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KIRKHAM STEPS IN FOR INJURED BYRNE |
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Friday, 16 June 2006 |
KIRKHAM STEPS IN FOR INJURED BYRNE
 Jon Kirkham will stand in for an injured Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne at the
seventh round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at
Snetterton this weekend after the Rizla Suzuki rider suffered a
high-speed crash in the first practice session today.
Byrne
ran straight on at the end of the kilometre-long Revett straight early
in the session and crashed at 187mph. He lost consciousness but came
round soon after. He was taken to Norfolk and Norwich hospital for
further examination before being released an hour later. He suffered no
broken bones but as he was unconscious, under medical rules he will now
be banned from riding for eight days, ruling him out of Sunday’s races.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Kirkham,
21, from Ockbrook in Derby, took Shakey’s spare bike to the track for
the afternoon session and finished a creditable 16th. He usually rides
a private Suzuki in the Superbike class and is delighted to have the
chance on the Rizla Suzuki.
James Haydon finished 13th despite
riding with a painful shoulder injury sustained at the previous round
at Mallory Park a fortnight ago. He showed grit and determination to
take to the track and is looking forward to improving his position
tomorrow. Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari was fastest.
James Haydon:
“My
left shoulder is still quite painful after the crash at Mallory Park
two weeks ago. It is heavily strapped and I am undergoing extensive
physiotherapy at the track but I still don’t have full movement or
strength in it yet. Cornering is where it’s proving toughest as the
shoulder has to work particularly hard when turning the bike in and out
of the chicanes.
“It was tough riding today but I think it
will get easier tomorrow and for sure the bike is quick enough on the
straights. I hope to be competitive for the races on Sunday.”
Jon Kirkham:
“The
Rizla Suzuki feels awesome compared to my own bike. The handlebars,
seat and general settings are different to what I normally run but it
still feels great.
“I tried a soft tyre at the end of the
session and was on my fastest lap when I had a moment at the final
chicane. I was gutted; I think it would have been a decent lap. The
bike was set up for Shakey so the team will change it to suit me in
time for tomorrow’s third free practice session. I’m looking forward to
seeing what we can achieve.”
Niall Mackenzie - Race Operations Manager:
“Shakey’s
crash was a complete mystery. We are investigating it now but it looks
like he ran on at the end of the straight at high speed and suffered a
particularly fast crash. We are all thankful that apart from bruising
and concussion he has not broken any bones and should hopefully make a
quick recovery.
“James amazes me with his determination and
will to ride. He is sporting an injury that would floor most other
riders yet he is out there giving it his all. He spent today bedding
himself in and finding a comfortable setting on his GSX-R1000 and given
his injury I’m sure he feels there is more to come.
“Jon
Kirkham has done a good solid job in just one session. He was quick
considering the limited time he has had to acquaint himself with the
bike. We will change the setup to suit him for tomorrow and that should
help improve his lap times.”
Practice Times:
1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 1:04.844 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.096, 3:
Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.393, 4: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.505, 5:
Karl Harris (Honda) +0.527, 6: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.602, 7: Michael
Laverty (Honda) +0.990, 8: Michael Rutter (Honda) +1.026, 9: Billy
McConnell (Yamaha) +1.037, 10: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +1.069, 13: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) +1.329, 16: Jon Kirkham (Rizla Suzuki) +1.589.
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