By Dan Moakes
July 10 2013

A crash for Shane Byrne at Oulton Park allowed Alex Lowes to sneak ahead in the 2013 British Superbike Championship, but ‘Shakey’ still looked like the man to beat. Following a six week break, round four was north of the border at Knockhill.

The meeting was billed as a tribute to the Champion of 1995 and 2002, Steve Hislop, marking ten years since his death in a helicopter accident. ‘Hizzy’ was from Hawick in the Scottish Borders, and had raced at Knockhill many times, winning a couple of his BSB races at the circuit, during two of his most successful periods racing Ducati machinery. Perhaps ironically, only one race at Knockhill has been won by a rider on a Ducati in the last decade, although that 2010 success (for Michael Rutter) was one of only two for the Italian bikes since the end of 2008.

In qualifying it was another multiple champion who emerged fastest, with Byrne taking his 15th career BSB pole position on the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki. Closest to him were a Suzuki, a Honda and a BMW rider - with Josh Brookes second for the Tyco team, returning to short circuit racing as the fastest ever newcomer at the Isle of Man TT road races. Third place on the Knockhill grid went to Lowes on the Samsung Honda, and heading the second row was fourth man Jon Kirkham for Buildbase BMW.

For Brookes, second place was his best-yet qualifying result for BSB 2013, and the same was true for former champion Ryuichi Kiyonari, fifth on the other Samsung Honda. The top eight places were all taken up by rider pairings from four of the teams, with ‘Kiyo’ heading PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki), James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) and Keith Farmer (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki). Peter Hickman completed row three, in ninth for GBmoto Honda, then it was Chris Walker (Quattro Plant Kawasaki), Tommy Bridewell (Bathams Honda), Dan Linfoot (returning to action for GBmoto Racing), and with James Ellison only in P13 for Milwaukee Yamaha.

Knockhill
Form guide: BSB wins
Shane Byrne · 2002, 2003, 2003, 2006, 2012
Ryuichi Kiyonari · 2005, 2005, 2006
Chris Walker · 2000, 2000
Michael Rutter · 2010

The start for race one saw Brookes get the better of Byrne to lead, the pair ahead of Lowes, Kiyonari, Kirkham, Jacobsen, Walker, Farmer, Westmoreland, Hickman, Bridewell, Ellison and Rutter (for Bathams Honda). Knockhill is one of the shortest circuits, and the most likely overtaking opportunity is into the final hairpin, a right-hander known as Taylors Hairpin, or alternatively as Real Radio Hairpin. On lap two, Jacobsen went to pass Kirkham there, taking the inside line but running too deep on the brakes and ending up also behind Walker in seventh.

The first four were breaking away early on, with Kiyonari beginning to drop back from the trio ahead, and then a three-way contest developing with Kirkham, Farmer and Walker. The order behind now saw Westmoreland heading Ellison, Linfoot, Jacobsen, Hickman, Bridewell, Rutter and Robbin Harms (Doodson Honda). The chance of Lowes maintaining his championship advantage looked minimal when he had a crash on the exit of the hairpin, after the back of the Honda kicked out, the tyre re-gripped, and he was sent over the highside.

This left a contest up front between Brookes and Byrne, with Kiyo in a secure looking third place. Shane was on the tail of the leader until, towards the finish, he made his move to get past. The first time, he went to the inside for the hairpin, running a little wide and leaving Josh the room to get back on the inside for the corner exit, with the two bikes touching as the rear of the Suzuki came inside the front of the Kawasaki. On the second occasion, Shakey kept a tight line rounding the apex and got through. From there he was able to move just out of range over the final laps.

With Kiyonari heading for his first BSB podium result since mid-2011, the late stages of the race saw fourth man Kirkham lose out as he crashed at the right-handed Scotsman Corner, previously called McIntyre’s. This gave the position to Farmer, who was a few lengths clear of Walker at the flag, as they both recorded their best results of the season to date. Westmoreland was sixth, from Ellison, Linfoot, Jacobsen, Hickman, Bridewell and Rutter, with Harms dropping back to P16, behind Jakub Smrž (Padgett’s Honda), Matteo Baiocco (Rapido Sport Ducati) and Howie Mainwaring (MH Kawasaki).

Based on fastest race laps, the grid for race two saw Lowes on pole, from Brookes, Kiyonari, Byrne, Walker, Farmer, Kirkham, Ellison, Jacobsen, Westmoreland, Bridewell and Linfoot. However, Bridewell proved to be a non-starter after his bike was removed from the grid when it refused to fire up. It was Kiyonari who made the best start and led initially, but somehow he was quickly shuffled back to fourth by Byrne, Lowes and Brookes. Walker, Farmer, Westmoreland and Kirkham followed, but Ellison and Rutter both came to grief going downhill after the first right and into the left-handed Duffus Dip, after James clipped the back of Walker’s Kawasaki.

Byrne’s pace meant that he was quick to start building an advantage over Lowes, although soon it would be Brookes in second place. The Australian made his move on the inside for the first right-hander, Seat Curves; but nevertheless Byrne still kept building his lead, with Brookes also moving clear and leaving a Samsung Honda battle for third. Kiyonari would win that contest, making his move on Lowes on the inside at Seat Curves. He had taken clear ownership of the position by the closing stages.

Late race though did see Byrne’s lead threatened, Brookes setting a new fastest lap as he closed in. He was clearly trying hard, as he clipped the kerb quite aggressively at Butchers, a right-left chicane, and just about got away with it. In the end, his charge wasn’t quite enough, and the result saw Byrne win from Brookes, Kiyonari and Lowes. Walker maintained his position in front of Westmoreland for another fifth, with Farmer out of the mix after he ran off track at Taylors Hairpin, ending up in the minor placings.

The battle for seventh at the flag had been between Kirkham, Jacobsen and Hickman, with the Tyco Suzuki rider having earlier got to the head of the group with a move on the inside at Seat. When Kirkham subsequently ran wide at the hairpin, Hickman had gone through into eighth. However, the same corner would see a recovery move from Jon, going to the inside and getting past through the exit, which determined the final order. The next trio had been close, finishing with Mainwaring just heading Baiocco and Linfoot. Then came Farmer, Lee Costello, Aaron Zanotti and Michael Howarth, with Harms and Smrž losing out.

Shane Byrne had taken his tally of wins in 2013 to six from eight races, and this placed him back in front of the consistent Josh Brookes, who has been second four times but not yet won a race during the season. Alex Lowes dropped to third, with only thirteen points from the whole weekend, whilst James Ellison, with only nine points, remained within the vital top six but now some way back. However, Ryuichi Kiyonari seemed to have boosted his chances after finally showing the kind of form British fans are used to, with Chris Walker and James Westmoreland also posting encouraging results. But is there anyone who might catch Byrne this year?

Standings after eight races: Byrne 166; Brookes 136; Lowes 130; Ellison 80; Kirkham 76; Walker 65; Kiyonari 59; Westmoreland 56; Farmer 50; Jacobsen 47.
podium credits: Byrne 19, Lowes 11, Brookes 10, Ellison 6, Kiyonari 2.