Category: British Superbikes

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British Superbikes Round 5, 2022 from Brands Hatch

We are back after the summer break in the British Superbike Series. Round 5 comes from the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent. For those like me who love the circuit, you’ll be pleased to know it’s the full GP circuit, not the shorter Indy version. Brands GP very much reminds me of the old Hockenheim F1 circuit in Germany. A decent percentage of the race ran out in the open in front of packed grandstands and fan lined fences, while the latter half of the circuit runs out into the wilderness, winding its way through the woods and stunning backdrop of the Kentish countryside.

BSB Josh Brookes Picture courtesy of PBMotorsport MCE Ducati

In a world full of ‘modern’ circuits consisting of long straights ending with heavy braking into 1st gear hairpins and chicanes, Brands is yet another example of a classis British ‘short circuit’ full of long, flowing corners and severe undulations. A circuit steeped in racing history having previously hosted the F1 British Grand Prix, World Superbikes, World Endurance Racing and World Touring Cars. The circuit currently plays host to British Superbikes, BTCC British Touring Cars and many more smaller racing series.

The 2.433m circuit has produced some great racing over the years. Hill v Hopper in 2011 is STILL the first thing I think of when I see the words Brands Hatch. The last few laps of that race will long live on in my memory as a handful of the best racing laps I have ever seen and yes, I did watch Rossi v Lorrenzo – Catalunya 2009! Brands Hatch has also seen the title battle go down to the wire many times since the introduction of the showdown platform. Later this year we return to Brands for the British Superbike finale (Oct 14th to 16th) and I have no doubt it will be more of the same, this year.

As results go, this time last year the spoils were spread evenly between three riders. Current British Champion, Tarran Mackenzie on the McAMS Yamaha R1 who took the Race 1 victory. Followed up by Race 2 going the way of his team-mate and title protagonist Jason O’Halloran. The then PBM Ducati rider, Christian Iddon (now riding for Buildbase Suzuki), followed up with a victory in the third and final race of the weekend in changeable conditions after gambling (and paying off) on a slick tyre on a drying track, only to have the playing field leveled after a red flag and restart procedure.

My observations for this weekend:

Bradley Ray – OMG Racing Yamaha

Current title leader Bradley Ray comes into the race weekend 16 points clear of his nearest rival in the standings, Jason O’Halloran. Ray is looking to continue his strong run of results this season which have seen him pick up 3 race wins, 3 second places and 3 third place finishes so far. The fighting spirit will no doubt be there in abundance for Bradley as Brands is his home circuit, making the desire to put on a show and stand on the box something extra to fight for in front of the local fans.

BSB Bradley Ray Picture courtesy of OMG Racing

For the 2022 season, OMG Racing switched from BMW M1000RR motorcycles to the Yamaha R1 and so far, the move seems to have paid off on a grand scale as the Yamaha has form at Brands with Mackenzie on the box in all 3 races in 2021 and O’Show making it up there twice. Hopefully the recent news that Rich Energy have parted ways with the OMG Racing outfit won’t have a detrimental effect on their 2022 title chances. It is unclear yet as to what has happened and why the parties have decided to part ways. We assume statements from the team will be made over the coming weekend.

Jason O’Halloran – McAMS Yamaha

As mentioned above, there are only 16 points in it now between O’Show and Ray. After a somewhat lackluster start to the 2022 campaign by O’Halloran, where he found himself regularly picking up the 6th place finishers spot, Jason has come on song this last couple of rounds. A 2nd, Win and Win in the 3 races at Donington and then on to repeat the same feat again at the most recent Knockhill round, has closed the gap to current series leader Ray, and has shown that perhaps McAMS have found a better setting with the R1 moving forward. This could aid them at Brands with its long flowing corners utilising the combination of corner speed and edge grip that the R1 offers. Jason is definitely the man in form at the moment and I see no reason why he couldn’t be the man on the top step over the coming weekend.

Tarran Mackenzie – McAMS Yamaha

Fresh off his wildcard debut at Donington Park World Superbikes this weekend. An impressive 14th place for his Race 1 debut, an unfortunate DNF in the Superpole race and scored 15th place in Race 2. Bike fitness returning ever more, session by session Taz told the SBK paddock and Eurosport TV that he’s now pain free and back to full training after his rehabilitation from a broken ankle earlier this year. This comes at a very good time for Taz as he looks to secure a place in the BSB Showdown. A very achievable feat when you consider he won 4 of the 6 races held at Brands Hatch in 2021. Taz finds himself 49 points behind 8th place in the championship, currently held by Synetiq BMW’s Danny Buchan. With 75 points up for grabs, if Taz can come into some previous form, then suddenly the gap doesn’t seem so big. Consistent, trouble free racing is what Taz needs as I am sure his Dad will be telling him. Keep your head down and stay out of trouble and the results will come.

BSB Jason O’Halloran Picture courtesy of McAMS Yamaha

Lee Jackson – Cheshire Mouldings FS3 Kawasaki

As with O’Halloran, Lee Jackson has stepped up the pace in the last few rounds scoring his first BSB race win, and being on the box, more than off it over the Oulton, Donington and Knockhill rounds. The firm outside chance, Lee feels like a racer who is coming into his own. His gentle riding style and super clean race craft have earned him the respect of his fellow pilots. Perhaps the belief in his own skill set is hatching from the racing egg. Has Lee realised that if he wants to win races, now is the best time to do it! There is no doubting the pedigree of the Kawasaki ZX10 and Lee always being there or thereabouts, we are yet to see if Jackson has the stones to go all out bar banging, fairing bashing and block passing his rivals for the win on a regular basis. However in a year where a lot of people would have put their money on his up-and-coming team-mate, Rory Skinner, Jackson has more than handed them their change from the ‘opinion box’ and firmly shut some mouths! And fair play to him for taking that step!

Rory Skinner – Cheshire Mouldings FS3 Kawasaki

A fairly consistent run so far for Skinner having taken a 2nd and a few 3rd places this year. Skinner is having a good season, putting aside any talk of his future in the MotoGP paddock. After dominating in the Supersport class and then stepping up to BSB last year with the FS3 team, it would be rational that Rory would take a step forward and he has certainly lived up to those expectations. I don’t see consistent, out and out race winning pace YET despite crashing out of the lead in the third race at the Scotsman’s local circuit, Knockhill recently. I have no doubt he’s capable of breaking his BSB duck before the end of the year and were he to be staying in BSB, I’ve no doubt he would win titles but with him being such a young talent, he is heavily rumored to be moving on to the Moto2 World Championship and I wish him the best of luck if that’s what he wants to do and has the opportunity.

BSB Rory Skinner Picture courtesy of Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Racing

Glenn Irwin – Honda Racing UK

Off the back of a very successful Northwest 200 and Isle of Man TT campaign, I’d like to think Glenn is coming into the weekend with confidence and the desire to get going again. A decent time off the bike to rest up and a few weeks in the Tenerife sunshine should have him raring to go and ready to take the second half of the season by the scruff of the neck. After a dominant start to the 2022 season, winning all 3 races at Silverstone, the podium credits have proven hard to come by for the Northern Irishman. Hampered by a double DNF at Donington (Race 2 was a technical breakdown whereas during Race 3, avoiding a crashing Leon Haslam at Starkeys, resulting in his own crash). This has had a huge effect on his placement in the standings when you consider the consistency of Ray and O’Halloran. Currently sitting 82 points back from the championship lead, Glenn is in that beautiful position now of having so much to gain and very little to lose. I for one would love to see Glenn step up at Brands and smoke the lot of them!

