JG Speedfit Kawasaki team boss Mark Smith-Halvorsen has not had the easiest of MCE British Superbike seasons, but his riders created history today as all three made it on to the podium, which is a first for the series as no other team has had a complete rostrum finish.
It has not been a smooth run with the new spec ZX-10R, and the crew have had to work around some issues and developments with the Kawasaki, which has meant that challenging for podiums has not been easy this year.
Now today Smith-Halvorsen sees the one hundred percent podium success rate at the Cheshire track as a big ‘pat on the back’, and a big thank you for all their hard work.
“It does not get any better than that - what a race! I just think in terms of developing the new bike and the trouble and challenge we have had with it leading up to now,” said Smith-Halvorsen, speaking to bikesportnews.com at the circuit.
“Sometimes we have been vocal about it and a lot of times we haven’t and we still put a good championship together. So it is a huge pay back and pat on the back for the immense work that had got us here and I am really proud of the guys.”
Smith-Halvorsen has never lost sight of the ultimate goal, which is to get all three of his riders in the Showdown, and now with race one winner Leon Haslam already confirmed for the Showdown,
and James Ellison in fourth and Hickman eleven points adrift of the top six, it looks like his plans may come true by the end of tomorrow.
The team boss added: “The riders have had to sometimes ride with difficulties and they have had to ride around things and got their pay back today. That is our next goal, irrespective of race results tomorrow, our main goal and main focus all season at the end of round nine was to try and get three riders in the Showdown.
“All of our guys deserve that and they are fighting with some fantastic championship rivals. So we have moved a step closer and it has been a good run of results from that perspective but tomorrow is a tough day and you can expect everyone to get better.”
