HM Plant pair look to impress

BSB front-runner Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonardi look to shine at Silverstone

28 Jul 2010

HM Plant Honda pair Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonari will hope to impress this weekend when they rejoin the World Superbike Championship grid for the British round of the season at Silverstone.

Brookes, who sits second in the British Superbike Championship standings, goes into the weekend with the benefit of having already competed on the new Arena circuit at the Northamptonshire venue after his outing in the British Superstock race that supported the British MotoGP earlier this year.

Having also won two of the three BSB races last time out at Snetterton, the Australian makes the trip to Silverstone in a rich vein of form and is confident of putting on a good show against the WSBK regulars.

"This weekend my approach and preparation will be no different to the BSB rounds as I am going there to do the best job we can," Brookes, who also appeared in WSBK as a substitute for Broc Parkes at Phillip Island earlier in the year, said. "I don't have any expectations in terms of results before we go to Silverstone; we know we are a winning team in BSB and between myself and Kiyo we have won eight races and had another several other podium finishes so far this year, so it will be a good experience to see how we compare to the world championship teams.

"It is a great opportunity for the whole HM Plant Honda team and having already raced in WSB; it feels natural to be back racing in that paddock this weekend. I just want to get the best results I can."

Kiyonari added that he felt the team had the potential to fight against the front-runners on the grid, with the Japanese ace desperate to reward the team with two strong finishes.

"I am looking forward to Silverstone and I really want to get two good results as it will be important to have a good performance there," he said. "It won't be easy and it is difficult to know how we compare to the other riders until we are on the track, but we have the potential to give them competition as we know from BSB that we are fast.

"It will be exciting for me and the team and we have improved all season so I want two good results this weekend. I am feeling nervous but confident at the same time as I have raced in WSBK before, so that is not a problem. I want to show what the HM Plant Honda team can do against the riders in that championship."