The Outside Chances

Racing is never simple. Applying the logic “because the top 8 in the championship are the top 8, that means they’re the top 8 from now till the end of the season”. The beauty of racing is the fact no one can really predict what is going to happen. A feat proven by Jorge Lorenzo of MotoGP when he started his 99 Seconds podcast on Youtube. Lorenzo went on to predict every podium in MotoGP and without going back and checking for absolute certainty, I don’t think he got a single one correct. Weather can make a massive difference. First lap collisions and racing incidents. Qualifying positions. How the rider is feeling on the day. I wouldn’t be surprised here to see Josh Brookes come forward, having previously been known as the King of Brands. Tom Sykes has form at Brands, albeit a long time ago, after winning Race 2 and 3 as a wildcard back in 2010 during his tenure in World Superbikes.

Tommy Bridewell was on the podium in Race 1 of the July 2021 visit to Brands whereas in the October visit to the circuit, he had a hat trick of 2nd places to Yamaha’s Tarran Mackenzie. However with the current results, in spite of their upward trajectory, it seems quite the stretch for the Ducati riders. Danny Buchan is also one to watch for stringing a strong weekend together at Brands Hatch. Danny has previously finished in 4th place several times at the circuit as his lanky style, long legs and levers aid the rider muscling the bike around the high g-force circuit when tackling corners such as Paddock Hill Bend, Westfield, Dingle Dell and Sheene Curve.

BSB Tom Sykes Picture courtesy of PBM Motorsport MCE Ducati

Either way we are in for a thriller and I for one cannot wait to get going again!

Check back with me after the weekend for a write up on how things went and how badly my predictions/thoughts etc were!

Thanks racing fans. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

@RacingArmchair

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BSB – Ducati Power or Ducati Whimper?

We are a third of the way through the Bennetts British Superbikes 2022 Season. Perhaps it’s time to sit down and cover a topic that has left many fans of the series, somewhat stumped. The mystifying rise and fall of the Ducati Panigale V4-R.

Josh Brookes Celebrating being the 2020 BSB Champion. Image courtesy of Ducati

Now don’t be fooled, if you are a new arrival to the BSB paddock for 2022, you’d be forgiven for thinking that one of the most expensive road bikes you can purchase from a dealer, is languishing in the mid-pack because the bike simply isn’t good enough or perhaps the riders aren’t either? In previous years this is anything but the case and I will also give my opinion as to why they do have the right people, but perhaps not the best bike.

Ducati have form for winning British championships. They have won on this iteration of the Ducati Panigale, but also the previous 1199. Championships won with riders such as Scott Redding, Shane “Shakey” Byrne, John Reynolds, Steve Hislop, Neil Hodgson, some bloke called Gregorio Lavilla and an Aussie fella called Troy… There is however one rider missing from this list. Hmmm I wonder who that could be?

Now, in mind of the above, let’s concentrate on this year’s line-up for the Italian manufacturer in the BSB series. MCE Ducati, ran by the PBM Paul Bird Motorsport team, have pinned their hopes for a 2022 championship trophy in the hands of Tom Sykes and Josh Brookes. Also running the Panigale V4-R is long standing Ducati customer, Oxford Products Racing, under the watchful eye of Steve “Wilf” Moore. Their rider of choice for this year, and the previous few is Tommy Bridewell.

Let’s start with Tom Sykes. Those keeping up with the world of racing, will know Tom has spent what feels like about 20 years (13 in reality) inside the World Superbike paddock. The Yorkshireman has long held a firm grip on the front half of the grid whilst having won the World Superbike championship himself in 2013 with Kawasaki. Sykes has also secured the runners up position on three occasions and finished third overall, twice.

Josh Brookes and Tom Sykes – Picture courtesy of Ducati

After a move from Kawasaki to BMW machinery for the 2019 season, Tom’s results didn’t pan out to where he, or the manufacturer would have wanted. This has resulted in BMW going with another rider line up for the 2022 season. Namely Scott Redding has replaced Sykes in the World Superbike team. Most fans of the sport would comment that the issue, to those of us on the outside, didn’t appear to be the rider, but the BMW itself. Years of midfield mediocrity do nothing to convince us hard core fans that BMW are serious about winning on their S1000RR – BUT THAT IS FOR ANOHTER ARTICLE!

Safe to say, there is no doubting Tom Sykes’ skill on a bike. Tom entered the 2022 BSB Champioship as a favourite for the title. A revelation this Racing Armchair witnessed first hand when attending one of Jamie Whitham and John McGuiness’ “Evenings with” to cover the Isle of Man TT earlier this year in Lytham. During the Q & A session with the audience, Whitham was asked who he thinks will win the BSB championship in 2022. There was an outpouring of voices from the audience (of only 1000 people but still a decent number) shouting the name Tom Sykes. Personally, I wasn’t convinced.

I have made my feelings known on Twitter many a times in a respectful but honest manner. I was yet to be assured of Sykes’ guaranteed victory purely on the basis that Tom hasn’t ridden these circuits for a LONG time. These bikes. These electronic (or lack of) packages. These tyres. Heck, he’s probably not really used to riding in the rain anymore. Imagine going from Laguna Seca, Barcelona, Philip Island to Knockhill or Cadwell Park? Exactly! I have personally tweeted Tom several times to say that a solid first season back in the paddock would be a top 10. I don’t think he needs to even worry about the showdown.

Aside of the change in track layouts, tyres, electric and good old British weather, Tom also has to deal with the hardened racers whom have inhabited the BSB paddock for a number of years. The likes of Brookes, Bridewell, O’Halloran, Peter Hickman, Glenn Irwin, Danny Buchan, Bradley Ray, Taz Mackenzie, and Christian Iddon etc are veterans of the series now. These riders have clocked up more laps of these tracks than Rossi has at his ranch! Not to mention the influx of young (some) and very talented Fighter Pilots such as Chrissy Rouse, Storm Stacey, Rory Skinner, Lee Jackson, Tom Neave and Kyle Ryde. And last but not least, the returning British Superbike Champion Leon Haslam, who makes his own return to the series for 2022. However as it stands now, Leon is only marginally in front of Tom, but that is still one place further down the pecking order.

Personally, I hope it works out for Tom after a somewhat underwhelming start to his new life inside the BSB paddock. I listened to a podcast at the start of the year in which Paul Bird was a guest and his words were along the lines of but paraphrased slightly “It’s a results business and it costs a lot of money. So, I am sorry, but yes you are expected to win!” The saving grace Tom has on his side happens to be that both Josh Brookes and Tommy Bridewell are complaining of the same issues he faces. Time will tell if Tom can get his head around the British Superbikes. But I for one wish him luck this year and hope to see him retained for another year with Paul Bird as no matter how good you are, everyone deserves a learning year.

