Buildbase BMW Motorrad rider Ryuichi Kiyonari has set his sights on another win at the fast Thruxton circuit, while Lee Jackson is set to double up in two classes again to fill in for James Westmoreland.

Triple BSB Champion Kiyo has become the talk of the paddock following his recent resurgence and historic race wins on the BMW S 1000 RR. The Japanese rider has emerged as the biggest threat to Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne’s hopes of a fourth Championship title after denying him two race wins, most recently at his home circuit of Brands Hatch.

As the 2014 MCE British Superbike season reaches round six, competition for the vital Showdown places that put riders in contention for the Championship Title is heating up. Kiyonari’s recent results have propelled him up to fourth in the standings just behind James Ellison, who will be out for several rounds following a crash at Brands.

Ryuichi Kiyonari said:

“I’m feeling good about going to Thruxton. The circuit is so different to everything else on the calendar and nothing like Brands Hatch or Knockhill. It’s very fast, very hard on the bike and there are lots of long corners and very few straights – which is the kind of riding I like. I’ve had good results there in the past and once won both races, and I think we’re going to be very fast. Now we’re in the middle of the season, it’s very important to be on the podium every race, I think we can do this. Our target is now always to win, or be very close. The team have got my bike working very well, so now I have to do my job and win for them.”

Stuart Hicken, Team Owner, said:

“We won at Knockhill and again at Brands Hatch, proving it’s no fluke from Kiyo. Two good weekends got him into the Showdown spots and now we want to keep the pressure on – and keep winning. Looking at the way he’s riding, I have no doubt he can take the fight to the other riders. Unfortunately James Westmoreland won’t be ready in time for Thruxton so Lee Jackson will be filling in a second time in both BSB and Superstock 1000. Lee only narrowly missed out on a points-scoring position on his BSB debut so we’re confident that he’ll do well given a second chance.”

Lee Jackson said:

“I'm very pleased to have another opportunity to try riding the BSB bike. It was a real learning experience, and I think that I'll be in an even better position to aim for a points-scoring finish this weekend. I'm also very eager to get out in the Superstock 1000 race as I was disappointed not to win at Brands Hatch after leading the race. A podium finish was good, but I wanted better. Hopefully at Thruxton I can have three really good races."



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