Eugene Laverty aboard his Parkalgar Honda raced to fifth position at round 10 of the World Supersport Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic, where he pulled back 11 points on Championship leader Cal Crutchlow.

Laverty crashed whilst pushing hard during morning warm-up and that set the team back readying his Parkalgar Honda for the race. The team worked hard to get the bike ready on time and Laverty concentrated on gaining as many points as possible for his title challenge.

Miguel Praia, team-mate to Laverty, suffered a technical problem which the team is currently looking into. Until that point Praia had been on a roll with his best ever qualifying and had been determined to battle well into the top ten.

The 11th round of the World Supersport Championship will take place on the 4th-6th September at the Nurburgring in Germany.

Eugene: “It’s not the result I had hoped for but at least I’ve pulled some points back on Cal. My crash this morning left us with a lot of work to do and although my Parkalgar Honda was ready for the race it didn’t feel quite the same. We have a bit of a break now so we can put this behind us and get ready for Germany.”

Miguel: “It is a shame I had a technical problem as I felt really good all weekend I was definitely on for a personal best finish. I feel we achieved a lot and can build on it for the next race. I’m a little disappointed not to finish the race but I know there is a lot more to come.”

Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “We are here to try and win the World title and today we pulled back points on Cal which is what counts. The crash this morning cost us set-up time as we had been aiming for a race win. We still got fifth place and there are four rounds to go so it’s not over yet. Miguel was riding really well all weekend; he put in his best qualifying and wanted to achieve his best race finish. There is a six week break now so we can take stock and work hard for the remaining four rounds.”

Race result

1. Foret F (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 37’14.367

2. West A (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.148

3. Lascorz J (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 0.289

4. Fujiwara K (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 0.400

5. Laverty E (IRL) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 6.823

6. Morais S (RSA) Yamaha YZF R6 14.896

7. Roccoli M (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 15.092

8. McCoy G (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 15.634

9. Sofuoglu K (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 18.592

10. Pitt A (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 29.679
DNF. Praia M (POR) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 9 Laps

Championship Positions (after 10 of 14-rounds)

1 Crutchlow 185

2 LAVERTY 168 PARKALGAR HONDA

3 Sofuoglu 128

4 Lascorz 122

5 West 95

6 Foret 88

18 PRAIA 18 PARKALGAR HONDA

PARKALGAR Honda’s Eugene Laverty has secured second place on the front row of the grid ahead of round 10 of the World Supersport Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic.

Laverty, who is currently second in the Championship, will be going all out for the race win on Sunday to pull back some points on Cal Crutchlow who is leading the way. A front row start is ideal to allow him to challenge for the race win.

His team-mate Miguel Praia produced his best ever qualifying, achieving 12^th position which gives him a third row start for the first time. The 5.403km Brno race track suits his riding style so having secured his best qualifying he is now looking for a best ever finish well inside the top ten.

The World Supersport race takes place at 1325CET on Sunday, July 26^th.

Eugene: “That was pretty good; I’m in second place so I’m pleased. The bike has improved a lot and we have found something that I can now push with. The track is really smooth and we’ve got the front working and moving as before it was digging in. Brno is a really flowing track and it is enjoyable to ride. It is hard on rear tyres and everyone is sliding after a few laps. I think at the end of the race whoever has looked after their tyres will be in with a shout.”

Miguel: “All weekend we have been challenging for the top 10 so this result is very good. Third row is perfect for us, I’m happy as this is my best ever qualifying. It will be a long race tomorrow and we still want to try a different set-up during morning warm-up. My Parkalgar Honda is strong here and the track suits me.”

Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “From our side it was a good session. Cal obviously has an advantage here as he has already tested at Brno. We have practiced our race pace and have closed down the gap. There will be more to come in the race and we are up for the fight. As for Miguel, that is his best qualifying ever, his aim is to better his best finish of 10th in the race and at this circuit it is more than achievable as it suits his style.”

Qualifying times

1. Crutchlow C (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 2′02.060

2. Laverty E (IRL) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 2′02.908

3. Lascorz J (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 2′03.217

4. Fujiwara K (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 2′03.220

5. Nannelli G (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 2′03.428

6. McCoy G (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 2′03.662

7. Foret F (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 2′03.825

8. Pirro M (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 2′04.042

9. Roccoli M (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 2′04.135

10. West A (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 2′04.192

12. Praia M (POR) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 2′04.303

PARKALGAR HONDA’S Eugene Laverty was fourth quickest in opening practice for Sunday’s 10th round of the World Supersport Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic and remains upbeat that he can win the race on Sunday.

