British Superbike

Jon Kirkham, Samsung Honda

I was blocked on the opening lap of the first race and dropped back to about 16th and had to fight-back so all things considered I am really happy with that result. I made a bad tyre choice in the second. In the first race I had 14 good laps but in the second I only had six good laps so I should have stuck with what I had. At least I have some points in the bag from this meeting.

Gary Mason, Quattro Kawasaki

I believe we made the right tyre selection for race 1. I made a good start, but by lap 10 I was nursing the rear tyre just to bring the bike home. I am disappointed with the finish, but I was happy to add to my points tally. My DNF in race 2 was later isolated to an electrical fault on the bike.

“This is only the second round in the series, and we are not a million miles away from where we need to be. Over the next couple of weeks we have some development on the chassis, so I am really excited to out developing the bike before we head to my favourite circuit at Oulton Park for round 3.

Chris Walker, Primo Kawasaki

It's been a long day and having shown a lot of promise throughout practice and qualifying, it's hugely disappointing to come away with just one point. We couldn't have done a better job in qualifying and were rightly looking forward to the two races but the clutch trouble in race one put paid to that. We then had to use a harder tyre in the second and it didn't work for me as I would have liked so we'll just have to put it behind us and look forward to Oulton.

James Hillier, Primo Kawasaki

I'm really pleased with how I rode today and although I didn't manage to get in the points, it's been a good days racing for me. I struggled a bit with my set-up during qualifying but we had good pace in both races and I was able to move forward significantly, finishing considerably higher than where I started. Like I say, I'm pleased with my riding but with the field being so strong, it's not reflected in the results. I need to work harder in qualifying though to give myself a better chance as it's hard work coming from a long way back.

Freddy Foray, Quattro Kawasaki

This was my first time at Thruxton and I really liked the circuit. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish in the points in both races due to being off the pace in race 1, because of grip, and my early exit in race 2, as a result of my low-side.

I just lost the front-end and landed hard on my shoulder. Fortunately, I only bruised my right-side, so will be back testing with the team after a short break in France.

Peter Hickman, Bathams Kawasaki

It was a tough weekend and we’re still learning the bike. It’s a great bike, but it’s also quite finicky and only works in a small window that we’re only just really starting to discover. This weekend was the most comfortable I’ve been on the bike since I signed for the team, so we’re going in the right direction. Full credit to the team, I’ve kept them busy with making changes and it’s starting to pay off now. Twelfth isn’t where I want to be but it’s a step in the right direction and I’m feeling happier and a lot more confident heading to Oulton Park.

Alastair Seeley, Tyco Suzuki

It's been a character-building weekend to say the least. In the wet we have already proven how fast and competitive our package is, but I struggled to replicate that in the dry and I'm very disappointed what we achieved today. I'll take a day or two to reflect then it's re-load and go again at Oulton.

Tristan Palmer, GBMoto Honda

I'm a bit disappointed to be leaving Thruxton with a non points score again, but there's still a long season ahead. We went the wrong way with some swingarm settings, which put me in a precarious position in the first race. We made some real progress for the second race, but I was already a long way back on the grid. Hopefully testing between now and Oulton Park will move things forward even further. I won't be changing any of my training between now and then, but I am looking forward to becoming a father again in the next two weeks.

Luke Quigley, GB Moto Honda

It was a tough weekend, where we didn't really have the pace we'd hoped for. Practice and Qualifying were in difficult conditions, and unfortunately I was knocked out after the first session. In race one, the chassis just wasn't right, but I battled on to finish. In race two, we had a much better feeling with the bike, but unfortunately my steering damper broke and around a high speed circuit like Thruxton, you just can't ride a superbike like that, so I was forced to retire. I'm looking forward to testing before Oulton Park to improve rear end feeling even further.

Alex Polita, Jentin Doodson Ducati

It's been another difficult weekend, the bike is improving slowly, but there's still a lot of work to do. We are paying the price of very limited pre-season test that means we have to test now on track while other riders are fighting for qualify or race. We knew we would use first two rounds as test, Panigale is new and we need some more time to set up everything. During next week’s there'll be a meeting at Ducati for organizing work for next races.

Tom Tunstall, Jentin Doodson Ducati

It’s testament to the new 1199 Panigale that we’ve been able to get so far with completely standard road engines against tuned superbikes with the benefit of a lot of data and testing.

The bike is great and has so much potential it’s important we use the next couple of weeks to continue the improvements and tap into that. Likewise there is more to come from me and my riding also and I’m looking forward to building onto these first two rounds and coming back stronger.