Moving on to Tommy Bridewell (yes, I have skipped Josh Brookes for now). Tommy has been with the Oxford team now in full since the 2019 season of the British Superbikes. His strongest year by far. Also coinciding with the first year that the Panigale changed from the 1199 twin to the current V4-R 1000cc. It was a new bike at the time, and it proved THE bike to be on. Tommy going on to secure 3rd place overall in the championship behind Josh Brookes and the new champion, Scott Redding. Most of us will cast our memory back and see images of the three Ducati’s romping off to the podium but 2019 wasn’t an easy season by a long shot with multiple DNF’s across the three riders.

Oxford Products Racing Ducati – Picture courtesy of Ducati

Tommy had a dip in 2020 and his results placed him 7th overall but in 2021, he showed that he has true grit by coming forward in the showdown to fight for the 2nd place runners up spot to Yamaha’s Taz Mackenzie. We all remember Tommy winning at Oulton Park by about 15 seconds. Tommy winning the race wasn’t the surprise but the margin he won by certainly was. Enter 2022, and the current season is going better than Sykes and Brookes, but not by a great margin. An underdeveloped bike, rumoured to be there or thereabouts the same bike as the previous seasons for all the Ducati teams, However I’m sure Oxford run slightly different parts to the MCE PBM team such as exhaust brands and small details. Mainly, in my opinion the bike seems to have lost it’s edge over the other manufacturers. Something we can come back to in a moment.

The attentive reader will notice I didn’t mention Josh in the previous list of Ducati champions. Well, that would give the game away, wouldn’t it? Truth be told whether you are a fan of Josh Brookes, he used this very same Ducati V4-R Panigale to secure his second British Superbike Championship in 2020 with the then named Vision Track PBM Ducati. Josh’s first British Championship came in 2015 aboard the Milwaukee Yamaha R1. Josh has faced some of BSB’s most skilled riders over the years and won. Names such as Shakey Byrne, Scott Redding, Ryuichi Kiyonari, Leon Haslam, Alex Lowes, Tommy Hill, James Ellison, Jason O’Halloran, Jake Dixon, Taz Mackenzie and Dan Linfoot to name but a few. All of the above for Josh goes to show his racing CV and the quality of it and in the words of Paul Bird himself when asked if he was going to replace Josh half way through the 2021 season: “He’s a two time British Champion and I’m going to stick by him.”

So what is happening this year? I cast my mind back to a chat I had with Josh back at Oulton Park 2 race at the end of the BSB 2021 season. I watched the O’Show’s season fall apart right in front of me at the bottom of Clay Hill. For the next race I watched Taz punt Christian Iddon off into the gravel at Lodge, also right in front of me. At this point I’m starting to wonder if I am a bad omen but truth be told, it’s just BSB. Action on all fronts. I didn’t fancy braving the queue to leave Oulton Park after the final BSB race (those who have been know exactly what I mean) so decided to have a wander round, drink a brew and catch the Ducati Cup race at the end of the day. Watching Stalker and McPint razzing round on yet more Panigale V4’s.

One thing I love about Oulton is the paddock. How you can literally stand outside the back of the garages, full superfan with your marker and team shirt ready to sign. I’m not the starstruck type, but when Josh Brookes happened to walk out right in front of me and take a picture with a fan, I couldn’t help myself. “Chance of a piccie Josh?” Of course. No problem. My brother gets his phone out and all is normal. Smile for the camera. Click. Click. Click. Thanks Josh. Blah Blah Blah. But do you know when you just get that sense that someone wants to talk? And neither of you are really sure how to kick it off? Well in my line of work, I sell things. Talking is my trade. So I started with a very simple “How are you?”. The floodgates opened. We spoke about how physically tired he is after the 3rd race but more so at Oulton Park. The thin nature of the circuit and the undulations lend themselves to riders who are full body fit. Not just the runners. We are talking arms, legs, wrists, neck, knees and even your bottom muscles.

Josh stood there in his leathers looking like he had just finished the London marathon. We spoke about how the bikes are getting too powerful now for these nadgery little British tracks but Josh’s opinion was THAT is the very reason BSB is so good and why the fans love it so much. We spoke about his plans for 2022 (now bear in mind by this point we are where PBM haven’t announced what they are doing for 2022). Josh was very upfront as said he didn’t have a deal in place but he had spoken to Paul and had assured him he wanted to stay etc. I mentioned that Paul Bird had been interviewed at Brands Hatch saying he wanted to re-sign Josh. He was open and honest and said he hoped that Paul was a man of his word. So after 20 minutes or so Josh made his excuses and off he went. News followed around Xmas time that Josh had indeed been re-signed to the team.

Josh had been under a lot of pressure for 2021 after a dip in form and unfortunately 2022 hasn’t gone much better, BUT when all three bikes are in the same position, and all three bikes have the same complaints (according to Brookes on a recent podcast) perhaps we all now need to admit it could have been the bike last year. However the string of positive results and podiums from Christian Iddon in 2021 do counter that argument but you only have to look around any paddock to see that sometimes a rider clicks with a bike when 10 others cannot. Ala Marc Marquez. Toprak Razgatlioglu. Fabio Quartararo. Johnny Rea. Glenn Irwin etc.

There has been some forward progression for Brookes at the recent Knockhill round until a mistake going into the uphill chicane meant he had to cut the kerb and lost places which in turn saw him fall backwards from the front group. Josh has said they have made improvements with the bike but BSB rider Christian Iddon, former PBM Ducati rider is quoted as saying “It must be with the setting then because it looks exactly the same bike to me”. Most mechanically minded and educated people who follow the sport believe it to be a case of “if you aren’t moving forwards, you are standing still”. The bikes around them in the championship are progressing and making gains. Be that via upgrades to the package or just improvements in setting or Aero. For example the Honda seemed to have taken a step forwards under Glenn Irwin at the start of the season. The all-new BMW 1000M is slowly being dialled in by Peter “135” Hickman of FHO Racing and Danny Buchan of Synetic BMW. Along side the strong pairings of Jason O’Halloran and Tax Mackenzie (still recovering from injury but 2021 champion all the same) on the McAms Yamaha. Kyle Ride and Championship favourite, Bradley Ray, on the OMG Yamaha bikes are also taking up regular sports inside the top 6 and even on the box. With such gains made in terms of bikes and riders, is it any wonder the Ducati’s are struggling this year?

Josh Brookes -Picture courtesy of Ducati Racing

I hope the Ducati brand comes back to the front. The more bikes we have capable of running at the sharp end and winning races can only be better for what is considered to be the best domestic racing series on the planet!

Only 7 more rounds to go! Phew!

Have a Goodun, Armchair

Twitter – @RacingArmchair

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2022 British Superbikes Season Preview

The wait is almost over! In just two weeks’ time, the British Superbike teams will take to the track for the first official test of 2022.

BSB never fails to disappoint in its action-packed and thrilling races. And with some big stars returning to the grid this year, we’re in for a treat.

2022 will see the return of two favourites in the British motorcycle world, with Tom Sykes heading to Paul Bird’s squad and Leon Haslam racing on Lee Hardy’s Vision Track Kawasaki.

