Tomorrow GSE Racing will be looking to achieve their 4th British Superbike title. Airwaves Ducati riders Shane Byrne and Leon Camier will start round 11 from the second row of the grid. Championship leader Shane qualified 6th and Leon 7th with only 0.039 seconds separating the pair.

Knowing he needs just a top 10 finish tomorrow to secure the 2008 title, Shane commented,

“I went as fast as I felt necessary today. Towards the end of qualifying I decided to push a little harder but made a couple of mistakes. Fortunately they weren’t big mistakes but big enough for me to think about the championship being at stake. After that I rode at 99% but still managed to achieve a1:26.136 lap and bring the Airwaves Ducati home! Although I’m a little disappointed not to be on the front row I am pleased with my times today. Both Leon and I have a really good race pace which is what the Airwaves Ducati team has been working towards all weekend and I think we should be in great shape for tomorrow’s races.”

Leon worked hard to improve his lap times over qualifying with his fastest time of 1:26.175 coming on lap 4 of 7 in the final session.

“We made a big change to the Airwaves Ducati this morning ahead of practice and I’m really confident we’ve made a step forward with our race pace. Although the settings aren’t ideal for one quick qualifying lap, we’ve focused on getting ourselves the best possible set up for the races”.

The schedule for Round 11 of the British Superbike Championship is as follows:

Race One – 1315
Race Two – 1625
Qualifying Results:

1. Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda 1:25.489
2. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda 1:25.790
3. Michael Rutter – North West 200 Ducati 1:25.952
4. Karl Harris – Team Yamaha 1:25.976
5. Tom Sykes – Rizla Suzuki 1:26.012
6. Shane Byrne – Airwaves Ducati 1:26.136
7. Leon Camier – Airwaves Ducati 1:26.175

Airwaves Ducati riders Shane Byrne and Leon Camier made a promising start to round 11 of the British Superbike Championship at Silverstone today. Shane, who needs just a top 10 finish this Sunday to be crowned 2008 Champion, finished both of the day’s practice sessions 3rd. Teammate Leon topped the timesheets in the morning and was 6th fastest in the afternoon.

Fresh from his second British Superbike victory a fortnight ago, Leon was immediately on the pace today. His best time of 1:26.927 came on lap 18 of 24 and was the fastest in first practice.

“I’m pretty happy with how today has gone. The practice session this morning really helped me to get into the flow of riding the Airwaves Ducati around here and then this afternoon allowed us to try some changes. Just before the second session was red flagged I had gone out to try something new, but unfortunately that will now have to wait until tomorrow. It’s looking really positive and we still have some adjustments to try tomorrow.”

Shane completed a total of 50 laps over the two sessions and recorded his best time of the day early on in second practice, matching Leon’s fastest lap of 1:26.927 from this morning.

“You can normally make assumptions before a race weekend as to which circuits the Airwaves Ducati will suit and which it won’t as much, but to be honest we weren’t too sure about Silverstone. Fortunately the Airwaves Ducati has worked really well straight away. I did a fairly long run in the morning session and then in the afternoon we went further than a full race distance with some good consistent times. I’ll look over the data with my Airwaves Ducati engineer this evening to identify ways in which we can make improvements for tomorrow and hopefully kick up a gear and go even quicker.”

Qualifying for round 11 of the Bennetts British Superbike championship commences tomorrow, Saturday September 27th 2008 at 1400.

Airwaves Ducati head to Silverstone this weekend looking to secure GSE Racing’s 4th British Superbike championship title. Rider Shane Byrne needs a single top 10 finish at the penultimate round of the series to lift the coveted trophy and be crowned 2008 champion.

A frustrating weekend last time out at Croft saw the 2003 champion finishing 5th and 4th however with a lead of 94 points in the championship, Shane has his sights set on clinching the title this Sunday.

