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HONDA RACING INFORMATION
ZitatAlles anzeigenMCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 10 SUNDAY 22 SEPTEMBER ASSEN, THE NETHERLANDS
PREVIEW
TITLE FIGHTERS LOWES AND KIYONARI POWER INTO THE SHOWDOWN
Alex Lowes and his Samsung Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari, the former three times MCE Insurance British Superbike Champion, are both qualified as "title fighters" going in to the Showdown sequence of seven races, beginning at Assen, in The Netherlands, which will decide the outcome of the country's premier crown.
Lowes enjoyed a double confidence booster in the previous round at Donington Park where he won both races on the back of a similar performance in his home round at Cadwell Park just two weeks before. They took his victory tally to six so far this season, and importantly in the rules of the Showdown system they boosted him to within six points of the defending three times title winner Shane Byrne.
Kiyonari in contrast had a much tougher time in those races but still secured sufficient points to make the cut in the elite six riders who are qualified to fight for the crown, but, he starts with a 29 points deficit on his team-mate Lowes.
To make the cut for the Showdown, the riders had to be in the top six in the overall standings after the Donington Park round. Byrne, riding Kawasaki, Lowes, Kiyonari made the cut together with Aussie Josh Brookes on a Suzuki, former MotoGP rider James Ellison on a Yamaha and James Westmoreland for BMW.
Once qualified, the points scores for each rider were discarded and each was given a starting platform of 500 to which have been added their podium credit scores, reflecting performance in the opening 19 races of the series with Byrne and Lowes, who between them have won
15 races, topping the standings, Byrne on 539 and Lowes on 533.
Brookes has 522, Ellison 513, Kiyonari 504 and Westmoreland 500. Now they score points on the standard scale in the final deciding races.Those riders not making the cut will now ride for both pride, with contracts for the following season in mind, and also for the BSB Riders Cup. Among them will be the Lloyds British GBmoto Honda duo of Dan Linfoot and Peter Hickman plus Jenny Tinmouth aboard the Two Wheels Racing Honda. Jakub Smrz, who knows Assen well from his World Superbike days, will race the Padgetts Honda while Robin Harms is aboard the Doodson Honda.
But the rider everyone will need to keep an eye on is 23 year old Dutch Superbike champion Danny de Boer from Staphorst who has a wildcard ticket to ride for the Bathams Honda team.
Honda rider quotes:
AlexLowes (Samung Honda)
"I can't wait for Assen, there was a really great atmosphere there last year and I am really excited about going back there and the start of the Showdown now. I think we go there in a good position as the Samsung Honda is working well and I feel good on the bike but we know we still have some improvements we can make for Assen as this is a track that should suit the Honda. We will be giving it everything at Assen; I don't think it is going to be easy but we just need to stay focused on us and our performance and try to do the best job we can. I know for sure who I need to beat and that is the other five of us in the Showdown!"Ryuichi Kiyonari (Samsung Honda)
"I am happy to be in the Showdown but we need to be faster. We have had some small problems at the last rounds and we have been trying to improve but it is a balance. We need to change that at Assen because it is the Showdown now. The final three rounds will be different as everyone will be pushing to win the championship. I think it will be very hard but I will try my best. I will try and be faster so we can get some more podiums and more wins. It's simple we need to be faster if we are going to win the title.