Follow The 2009 BSB Season With SMT Honda Racing ...

First Championship Win For SMT Honda

SMT Honda were back in force in the British Championship paddock at Silverstone over the weekend and whilst new recruit to the team Karl Harris had a mixed weekend on the sorrymate.com/SMT Honda in the Superbike division, the hard working team were rewarded for their commitment and dedication when Adam Jenkinson took a brilliant win in the 11th round of the Metzeler National 1000cc Championship.
 
Jenkinson's victory saw him come out on top of a superb six-man battle that saw places exchanged on numerous occasions. Only 1.5 seconds separated the riders after 8 of the 15 laps but on the eleventh, when Adam was handily placed in third, a collision between the leading pair of Steve Brogan and John McGuinness, saw him dive through in to the lead. Adam took full advantage of the clear road in front of him and had soon opened a gap of more than 2 seconds, a lead he was never to relinquish. He crossed the line almost a second clear of McGuinness for his, and the team's, first Championship win whilst the 25 points also moved him up to fourth place overall.
 
Meanwhile, the return to the Superbike class was most definitely a weekend of two halves for the team. New rider Karl Harris made a strong start for the team and throughout the three practice sessions, he ran consistently inside the top ten. However, a broken headstock bearing in qualifying meant he ended up in 22nd on the grid and with an awful lot of work to do from the sixth row.
 
Just before the first race though, the clutch began to slip and after the warm-up lap Karl had little option other than to retire. The second race saw him move up to 14th on the first lap only for the red flag to come out and on the re-start he wasn't able to make such a clean getaway. Nevertheless, he kept pushing hard for the entire race and his efforts were rewarded with 14th place and two hard-earned championship points.
 
Speaking later, team owner Robin Croft said, "We knew Adam would go well, as he's been running very strongly for the last 5-6 races and he was in contention right from the word go. He was well placed to make a move at any time and when Brogan and McGuinness collided, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He put in 3-4 laps that completely broke the field and he never put a foot wrong. We're all over the moon with the win and it's the first trophy I've ever taken - brilliant!"
 
"As for the Superbike class, first of all it was a pleasure to have Karl in the team and his attitude was first class throughout. Free practice couldn't have gone any better as he got used to us and we got used to him but the problems in qualifying just couldn't be legislated for nor could the clutch slip as it had been changed overnight. In the second race, Karl was up against it as he'd lost so much track time to the rest of the grid and the stop-start nature of the race meant he couldn't get into his rhythm but he kept on pushing and picked up a couple of points. We're glad to be back and so we leave here and head to Oulton in buoyant mood, eager to end the season on a high."

Jenkinson takes strong top five finish at Brands

Manchester's Adam Jenkinson flew the SMT Honda flag valiantly at Brands Hatch on Sunday when he took a strong fifth place in Round 8 of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship. With the team being forced out of the Superbike class, it was down to Jenkinson to salvage a result out of the weekend and this he duly did, being in contention for the podium throughout. The result also consolidated his sixth place in the Championship table.

With fine weather at the Kent venue all weekend, Adam got his weekend off to a great start in first qualifying on Friday when a time of 1m30.314s put him in third place and with warmer conditions on Saturday, improving upon that would prove to be difficult. Indeed, only a handful of riders went quicker in the final 25-minute session but Richard Cooper and John McGuinness did and they bumped Adam off the front row and down to fifth and the second row. However, there was little between the three riders and it promised to be a close race.
 
The first attempt at running the 18-lap race came to an end on the fifth lap due to an accident involving Dan Stewart at Hawthorn Bend and the race was re-run over 12 laps. As Alastair Seeley again disappeared into the distance, a terrific four-man dice ensued for second place with Adam locked in battle with McGuinness, Cooper and Steve Brogan. Looking strong in fourth, Adam moved up to third on the fifth lap as he overtook McGuinness at Stirling's Bend but a lap later he was pushed back to fifth as he ran wide at Paddock Hill Bend, handing the initiative back to his rivals.
 
There was still little to choose between the four riders but try as he might Adam was unable to make a pass and he was forced to settle for fifth place at the chequered flag. Nevertheless, he was well in contention for the podium and it was his fifth top-6 finish from the seven races he's finished. The 11 points moved him on to a total of 68 and maintained his sixth place overall.
 