“I’m a bit disappointed not to have won the title in the previous round at Croft, but now I’m fully refreshed and heading to Silverstone where I have a very good chance of taking it, and that is what I and the rest of the Airwaves Ducati team have been working for. I like to be on maximum attack, riding on the limit, but I have to ensure that I don’t fall down and that I take the championship – it will be good to get the job done in the first race at Silverstone”

After securing his second British Superbike victory a fortnight ago, Leon Camier is feeling confident of adding to his win tally this weekend.

“Although I was disappointed not to have got on to the podium in the second race, winning race one at Croft was a huge confidence boost so I’m really looking forward to Silverstone and hopefully getting back on the top step of the podium. Until we get some laps under our belt I’m not too sure how the Airwaves Ducati will work around there but I know that the whole of the Airwaves Ducati team will work hard to give me the best possible package come race day.”

Round 11 of the Bennetts British Superbike championship takes place on Sunday 28th September

Leon Camier recorded his 2nd win of the 2008 season in round 10 of the British Superbike Championship at Croft today. He followed up a win in race one with a 5th in race two whilst teammate Shane Byrne had a frustrating day with a 5th and 4th place finish.

Having got a poor start in an action packed first race Leon Camier had to push hard to catch the leading group. He then took 4th position from his teammate before picking off the two Honda’s and a Suzuki to take the lead on lap 13. Leon pulled out a significant lead to cross the line 2.5 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Shane, who had moved up into 3rd on the final lap, was pushed wide on the last turn causing him to drop two places to finish in 5th.

The start of race two saw Shane work his way up from 10th place at the end of the first lap to take 5th position by lap 13. He recorded some of the fastest race laps of the day to move ahead of Leon Camier with two laps to go; however he was not able to catch the podium contenders and crossed the line in 4th place with his teammate behind him in 5th.

Following his race win and 5th place Leon had a mixed reaction to his day saying;

‘Obviously I‘m delighted to get another win for the Airwaves Ducati team but I am disappointed not to get on the podium in race two. I had a pretty average start in race one but was feeling really good and confident with my overtaking. I knew I could win it and was pleased when I did eventually cross the line. The second race just didn’t go to plan after that; I got a much better start but struggled with grip and when I knew Shane was behind me I thought he would probably have a better chance of catching the front runners so I let him pass me. I am disappointed with race two but will take my experience of race one and move ahead to think about Silverstone now.’

Shane was clearly disappointed with his day saying;

‘It’s been a bad day at the office for me! I am gutted that I did not get on the podium in either race and I am disappointed not to have wrapped up the championship here at Croft. In race one I worked hard to get myself up to 3rd however I was pushed very wide on the final corner and driven back to 5th. It was gutting but it got me really fired up for race two, however that didn’t go to plan either and although I was lapping fast I couldn’t catch the front guys and had to settle for 4th. It has been a frustrating weekend but I’ll now focus on Silverstone and hopefully take the championship for Airwaves Ducati there.’

Race 1 Result
1. Leon Camier - Airwaves Ducati
2. Leon Haslam - HM Plant Honda
3. Tom Sykes - Rizla Suzuki
4. Cal Crutchlow - HM Plant Honda
5. Shane Byrne - Airwaves Ducati

Race 2 Result
1. Leon Haslam - HM Plant Honda
2. Tom Sykes - Rizla Suzuki
3. Cal Crutchlow - HM Plant Honda
4. Shane Byrne - Airwaves Ducati
5. Leon Camier - Airwaves Ducati

The Airwaves Ducati team completed 76 laps in two practice sessions at Croft today. Shane Byrne recorded the fastest time of the day, 1:20.973 to finish first this morning. However whilst aiming for a repeat performance this afternoon he slipped off 4 laps in to the session, prematurely ending his day.

Shane commented on his crash saying; ‘It was a third gear high side on the chicane; it was strange because I went through the turn no differently to any other time I have this weekend but the rear came out on me and the Airwaves Ducati launched me up into quite a big one! I am generally ok; I have bruised my shoulder which is sore and a bit stiff, I’ve also got a bit of a dead leg and I have knocked my front teeth out. I should be able to get myself fixed up and I will be ok but I will need to have a medical in the morning and we will take a view on it after that.’

