Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne won his first MCE British Superbike race of the season at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, and it was the first time that a Panigale machine has ever won a race in the championship.
Byrne was victorious in race-two and out-paced both race one winner, JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam, and Buildbase BMW’s Richard Cooper to take the spoils this afternoon.
The four-time champ is hopeful that for the next round his team will get the first round of upgrades for the Ducati, and Byrne is confident that today’s win will be the first of many for the Paul Bird team.
“I got an average start that time rather than an absolutely dreadful one which was quite beneficial and I was on the back of the guys that were sort of seventh or eighth position and we were
all together and it was clear that no one was going to escape up the road,” said Byrne at the track.
“Then James’ bike broke and then Michael Laverty’s bike blew up and I was right behind him and it actually caused me a bit of a trauma because I thought my strongest section of the track
was into Surtees and up into Clearways, but after a few good laps of trying it was obvious that was the only place I will be able to make passes and when Michael’s bike blew up on the outside of the track that is where I needed my turning thing and I was a bit gingerly around Surtees for few laps.
“When I realised the grip was still there I tried to start chipping away to the guys in front. I think I started with fourteen laps to go and then I would make a couple of passes but in the end with two laps to go I got on to the back of Richard and thought right if there is a time when you need to be bang on then this is it, and I held on for the last two laps.
“I think this is the start of some really, really good times for us because after this round we get our first round of upgrades which I am really looking forward to. We have been pushing as hard as we can with what we have got and trying to calm the job down a little bit and get the bike putting the power it has down on the ground more effectively. Hopefully the parts we have got coming should help us too, so fingers crossed this is the first of a good few wins this season.”