Amongst these two names, we will see the likes of Rory Skinner contest his second season in the championship after bursting onto the scene last year at his home race at Knockhill.

Tarran Mackenzie at BSB Knockhill 2019. Image courtesy of Impact Images/ McAMS Yamaha

His compatriot, Tarran Mackenzie, will remain at McAMS Yamaha after winning his maiden BSB title in 2021 despite interest from the World Superbikes paddock.

The Scotsman suffered a scare at the beginning of the year after breaking his ankle during a training accident in Spain which led to surgery. For now, it seems he will make a full recovery and ride at the first test at Snetterton.

Although turning down offers for a full contract in WSBK, Mackenzie will contest three rounds as a wildcard at Donington Park, Assen and a third circuit which is yet to be known on a full-spec R1 this year.

Elsewhere on the grid, Christian Iddon has moved to Buildbase Suzuki to line-up alongside Danny Kent. Rich Energy OMG Racing also retain the services of Bradley Ray and Kyle Ride who look to build on a promising 2021.

Bradley Ray on pole. Image courtesy of Suzuki racing.

Looking at the calendar, the season will get underway with Round 1 taking place at the Silverstone National Circuit on the weekend of 15-17 April and will end with the usual finale at Brands Hatch in mid-October.

As a very early prediction, here’s who I think will make the top three:

  1. Tarran Mackenzie
  2. Jason O’Halloran
  3. Josh Brookes
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A brief history of Silverstone

We’ve all been there: Race Weekend.

The thrill and excitement. The smell of the fuel. The sound of the engines. The anticipation for the race to start. The energy building. The lights going out. The speed of the racers. The elation when the racer you support wins or the deflation when they don’t. We as fans feel it all.

But, how did Silverstone get to where it is today?

Built in 1942 and used up until 1947 as RAF Silverstone, its sole purpose was for Wellington Bombers in WWII to take-off at the airfield that used to occupy the space. At the end of the war it was left abandoned.

RAF Silverstone. Prior to racetrack. Courtesy of: Sportskeeda

In 1948 the Royal Automobile Club were thinking of bringing back motor racing to England and chose the abandoned airfield located in Northamptonshire as the start of their journey. 30th June 1948 a one-year lease had been secured and later that year in October the first international Grand Prix was held. Behind the scenes a lot of effort took place, 620 marshals were hired, 170 tonnes of straw bales were used and 10 miles of signal writing put into place. The event drew in an audience of 100,000 spectators. The RAC Grand Prix victory went to Luigi Villoresi.

We couldn’t speak about Silverstone’s rich history without Formula One. During an F1 race there is an average of 52 laps to complete at Silverstone and the circuit length is: 306.198km/ 190.263miles.

Silverstone circuit explained. Courtesy of: Pinterest

Notable F1 moments:

1950 – King George VI and our now Queen (Elizabeth II) visited and watched the racing. This was the one and only time that a reigning Monarch had done so. The race was won by Giuseppe Farina.

1960 – Graham Hill was cruising to victory ahead of Jack Brabham but with only 5 laps till the chequered flag, Hill spun off, leaving Brabham to take the win.

1971 – Jackie Stewart won that years race and along with it a new lap record.

1983 – Alain Prost hailed victorious, claiming his first win at Silverstone.

1998 – Michael Schumacher oddly won that years race whilst being stationary in the pits.

2008 – Local-boy Sir Lewis Hamilton took victory (and would go on to win 8 times).

Hamilton wins at Silverstone. Courtesy of: BT

2022 – F1 will return to Silverstone 1st – 3rd July.

F1 British Grand Prix 2021 | Silverstone – Link to tickets.

Notable track moments:

1964 – Trying to improve safety for the competitors and their mechanics, a new pit lane separate to the main track was put in place.

1975 – Brand new pit garages were erected and a chicane was added at Woodcote.

1987 – The s-bend was removed and replaced with a sharp left – right bend on approach and larger pit garages were also added.

1990’s – A massive renovation took place to the circuit, which remains today – extra seating was erected and changes were made to the layout of the track eg. run-off at Copse was increased and Stowe became tighter. Further alterations have since followed.

2000’s – A new pit and paddock complex was built between Copse and Abbey and a new “arena” complex was ready for the 2010 season.

2018/19 – In 2018 the track was resurfaced but drainage issues forced the Moto GP race to be cancelled. Ahead of the 2019 race, the track was resurfaced yet again.

It has become the home of iconic British Racing, with it’s incredible history stretching back all the way to those days in 1948. It is instantly recognisable and is one of the fastest tracks on the racing calendar.

But, it wasn’t all about cars. Britain had a taste for Motorbike racing also. During a motorbike race there is an average of 20 laps to complete at Silverstone and the circuit length is: 5.89km. With 8 left-hand corners, 10 right-hands and a 770m long straight.

Moto GP circuit is slightly different from F1 course. Courtesy of: Silverstone website

On the weekend of 13th August 1977 the British Motorcycle Grand Prix debuted. It was to be legend Giacomo Agostini’s final race, he finished a respectful 9th and American Pat Hennon on the Texaco Heron Team Suzuki took victory.

Notable Moto GP moments:

1978 – Another American won, this time it was Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) who took the win, in-front of two Brits – Steve Manship and Barry Sheene.

1979 – 1981 – Americans dominated the podium: Kenny Roberts took a second victory (1979) and a third (1980). Kenny Roberts and Randy Mamola took 2nd and 3rd behind Jack Middleburg (Suzuki) (1981).

1986 – Australian Wayne Gardner (Honda) took the top-spot. Some may recognise the name – 2021 Moto 2 Champion Remy Gardner’s Father.

Wayne and Remi Gardner. Courtesy of Herald Sun

1987 – Eddie Lawson won from Wayne Gardner and Randy Mamola. The racing then left Silverstone in favour of another British track: Donington. But returned in 2010 with modern-day Moto GP.

2010 – Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) took the flag from Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) and Ben Spies (Yamaha).

2011 – Another Australian lifted the trophy this time it was Casey Stoner’s (Honda) turn. With Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) and Colin Edwards (Yamaha) third.

2013 – All Spanish podium consisted of: Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), Marc Marquez (Honda) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda).

2015 – All Italian podium: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati).

2016 – Maverick Vinales (Suzuki) took the win ahead of British-man Cal Crutchlow (Honda). The first time a Brit in Moto GP had stepped onto the podium since 1984. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was third.

2018 – The race was cancelled due to torrential rain and the circuit having drainage issues.

2020 – Cancelled again this time due to Global Pandemic – Covid-19.

2021 – Current Moto GP Champion Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) took victory from Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia).

2022 – Moto GP will return to Silverstone 5th – 7th August.

British Grand Prix MotoGP | Silverstone  – Link to tickets.

Silverstone also hosted for a brief while the World Superbikes Championship, from 2002 – 2007 and then again 2010 – 2013.

Notable World Superbike moments:

2002 – First time at Silverstone and American Colin Edwards (Honda) won race one with Australian Troy Bayliss (Ducati) winning race two.

2003 – Neil Hodgson was victorious for both race one and two.

2006 – Troy Bayliss won both race one and two.

