Tom Sykes...double-top at Oulton Park
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RIZLA SUZUKI'S Tom Sykes took a double victory this weekennd by winning both rounds at Oulton Park in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
Sykes, who's looked promising but been plagued by bad luck for much of the season, held his nerve to fend off stiff competition in both races. The result gives Rizla Suzuki their first Oulton double since John Reynolds claimed double-top back in 2004.
Here's what the riders had to say after both races:
Tom Sykes - Rizla Suzuki - 1st, 1st
“It doesn’t get much better than this, to win my first race and then my second on the same day is a dream come true. A big thank you to my Rizla Suzuki team, every member deserves this success as it has been a big effort to get my GSX-R1000 performing so well – thank you one and all.
“Race one was completely nerve-wracking. It seemed to be the longest race ever, the laps took forever and I had far too much time to think of what could go wrong, so I was relieved and overjoyed to get to the chequered flag and get the win in the bag. Race two was harder with all the pressure but I knew my Rizla Suzuki was good and controlled it from the front; it was the icing on the cake.
“Brands Hatch WSB is next and my debut at that level of racing. My Rizla Suzuki is as good as any Superbike in the world and I can’t wait to rub shoulders with Bayliss, Haga and Kagayama, they need to look out, I’m going for the podium.”
James Ellison - Hydrex Honda - 2nd, 5th
"I'm disappointed with the second race but obviously pleased with the first one, and I wish they'd been the other way round really. We've scored the most points we've scored all year in one weekend and we're getting closer to moving up the Championship and not that far away from the top three now, and for a private team we've got to be happy with that. I'm really happy with the way the team has worked and full credit to them this weekend."
Shane Byrne - Airwaves Ducati - 3rd, 3rd
“I’m pleased to have extended my championship lead, but if I am honest I really wish I could have come away with a win for the Airwaves Ducati team today. In the first race I didn’t push hard enough for the first few laps and it really cost me, allowing the riders in front to get away. I felt a lot more comfortable in race two, the Airwaves Ducati 1098R worked the best it has all season. The next round at Knockhill should suit the Airwaves Ducati and I like it as a circuit so I look forward to climbing back to the top of the podium once again!”
Leon Haslam - HM Plant Honda - 4th, 4th
“I’m disappointed about today’s results but I’m looking at the positive side of things. In the second race we were running a second a lap quicker and made some massive improvements, but we were still lacking out of two very important corners: Hizzy’s and Druids. I was trying to make passing moves, but to be fair I chose the wrong tyre and struggled a little with grip. Then I made a mistake, which dropped me out of third. In the first race I didn’t have the right set-up really. It was a tough weekend and not the best we could have had, but tomorrow I head to Suzuka and the Eight-Hour race. I’ve not had as much practice as I would like for that, but it’s a long race and I’m looking forward to it.”
Cal Crutchlow - HM Plant Honda - 6th, 2nd
“The second outing was a good race and I enjoyed it, despite not getting the win we wanted so much. I just don’t know what we have to do to win at the moment, but everyone in the team is working so hard I know we will win again soon. In race one on lap 10 I clipped the kerb with the engine cases at Britten’s and went down out of second place. It was annoying but I got straight back on and recovered to a sixth place finish, which obviously wasn’t what I wanted. I have to congratulate Tom Sykes today. He rode really well to get the double win, so fair play to him.”
BSB - Oulton Park - Race One results
1: Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) 29:12.165
2: James Ellison (Honda) +4.779
3: Shane Byrne (Ducati) +5.089
4: Leon Haslam (Honda) +14.336
5: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +25.518
6: Cal Crutchlow (Honda) +31.402
7: Michael Rutter (Ducati) +36.383
8: Billy McConnell (Kawasaki) +38.630
9: Michael Laverty (Suzuki) +48.039
10: John Laverty (Ducati) +48.596
BSB - Oulton Park - Race Two results
1: Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) 29:04.554
2: Cal Crutchlow (Honda) +0.097
3: Shane Byrne (Ducati) +0.619
4: Leon Haslam (Honda) +1.265
5: James Ellison (Honda) +11.649
6: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +25.255
7: Michael Laverty (Ducati) +26.498
8: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +26.949
9: Karl Harris (Yamaha) +31.189
10: Billy McConnell (Kawasaki) +31.221
2008 BSB Championship Standings
1: Shane Byrne (Ducati) 312
2: Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 213
3: TOM SYKES (RIZLA SUZUKI) 176
4: Leon Haslam (Honda) 174
5: Leon Camier (Ducati) 160
6: James Ellison (Honda) 150
7: Michael Rutter (Ducati) 141
8: Michael Laverty (Suzuki) 100
9: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 90
10: Tristan Palmer (Honda) 64