John Laverty, Splitlath Redmond Aprilia

It’s an on-going thing and another two finishes today is brilliant for me.It’s still early doors but I’m getting myself back up to speed at a good pace. To get another two full race distances under my belt is very important. I was tired out at the end of Friday, the track was pretty hard on me, but over the course of the weekend my fitness has improved and it’s brilliant to be able to have gone two full races.

We’ve got loads more data now to go away with and work with. We have tried a lot of things here. Some worked, some didn’t but we’ve got a much better idea about things now and this will all help us as the season moves forward.

Florian Marino, Splitlath Redmond Aprilia

It started very well, I was fast and making my way up. The bike felt very good but from about Lap Nine it wasn’t as good as I struggled with the tyres. But I was making some good laps. I got some nice fast laps in which would have put me well inside the top 15, and this is very good data now to take with us to Oulton Park.

Scott Smart, Moto Rapido Ducati

We have treated the first two rounds as full race environment test so we did expect some teething problems however we have had some great support from Ducati and we have been pleased with our progress. The depth of field is so strong and we now have some work to do between now and Oulton Park but we are ahead of WSB in terms of racing the Panigale in the Superbike class so we are determined to push on again in three weeks’ time

British Supersport

Glen Richards, Smiths Triumph

Getting the first win of the season has got our championship up and running and after a disappointing Brands Hatch meeting, first and third is the perfect way to bounce back. Tyres are always an issue here but everything went well in the first race and I was in the right place at the right time, taking full advantage and edging away from the pack just when I needed to. The second race was just great to be part of and really enjoyable and fair play to Billy, he rode really well. We came here to get some strong points and that's what we did so full credit must go to the team. They've given me a fantastic bike and it's a great package which is working really well.

Billy McConnell, Smiths Triumph

I'm back to where I want to be and everyone's been working so hard and to get the win is a tremendous feeling. We were unlucky in the first race with a broken rectifier but everything was flawless in the second race. After the ups and downs of 2011, the team have given me a great opportunity and everything I possibly need so a big thank you must go to them. We're back on track now and I can't wait until the next round.

Luke Mossey, Smiths Triumph

I'm really pleased with my results this weekend and although I struggled a bit in the wet and didn't qualify as high as I would have liked, my race pace was really good. I was able to run with the leading group in both races and we were all running a similar pace which was great fun to be part but also made it difficult to overtake. We've proved this weekend we have the pace to run at the front though so with some solid points on the board, I'm really looking forward to Oulton in a few weeks time.

Ben Wilson, Gearlink Kawasaki

Obviously I'm not happy with the way things went this weekend and I'm still chasing my first win of the season. After all the problems at Brands with the weather and track conditions I wanted to come here and get my season on the right track. The good thing is that it's a long season and I'm third in the Championship and there are not many points in front of me. I know it's a long season and I have to keep scoring points but my main aim is to win so it's important that I do. The racing today was mental but clearly very good for the fans to watch and Thruxton has always produced racing like that. I've two sets of solid points in the bag and will be eager to progress and move forwards at Oulton Park.

Kev Coghlan, Appleyard Macadam

Qualifying started quite well and I was confident of a good grid position but we missed out on the best track conditions and that cost me dearly. Consequently I was left with a lot of work to do later on in the day. In Saturday’s race I made a poor start but battled my way through the field. By then, however, the leaders had gone.

After Saturday I was looking forward to Sunday but I struggled to get up to speed quickly and had no rear grip whatsoever, so just had to brave it out and bring it home. Although they were disappointing results the team worked really hard all weekend and I feel the Yamaha R6 and I are beginning to feel at home with one another and when that clicks into place I am sure the results with come and everyone’s hard work will pay off.

Jack Kennedy, Mar-Train Yamaha

That was probably one of my best races in Supersport and even though we narrowly missed out on the win, I wasn’t settling for anything less than a podium. I’m delighted with second place and my fastest lap… oh yeah and leading the championship! Big thanks to Mar-Train, ‘me Ma and Da’ and my trainer Michael.

Taylor Mackenzie, Mar-Train Yamaha

Every time I got on the bike this weekend I managed to go faster so we are making progress. I struggled a bit towards the end of race two with the harder tyre, but again as the race went on I was getting the hang of it more and more. I’m really looking forward to Oulton now.

Sam Warren, Seton Yamaha

Having diced at the front in the sprint race, getting 2nd and fastest lap, I was very confident going into the feature race. I made my usual slow start, but pushed to the front like in the sprint race and felt very comfortable. Then I ran into tyre issues and was unable to maintain my pace.

