Ellison and Jentin make the most of wet weekend

James Ellison
By Bernard Toleman
July 12 2004

The Jentin Racing British Superbike team enjoyed another run of strong results at a very wet Knockhill in the Scottish Highlands, with two top ten outright finishes and a Superbike Cup win.

The first qualifying session on Saturday started in dry conditions, with every team racing to set a quick time before it rained at the circuit perched on a mountain overlooking Edinburgh. Sure enough, after Ellison had completed five laps there was a heavy shower and, having set the fifteenth quickest time, the team then concentrated on finding a wet set-up for the Yamaha R1.

The rain continued unabated throughout the day and the organisers were forced to abandon the afternoon qualifying session, leaving Ellison unable to better his earlier time and he started the race from the fifteenth grid slot.

The weather at the Knockhill circuit is virtually impossible to predict, and the teams were left with the difficult decision of deciding what tyres to go for both races. With the first Superbike race being run on a drying track, the Jentin squad opted for a wet front and intermediate rear, hoping there would be no further rain. As luck would have it the rain held off and Ellison was able to make a charge through the pack to finish seventh outright and second privateer home.

The track for the second race was a lot wetter than the first and the Jentin Racing team made another good call on tyres, with Ellison finishing tenth outright as the first Superbike Cup runner home, allowing him to consolidate his lead in the privateer championship.

Jentin Racing team principal Jon Poole reported that the weather had worked in their favour and they were able to capitalize on this as a result of a lot of hard work done by both Pirelli tyres and engine tuners Race Techniques.

“It’s impossible to accurately predict what the weather is going to do here but we managed to get it right for both races. A big part of our success today is down to our Pirelli tyres, which are brilliant in wet conditions. Our engine tuners Race Techniques have also come through with further improvements to the Yamaha R1, which has allowed James to bring home another two very strong finishes.”

Rider James Ellison reported that it was the team’s meticulous preparation that had allowed them to make the right set-up and tyre choice for both races.

“We spent a lot of time talking through different weather scenarios for both the races, so I knew we were prepared for any eventuality. As a result it ran like clockwork all weekend and we finished with two top ten results. The whole team has done a fantastic job.”