Miguel Praia set a time 1.1secs faster than his best in 2008 to finish 10th and in buoyant mood for the rest of the weekend. The 5.403km Brno circuit is both picturesque and demanding of all riders because of its changes in elevation. Qualifying comes after another practice session tomorrow before the race takes place at 1325CET on Sunday, July 26th.

Eugene: “Brno is a different track to Imola and our starting position with the bike following the Imola test has proved not to suit. I really didn’t expect it to be so far away. It means we are a session down on the riders that tested here but I worked and pushed hard and we now know exactly the direction we want to go in. I had a similar crash to what happened at Donington on my third lap out. The rear slid out on me – basically the shock is not using its entire stroke and is quite rigid, so we have fixed that. I am fine; I picked my Parkalgar Honda up and only lost about 20-seconds of track time. My target remains the win and if we have two dry sessions tomorrow then we will catch Cal up.”

Miguel: “We are pretty happy; already I am faster than last year. It is a strong start to the weekend. My preparation for this round has gone well and the team has done a fantastic job of preparing my Parkalgar Honda, I feel much more comfortable than last year. The engine on my bike is strong which makes the job easier on the long straight, but we need to improve the chassis and concentrate on producing more consistent lap times.”

Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “The team has worked very well. Miguel followed Eugene and set a quick time that shows him the way forward for the rest of the weekend. Eugene’s side have worked hard and they know what they need to do to lift the pace. It hasn’t been a bad session but we have work to do. Cal has banged in a very quick time but it wasn’t long ago he dominated at Assen and we still beat him – and we will be doing all we can to beat him here as well, for us there is nothing to lose by going for the victory.”

Practice Times

1 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 2′02.334
2 Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 2′03.777
3 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 2′03.997
4 Laverty E. (IRL) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 2′04.089
5 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 2′04.256
6 West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 2′04.332
7 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 2′04.359
8 McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 2′04.394
9 Vizziello G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 2′04.646
10 Praia M. (POR) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 2′04.785

PARKALGAR HONDA Team Manager Simon Buckmaster is sure that one of only three riders will win at the 10^th round of the World Supersport Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic this weekend.

“There are two riders well ahead of the field and one of them is Parkalgar Honda’s Eugene Laverty, the other is the Championship leader Cal Crutchlow,” explained Simon. “They have shared seven of the nine wins so far this season between them and are a league apart from the other racers.

“There is a chance that Ten Kate Honda’s Kenan Sofuoglu could be in the race for the victory as well. He is coming on strong as you’d expect of a former World Champion. Certainly, from Parkalgar Honda’s point of view we welcome him racing and hope he can help to take points away from Crutchlow and assist Eugene’s Championship challenge.”

The racing starts at 1325 on Sunday, July 26^th, at the picturesque and challenging 5.403km Brno circuit. It can be watched live on Eurosport.

“There are only three riders in with a chance at Brno,” said Simon. “All it takes is one mistake or DNF and the Championship will be wide open again. It’s going to be a cracking race and Parkalgar Honda will be doing all it can to help Eugene Laverty to win the race.”

Portuguese Parkalgar Honda racer Miguel Praia is riding better than ever before and after securing his first ever top 10 result at Misano and backing that up with a strong Imola test where he finished just behind reigning World Champion Andrew Pitt, there are hopes he will score strong points at Brno.

“I think Miguel is developing as a rider and really pushing his own limits,” said Simon. “He has the bike and team behind him and now he is riding well. I think he should be targeting top 10 results for the rest of the season and that is achievable. We’ll be doing all we can to support him at Brno.”

EUGENE LAVERTY and Miguel Praia enjoyed a strong two-day official World Supersport test at Imola in Italy, finishing third and eighth overall.

Eugene was one of only three riders under the 1min 52seconds mark. Miguel competed with race winners and a World Champion in eighth place. The 10^thround of the World Supersport Championship is at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday, July 26^th.