There's now a three-week break before the next round at Cadwell Park with the meeting taking place on Bank Holiday weekend, August 29-31.

Michael Rutter impresses on SMT Honda debut

After all the trials and tribulations of recent weeks, SMT Honda were smiling again on Sunday when new team member Michael Rutter put in two excellent races at round 7 of the 2009 British Superbike Championship. Recruited to the team on the eve of the Mallory Park round, the highly experienced Rutter finished in a brilliant 4th and 6th in the two races to give the team their best ever results in the highly competitive BSB series.

Despite never having ridden the bike before practice on Friday, Michael was soon on the pace and having overcome an engine failure in the first free practice session, he placed 11th in the second. Utilising his strong circuit knowledge, he then posted a lap of 56.754s in qualifying to line up on the third row of the grid, just two hundredths of a second adrift of the top ten.

In Sunday's opening race a strong start saw him move up to 8th place and here he remained until the fourth lap when he got pushed back to 11th. However, by half race distance he was back inside the top ten and was circulating in tenth on the 23rd lap when he slid off on debris left at hairpin by a huge crash which left the first to sixth placed riders all on the floor. Michael quickly remounted and continued just before the red flag came out, which proved crucial. The result was declared but only those riders still running were included and so Michael was awarded a brilliant fourth place, the best ever result for the team.

Race 2 later in the day was held in wet, and worsening, conditions although Rutter has always been comfortable in the rain. Sure enough, after placing 8th on the opening lap, he began to move forward as the rain got heavier and, recording the second fastest lap of the race, moved into sixth place on the 13th lap. By lap 16 he had closed right in on fifth placed Richard Cooper and was just about to make a move when the red flag came out due to the track being flooded and the race was eventually declared a result although only half points were awarded as less than two-thirds race distance had been completed.

Having achieved their best ever BSB results, it was a delighted team owner Robin Croft that later said: “I’m over the moon with how today has gone and the results have been simply superb – it’s been SMT’s most successful day in BSB and you can’t ask for much more than that. After the technical problems we had in Friday’s free practice, Michael bounced back well and his extensive circuit knowledge allowed him to concentrate on getting the bike set-up to his liking.”

“Our qualifying position was good and although we had a bit of luck in the first race to get fourth, it’s about time our luck turned and rules are rules so we were delighted to take the position. Michael had suffered a problem with the gear selector though so the team had to change the engine in between races and we only just made it out on to the track in time for race 2. He proved his quality again in race 2 and I’m really proud how hard the team have worked over the entire weekend.”

“Our appearance at Mallory was only made possible by the injection of financial support from Darren Maguire of HMG Construction and I’m incredibly grateful for everything he’s done for us this weekend. We’re still searching for additional support so I can’t be 100% sure if we’ll be out at Brands but I’d like to think we’ll be there with Michael on board again so we’ll work hard between now and then and keep everything crossed that we’ll be there.”

The next round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Brands Hatch with three races taking place at the Kent venue on the weekend of August 7-9.

Points All Round For SMT Honda

SMT Honda riders Jason O'Halloran and Adam Jenkinson scored points in all four of their races at Knockhill on Sunday where they were competing in the lastest rounds of the British Superbike and Superstock Championships. However, the team find themselves very much at the crossroads in the 2009 season with a lack of funds meaning they may not be on the grid for the second half of the year.

Riding at the short 1.3-mile circuit for the first time, Australian ace O'Halloran found the going tough in qualifying and, with the bike developing a fault, he found himself down in 20th on the grid. However, he again showed his racer's instinct with two excellent rides in the two races. In the first 30-lap affair he fought his way through the pack for a superb 10th place, no mean feat given how difficult it is to pass around the Knockhill venue, and he backed this up with 12th in the second race. Those 10 hard-earned points also saw him move back up a place to 13th overall in the Championship.

With two rounds being held for the Superstock Championship, Jenkinson was hoping to build upon his recent top six results but he struggled all weekend with the gearing on his Honda Fireblade. He fought hard in both races though and managed to claim 12th and 13th for seven more championship points and now lies in 7th place in the Championship table.