Whilst this afternoon’s damp track prevented him from bettering his time of 1:21.695 from first practice Leon Camier felt he learnt something from his two 5th place finishes.

‘We have taken positive and negative points from the changes we made to my Airwaves Ducati today. This afternoon was frustrating as I only did 9 laps but the track was getting damp so we opted not to go out for the remainder of the session. We may have to rethink the plan tomorrow anyway as I think it is going rain but we shall plan for that as and when we know. Overall I am confident that the Airwaves Ducati team will prepare the best possible package for me and I will perform to the best of my ability for them and the fans.’

Qualifying for round 10 of the British Superbike Championship takes place tomorrow, Saturday September 13th at 13.45pm.

Following their 3rd and 4th places at Cadwell Park three weeks ago, Shane Byrne and Leon Camier head to Croft in high spirits for round 10 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this weekend. The 2.1 mile north-eastern circuit kicks off the closing quarter of the season and could host a championship deciding race for Airwaves Ducati’s Shane Byrne.

Shane, who currently leads the championship by 110 points, is looking forward to getting back on the track after a frustrating bank holiday weekend.

‘Cadwell Park was a bit of a rude awakening for me, I know I came away with two 3rd places but I had to work really hard for them. Since returning home I’ve been cycling my legs off so I can be as fast as possible at Croft.’

Referring to the possibility of winning the championship at Croft Shane is understandably excited but is keeping his focus.

‘I am really looking forward to this weekend; obviously winning the championship at Croft is a possibility, and that would be fantastic, however I and the rest of the Airwaves Ducati team will be focused on the job at hand - which is to get as good a result as possible. Croft is not a favourite circuit of mine but I don’t dislike it either; it has not been particularly kind to me in the past but hopefully my luck might change there this year! I know I can’t afford to drop more than 10 points to Tom Sykes, so first up we are going to have to work hard to get the Airwaves Ducati to the front and then think about wrapping up the championship after that.’

Leon was pleased to be back in amongst the front runners in the last round and is feeling positive about the rest of his season;

‘With the progress we made over the weekend at Cadwell Park, I’m feeling really confident heading to Croft. We’ve worked hard to make a big step forward with the set-up on the Airwaves Ducati; I also feel that I am riding well so I’m looking forward to racing at the front of the field once again. I was disappointed not to have made it on to the podium last time out so I will kick up a gear for the Airwaves Ducati team at Croft.’

Round 10 takes place at Croft circuit in Yorkshire on Sunday September 14th.

The Airwaves Ducati team achieved another two podium finishes at Cadwell Park today. Shane Byrne finished 3rd and Leon Camier 4th in both British Superbike races.

From the front and second rows of the grid, Shane and Leon dropped to 5th and 7th at the start of race one. As the leading pair pulled away, both Airwaves Ducati riders quickly became involved in a four way battle for 3rd. After successfully making his way up to 4th, Shane worked hard to overtake the Honda of Cal Crutchlow on lap 11 with Leon doing the same just 2 laps later to eventually finish 3rd and 4th respectively.

In a reduced distance second race Shane and Leon each lost a place off the start but this was quickly made up again after a rider fell in front of them. At the start of lap 6 Leon pulled out from the slipstream of Michael Rutter to take 4th and quickly caught his Airwaves Ducati teammate. On lap 10 Leon passed Shane for 3rd only to be pushed back down to 4th one corner later. Although able to catch the two frontrunners, neither Shane nor Leon could improve on another 3rd and 4th place finish.

Leon was pleased with his results saying, “To be back in amongst the front runners feels great and I am really happy. I was hoping to get onto the podium, especially in the second race, but the fact that I’m riding better and the Airwaves Ducati 1098R set-up has improved, is a result in itself. I managed to knock four tenths of a second off my time and actually posted the fastest time in the final sector which includes the mountain! So I’m feeling confident now heading to Croft.”