2007 – Once again Troy Bayliss won race one but race two was cancelled. WSBK didn’t return again until 2010.

2010 – Celebrations were in order as Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) triumphantly won both races.

Winning looks good. Courtesy of CircuitProDigital

2011 – Carlos Checa (Ducati) decided to check-out and won both races that weekend.

2013 – Jonathan Rea (Honda) took first in race one and Loris Baz (Kawasaki) claimed the win for race two.

Donington became the new home for WSBK afterwards.

Silverstone Race Circuit also has hosted the British Superbike Championship from 1998 – present.

Notable British Superbike moments:

1998 – James Haydon (Suzuki) wins the first BSB race at Silverstone with familiar name Troy Bayliss (GSE Racing bike) winning the second race.

1999 – Troy Bayliss (Ducati) won both races for the weekend.

2000 – Two Brits dominated this time round – Neil Hodgson (Ducati) won the first race and Chris Walker (Samsung Crescent bike) won the second race.

2006 – 2007 – Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) spectacularly won all four races.

2012 – Alex Lowes (Honda) claimed both race victories.

2019 – Tarran Mackenzie (Yamaha) took to the podium and took his maiden victory in the second race. Whilst Josh Elliott (OMG Racing UK.com) took the first race win.

Winning maiden victory for Tarran. Courtesy of: Eurosport 2

2022 – BSB will return to Silverstone 15th – 17th April.

British Superbike | Silverstone – Link to tickets.

As we immerse ourselves in the racing, witnessing wheel-to-wheel fighting and cheering on the competitors, we say the names given to parts of the circuit but never think twice about where these names originated from.

The story behind the name:

Abbey and Luffield – Luffield Abbey remains were discovered 200 metres from Stowe corner.

Becketts and Chapel Curve – Ruins of the chapel of Thomas Beckett are close to the circuit.

Stowe Corner – Named after the school which resides not too far away.

Maggotts – Maggotts Moor Field is also close to the track.

Copse – A small wood used to be adjacent to the corner.

Club Corner – In honour of the RAC Club.

Woodcote – Named for the Country Club, located in Woodcote Park in Surrey.

Hangar Straight – Two aircraft hangers originally lined the circuit where the straight sits.

Hamilton Straight – Named in 2010 in honour of the achievements of British racing driver Sir Lewis Hamilton.

Village – Commemorating Silverstone Village.

Ireland – Named for Innes Ireland (GP driver and President of the British Racing Drivers Club).

Wellington Straight – Vickes Wellington Bombers were based at RAF Silverstone.

Brooklands – Named for the world’s first purpose-built circuit at Weybridge, Surrey.

The Loop – Simply the shape of the corner.

The names may change over time and the circuit may yet again see change and growth. But one thing is for sure, racing unites fans and brings them together to enjoy the absolute ecstasy of the event. We all have our personal memories of a certain race at this legendary track, whether we were there in person soaking in the atmosphere or watching on TV – sitting on the edge of our seats. The magic of Silverstone will always live on.

 

 

 

Featured image: 2019 race win. Courtesy of: Ultimate Motorcycling Magazine 

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Mackenzie – King of Brands 2021

It was an action-packed return to the home of British motorcycle racing that is Brands Hatch, however it was also a weekend overshadowed by the harsh reality that faces our sport every time we strap our helmets on and pull on our gloves.

Before I go any further, everyone at CrewOnTwo would like to send their well wishes to/and to the family of Mr. Brad Jones of iForce Lloyd & Jones BMW – who unfortunately after a crash in lap 1 of the first race of the weekend, was evacuated by air ambulance to Kings College Hospital in London for further treatment. Our thoughts remain with the family, the team, and Brad at this difficult time.

Image courtesy of @bradjones12, @Instagram

Race One

The weekend started with VisionTrack Ducati’s Christian Iddon leading the championship, however following his team-mate’s success in 2020, the eyes were on the prize for Josh Brookes for this year’s King of Brands trophy. With this year’s competition, it most certainly was not going to be a victory handed on a silver platter. 

We saw the 4th different winner in the opening race when victory was clinched by McAMS Yamaha’s Tarran Mackenzie. Taz was able to lead from pole when the race was restarted and was able to hold the pack for the remaining 12 laps. His teammate wasn’t far behind in 5th overall. It was a chase to the finish between Bridewell and Mackenzie! Bridewell commented after the race that “had to get my elbows out and be a bit tough” which is all that racing is about! Oh how we’ve missed it. Danny Kent completed the top 10 for Buildbase Suzuki, narrowly pushing Glenn Irwin out into 11th for Honda Racing.

The podium of race one saw a strong presence of red as the Yamaha was accompanied by the two Ducati’s of Tommy Bridewell and Christian Iddon. Everyone of course with only one person on their mind and all were thankful they were able to finish the restarted race safely.

Race one podium, image courtesy of @OfficialBSB, @Instagram
  1. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha)
  2. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.225s
  3. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) +1.802s
  4. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +3.589s
  5. Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +6.838s
  6. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Kawasaki) +7.036s
  7. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) +8.664s
  8. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Kawasaki) +10.447s
  9. Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) +13.494s
  10. Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +13.856s

Race Two

The action continued into race two of the weekend as Synetiq BMW’s Danny Buchan pushed into the lead from Paddock Hill Bend, however, it was short and sweet as the VisionTrack Ducati’s Christian Iddon was instantly on the attack to claim the lead. Mackenzie was put under pressure which caused him to drop back a few spaces, only opening the gap for his team-mate Jason O’Halloran – who sat comfortably in the podium fight for the remainder of the race. It was a tight fight that saw switched positions after each corner, Iddon came through on Buchan only piling the pressure on more – whilst Bridewell sat immediately behind ready to pounce as he’d fought his way up the order.

By the time the final laps had arrived there was still no clear winner, Buchan refusing to give up while Mackenzie reappeared wishing to make amends to the title following his earlier mistake. O’Halloran took another sweet victory for McAMS Yamaha,  followed closely by a Bridewell in second and Mackenzie in third position. Rory Skinner maintains his spectacular maiden season in BSB by scooping a 6th, while the man just outside the top 10 in race one, Glenn Irwin of Honda Racing was this time able to take 8th.

Race Two winner Jason O’Halloran, image courtesy of @ohalloran22, @Instagram

It was a devastating race for defending King of Brands Josh Brookes, as he finished outside the points in 18th position while trying to harmonize again with his Ducati.

  1. Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 
  2. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.188s
  3. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +5.845s
  4. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad) +5.758s
  5. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) +6.503s
  6. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +8.658s
  7. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +9.865s
  8. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) +18.410s
  9. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +18.823s
  10. Gino Rea (Buildbase Suzuki) +19.093s

Race Three

It was the third and final race, the pressure was on and although an overclouded atmosphere of overwhelming togetherness following the accident involving Brad Jones in race one, the grid was battling hard but never so close together as a family united.

Christian Iddon of VisionTrack Ducati was finally able to claim a victory after fighting hard across the whole weekend at Brands Hatch. In the 7-lap restarted sprint race he was just able to hold off 2021’s new King of Brands, Tarran Mackenzie of McAMS Yamaha. Declared initially as a wet race, it was looking like a positive for the likes of riders who are in their prime in these conditions – however, with a rainbow of various tyre choices unable to keep up with the changing track, there was bound to be some riders slip through the net.

