Stobart boss 'nearly sacked himself'.

At a track where Paul Bird's BSB team clinched their second successive British Superbike Championship title three years ago, it wasn't a happy return to Cadwell Park for Stobart Motorsport riders Michael Rutter and Michael Laverty on Bank Holliday Monday.

After a number of problems during practice and qualifying, triple series runner up Rutter started the day's two races from row two of the grid with young team-mate Laverty a row further back.

With sunshine and showers interspersing the race day afternoon, tyre choice was always going to be critical - and on both occasions the team picked the wrong options.

Just prior to race one, a thunderstorm soaked the track and at the last minute team boss Bird advised his pair of riders to go with wet weather tyres... only for it to rapidly dry and leave Rutter and Laverty scrabbling for grip. Rutter eventually pitted and chanced to slicks whilst Laverty struggled to 12th at the flag.

Race two saw a damp track with threatening clouds and the two Stobart riders opted for an intermediate front tyre only for the track to once again dry and leave them languishing down the order. Rutter's misery was compounded when he retired and Laverty was pipped for a top six position on the last lap.

"When luck's not going your way it doesn't matter what you do and we're just having one of those years," said Bird, who took full responsibility for the race one tyre choice: "I nearly sacked myself after cocking up in race one so I left it to the boys in race two and it wasn't much better. We just need to round off a forgettable season in style at the final two rounds and move on from here."

The next round of the 2006 championship takes place at Silverstone in three weeks time on 16th/17th September.