Kiyonari crashes out but holds off Byrne in season-opening free practice

Courtesy of BSB British Superbike

Results Free practice one: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) 1m:30.385s 2: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.033s 3: Lee Jackson (Buildbase BMW) +0.865s 4: Danny Buchan (Be Wiser Kawasaki) +0.906s 5: Howie Mainwaring (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +0.921s 6: Stuart Easton (PBM Kawasaki) +1.250s Free practice two: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) 1m 30.106s 2: Shane Byrne (PBM Kawasaki) +0.010s 3: James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.075s 4: Billy McConnell (Smiths BMW) +0.169s 5: Christian Iddon (Bennetts Suzuki) + 0.437 6: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.604s Report Ryuichi Kiyonari returns for his attack on a fourth MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship title and kicked off the season by setting the free practice pace at Donington Park ahead of the Easter Monday opening round. Record-breaking four-time champion Shane Byrne, despite hand and ankle injuries sustained in a testing crash last month, mounted a late challenge in the afternoon, closing his PBM Kawasaki to within 0.010s of Kiyonari. The Japanese rider however held on to top spot on the leaderboard despite crashing late on in the second session at Coppice Corner, moments after setting his fastest lap of the day, 1m 30.106s, around the Leicestershire circuit. James Ellison is well placed to challenge them having set the third fastest time of the day on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki while Aussie Billy McConnell, the winner of the Motorpoint British Supersport crown last season, rode strongly on the Smiths BMW, on his return to the top flight. Christian Iddon, defying a bout of gastro-enteritis, was closing McConnell down, but had to settle for fifth fastest on his debut with the Bennetts Suzuki team, just edging ahead of Josh Brookes, whose Milwaukee Yamaha team-mate Broc Parkes completed the top ten. Sandwiched between them were Flying Scot Stuart Easton on the second PBM Kawasaki, Howie Mainwaring riding the Quattro Plant Bournemouth Kawasaki and James Westmoreland on the second JG Speedfit Kawasaki. Tommy Bridewell was another faller in the session, he tipped off the Tyco BMW at Redgate unhurt, to end the day 14th. Ryuichi Kiyonari, P1 in free practice: “Lap by lap the feeling with this new bike was getting better, the feeling is different, but we understand it. Towards the end of the session I was trying something different with speed and braking and I was too fast into the corner. It was a mistake, but I have good speed.” For the latest images to download for media use please click here

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