Following race two Shane commented, “I really like Cadwell Park and I thought it would be a good circuit for us on the Airwaves Ducati but it’s actually been a tough weekend. We’ve had to work so much harder and make a lot of changes from session to session but all credit to the Airwaves Ducati team for helping me get two podiums today. I really want to get back on that top step and I think that had the second race been the original 18 laps I could have won. Nevertheless I’m looking forward to Croft and hopefully taking the momentum and the pace from race two with us.”

Race One Results:
1. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
2. Tom Sykes – Rizla Suzuki
3. Shane Byrne – Airwaves Ducati
4. Leon Camier – Airwaves Ducati

Race Two Results:
1. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda
2. Tom Sykes – Rizla Suzuki
3. Shane Byrne – Airwaves Ducati
4. Leon Camier – Airwaves Ducati

The Airwaves Ducati team will start from the 1st and 2nd row of the grid for round 9 of the British Superbike championship following a new-look qualifying format at Cadwell Park today.

Shane Byrne and Leon Camier comfortably made it through the first two knockout qualifying sessions to secure guaranteed top 10 starting positions. During the final 10 minute qualifying session both Shane and Leon posted their fastest times of the weekend so far. Shane’s time of 1:27.870 places him 3rd for tomorrow’s two races with Leon’s time of 1:28.428 placing him 5th.

After qualifying Leon commented, “I’m pleased with how today has gone and the improvements we’ve made since practice yesterday. My race pace on the Airwaves Ducati isn’t too far away from the rest so tomorrow should definitely be interesting. In an ideal world it would have been good to have had a dry practice session this morning but we’ve still got warm up tomorrow to kick up a gear ahead of the races.”

Pleased to have continued his 100% record of starting on the front row for every race so far this season, Shane said, “I’m really happy to be on the front row for Airwaves Ducati and to get under 1 minute 27 for the first time this weekend. I owe it to everyone in the Airwaves Ducati team who have worked so hard. I could go full gas on the limit the whole time and that’s why I’m here and why I love my job! I’m feeling confident about tomorrow as we know we have a good race pace, but how well we do will be down to how fast the rest of the field can go and for how long.”

Round 9 of the British Superbike championship kicks off tomorrow at 1345 with race two scheduled to start at 1630.

Qualifying Results:

1. Tom Sykes – Rizla Suzuki 1:27.495
2. Cal Crutchlow – HM Plant Honda 1:27.716
3. Shane Byrne – Airwaves Ducati 1:27.870
4. Leon Haslam – HM Plant Honda 1:27.917
5. Leon Camier – Airwaves Ducati 1:28.428

Round 9 of the British Superbike championship got underway at Cadwell Park today with Shane Byrne and Leon Camier finishing the day 3rd and 6th fastest.

Shane and Leon used first free practice to familiarise themselves with riding the Airwaves Ducati 1098R around the 2.173 mile Lincolnshire circuit, finishing 2nd and 6th fastest respectively. The Airwaves Ducati team then concentrated on longer race runs in the afternoon with Shane completing more laps than any other rider. His fastest time of 1:28.456 came on lap 27 of 31. Leon’s fastest time of 1:28.916 had secured him the 5th fastest time of the day until he was pushed down to 6th place with less than a minute of the session remaining.

Following practice Leon commented, “This morning was all about me getting into the flow of Cadwell Park on the Airwaves Ducati. We tried quite a few different things but went through our normal Free Practice 1 procedure with everything going to plan. We made a couple of changes for this afternoon’s practice but there are still some areas which need more work ahead of qualifying tomorrow. I’m not exactly where I want to be right now but we’ll be working hard to understand why and make improvements.”

Shane was feeling positive about his day saying, “It’s been great to get back on the Airwaves Ducati, especially here at Cadwell Park. Right from the start of first practice the Airwaves Ducati has been good. I have been struggling a bit on the last sector so tomorrow morning I’d like to look at gearing solutions. It’s just a matter of finding a couple of tenths here and there but we’re not a million miles away from where I want to be. In myself I’m feeling fine and looking forward to tomorrow’s qualifying.”

Qualifying for round 9 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship commences at 14.00 tomorrow, Sunday 24th August 2008.