Relentless by TAS Suzuki posted its debut victory in the British Superbike Championship Premier Class with Michael Laverty at the Oulton Park third round.
Laverty's second-race demolition of the field in the British Superbike class demonstrates the progress Moneymore-based TAS Racing has been making with their GSX-R1000 Superbike already this season. And, after being virtually written-off in the pre-season build up, both Laverty and Alastair Seeley now sit proudly in the top five in the current standings.
In race one it was Seeley who looked odds-on for his second BSB podium of the year, but a missed gear on the final lap allowed John Laverty to steal his thunder, which left the Carrickfergus man to narrowly pip his team-mate to the line for fourth.
In race two, while Laverty was soloing to a superb victory, Seeley fought his way through from mid-pack to take 10 valuable points in sixth place.
Michael Laverty:
"That was a really nice feeling today. I just hope it goes a long way to being forgiven for my crash at Thruxton! It's really strange because it's probably the easiest I've had to ride to win a race, never mind so convincingly. It's not often you get the perfect bike, but the boys gave me one today for that win. We still have a bit to go with the dry set-up on our GSX-R1000 Superbike, but we are getting closer every weekend and I'm confident we can be up at the front in the dry very soon - possibly as soon as Cadwell Park. The boys deserve this bit of success for all their hard work."
Alastair Seeley:
"I am a bit frustrated about not getting on the podium in race one, but there's no point in moaning about it. I missed a gear and fought back to fourth so we have to be pleased with that after a tough weekend at the previous round. In race two, I spun up going off the line and ended up bashing bars and fairings mid-pack. I got my head down and just tried to be smooth on the throttle and when I got onto the back of Josh Brookes he was all over the place. His tyre was obviously in worse condition than mine at that stage, so to get past for sixth was a good result in difficult conditions. I'm learning all the time about this Superbike and I've stayed fit and healthy with the North West 200 just over a week away - so that's a big positive."
Philip Neill - BSB Team Principal:
"After all the hard work our team has put in, that was a pretty emotional day for me and I have to say, Michael's win was probably one of the best rides I've ever seen - he really destroyed the field and was even comfortable putting in consistent quickest laps. It's a great reward and a boost of confidence for the whole team and proves just how great a bike the current GSX-R1000 really is. I must obviously give credit to Michael, who I have always believed in, and this will be a real confidence booster for him.
"Alastair may be disappointed at missing out on a race-one podium, but the 'Wee Man' just continues to blow us away with his talent, enthusiasm and self-belief. Let's not forget it's only his second time out at Oulton on a Superbike and his comeback from mid-pack to sixth was phenomenal in race two: It also shows where he has come from when he's disappointed not to be on the podium every weekend as a rookie.
"We really do have two genuine contenders this year, who are as good as anyone in the Championship, and we are delighted to have helped Suzuki retain top-spot in the Manufacturer Standings; it's always good to do your bit.
"I must give a special mention to the boys in the garage who work a very tight schedule with our BSB and road racing commitments, so fair play to Leigh, Arnie and Davy Kertesz as they found an enviable wet wwwweather set-up for our riders today. We're not that far away in dry conditions either and this sets us up well for next week's North West 200."
BSB Race 1 Results:
1. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) 2.Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.058s 3.John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +10.399s 4.Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.843s 5.Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +10.849s 6.Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +11.073s 7.Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +23.428s 8.Chris Walker (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +27.478s 9.Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +35.997s 10.Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +36.709s
BSB Race 2 Results:
1. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 2.Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +6.00s 3.Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +11.333s 4.Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +16.029s 5.John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +23.590s 6.Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +27.258s 7.Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +30.287s 8.Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +30.283s 9.Hudson Kennaugh (MAR Kawasaki) +32.463s 10.Adam Jenkinson (Buildbase Kawasaki) +54.950s