Dropping back for 4th near the end of the race, I knew it was damage limitation, but there was nothing left of the tyre and it caused a slide that I was unable to get back at Segrave. Luckily nothing is broken in my hand and we'll be fit for Oulton. Thanks for all the team for a cracking job, sorry I couldn't bring home the bacon but we're still in the hunt.

Jimmy Hill, Vancraft Triumph

Thruxton is such a hard circuit to get right and get a good set up on, it's also one of my least favourite circuits as I've suffered injuries here before. The Vancraft Triumph team worked hard all weekend and I was able to salvage some Championship points in both races and walked away uninjured. Race two today was difficult and I had tyre problems which led to me having to hold on tighter, which in turn led to bad arm pump. I just wanted to finish with some point and hopefully move on to Oulton and things will be good there.

Josh Caygill, Vancraft Triumph

The weekend started well for me and I ran well during free practise on Friday when it was dry. It was then wet on Saturday and we made a lot of changes on the bike to try and get a good set up but we did struggle to get a set up that worked well for me on the Triumph, we made a lot of changes over the weekend and never seemed to get the ideal one. I hope things will be different at Oulton as I want to keep improving and moving forward.

James East, Mackrory Racing

I struggled after lap 4, I had to wrestle the bike to put it where I wanted and I was using a lot of tyre and sliding so backed off so I could still fight at the end. This worked out and kept my podium streak in the Cup going with another 3rd place.

All in all it was a tough weekend, but the team did a good job and I think we made the best out of the situation we come across. Oulton Park is the next round where I have run a fast pace before; my goal is to be on top of the Cup podium and within the top 10 in the main championship.

Matthew Paulo, Grant Complog Racing

I’m happy with making his step forward and come away from Thruxton more confident after battling with the front guys during the race.

Niall Campbell, Grant Complog Racing

In the latter part of the race I really started to struggle with fatigue in my right leg. It became difficult to get the bike to do what I wanted and started to drop off the pace dramatically. We finished the race in what could have been a top ten finish in a disappointing 18th. I’ll be working my legs hard before the next round at Oulton Park and be back more determined than ever to get a decent finish.Matthew Paulo, Grant Complog Racing

I’m happy with making his step forward and come away from Thruxton more confident after battling with the front guys during the race.

Niall Campbell, Grant Complog Racing

In the latter part of the race I really started to struggle with fatigue in my right leg. It became difficult to get the bike to do what I wanted and started to drop off the pace dramatically. We finished the race in what could have been a top ten finish in a disappointing 18th. I’ll be working my legs hard before the next round at Oulton Park and be back more determined than ever to get a decent finish.

British Motostar

Luke Hedger, Team FPW

This weekend has been brilliant, the crash on Friday caught me by surprise but the leathers and helmet did a fantastic job. The team did a lot of work over the weekend and the bikes been great all weekend. I would like to thank all my team, sponsors and family for the support and roll on Oulton.

Sam Burman, WNT Honda

It’s been a challenging weekend and one I just want to put behind me. We encountered some technical issues the previous weekend at Brands Hatch and with only three days between meetings we had to come up with a compromise on the settings to get us through the Thruxton meeting. We managed that with some degree of success and now have time to put things right before the next race. I’m looking forward to Oulton Park, and I’m confident we can achieve the results our hard work deserves.

Peter Sutherland, Reli-Cast Racing

Qualifying 1 was sorted but was wet and I was having the problem of no confidence to push in the wet so was at the back of the grid for the race, I got a slow start in the 1st race and was 23rd for the first 3 laps of it but fought my way though the pack and ended up in 16th. Race 2 I got a fast start and away with the pack I was chasing in race 1, but the race got red flagged and was a restart, the grid moved up, so I was in the next row, was good to get a reasonable spot on the line, Race 2 was good but the conditions of the wind Caused me not to be able to stay on the same line for 2 laps. I battled through and got 15th so I was happy with that.

Superstock 600

Tim Hastings, MWR Kawasaki

I really enjoy Thruxton so I was confident going into the weekend. After a minor problem in first practise session, which my mechanic Dan sorted really quickly my MWR Kawasaki was perfect for the rest of the weekend. That then allowed me to set pole in qualifying which was critical as it rained for qualifying two so no one could improve.

My race was awesome as once I got to the front I was able to set my own pace and open up a lead. The rest of the race seemed to go fairly quickly as I am enjoying riding the MWR Kawasaki ZX6R so much this year.

I just want to thank all of the MWR Kawasaki team who gave me awesome support throuout the race weekend and thanks also to all my sponsors and supporters who have made my season possible. The win has boosted my confidence and I’m really looking forward to Oulton Park.

