After the first three rounds of the 2013 championship, he has only managed to amass twenty-seven points so far, with only six coming from the Oulton Park round last weekend. Speaking to bikesportnews.com, Kiyonari says he is at a loss to know why he is going through a rough patch;

‘I was too slow and I just cannot go fast. I have tried many things. Maybe it’s me, I am not pushing enough, as the machine is good. I need to push harder and I need to finish the race, unlike what happened at Thruxton. I’m too slow and I don’t know why.’

Lowes set the early pace in Race One, managing a fast qualifying lap which was 30 seconds faster than the rest of the field. He then carried this effort into the race itself, keeping the lead when Shane crashed out on lap thirteen from second place. The podium was then rounded off by James Ellison and Josh Brookes.

In Race Two, Byrne, the current champion, worked hard to claim the victory, leading a pack of Lowes, Brookes and Ellison. He managed to hold on, taking the win by just under a second. Lowes couldn’t quite keep the pace he’d started, and was overtaken by Brookes, who’d picked up his pace from Race One.

Lowes now leaves Oulton with a single point lead over Byrne in the overall standings.

‘I used to look at the older riders when I was younger and think, ‘Why don’t you retire?’ Now I’m one of them and I have no plans to give up yet! I love British Superbike and I’ve come close to winning the series a few times but for one reason or another it’s never happened…It’s because of the likes of Blackhorse and all my other sponsors that this can still happen and for that I’m truly grateful.’

Race One’s qualifying was hampered by heavy rain and eventually had to be cancelled. As a result, times were taken from the earlier free practise sessions. Byrne lined up in third, but in no time moved up into second, reaching the front spot just a lap later. A battle ensued between Byrne, Alex Lowes and Josh Brookes which resulted in Byrne being pushed back into second on the final lap. Undeterred, the reigning BSB champ powered on, taking over on the final corner and stealing the victory.

By Race Two, the weather resulted in a number of appearances from the safety car, usually just as Byrne was breaking away from the pack. After thirteen laps, the race was stopped, with Byrne being declared the winner. The double win means Byrne has now achieved one more victory than that of Ryuichi Kiyonari, who crashed out of the Thruxton round. Speaking of  his record-breaking weekend, Byrne said it was ‘superb’;

‘To come away with the double is superb and becoming the most successful rider in BSB history just adds to that. I really wanted to put on a show in the second race but just couldn’t get going as the safety car kept coming out every time I opened up a gap, meaning it disappeared…all in all, it’s a great start to the season.’

The opening round at Brands Hatch saw Brookes take his first podium finish of the season, and after an impressive performance at Thruxton last year, he’s eager to get going this time around. PJ Jacobsen meanwhile, had a positive debut at Brands, but is bound to be hoping for even more when qualifying kicks in on Friday. He said;

‘Back to back weekends keep us busy and it also gets me much more track time on my Tyco Suzuki. I was happy with my first race at Brands, but no so much my second. I’ve talked to the team about our strategy for the weekend, where the wide-open nature of Thruxton is something I’m looking forward to.’

Linfoot was immediately flown to hospital after Race One at the weekend and underwent a variety of tests to establish the extent of his injuries. The results showed the Yorkshire rider had sustained four small fractures to his pelvis, but they were not serious enough to require surgery. Speaking to bikesportnews.com, Linfoot said;

‘It could have been a lot worse than it is but could also have been avoided. I came out of Druids and my hand was knocked off the bar by Keith Farmer. I fell off the side of the bike and James Westmoreland had nowhere to go but over me…I believe I’m looking at Knockhill for a return.’

It wasn’t all plain sailing for the Rapid PBM Kawasaki man though, with Alex Lowes, Josh Brookes and Dan Linfoot making things difficult for him in the opening laps – nonetheless, their efforts did nothing to deter Shakey, who took the lead with five laps to go, settling into first position and staying there.

The second race was a different story for Shane, when he was beaten into second place by James Ellison who never gave up the lead once he grabbed hold of it. A failed attempt by Shane to overtake on the twenty-seventh lap resulted in him going wide and having to make do with third place, behind Alex Lowes and James Ellison.

Displaying its impressive 2013 model line-up, which includes two brand new machines, Guy Martin’s TT GSX-R1000 will also be on display; fans will even have the opportunity to meet Tyco Suzuki’s very own Josh Brookes (pictured), PJ Jacobsen and Taylor Mackenzie.

On Sunday 7th April, triple BSB champion, and Suzuki Ambassador, John Reynolds, will join the showcase to regale fans with tales of his time in the BSB and his racing career as a whole. Suzuki’s George Cheeseman said;

‘We are excited to be attending the first round of the BSB at Brands Hatch this weekend. Along with signings from Josh, PJ and Taylor, we will also have the extensive 2013 collection on show including two new models and Guy Martin’s TT bike. We look forward to welcoming Suzuki fans old and new during the weekend.’