Image courtesy of @officialbsb, @Instagram

Brookes, who opted for wet front and rear, launched from his 16th starting position to the front end of the field. However, he was only keeping the seat warm for Danny Buchan who by lap 5 and its changing weather conditions was leading the pack. Like many others, Buchan had gone with a slick front and intermediate rear – which enabled him to make pace on Brookes.

Buildbase goes BOOM! Image courtesy of @ginorea, @Instagram

As laps went on it was an unfortunate blowout for Gino Rea which brought the race to a red flag, he was not injured in the blow and the race was soon restarted. The restart sprint saw no hanging about from Buchan and Irwin, followed closely by Iddon who didn’t let Buchan take the lead for long. It’s been a slow burn start for Buchan onboard his Synetiq BMW but with every race, he’s looking even more comfortable! 

King of Brands Mackenzie was following the front pack, after the first four laps, he secured a podium spot fighting inside the top 5. O’Halloran was yet to give up, after he was able to pass a motion on Brookes and Buchan to secure third position.

All hail the King! Image courtesy of @officialbsb, @Instagram
  1. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati)
  2. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +0.075s
  3. Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.761s
  4. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad) +1.268s
  5. Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) +1.647s
  6. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) +3.014s
  7. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +3.169s
  8. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +3.220s
  9. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +6.471s
  10. Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +6.538s

It was a weekend of mixed emotions at Brands Hatch. McAMS Yamaha and Tarran Mackenzie walked away with this year’s trophy, while the championship standings left him 3rd overall – just behind team-mate O’Halloran and Christian Iddon.

Approx 48 hours onwards there is still little update on the condition of Brad Jones – other than that he will be kept in an induced coma whilst he receives treatment for serious head, chest and pelvic injuries. Our thoughts remain with him, the family and team at this time.

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Racing Legends: Shane Byrne

For every season in any sport we crave close action and the thrill of a championship battle. Sometimes we also need someone to stamp their own authority on a discipline; a measuring stick so to speak.

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne at the 2017 BSB chmpionship at Oulton Park. Image courtesy of Ducati

In the 1990s and 2000s my beloved Manchester United swept the board in English football, Phil ‘The Power” Taylor became the doyen of darts with 16 world championship titles while Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and latterly Lewis Hamilton have monopolised the Formula One driver’s championship through different eras of the sport.

British Superbikes is no different. While some may point to Niall Mackenzie’s hat-trick of title wins in the 1990s or Leon Camier’s 2009 championship victory as examples of BSB dominance, these pail into insignificance when one name is mentioned above all the rest. Shane Byrne.

After emerging in the championship during 1999 and an impressive eighth place finish aboard a privateer Suzuki in 2001, Byrne claimed his first BSB victory at Donington Park in 2002 on board the Renegade Ducati machine. Controversy reigned at the end of 2002 when ‘Shakey’ first linked up with Paul Bird to ride the MonsterMob Ducati bike for 2003. He replaced champion Steve Hislop in the process, and one of British motorsport’s great manager-rider partnerships was born.

The 2003 season saw Byrne claim the BSB title in stunning fashion, winning 12 races to take his maiden championship title with the first nine victories coming within the first half of the season. To add to his imperious domestic form, Byrne also claimed a convincing double victory in the Brands Hatch World Superbike round as well. The impressive return in 2003 saw Byrne make the jump to MotoGP as he gained a seat aboard the Aprilia alongside Jeremy McWilliams.

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne At BSB Oulton 2017.Image courtesy of Ducati

After a less than successful stay in the premier class, Byrne made his return to the British scene in 2006 with Rizla Suzuki. During a season that involved a stomach virus, bike thefts and an injury at the final round, Byrne managed to pick up podiums at Oulton Park and Knockhill, winning the second race in Scotland. After highsiding in the final round at Brands Hatch, Byrne was knocked out and thus didn’t compete in the final race meaning his final position in the standings slipped from fourth to sixth.

Following a competitive season in 2007, back under the stewardship of Paul Bird on the Stobart Vent-Axia Honda in which he claimed a victory at Mallory Park and eventually finished fifth overall, Byrne was back on a Ducati for 2008. Riding for GSE Racing’s Airwaves Ducati team aboard the monstrous new 1098 machine, ‘Shakey’ took the title in a dominant fashion reminiscent of his 2003 championship year. He only finished outside of the podium places on one occasion (a fifth and a fourth respectively in the two races at Croft) and claimed the title by a comfortable 117 point margin from nearest rival, HM Plant Honda’s Leon Haslam.

Two more fruitless years followed as Byrne moved up to World Superbikes before HM Plant Honda gave ‘Shakey’ a seat for 2011. Despite notching a handful of victories, inconsistencies saw Byrne and team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari fall behind the leaders Tommy Hill and John Hopkins.

A third reunion with Paul Bird followed in 2012 when the PBM team began racing Kawasaki machines. The old partnership was once again tasting glory at the end of the season. Despite not winning a race until the seventh outing of the campaign, Byrne soon turned his form around, taking four of the final seven races of the season – finishing second in the other three – to capture the championship for a third time.

After finishing second behind Samsung Honda’s Alex Lowes in 2013, Byrne was once again back atop the pile a year later in record-breaking style as he helped himself to 11 victories throughout the course of the campaign before comfortably clinching the title 62 points clear of former team-mate Kiyonari.

#67 Shane Shakey Byrne Sittingbourne Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team MCE British Superbikes

Another second placed finish came in 2015  – this time behind Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes –  before Byrne really stamped his authority on the British series with a pair of back-to-back title wins in 2016 and 2017.

The 2016 triumph saw Byrne hold off the challenge of Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam with nine race wins contributing to the title win by a 59 point margin while 2017 was a much tighter affair. Despite winning more races than the second placed Brookes  – 7-3 in Byrne’s favour –  the championship was decided by just three points in one of the closest title races in BSB history.

A serious accident during a mid-season test session at Snetterton curtailed Byrne’s 2018 season and he hasn’t been seen on a bike since as the rehab process following the accident continues. However, you can still regularly see ‘Shakey’ on your screen offering his opinions and comments as a pundit for Eurosport.

It remains to be seen whether we’ll see Shane Byrne aboard a BSB machine again although one thing is for certain. Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne is a bona fide racing legend.

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Steve ‘Stavros’ Parrish – Motorcycle Racer, Truck Racer, Commentator and Master Prankster

So I know the burning question on your lips is the same as mine – ‘Why is Steve Parrish known as Stavros?’ The answer is that back in his motorcycle racing days when he was teammates with Barry Sheene, Barry nicknamed him Stavros after a character in the TV show ‘Kojak’ as both had a mop of black curly hair. The name Stavros has stuck since then!

Steve began racing at the age of 19 after he ‘got too wild for the roads’ and in 1975 Steve was the Best Young Rider winning the Grovewood Award. The following year, at the age of 22, he started professional motorbike racing and won the British Solo Championship that same year.