Johnny Blackshaw, Smiths Triumph

I'm pleased to get fourth but it's also a bit disappointing as I burnt the clutch off the line and from that moment on it was difficult to get the drive out of the corners. The bike's set up so well though that I could just ride the wheels off the bike and run at the front. I didn't do anything daft and kept picking off the riders in front of me and although I felt we had the pace to win this weekend, it's good solid points on the board. The team are doing a great job and the bike's a missile so it's great to be back at the sharp end and it bodes well for the rounds ahead."

Dan Kinloch, Appleyard Macadam

I was hoping to challenge for a top six place but once again I made a poor start and lost out to the leaders in the first few corners. After lap three my times were similar to those battling for seventh but to get up with them I must improve on my half a lap.

Nevertheless it’s an improvement from Brands and another positive is that the Yamaha R6 and K-Tech suspension were both excellent in coping with the hard conditions that Thruxton threw at me. At Oulton Park I intend to be more aggressive and tougher in the early stages. Hopefully then I can fight for the places in the top half dozen.

Ben Burke, Seton Yamaha

What a weekend. The weather was touch and go but that seemed to add to the excitement. Practice and first qualifying went well with me putting myself 11th on the grid. I was confident I could go faster in Q2 with a fresh tyre but never got the chance as it was raining. We used this time as wet set-up practice as I wanted to improve in the wet and I did.

The Seton Tuning Yamaha bikes finished that session 3rd, 4th and 5th, with me fastest of the three. All of us were very happy that we could do well in the race whether it was raining or dry. Sunday's race was dry and I got away to a flyer right up in the leading bunch and we were all having a fierce battle. I was third on the last lap where I had planned to be, hoping that I would slipstream my way into second.

I was riding defensive but Johnny Blackshaw pushed me wide on the first chicane and we dropped off second a touch. Just as we caught up again there was a bunch of back markers that the five of us all scrambled to get past coming into the super-fast Church corner. Luckily we all managed to pass safely and came out all side by side up the back straight. It was a lottery who was going to come second. I am happy with my fifth placing and have put some good points on the board.

Bjorn Estment, Seton Yamaha

It was a tough weekend with limited dry time to find a good setup, however we did manage to achieve a points scoring finish which finds us sitting in 17th overall! My ideal lap time was just .2 of a second off the podium and I topped the speed trap by over one and a half mph! Roll on Oulton where we can possibly put the NFB Financial Services by Seton-Tuning Yamaha in the form we showed at Brands Hatch.

Josh Wainwright, AP Kawasaki

The race was going so well for me and after a great start, I was exactly where I wanted to be but as I was changing down for Campbell, I went down to first gear instead of second and the whole bike locked up and I had no option other than to take to the grass. I managed to rejoin in eighth and got my head down and reeled the group in so to come through to sixth and get some more good points is very pleasing. The bike's great and the team are mega so it's been a great start to the year.

Mark Wilkinson, Seton Yamaha

It was a very positive weekend for me. My first BSB point after a difficult race. We improved all weekend and showed some really good form. I'm starting to get a handle on the bike and really looking forward round 3. Thanks to the entire Seton Tuning Yamaha Team for the amazing weekend!

Joe Collier, Vancraft Triumph

I've realised Thruxton is a really difficult track to learn and it was hard to get it right but I really enjoyed it, I managed to adapt to the track quite quickly and put in some good times throughout the weekend. The Vancraft Triumph guys worked really hard to make sure I understood what I needed to do. I was a bit disappointed with the race result but it is still Championship points but I was not happy because I dropped back from my qualifying position. It was a bit hairy out there and I had to take avoiding action on a few occasions to avoid being taken out myself.

Superstock 1000

Keith Farmer, Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki

After Brands Hatch people were saying I could only ride in the wet so I was determined to come here and prove to everyone that I could do it in the dry as well and that's what I did! We've been making improvements to the bike all the time and moving forward and it was faultless throughout. There was a bit of drama on the last lap at the chicane when Brogan ran into the back of me but I just lifted the bike up a wee bit and got to the flag for a great win.

Jason O’Halloran, Samsung Honda

As soon as soon as the safety car came in I thought we could make a charge but there were riders coming passed me at what felt like every corner and it messed up my rhythm a bit. We were fast on the straight but I was struggling with grip in some sections. Another podium is a great result for me and the Samsung Honda team.

Leon Morris, JHP Ducati

We’ve had so little time with the new bike prior to the start of the season, so we’ve been doing all our testing during these past two race weekends. We’ve made some great progress at Thruxton and the whole team know there’s lots more to come from the bike.

