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British Supersport Championship – Round 9, Oulton Park
Tom Sykes rediscovered his podium legs yesterday after an almost faultless performance
at Oulton Park in Cheshire during round 8 of the British Supersport series, with
team mate Ian Lowry bringing his TAS Suzuki home in a creditable 5th position.
Sykes who was dominant in all but one of the qualifying sessions over the weekend,
also took the race holeshot and led for the opening 5 laps before a race long
battled ensued with Cal Crutchlow. The Honda pilot eventually took the win, although
Sykes was a credit to T.A.S and Suzuki bringing home his GSX–R600 in second
place. In the week prior to the race Tom received intensive physiotherapy sessions
after being taken out at Knockhill by Leon Camier; at one stage there was doubt
surrounding his participation at Oulton Park.
Team mate Ian Lowry continued in his rich vein of form with another top-drawer
performance finishing in 5th place after a race long battle with Dennis Hobbs
and also registering the 4th fastest lap of the race.
Tom Sykes
“I must admit I’m a little bit deflated with the result after such
a strong weekend in qualifying. It has been a tough week but thanks to Philip
Neill and my physio Michael Kerr we bounced back for Oulton. I had woken up last
Monday thinking, ‘how the hell am I going to race at Oulton?’… I
felt that bad! But we’re back on the podium again and not too far away
from the top step. I hope to stay on the podium at the remaining rounds but a
step higher is the goal and Cal can expect to see me not just in his rear view
mirror, but in front of him quite often from here on in!”
Ian Lowry
“I really enjoy racing at Oulton and a top five this weekend is pleasing
from 8th on the grid, but once you get that taste of the podium anything else
is a little disappointing. I know I have to be patient and the whole TAS team
are doing a great job and the package is superb. In the remaining rounds I’ll
be looking to steal in on another podium if possible as well as establishing
myself as a potential contender for 2007. I’m just really enjoying myself!”
Philip Neill – Team Manager
“We are here to win the championship, I’ll not hide that fact, but
at the minute the boys are doing a good job and consistency makes everyone happy
and the job a little easier. After 8 races we are the most progressive of the
new machinery in the class, so much so that the Technical Stewards paid particular
interest in the TAS bikes this weekend – all above board, as you would
expect from us.
I still believe Tom Sykes is the best rider in the class, and while others have
had three or four years development, Tom is doing the business on a relatively
new bike. In saying that, he still has that little commercial break in the middle
of the race which seems to cost him time on Cal, but his overall consistency
this season must be credited.
Ian Lowry has impressed me again this weekend and he fears no one! I mean that
in a very nice way, but unlike some riders he has no heroes and thinks nothing
of beating so-called star performers. That is a great quality for any athlete
to have and he has raised a few eyebrows this year, none more so than Keith Huewen
of Sky Sports.”
24th July 2006