Strong weekend at Snetterton for SMT Honda

SMT Honda riders Jason O'Halloran and Adam Jenkinson enjoyed a strong day's racing at Snetterton on Sunday where they were competing in the latest rounds of the British Superbike and Superstock Championships. O'Halloran scored points in both of the main Superbike races, including a fine 10th place in the second, whilst Jenkinson's good run of form continued with 5th in the Superstock class, his third top five finish in a row.

O'Halloran was again encountering a circuit for the first time but he soon got to grips with the former airfield and for the first time this year he made it through the knockout stages of qualifying in tenth place. The first 20-lap race was red flagged due to oil being deposited on the track and on the re-start Jason got pushed wide at the first corner, subsequently finding himself down in 18th place at the end of the first lap. However, by lap 7 he was into the points in 15th and he kept pushing hard to the end, eventually being rewarded with 12th. A better start in the second race saw him maintain his tenth place and although he was briefly relegated to 11th, he fought back to claim tenth place at the chequered flag, his fourth top ten finish of the year.

For team-mate Jenkinson it was another good weekend and he lined up in 6th place on the grid, his time from first qualifying standing after the final session was heavily disrupted by rain. A sluggish start to the 18-lap race saw him drop back initially but by the end of the second lap he had worked his way up to fifth. His pace was almost identical to the four riders in front of me and although he could make up a tenth of a second each lap, it wasn't enough for him to significantly close the gap and he ultimately had to settle for fifth, only five seconds adrift of the race win. The result also meant he closed to within one point of fourth place overall in the title race.

Speaking at the conclusion of the day, team owner Robin Croft commented:

"We've scored good points in all three races and I'm pleased with the results the two riders achieved with the only slight disappointment being that we've lost a bit of ground in the Superbike points table. In the first race Jason got punted off at the first corner so he had a lot of work to do but he's got terrific fighting spirit and hauled himself up to 12th at a circuit that's not easy to overtake at. A better start in the second saw him right in the fight for a top ten result and right from free practice until the second race we've been constantly making improvements to the bike. We're a lot happier with it now and have advanced significantly forward with the electronics so we'll continue to keep working hard to ensure we're in the top ten, at least, in each race."

"Adam didn't make the best of starts and although he was soon up to fifth, the front four had just made that bit of a break and with Snetterton being a relatively short circuit, it was a bit too big a gap to bridge. Nevertheless, three top five finishes in a row is terrific for us and not only has he consolidated fifth place in the Championship, he's closed up considerably to fourth place. Overall, I'm happy with how the weekend has gone and we can all look forward to Knockhill with our heads up."

The sixth round of the Championship takes the team north of the border to Knockhill in Scotland with the meeting taking place on the weekend of July 3-5.

Podium joy at Thruxton for SMT Honda

Adam Jenkinson gave SMT Honda their first ever British Championship podium on Sunday when he finished third in the fourth round of the Metzeler 1000cc Superstock Championship. The 24-year old had already given the team their first pole position during qualifying and firmly laid to rest the ghosts of 2008 when he suffered two broken arms at the Hampshire circuit. Meanhwile, fellow team member Jason O'Halloran added more points to his Championship total when he finished 13th in the first British Superbike race.

With perfect conditions throughout the three days of action, Jenkinson signalled his intentions in first qualifying when he posted the third fastest time. However, he saved the best until last when a time of 1m17.592s elevated him to the top of the leaderboard in the final 25-minute session and he duly lined up in pole position for the 15-lap race. A solid start saw Adam slot into third place and here he remained for the next ten laps, hot on the heels of leaders Alastair Seeley and Steve Brogan. Briefly relegated to fourth by Howie Mainwaring on the 11th lap, he fought his way back up to third two laps later and he held on to the chequered flag just 0.393s adrift of the race victor Seeley. The 16 points also moved him up to 5th in the Championship table.

O'Halloran was having his first taste of the fast, undulating 2.35-mile circuit and found life tough to begin with, lying in a lowly 25th place after the first day of practice. However, he soon got dialled in and a number of significant improvements to the set-up of the bike saw him shoot up to a strong 11th place in qualifying. In the opening race, Jason looked like he'd finish in 12th place but Graeme Gowland had other ideas and the 21-year old had to settle for 13th at the end of the 20 laps. Race 2 was going in a similar vein but problems in the closing stages saw him drop back to an eventual 17th place. With 34 points, Jason now lies in 11th place overall.