Shane comes back to begin his defence for Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki and is just two races behind Kiyonari’s record race tally of forty-three. In the testing so far, both riders are showing a huge determination to win and take the 2013 title! Shane said;

‘Brands Hatch is my home circuit and we want to get the season off to the best possible start. My team has been working hard all winter to give me the best possible package and I’m prepared to push it as far as it takes to win a fourth title.’

As well as the Superbike races, there will be eleven support races taking place, including the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship.

In an interview with BBC Radio Kent, Bynre said he won’t be going anywhere until he’s broken a few records;

‘I’ve been to MotoGP and come back and tried World Superbikes. I’m loving being back. Why would I leave? All I’ve done is equal a record with two other riders – I aim to break records, not equal them.’

Byrne’s experience in the 2004-2005 MotoGP wasn’t the best, something he admits was a ‘bitter pill to swallow’. As it stands however, it seems the champ has no desire or inclination to move on, until he’s achieved a few more British records!

Josh Brookes, PJ Jacobsen, and Taylor Mackenzie will be competing on the GSX-R1000 and GSX-R600 Superbikes for 2013, which now feature lighter, brighter paint-schemes, both of which will make their debut when the season begins at Brands Hatch in April. The team’s manager, Philip Neill, said he was delighted with the new colours;

‘It really is good to see the bikes looking so well and it’s a credit to everyone involved, including our designers and painters, for coming up with something fresh.’

Nineteen year old Jacobsen experienced his first taste of the GSX-R1000 Superbike and he showed he had what it took to compete at the top. Brookes, meanwhile, was on top form as ever, hitting blistering speed despite chilly temperatures!

The team’s latest Supersport recruit, Mackenzie, had to cope with flight delays and then fog before he got his chance on track, but once he did, he sung his bike’s praises! He said;

‘It took a while to get here today, but I’m happy; really happy. The bike felt really good…I just wanted to do more laps. First impressions are really good and I’m looking forward to more tomorrow.’

The 2012 season proved to be a good one for Tommy. He sealed a top-six position in the end of season Showdown and even gave BMW their strongest finish in the history of the Championship. Michael Rutter is one of the strongest and most experienced riders on the grid, with 393 starts. and he is keen to repeat the success he’s experienced in the past onboard Honda machinery in 2004, when he finished up runner-up. This year, he will be exceptionally busy, mixing British Superbike and World Endurance with various other road races. He said;

‘This is a really good opportunity for me and I am looking forward to getting back on a Honda as that means I’m consistent with British Superbike, the World Endurance and the road racing too. We have the backing of Bathams and some really experienced crew, the bikes are the championship-winning ones from 2010 and I think they did a brilliant job then. I wouldn’t be back on the gird if I didn’t think we could get the results.’

Michael’s two riders come in the form of Howie Mainwaring; who makes his return to Superbikes after scoring podium finishes in last year’s Superstock class, and Luke Quigley, who achieved point scoring finishes with GBmoto Honda in 2012. Michael said that the decision to move back to team leader was an easy one;

‘I have really big personal goals for the team and high expectations of both the riders…I have so much enthusiasm and it’s what you need to be successful in racing. The combination of me wanting this team to be a success, plus a pair of dedicated riders whose ultimate passion is racing, should be an exciting prospect.’

‘We’ve been in the paddock since the early nineties, but I have to call it quits, at least for this year, as we just can’t compete…I believe taking a year out will be good for us. We can have a look at how we run things. I need to concentrate on our performance business more as I took my eye off the ball a little bit, so that will be the main focus, but I hope we will be back.’

‘I’m very happy to formalise my agreement with team Moto Rapido …During 2012 I had already got to know the team and BSB, I like the team very much and I was excited to race BSB.’

‘I have unfinished business in British Superbikes and that’s why I want to get back out there again. It feels good to be back and on a competitive bike and everyone has seen that the BMW is a strong package in British Superbikes.’

‘It’s terrific to secure a ride with such a well organised and passionate team. They have a first-class setup with hugely competitive CBR1000 Hondas, and I’m really looking forward to working with GBmoto, my new team-mate Peter Hickman and crew chief, Matt Llewellyn.’

‘I’m really pleased to be a part of the Buildbase BMW team. I’ve known them for a number of years and now is the correct time to work together. I believe we can put together a strong campaign.’ Jon added;

‘I’m glad to be able to announce that I’ll be with the Buildbase BMW team in 2013 and I’m really excited. I’m looking forward to being back on a BMW after winning the Superstock Championship on the S1000RR in 2010.’

‘Getting a competitive ride was essentially important going into 2013.  GBmoto is a great team that I certainly feel is able to offer me that chance…I can’t wait to start testing.’