Eugene: “This test was just what we needed. At Misano we had the choice of developing the bike in two directions and selected the wrong one. This test has allowed us to go back a few steps and find a different way that has worked. Basically I have the support from the rear that I want without sacrificing any side grip. I did more laps than anyone and we tried just about everything, we learnt a lot this test. I am really looking forward to Brno as it is a similar circuit to Imola with a lot of downhill braking, so we will be taking the bike as it sits and it should be a good setting to start with.”

Miguel: “It was a good test. I did not expect the big gap to the leaders but my ideal time put me sixth and I am riding in the company of some very good riders, including the reigning World Champion. We tried many different solutions that we normally wouldn’t get the chance to try on a race weekend. It has been very hot and tough. I am very happy and more confident in the settings on my Parkalgar Honda and can’t wait to get to the next race.”

Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “A great test and Eugene was consistently on the pace throughout. He did his fastest time at the end on a normal race tyre, not a Factory development tyre, making it all the more impressive. It was quite funny to watch Cal go through the chicane on the back wheel celebrating what he thought he had the fastest lap, not realising that Kenan had just beat him and Eugene was only a tenth of a second behind…

“A big thanks to Akrapovic for supplying a new exhaust specific to our bike for this test, it worked well and it’s that sort of support that will give us an edge. Miguel did well and was consistent with his lap times – again he has proved he can compete in the top 10. The front three are on a different level than the rest – well done to Ten Kate Honda for helping Kenan to compete with the big two, it’s nice to have someone else able to put pressure on Cal at the front.”

Test Times

1 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1′51.552 
2 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1′51.705 
3 Laverty E. (IRL) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 1′51.890 
4 Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1′52.531 
5 McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 1′53.152 
6 Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1′53.612 
7 Nannelli G. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 1′53.767 
8 Praia M. (POR) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 1′53.803 
9 West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1′53.931 
10 Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1′53.963

Sorry I haven’t been on in a while, meant to stop by after Donington but instead I headed off for a four day mini break with Pippa. Misano and Donington didn’t go totally according to plan, first there was the crash on the slowing down lap at Misano then I toppled over on lap three at Donington! Neither bothered me too much, I was mostly frustrated by the fact that I gifted Crutchlow the win at Misano. He rode well so I’m not taking anything away from him but I didn’t ride like myself on that last lap. I’m not akin to losing out in a last lap fight so there’ll be no more gifts from here on in!

Everyone is beginning to ask what I have in the pipeline for next year. Right now I haven’t the slightest idea so if you hear a rumour then there’s a good chance that it’s a fragment of someone’s imagination. A superbike ride would be nice but then so would a golden toilet seat and I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I wouldn’t mind staying in supersport another year either as having just reestablished myself this year I’m in no rush to jump ship. I know all too well that being a great rider isn’t enough to succeed, you also need a great team behind you.

My heart was broken earlier this week when I sold on my motocross bike. The temptation of it sat in the garage was too much for me so I knew I had to do the right thing. I had a big spill seven weeks ago so it’s definitely for the best! I’ll be sticking to my bicycle until the season ends which although safer still has its dangers, as does crossing the road. Maybe I ought to bubble wrap myself between races.

I visited the Skerries road races whilst I was doing an open shop day at Redzone Motorcycles in Dublin. I couldn’t believe just how narrow the road was in a few areas, it was barely the width of a car. That’s just not cricket! I’ve been at home for the past week ahead of the official Imola test. We have a few things to try there so I’m looking forward to reeling that Yamaha back in!

Catch ya soon,

Eugene

After the Donington WSS round we find ourselves 28 points behind Cal Crutchlow in the title race.

Eugene pushed a little too hard on lap three at the Melbourne Hairpin and slid off. Fair play to him after that he had to wait for the whole field to go by as his bike and he were in the middle of the track before he could restart.

We spent time before the season started considering things like levers and good bodywork so that should this happen we would have the best possible chance to continue in the race. Once again well done to my boys on this as the bike was mostly OK and Eugene rode a fantastic fight back to grab an incredible fifth at the flag.

We have to look at this as a team now as it was an unforced error so early in the race but good fortune still smiled on us in some ways as Keenan Sofuoglu continued to show his Salt Lake City race was more a one off than a indication that he could consistently challenge Eugene and Cal by finishing only one place in front of Eugene in 4^th to give us still a comfortable 36 point lead over him in the Championship.