Joining Suzuki in 1977 with Barry Sheene as his teammate, Steve finished 5th overall in the 500cc World Championship and returned to British based riding in 1978 where he became the 500cc ACU Gold Star Champion followed by the 500cc Shellsport Motorcycle Champion in 1979 and 1980. Steve went on to become the British Superbike Champion in 1981,

I think it’s safe to say Steve is well known in the paddock and indeed, out of the paddock, as a practical joker. With his infectious smile, mischief seems to follow Steve.

During one qualifying session, Sheene, turned up … um….shall we say, hungover and so Steve donned his teammate’s overalls and helmet and qualified on his behalf on the RG500 Suzuki. Back in the pits, Steve then put his own overalls and helmet on and went out and did his own qualifying lap, annoyingly finishing further down the grid than the qualifying lap he put in for Sheene! Can you imagine something like that happening these days?

Setting off firecrackers outside a brothel where a few of his fellow riders were being, I’m not quite sure how to put this, serviced, saw Steve being banned from Macau and then there was the incident in Finland where the toilet block burnt down …..

Then there was the time Steve posed as a medical doctor in Japan to enable John Hopkins to fly to the Australian GP. I am willing to bet that Steve could make a book out of his antics!

In 1986 Steve retired from motorcycle racing to start a five year stint as the team manager for the Yamaha factory team for whom he used to ride where he led the team to victory winning three British Championship titles.

Alongside managing the Yamaha team, Steve began a fifteen year career as a truck racer becoming the most successful truck racer ever. In 1987 he won the British Open Truck Racing Championship, came 2nd in the series in 1989 and went on to win the European and British Truck Racing Championship in 1990 followed by the 1991 British Championship.

Steve then went on to win the European title for the next three years, coming 2nd in 1995 and then taking the title again in 1996. Steve continued to compete in truck racing until he retired in 2002.

Talking about racing motorbikes and trucks, Steve says there is quite an affinity between the two sports explaining that a motorbike doesn’t want to change direction quickly and has to be coaxed into corners which is much like a 5 tonne truck, it doesn’t want to shift around corners either and there is an awful lot more weight to shift than a motorbike!

In 1985 Steve started commentating for BBC radio before moving to Sky alongside Barry Nutley. From 1990 he started commentating for the BBC on the British 125 championship before moving onto MotoGP coverage with Charlie Cox where the pair also commentated on British Touring Cars, British Superbikes and World Superbikes.

As a qualified pilot, commentating on the Red Bull Air Race series is a perfect transition for Steve also.

Alongside former racer James Whitham, the pair commentate on the Isle of Man TT.

I think we can safely say that whatever Steve turns his hand to, he makes a success out of it. Indeed, Steve has even managed to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for, and I quote, ‘The Fastest Speed Achieved in Reverse’! In a Caterham!! I didn’t even know that was a ‘thing’. Sure sounds like fun though ……

Steve is an expert witness for motor racing incidents and can regularly be seen testing various vehicles and racing machines. Steve’s own personal vehicle collection includes a hearse, an ambulance and a fire engine!

You can imagine the antics Steve and his vehicles manage to get themselves into – apparently for example, driving the hearse very slowly until there is a long trail of cars behind and then tearing off up the road leaving the queue behind!

Or when Steve visits the bank in his ambulance – he pulls up outside the bank and parks on the yellow lines, leaves the rear doors open and then pops into the bank to do his banking!

Or the time Steve pulled up outside his friend’s pub on a Sunday afternoon in his fire engine and hosed down the inside of the packed pub!

I think if you see Steve coming, you should certainly have your wits about you as you really just don’t know what mayhem is to come.

A truly talented motorcycle racer, truck racer, commentator and master prankster, I believe that makes Steve a legend in my book.

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Brookes Makes His A Double With Second BSB Title

The 2020 Bennetts British Superbike Championship came to a head this weekend at Brands Hatch with any one of five riders still able to claim the title prior to Saturday’s first race of the weekend. Here’s how the action played out. 

Jason O’Halloran took the initiative in Saturday’s race, one of the greatest in BSB history, by producing a masterful ride to win the first of the weekend. O’Halloran’s compatriot Josh Brookes set the early pace, holding off a resurgent Glenn Irwin who soared from seventh to second.

The Honda man took the lead from a stuttering Brookes and was soon joined at the front of the pack by O’Halloran and VisionTrack Ducati’s Christian Iddon. Irwin himself began to fade and was soon usurped in the top three by O’Halloran’s McAms Yamaha team-mate Tarran Mackenzie.

As a battle ensued between Iddon and Mackenzie for second place, O’Halloran was able to pull the pin and race clear of the chasing pack to seal the victory and leave the title picture with more questions than answers as he cut Brookes’ championship lead to just seven points heading into the decisive final Sunday of the season.

While he was swallowed up by the chasing pack in the opening race, Josh Brookes wasted little time in asserting his authority in race two by turning out a dominant performance to firmly swing the championship pendulum in his direction.

Brookes grabbed the lead in the early stages of the first lap and wouldn’t relinquish his position, swatting away the challenge of Tarran Mackenzie who drifted away on lap seven, falling more than two seconds adrift of Brookes. Jason O’Halloran managed to shake off Christian Iddon’s advances and place himself as Brookes’ main rival for the chequered flag.

Despite managing to eat into the Ducati rider’s advantage, the Yamaha man still found himself more than a second behind his fellow countryman which allowed Brookes to extend his advantage to twelve points meaning that a top three finish would seal the championship for the VisionTrack Ducati man.

It was more of the same from Brookes who won the championship in emphatic style, five years on from his first when he came top of the standings on the Milwaukee Yamaha in 2015.

Josh Brookes Celebrating being the 2020 BSB Champion. Image courtesy of Ducati

It was another dominant performance, fitting for a champion as he once again held off the challenges of O’Halloran and Mackenzie respectively, knowing that falling behind the Yamaha pair could spell the end of his championship ambitions.

The final standings saw Brookes take the title, 22 points clear of nearest challenger Jason O’Halloran. Christian Iddon ended his first season on the VisionTrack Ducati third in the final table with Glenn Irwin and Tarran Mackenzie rounding out the top five.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic restricting the BSB action we’ve seen this year, 2020 will go down as one of the most fiercely competitive seasons in recent years with no less than eight different riders tasting victory over the course of the year. Thoughts now turn to 2021 when hopefully we’ll see more of the same over a longer calendar. All that remains to say is congratulations to Josh Brookes on winning the title.

Featured Image courtesy of Ducati.

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The BSB Championship is heading to Brands Hatch for the finale

The end is near for what has arguably been a fantastic, although highly unusual, 2020 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season which still has three rounds remaining to be held at Brands Hatch on 17/18 October.

Andrew Irwin at Donington Park BSB 2020. Image courtesy of Honda Racing UK

In what was a decidedly wet weekend at Donnington Park on the 3 /4 October, Saturday’s racing turned out to be a washout. After the second aborted start, racing was cancelled for the day with all three rounds of the BSB racing scheduled to take place on the Sunday.

Round 13 saw Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) take victory after riding a near perfect race with both the VisionTrack Ducati’s of Christian Iddon and Josh Brookes coming in behind in second and third place respectively.