Leon Hunt, Bathams Kawasaki

Practice and qualifying was quite difficult. We didn’t find a great set-up until fairly late on which put us on the back foot going into the race. We got things going in the right direction for second qualifying but it was wet so we didn’t get the chance we needed to improve. The bike felt good in the race and while we were struggling a little with grip, I felt comfortable on the bike until I got arm-pump about five or six laps from the end and really struggled to pull the bike down into the faster turns. The team have worked really well though and I know the arm-pump issue is just down to the new leathers so we’ll get them altered before the next race. We’ll come back – quite literally stronger – aiming for the top ten at Oulton in a few weeks time.

Sandra Stammova, Bathams Kawasaki

First qualifying was good and I ended up going faster in free practice than I did throughout the weekend last year so we’ve made some good progress. First qualifying went okay but we were trying a few things so didn’t get a good lap time in. Unfortunately, it rained for second qualifying and we didn’t get the chance to improve so we had to do the shootout race. I worked hard to get near the top ten but just didn’t have enough laps. The main thing is I have improved my lap time here by over a second and we have found a riding position that works for me and have made some positive changes to the bike. This is only the third year I’ve been racing so I’m very excited at these recent improvements and am now really looking forward to the next round at Oulton Park.

Danny Buchan, CN Racing

I got a really good start in the race and surprised myself a bit so got the elbows out and tried to keep the rest of the boys behind me. The chassis is working superbly but we've been struggling a bit for top end speed and with Thruxton being such a high-speed circuit, I lost a few places. I was trying to make the ground up in the twisty bits and also maintain the tyre for the last third of the race but it was chewed up by mid-race distance so it was a battle to the end. I'd like to be higher up obviously but, after the disappointment of Brands, it's good to get a good, solid top ten result and get points on the board.

Gavin Hunt, CN Racing

I was right with the leading group for the first third of the race but missed a gear out the back of the circuit and it was enough to lose a little bit of ground and also the tow. I was safe in my position, comfortably ahead of the rider behind me, so just backed off for the final third and brought the bike home for a solid top ten finish. The bike's working really well and we've found a really good set-up now so it's a good result and something for us to build on.

Josh Day, CN Racing

I've been struggling a bit with the set-up of the bike but we've been making progress all weekend and the bike's been getting better all the time. The wet weather set-up was great but we've got a bit more work to do in the dry and I'm still getting used to the bike in those conditions. Coming from last on the grid was a big ask but to get up to 23rd is pleasing and I certainly passed a few people. The bike's more than capable so if we can keep improving, I won't be too far away.

Dan Kneen, Marks Bloom Racing

It's been a topsy turvy weekend to be fair with some sessions going well and others not so well. I was pleased with how I rode in the Shoot Out race and some further changes in morning warm-up made the bike better still. However, for some reason it wasn't so good in the race and I struggled for rear grip, the increase in wind also affecting the bike. I had a great opening lap though and picked up a few places so it's good to get two solid races under my belt. The bike still needs tweaking a bit but we're definitely getting there so we'll hopefully get a run out on it between now and the next round and ensure we can hit the ground running. I need to make sure I'm on the pace in the first session and if I can do that, I'm confident I can get in amongst the points.

Tony Coombs, MWR Kawasaki

We made some really good steps in the right direction this weekend as we maximised the tracktime available to us throughout free practice and qualifying.

I believe we now have a set up on the bike which we can go forward with. So roll on Oulton Park.

I would like to thank all the team at MWR Kawasaki for the brilliant job they are doing.

Mike Booth, MWR Kawasaki

Although my results are still not quite what I expect from myself, I’m really pleased we managed to improve on last weekends performance and finish the race

ahead of our qualifying position, showing good progression throughout the race weekend.

Massive thanks to the team who worked hard all weekend, experimenting with different things on the bike up to improve set up the way the bike handled. I feel

like we’re in a good place with the bike now so we can go to the next round and push again for more improvement.

Freddie Russo, AP Kawasaki

Thruxton's one of those tracks where you're unable to test so it was always going to be a bit uphill so I guess today was the best of a bad job. We made a lot of changes to the bike for Q2 but the rain meant we couldn't use them and so we ended up using someone else's settings from last year, which didn't quite work out. I was sideways a lot during the race and there wasn't a lot of grip but it was the same for everyone so it's another solid result. I was hoping for a top ten and only just missed out on that so we've got plenty to build on and can make more of an impression as the season wears on.

Patrick Medcalf, AP Kawasaki

The circuit's great but it's hard to get your head around as a newcomer and losing Q2 to the wet conditions hurt me a fair bit. The race went well although it was hard to find a good rhythm but I kept chipping away and coming through to 19th after being 28th on the grid is pretty pleasing. We'll keep battling away, work on the positives and eliminate the negatives and look for some good track time at Oulton.