Byrne: I didn’t realise I was taken out

Reigning MCE British Superbike champion Shane Byrne says he didn’t realise that Ryuichi Kiyonari’s Buildbase BMW had taken him out during the second race of the day at Oulton Park on Monday until he was rolling through the gravel traps of the Cheshire circuit.

The PBM Kawasaki rider had been dicing with Kiyonari for the lead for most of the race, until a mistake form the Japanese rider left him watching from the sidelines as teammate Stuart Easton took the win.

“I thought I had just run in with a bit too much back brake on and spun the bike around. Then as I was rolling through the grass I noticed Kiyo’s bike come flying passed and I thought ‘ah, that wasn’t the case’. It is what it is. I have an awful lot of respect and admiration for Kiyo as a rider and I know full well that would have been the last thing he intended.

“I also know how bad it feels for those split seconds before the collision because you make a decision and you don’t get a choice to back out of it, you know straight away it isn’t going to work and wish you could disappear or the ground would swallow you up before you hit the other person. It is a bit frustrating as I felt I had that win in the bag but at the same time I am over the moon for the PBM team and Stuart as I was cheering him from the wall at Hizzys.”

For a full exclusive interview with both Kiyonari and Byrne following the incident, see today Wednesday 6th May’s MCN.