INCREDIBLE! Sykes takes penalty on chin to finish third In association with STIHL

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Oct 1, 2008

Byline: By LINZI NICHOLSON Sports Reporter

TOM SYKES will be aiming to leave the British Superbike Championship on a high when the season draws to a close at Brands Hatch in a fortnight.

The Fenay Bridge-based flier is heading off to the World Superbike Championship having secured one of the best rides for next season with the Yamaha Motor Italia team and with confidence high, he will settle for nothing less than a victory.

Sykes' former Stobart Honda teammate Shane 'Shakey' Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) may have secured his second BSB title and has signed up to ride with the Sterilgarda Ducati team in next year's World Superbike Championship, but the race for the runner-up position is wide open.

Rizla Suzuki's Sykes, 23, faces a dogfight with HM Plant Honda duo Leon Haslam and Cal Crutchlow while Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) can still threaten the final placings.

In the penultimate round at Silverstone, Sykes started from 17th but scythed through the pack to nail third place in the second race at the Northamptonshire circuit.

With a handful of laps remaining only he was too far behind the top two Haslam and Byrne to challenge but kept his cool to score a well-deserved rostrum.

In the opening race Sykes got a typical excellent start from fifth and slotted into third place, menacing the riders in front of him but on the third lap it all came to an early end after an ambitious over-take for second place ended with him clashing with race leader

Haslam with both crashing unhurt.

Sykes remounted to finish 13th but was later disqualified and penalised 12-places on the grid for the second race after a judicial decision from the organisers.

Sykes said: "I am really happy to have delivered another podium to Rizla Suzuki.

"Race two was never going to be easy starting from 17th but I was determined to come through. It was a little too much to give away to go for the win but the podium is a just reward for the team.

"In the first race I wanted to go for the win and on lap three I made a pass which didn't work out. I was forced wide and hit Leon (Haslam). The organisers penalised me but I won't be dwelling on it and I'm looking forward to the last round and seeing if I can get second in the Championship for Rizla Suzuki."

Rizla Suzuki team manager Jack Valentine added: "For Tom to make up 14 places from his start position in race two is simply incredible, there are not many riders capable of doing that.

"It would have been great to see how he could have fared if he had started from his normal grid position, I am sure he would have diced with Leon Haslam for the victory.

"Race one for Tom was a disappointment. It was early on when he collided with Leon and that effectively ended his chance for success. The penalty imposed by the Clerk of the Course was difficult to argue against and Tom took it on the chin, which is credit to him.

"We are looking forward to the final round and hopefully we can challenge Leon for second in the Championship. On behalf of Rizla Suzuki I would like to congratulate Shane Byrne on taking the Championship today - he's a worthy winner."

BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

Silverstone Race I: 1 Leon Camier (Ducati) 29:02.806, 2 Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 1.090, 3 Shane Byrne (Ducati) 8.904, 4 Michael Rutter (Ducati) 18.889, 5 Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 27.739, 6 Gary Mason (Honda) 31.363, 7 Tristan Palmer (Honda) 32.068, 8 Jason O'Halloran (Honda) 32.204, 9 Stuart Easton (Kawasaki) 34.524, 10 Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) 37.884. DSQ Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki).

Race II: 1 Leon Haslam (Honda) 28:59.106, 2 Shane Byrne (Ducati) 3.786, 3 Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) 5.455, 4 Leon Camier (Ducati) 5.809, 5 Karl Harris (Yamaha) 7.171, 6 James Ellison (Honda)

16.061, 7 Michael Rutter (Ducati) 17.097, 8 Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 24.901, 9 Gary Mason (Honda) 26.109, 10 Billy McConnell (Kawasaki) 30.736.

BSB Championship standings: 1 S Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) pts 424,2 L Haslam (HM Plant Honda) 324, 3 T Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) 306, 4 C Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) 285, 5 L Camier (Airwaves Ducati) 279, 6 M Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) 237,7 J Ellison (Hydrex-Bike Animal Honda) 203, 8 S Andrews (Lloyds British Yamaha) 159, 9 M Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 141, 10 K Harris (Rob Mac Racing Yamaha) 102.

CAPTION(S):

DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Rizla Suzuki's Tom Sykes, of Fenay Bridge, attempts an ambitious overtake for second place on HM Plant Honda rival Leon Haslam but both crashed. Sykes remounted to finish 13th. He was later disqualified and penalised 12 places on the grid for the second race but he took it on the chin and finished third Pictures by Turn One Photography; RACE ACES: Tom Sykes (left) and Tom Tunstall.