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After battling the elements,
three crashes and pins and needles in his recovering broken wrist,
Michael Rutter still managed to salvage a good top-10 result
from today's wet Oulton Park races. Despite a crash in the first
race, the rider from Kirkby Mallory managed to hang on for seventh
in the second race at the 2.69-mile Cheshire circuit. His 23-year-old
team-mate Stuart Easton was looking good for a top five result
when he was sidelined from the MAXXIS British Supersport race
with a technical problem. Both riders will want to bounce back
for the Mallory Park round which takes place next weekend.
Michael Rutter, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R (DNF and 7)
"That's about the first time I've crashed three times
in one weekend! It sums up the conditions, really. Seventh wasn't
too bad at the end of the day in race two. I'm not too disappointed
considering the day - and weather - we've had. I just wished
I could have got some points in the first race. The wrist is
still not 100% and during the races I've been suffering from
pins and needles as perhaps the bandage was too tight. The conditions
meant that millions of pounds worth of damage has been done today!
Mallory is a bit too soon for any improvement from the wrist,
I reckon it's going to be 100% at Croft and not before."
Stuart Easton, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R (DNF)
"Will I ever get any good luck? I wanted to pull over
and check the bike on lap 13 as I had a problem and wanted to
glance down at the bike while off the racing line. I went off
the track but then it felt like the brake bound-on and down I
went. It's strange as that sort of thing happens on the first
or second lap, but that was my race run. I was making really
good progress despite a slipping clutch as I was catching the
guys ahead. The positive thing is that my race pace is there
whatever the conditions - wet or dry - we now just need a bit
of luck."
Jack Valentine, Race Team Manager
"We are relieved to get something from the weekend to
be honest with Michael's seventh place. With the 600 we were
looking for a podium and Stuart was catching the group ahead,
but a slipping clutch hampered him. He was confident of third,
but he pulled off the circuit and then slid off. He felt that
the front brake bound-on so we'll investigate that. I'm confident
it's a matter of time before he gets onto the podium. Michael
was unfortunate to high-side in the first race, but many people
did. In the second race we finally had some good luck as others
were crashing out ahead of us. We now need to move forward and
concentrate on Mallory Park this coming weekend. "
Nick Morgan, Team Owner
"We suffered from bad luck in the first two races but
thankfully we pulled something out of the bag in the second Superbike
race. We've had a tough weekend but once again the team have
been magnificent - especially Michael's crew for keeping us in
the event by getting his bikes together for the races. They were
superb. We know our luck will change with Stuart as he's displaying
good race-pace now on the ZX-6R so it's simply a matter of time
before we get the podium we deserve."
Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Race 1 - Results
1 Ryuichi Kiyonari
2 Shane Byrne
3 Chris Walker
4 Leon Haslam
5 Cal Crutchlow
...
DNF Michael Rutter, ISILON MSS Discovery Kawasaki
Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Race 2 - Results
1 Jonathan Rea
2 Karl Harris
3 Shane Byrne
4 Leon Haslam
5 Leon Camier
...
7 Michael Rutter, ISILON MSS Discovery Kawasaki
Maxxis British Supersport Championship
Race Results
1 Ian Hutchinson
2 John McGuinness
3 Jamie Robinson
4 Michael Laverty
5 Ian Lowry
...
DNF Stuart Easton, ISILON M |