Most of the other riders must wonder how come Eugene could pull the best part of 30 seconds on them and pass them relatively easily on his way back through the field. In my opinion that shows that Eugene and Cal are just a cut above the rest this year and also just how strong our bike and team package is.

I would just like to add a note for Juan Lascorz here, the Kawasaki is not as strong as our Honda or Cal’s Yamaha but the fact that he is the only rider giving them a run on most occasions shows how good he is. I for one would like to see him on an equal bike as he for me is the only rider at the moment that could run with them. That said maybe a change of scene would relight Andrew Pitt’s fire; I just cannot understand how such a good rider is struggling so much this year.

We have looked at our package and missed the possibility to test at Brno to try and improve and go for the race win in Brno. After the official Imola test next week we will try and win as many races as possible out of the last five and hope Cal has a bit of bad luck. Let’s face it, whilst his 28 point lead is what I would prefer for us given the choice, one DNF from him and Eugene wins and it its well and truly game on again.

As an indication look at Cal’s team mate Foret – a machine problem in the race at Donington and he was out. Whilst I have the upmost respect for Cal, I have to admit I was thinking why could it not be his machine that had the problem!

Miguel crashed out as well at Donington after his first top 10 finish the week before In Misano. His bike was also OK to ride but he lost too much time re mounting and pulled in as points were not possible for him. Shame as he looked to be in a position to finish 11^th if we look at his position and lap times when he fell. Oh well we will look at this unforced error as well and work as a team to get him in the top 10 at Brno.

On to the British Championship, now I have to be careful here as my old friend and series director Stuart Higgs has spat his dummy out over comments I made at the start of the year before a wheel had turned when I said GSE would run one and two in the title race. Why he’s upset I don’t know as it has now shown to be spot on. OK James Ellison has been a bit disappointing so far compared to Leon Camier but he is still second in the title race as I write this.

I would like to say a big well done to my old mate Pete Jennings who was my crew chief with Cal when we won the British Supersport in 06 and then with Rizla Suzuki when Cal came to BSB in ‘07. He has shown as I knew he would how well he works with his rider to get the absolute best out of Stuart Easton – just as Brains does with Eugene - and they sit third in the championship in front of the official HM Plant Honda team on the Hydrex Honda. That said, Josh Brookes is now starting to show his true potential and looks like one of only a couple of people who could stop Camier winning every race. Let’s hope so and either he or Easton can add some spice to the races.

I did hear that Cal Crutchlow sent Stuart Higgs a text at Knockhill to say he had fallen asleep watching the Superbike races there. Let’s hope Stuart can take that in better humour than he did my BSB season prediction before they turned a wheel. I bet most of you out there like me are hoping Guintolli can get back soon.

Well with a bit of luck Stuart Higgs will put his dummy back in and send me a couple of passes so I can see some of you at Cadwell Park at the end of August.

Cheers

Simon

Following an amazing recovery during Donington’s WSS race Parkalgar Honda’s Eugene Laverty put in an appearance at Redzone Motorcycles, Eddie Laycock’s Dublin-based motorcycle shop, on Saturday. Eugene enjoyed a warm welcome from his supporters upon arrival. Eddie and Peter Lumley of Redzone put on a good show handing out Alpinestars giveaways for anyone who bought Eugene’s official t shirt on the day and the Red Bull girls were on hand to offer up free Red Bull to all in attendance. Irish comedian and fellow racer PJ Gallagher was also in attendance and challenged Eugene to a race on the Xbox; SBK 08 was the game of choice of course!

“I had a great time at Redzone chatting with the bike fans and it was great to see how closely they’ve been following my progress this season. I finally got to meet PJ Gallagher who I’d only spoken to on the phone or seen on television previously and it’s great to have a character like him getting involved in racing. Thanks to Eddie and Peter for organising the event and hopefully we can do the same again later in the year.”

Laverty and Laycock had also been invited to the legendary Skerries road races. Accompanied by long time sponsor Pat Duke of EMS they made a lap of the circuit in an open top car to greet the fans who swarmed the bankings of the Dublin village.

“I’d been to Skerries to spectate as a kid but I remember little else other than the fact that Joey Dunlop was racing. It was great to do a lap of the circuit, I couldn’t believe just how narrow the road was in a few places. One section of the track was only a car width of tarmac! I have a lot of respect for the guys who compete there but road racing just isn’t for me, it really is a different discipline to the World Supersport Championship.”