Speaking later, team manager Robin Croft commented:

"We're absolutely made up with Adam's performance and it's been a weekend of firsts for us - a first ever pole position and then a first ever podium. I'm really proud of how he's riding and after everything that happened here in April last year, it's great to lay those particular demons to rest. We've stuck by him and he's stuck by us so it's a terrific result and fully deserved by everyone."

"Jason's obviously never been here before and it's a very unique circuit. It's faster than anywhere else we go and is very bumpy so it's a tough place for a newcomer to come to. Having said that, he made great strides throughout the three days, reducing his times with each outing, and it was mainly geometry issues that held us back. We couldn't get the bike to quite handle as we would have liked but we've picked up some more points and are still in 11th overall. It's been a landmark weekend for the team and the guys continue to work incredibly hard so we're now all looking forward to Snetterton."

The team now have a three-week break before the next round at Snetterton, which takes place on Sunday June 21st.

Mixed fortunes for SMT Honda at Donington

SMT Honda experienced mixed fortunes at Donington Park on Monday where they were competing in round 3 of the British Superbike and Superstock Championships. Whilst Adam Jenkinson took an excellent fourth in the latter for his best result of the year, Australian ace Jason O'Halloran only had a solitary 11th place to show for his, and the team's, efforts in the two Superbike races.

Running the PI Pectel electronics system on the Honda Superbike for the first time this season, the team only finished completing the bike a day before practice got underway and with a whole new methodology of racing to adapt to, they found themselves on a big learning curve throughout the three days of action. Qualifying was also hindered by a problem with the quickshifter but O'Halloran showed his now customary determination to place 16th on the grid.

A solid start in the first 20-lap race saw Jason move up a spot but by the third lap he was already up to 12th. By lap 10 he was up to 10th and looked set to advance further as he battled with four other riders for eighth but a major reshuffle on the 16th lap saw him drop to 12th and he remained there until the final lap when he re-took Gary Mason for 11th. In the second race, the 21-year old tangled with fellow Australian David Johnson in the early stages and he crashed out, fortunately without injury, also relinquishing his 100% finishing record.

In the Superstock class, Jenkinson had his best meeting of the season so far and, after consistently running in the top six throughout practice and qualifying, he transferred that form into race day. Third on the opening lap, the 24-year old got 'mugged' in the space of half a lap to slip back to sixth but he regrouped and soon advanced forward securing a strong, and comfortable, fourth place at the end of the 15 laps. The result also moves him up to 7th place overall in the Championship table.

Summing up the weekend, team owner Robin Croft said:

"It's been a mixed bag this weekend from the highs of Adam's 4th place, the best ever for the team, to the disappointment of the Superbike results. Adam was running top six all weekend and overcame a spill in first qualifying to take an excellent fourth, just what he deserves after all he's been through. On the flip side, we've struggled all weekend to give Jason a good set-up on the Superbike, firstly with the problem with the quickshifter and then with the new electronics system. it's all new to us and it take a while to get your head round it but it's the way forward and I'm confident it will benefit us in the long run."

"We also had the wrong first gear on the bike and that made it difficult for Jason to get the bike off the line. He lost a bit of ground as a result and I think that's what probably caused the crash in the second as he was trying a little bit too hard. We're still 11th in the Championship though and only a handful of points away from those ahead of us whilst all the riders and bikes are in one piece so we're looking forward to Thruxton and getting some more strong results."

The team now have little respite before the next round at Thruxton, the meeting taking place this weekend on Sunday May 31st.

SMT Honda advance further up BSB Championship table

SMT Honda enjoyed another profitable weekend in the British Superbike Championship on Monday when Jason O'Halloran put in two superb rides at Oulton Park. The Australian ace took 8th and 10th in the two 18-lap encounters and the results have moved him up to 8th overall in the Championship table after the first two rounds of the series.

Despite never having raced at the undulating 2.69-mile circuit before, the 21-year old soon got to grips with the track and it was only a flying last lap by fellow Australian Josh Brookes that knocked him out of the final stages of the Swan Combi 50 ‘Roll for Pole’ qualifying. Nevertheless, 11th place on the grid meant a third row start and hopes were high going in to race day although the fine weather of Saturday and Sunday was replaced by grey skies and drizzle on Monday.

