Ryuichi Kiyonari claimed his first win of the 2011 British Superbike season today, riding his HM Plant Honda to victory by more than 4 seconds ahead of John Hopkins, who became the first American to podium in the BSB.
"I am very happy, especially as it had been very difficult here to find a good setting for the race,” Kiyonari said. “Everyone in the team has worked very hard, me too as I wanted to push harder. They worked late into the night after qualifying to solve the problems we had so it was good work and I want the same in race two."
Kiyonari claimed the speedy fastest lap award while climbing his way through the pack, eventually overtaking John Laverty on the 11th lap.
Laverty would fall a few more places as Hopkins and Stuart Easton were determined to make it to the podium. Hopkins eventually climbed to the second step, and became the first American to podium in a British Superbike race.
"That was a really good race; the guys in the Samsung Crescent Racing team have worked really hard to give me a great bike again this weekend,” Hopkins said. “To come here to a track like this, which was never going to be easy, and be so competitive is just so good for us.”
Kiyonari’s teammate, Shane Byrne, took fourth place ahead of Laverty.
British Superbike Race Results - Oulton Park
- Ryuichi Kiyonari
- John Hopkins +4.150s
- Stuart Easton +4.336s
- Shane Byrne +4.646s
- Michael Laverty +4.684s
- Josh Brookes +5.105s
- Jon Kirkham +13.582s
- Loris Baz +16.637s
- Gary Mason +19.108s
- Dan Linfoot +19.452s
