The HM Plant Honda team return to the Silverstone Arena GP circuit this weekend for the penultimate round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship as Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Brookes prepare for the next two races of the Showdown.

Kiyo and Josh currently lie third and fourth in the overall standings ahead of this weekend’s double header event but having raced already on the Arena GP track at the World Superbike Championship round earlier in the season both riders are aiming to close the point deficit in the championship.

In the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship Steve Plater is looking to build on his previous result; he finished seventh at Croft last time out and is seeking further improvement as he continues his return to fitness after his crash earlier in the season.

Kiyo said:

“I feel that there is less pressure on me now compared to before Croft as we have nothing to lose; I want to win the races at Silverstone. We raced the new track at the World Superbike Championship round and now I know the circuit and we have made some big improvements with the HM Plant Honda since then, so we should be fast. I am just going to try my hardest and push as hard as I can to win. I am not happy unless I am first and after Croft we need to fight for victories as I want to win the championship.”

Josh said:

“I have put the Croft weekend behind me now and all I am thinking about is Silverstone. If you look back to Brands Hatch we had a bad weekend there and then we bounced back with a good weekend at Cadwell Park with a win and a second place, so Silverstone will be the round to recover what we lost at the last one. We have the information and the knowledge from when we raced at the World Superbike Championship round there so we will have to wait and see how we can use that to our advantage. I know in my mind that I want to win and put the HM Plant Honda back at the front.”

Steve said:

“I’m looking forward to Silverstone and hopefully this weekend I can improve again on the result we had at the previous round. Cadwell Park was my first event back and then I improved on the result I had there when we went to Croft, so I was satisfied. Now I just want to improve again. We know that the team have a good set-up on the HM Plant Honda as Josh won at the round earlier in the year, so I just need to get my head down, learn the track and get the best result I can for the team.”

Team Manager Havier Beltran concluded:

“There is definitely all to play for in the championship with five races still remaining and with this in mind both Kiyo and Josh are both heading to Silverstone determined to regain the ground that was lost at Croft. Both riders have experience of the new Arena GP track from the World Superbike Championship round earlier in the season and we are feeling confident that we can challenge for the victories this weekend at such a critical stage in the championship. There is no doubt that both Kiyo and Josh need to be up the front in the races this weekend for the HM Plant Honda team and beating the other Title Fighters.

“For Steve he continues to show improvement in every session as he still recovers from his injuries and he is looking to carry that momentum through to the penultimate round of the season this weekend for HM Plant Honda in the Superstock class.”