O’Halloran suffered on the opening lap of the first race and slipped back slightly to 13th but, with a clear dry line forming on the track, he soon got in to his stride and proved, once again, that overtaking was no problem. By lap 5 he was up to 12th and that became 11th on lap 7 whilst a pass on Gary Mason three laps later saw him move in to the top ten for the first time. With further successful overtaking manoeuvres on Brookes and Chris Walker, Jason slotted in to 8th and only just missed out on overhauling Ian Lowry for seventh by 0.322 seconds.

In the second race, problems surfaced as early as the opening lap when the rear tyre spun on the rim and with chatter affecting both the front and rear of the bike, Jason was unable to move forward or lap at the pace he would have liked. Another determined ride though saw him take 10th at the chequered flag for six more solid Championship points.

In the Metzeler National 1000cc Superstock race, conditions were at their worst with a wet track making the surface extremely slippery but fellow team member Adam Jenkinson made a perfect start from his 6th place on the grid and completed the opening lap in a brilliant third place. However, hopes for a debut podium for the team were dashed two laps later when he slid off at Shell Hairpin, the treacherous conditions catching out no less than 11 of the 40-strong field.

Speaking afterwards, team owner Robin Croft said:

“We’re so happy with Jason’s performances and he’s been a breath of fresh air ever since he joined the team. The feedback he’s giving the mechanics and his appetite for success is allowing us to move forward all the time and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s a superstar in the making. He’s proving that the factory teams and riders can be beaten and we’re edging closer all the time. We’re only a small team and are operating on a very limited budget but we’re making our presence felt and I’m sure if we could secure a bit more financial support we’d be running in the top six on a regular basis.”

“He put in a storming ride in the first race and it was only the tyre problem that prevented him from repeating the result, if not going better, second time around. Adam had been in excellent form all weekend, overcoming the loss of the first free practice session to run comfortably in the top six, and a podium looked very much on the cards. The weather made it a bit of a lottery and one minute he was peeling in to the corner, the next he was down. It was just one of those things that can happen in the wet but he’s perfectly alright and we’re now all eagerly looking forward to the next round at Donington.”

The third round of the Championship takes place at Donington Park, Leicestershire over the weekend of May 23-25.

Strong start to 2009 for SMT Honda

SMT Honda's hopes for a strong start to the 2009 British Superbike season were fully justified on Easter Monday as riders Jason O'Halloran and Adam Jenkinson gave the team three points-scoring finishes inside the top twelve at the opening round at Brands Hatch.

Australian O'Halloran qualified in 13th for the feature British Superbike Championship races and despite suffering sluggish starts in each of the two 30-lap encounters that saw him outside the top 15, his determined riding saw him climb through the field on each occasion, resulting in two excellent finishes of 8th and 12th. With 12 points already on the board, the 21-year old goes in to round two at Oulton Park lying a strong 9th overall in the Championship table.

Meanwhile, Jenkinson, returning to the saddle after 12 months out with injury, was extremely strong throughout the weekend and after qualifying in seventh place for the National 1000cc Superstock race, he took a brilliant sixth place, only 3 seconds off the race win. Eleventh on the opening lap, a series of fast laps saw him soon up to sixth and only backmarkers in the closing stages prevented him from challenging for the podium.

An extremely pleased team owner Robin Croft commented;

"I'm really happy with how the weekend has gone and Jason has once again shown what a quality rider, and racer, he is. We were that focused on the race set-up though we overlooked the starts so this is an area we'll be addressing in time for round two. To come through from 16th into 8th and 12th respectively is no mean feat and it's even more pleasing to see ourselves 9th overall in the Championship."

"It was Adam's first race in 12 months so looking at it like that, we're very pleased with sixth place although we felt a podium was on the cards so there's slight disappointment as well. He didn't get the start he would have liked but his pace was good and he was lapping quicker than the front four and only the backmarkers prevented him from getting even higher. We've got ten good points in the bag though and it gives us a solid platform to build upon. It's on to Oulton now, our home circuit, so we're all eager to impress and build upon this weekend."

Round Two of the British Superbike Championship takes place at Oulton Park, Cheshire from May 2-4.