Losing the lead in the championship standings for the first time this season, was Glenn Irwin after crashing out on the opening lap at Goddards, thankfully he was unhurt. Irwin is now on equal points with Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) who did not fair well in this race, finishing in 14th place ahead of Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati).

Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) took fourth place in the closing stages of the race from Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki) who had his best result of the season with 5th place. Teammate, Jack Kennedy, moved up to 7th position in the closing stages of the race and will start on pole position for Round 14.

Round 14 saw Josh Brookes on the top step of the podium having worked his way from 6th to the front of the grid by lap 5 thus taking the championship lead. Despite his best efforts to close in on Brookes, Jason O’Halloran finished a very respectable second place taking him up to 2nd in the championship standings. Teammate, Tarran Mackenzie, finished third putting both the McAMS Yamaha’s on the podium.

The race ended early for Ryan Vickers and Andrew Irwin after crashing together at the Melbourne Loop swiftly followed by Peter Hickman and Danny Buchan.

Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati #25) winner of Race Two at Donington Park 2020 BSB. Image courtesy of Ducati

Claiming his best result of the season for the Buildbase Suzuki team, Gino Rea finished in 4th place ahead of Tommy Bridewell and Christian Iddon. The race was not going well for Glenn Irwin either and we saw him drop down to 7th position ahead of Jack Kennedy and Luke Mossey. Finishing the top ten line up was Joe Francis for the (Lloyd & Bowker BMW Motorrad) team.

Round 15 saw a third different rider to top the championship charts with Tarran Mackenzie taking the race lead with four laps to to for the McAMS Yamaha team.

Josh Brookes had a great start by taking the lead followed by Jason O’Halloran and Tommy Bridewell, with Bridewell quickly moving up to 2nd. Glenn Irwin was moving up the order and it was not long before he grabbed 2nd place from Bridewell. Unfortunately Lap 7 saw a technical problem put an early end to Bridewell’s race.

Lap 9 saw O’Halloran collide with Iddon during a battle for fourth place causing O’Halloran’s brake lever guard to jam ultimately dropping him down to 8th place by the end of the race.

Glenn Irwin was in the lead by lap 10 with Mackenzie behind him and Brookes in third. The McAMS rider made his move on Glenn Irwin at the Fogarty Esses and was able to hold onto the lead and claim victory. Christian Iddon came in fourth moving him into 2nd place in the championship standings going into the final round at Brands Hatch.

Gino Rea finished 5th place with his best result for the Buildbase Suzuki team followed by Lee Jackson for the Rapid Fulfillment FS-3 Kawasaki team.

Round 13 winner, Andrew Irwin, came in 7th place followed by O’Halloran with Luke Mossey and Joe Francis completing the top ten.

Make sure you don’t miss any action that will be coming our way from Brands Hatch on the 17/18 October.

Featured image courtesy of Ducati

 

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BSB Title Race Blown Wide Open At Oulton Park

It was a dramatic weekend of action in the Cheshire countryside as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visited Oulton Park. Here’s how the action unfolded over the course of a pulsating weekend. 

Polesitter Jason O’Halloran became the eighth different rider to claim a BSB victory in 2020 with his victory in Saturday’s race one. The Australian McAms Yamaha man took the victory at the end of a pulsating contest that saw the lead change hands on a number of occasions. Championship leader Glenn Irwin and VisionTrack Ducati’s Christian Iddon both led the pack on separate occasions during the race but O’Halloran (who had also earlier led) fought back and claimed the victory after successfully making his move by breaking down Iddon’s stern defence on the final lap and crossing the finish line just 0.358s ahead of the Mancunian rider. FS-3 Racing’s Danny Buchan rounded out the podium with his first top three finish of the season.

Jason O’Halloran winner at BSB Oulton Park 2020. Image courtesy of Impact Images/Mcams Yamaha

Andrew Irwin finished fourth ahead of brother Glenn with Lee Jackson on the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki ending in sixth. Synetiq BMW’s Brad Ray came seventh ahead of Iddon’s team-mate Josh Brookes and Tarran Mackenzie (McAms Yamaha) and Gino Rea on the Buildbase Suzuki rounding out the top 10. Rea’s Suzuki team-mate Kyle Ryde, a double winner during the previous round at Silverstone, crashed out of the race on the first lap.

It was more of the same for O’Halloran in Sunday’s first race as he claimed his second win of the season with a near-perfect display aboard the R1 to lead the race from the opening lap, holding off the challenges of Christian Iddon and Danny Buchan.

Thirty-five year old O’Halloran’s victory eventually held more gravitas than anyone would have expected prior to the race when Glenn Irwin was forced to withdraw from the race following technical problems with his Honda FireBlade. The win for O’Halloran combined with Irwin’s DNF catapulted the Australian Yamaha rider well and truly into the title race, slashing Irwin’s lead to just five points.

A determined ride from Josh Brookes saw him finish fourth after being as low as seventh at one point while a fine move from Lincolnshire rider Lee Jackson on Andrew Irwin saw him nab fifth place. Tarran Mackenzie finished in sixth ahead of Irwin. Luke Mossey, aboard the Rich Energy OMG Kawasaki finished in ninth place as the filling in a BMW sandwich with Brad Ray in eighth and TT winner Peter Hickman on the Global Robots Smith’s BMW closing out the top 10.

The result of race three made it Australia Day in Cheshire as VisionTrack Ducati’s Josh Brookes reminded the championship leaders that he was still well and truly in the hunt for the prize by taking the victory. 2015 BSB champion Brookes was made to work hard for his second win of the season as his team-mate Christian Iddon provided a spirited challenge. Iddon had a number of chances to make a move on his PBM partner but Brookes’ experience came to the fore as he continually held Iddon at bay.

Josh Brookes and Christian Iddon at BSB Oulton Park 2020. Image courtesy of Ducati

Lee Jackson capped off a fine weekend for FS-3 Racing as he pinched a spot on the podium at the expense of Jason O’Halloran after making his move at Lodge and cross the line 0.096s ahead of the Yamaha rider. Jackson’s team-mate Danny Buchan ended the race in fifth position ahead of Glenn Irwin, the Honda man’s sixth place result means he ends the weekend still on top of the standings but only by a tight margin of two points from man of the weekend O’Halloran. Peter Hickman enjoyed his best finish of the season in eighth place behind Brad Ray. Tarran Mackenzie and Luke Mossey rounded out the top 10.

As previously mentioned, the events of the thrilling weekend at Oulton leaves Glenn Irwin just two points clear of Jason O’Halloran at the top of the standings with Josh Brookes in third, himself just ten points behind Honda Racing’s irwin. Christian Iddon can still harbour designs on the title just two points behind VisionTrack Ducati team-mate Brookes on 166. There’s then a gap of 32 points between Iddon and nearest challenger, Oxford Products Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell.

It may be an over-used clichè in sports but it really is all to play for now as there are just six races remaining of the 2020 BSB season with the attention shifting to the Grand Prix layout of Donington Park over the weekend of 2-4 October.

Featured Image courtesy of Impact Images/McAMS Yamaha.

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