. Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +30.287s
8. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +30.283s
9. Hudson Kennaugh (MAR Kawasaki) +32.463s
10. Adam Jenkinson (Buildbase Kawasaki) +54.950s
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Oulton Park:
1. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 126
2. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) 75
3. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 74
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 65
5. Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 63

Next reports - The Northwest 200 live from the Track and interviews with top riders on how they are looking forward to the weekend plus all the Top Race Results right here on Girlracer Magazine. Becci Stubbs for Girlracer Magazine http://www.girlracer.co.uk

Former World Superbike champion and MotoGP race winner Troy Bayliss will be back on the Ducati Superbike this week in Italy. But before Bayliss' many fans rejoice that this is a sign that TB21 is making moves to jump back in the ring and save Ducati's WSBK bacon, some facts:

# This is not a quickly thrown together test after Ducati's struggles at Monza. This is a long-scheduled two-day test at Mugello with Troy Bayliss as test rider.

# Bayliss won't be riding "Haga's bikes" as per rumor. Haga's Ducati Superbikes are already on a plane bound for South Africa. The Kyalami round of the WSBK championship is this coming weekend.

# Bayliss remains under contract to Ducati, even though he has retired from racing. When he retired, Ducati signed Bayliss to a personal services contract which enables them to use him as a test rider in MotoGP and WSBK. Bayliss tested the Ducati MotoGP bike last season. He has been scheduled to test the Ducati Superbike at Mugello this week.

Bayliss said at Imola last year that he relished the role of an occasional test rider for Ducati as it would allow him to "stick the needle in my arm".

ENDS

Leon Haslam said he is happy to have clung on to the lead of the World Superbike standings after a "hard day" in which arch rival Max Biaggi did the double for Aprilia.

Haslam came into the races with a 20 point lead over the Italian, but while he was the only rider to lead Biaggi on the track at any stage of the day, his eventual fourth and second place finishes weren’t enough to prevent his rival from slashing his advantage.

Still, Haslam admits he was lucky to even finish the second race after a mistake on the exit of turn two caused him to get out of shape, the Suzuki bucking him out of his seat in the process.

Together with a grip problem in race one, Haslam was content to keep his consistent point scoring going to maintain a slender three point advantage overall.

"It was a hard day and I’m happy to leave Monza still leading the title race. Max was strong here and I knew it was going to be tough pair of races. The podium in race two was very hard work, but I didn’t want to miss out on a podium today and kept battling away.

"I had a really big moment in race two and was way out of the saddle twice in the space of a fraction of a second. Somehow I stayed on the bike, but it was a very close thing! After Cal crashed, Troy kept me on my toes, but Max was too far in front for me to catch so I just made sure of runner-up spot. I did something to my wrist when I had my ‘moment’ and it felt pretty sore, but I managed to carry one to the end.

"In race one, I lost contact with the leaders and then had a bit of a grip problem for the last four or five laps and couldn’t get out of the corners as fast as I wanted. We made some little suspension changes (just a few clicks here and there) for race two and the bike was definitely better to ride."

World Superbikes: Saturday 2pm LIVE on British Eurosport 2 (Sky 411 / Virgin 525) & Sunday 10.30am LIVE on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin 521). All action simulcast on the Eurosport Player.