Reigning champion Shane Byrne and the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team's quest to retain their MCE British Superbike Championship title continued in round two at Thruxton this weekend where Shakey claimed a double victory and in doing so became the most successful rider in BSB history.

Heavy rain at the Hampshire circuit meant the Datatag Extreme qualifying session was cancelled yesterday so with times taken from the combined free practice sessions, Byrne lined up in third on the grid for the opening race. The 36-year-old triple BSB champion from Sittingbourne immediately slotted into second place before hitting the front a lap later where he was involved in a titanic battle with Josh Brookes and Alex Lowes and although he got pushed back to second on the final lap, he retaliated on the final corner to take a brilliant victory for the Penrith-based team.

Race two saw a series of safety car periods which disrupted the race and on each occasion it was just when Shakey was easing out a lead over the rest of the pack. The fragmented race was eventually stopped after 13 laps and with Byrne being awarded the win it made it a double for the weekend as he amassed 44 MCE BSB victories in total to better the 43 of Japanese ace Ryuichi Kiyonari who crashed out of the race.

For team-mate Keith Farmer, it was a mixed weekend as after qualifying in 12th on the grid; a superb start to the first race saw him running as high as second in the early stages. However, the 25-year-old from Clogher, County Tyrone ran wide along the start and finish on the seventh lap and crashed out fortunately without injury. With the second fastest lap of the race, the reigning National Superstock 1000cc champion was able to start from the second row for the second race and he made it count with sixth place which moved him back up to joint seventh overall in the standings.

Shane Byrne:

"To come away with the double is superb and becoming the most successful rider in BSB just adds to that. I really wanted to put on a show in the second race but we just couldn't get going as the safety car kept coming out every time I'd opened up a gap meaning it disappeared. We had a few problems in the first race with the front brake disc and suspension so I was relieved to get the win but everything was spot on in the second race. The pace was quicker and I felt more comfortable so all in all it's a great start to the season."


Keith Farmer:

"To bounce back from the first race crash and get sixth in race two was very pleasing and it's good to come away with another good result under my belt, particularly as I was suffering with a lot of chatter with the front end. The crash was my fault and I just ran slightly wide and touched the white line but other than a sore hand I was OK. I've learned a lot more with the bike and the changes we've made have been in the right direction whilst there's plenty of people behind me who should be ahead so it's good to get these first two rounds done and dusted."

Paul Bird, Team Owner:

"It's always good to get a double and Shakey always looked in control. He's made a great start to the season and we hope he can continue going into our home round at Oulton Park next month. Keith proved what a talent he is and it was unfortunate that he crashed out of the opening race but it's all part of the learning process and he'll just get better as the season progresses."

MCE British Superbike Championship Race 1 - 20 laps
1 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2 Josh Brookes (Suzuki)
3 Alex Lowes (Honda)
4 James Westmoreland (BMW)
5 Jon Kirkham (BMW)
6 James Ellison (Yamaha)
DNF Keith Farmer (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)


MCE British Superbike Championship Race 2 - 20 laps
1 Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
2 Alex Lowes (Honda)
3 James Ellison (Yamaha)
4 Josh Brookes (Suzuki)
5 Michael Rutter (Honda)
6 Keith Farmer (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)


Championship Standings (after two rounds)
1 Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 91pts
2 Lowes 76
3 Brookes 60
4 Ellison 51
5 Kirkham 42
6 Westmoreland 27
7 Farmer (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) 26

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