Qualifying took place in glorious sunshine for the second round of the 2019 British Superbike Championship, and Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) was the clear favourite for pole position after dominating the test last Thursday and the fry practice sessions on Friday.
Josh Brookes at Oulton Park 2019. Image courtesy of Be Wiser Ducati
Brookes made good on his potential. He took pole by a huge 0.625 seconds on the Panigale V4R. After a disappointing Silverstone round this was just what the Aussie needed ahead of tomorrow’s races, in which he will be hoping to get his first points and podium credits of the season.
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) made it a Ducati 1-2 on the grid for race one tomorrow, ahead of Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing) who is enjoying much better fortunes in Oulton Park than in Silverstone two weeks ago, and completes the front row.
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) injured his shoulder at last week’s test, and no doubt a crash in practice this weekend did not help that. However, he was able to put his YZF-R1 on the head of the second row, ahead of Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW Motorrad) and Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing) who has generally been the closest rider to Brookes across the weekend, but goes from sixth in tomorrow’s race one.
Scott Redding on the Be Wiser Ducati at Oulton Park 2019. Image courtesy of Be Wiser Ducati
Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) only had a used tyre for Q3. The ex-GP rider only managed to fit eighteen laps in at the test, thanks to the un-ideal conditions in the afternoon. He managed to get himself on the front of the third row for the first race, ahead of Keith Farmer (Tyco BMW Motorrad) who is also enjoying a better time on the BMW this weekend than in Silverstone, and rookie Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) who was incredibly impressive in ninth.
Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) was the fastest rider to not make Q3, and will start tenth tomorrow. On the back of row four will be the man who shares the championship lead with Elliott, as Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) qualified twelfth. In between the championship-leading pair is Luke Mossey (OMG Racing Suzuki).
Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Racing) qualified thirteenth, ahead of Brad Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) and roads expert Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Kawasaki); whilst Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing), David Allingham (EHA Racing Yamaha) and Joe Francis (Lloyds & Jones Bauker Motorrad) complete row six.
Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Ducati) heads up row seven, from Claudio Corti (Team WD 40) and Shaun Winfield (Santander Salt TAG Racing); whilst James Ellison (Smiths Racing) is with Matt Truelove (Raceways Yamaha) and Glenn Irwin (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) on row eight; Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) heads up row nine after a crash which left him clutching his wrist. Xavi Fores (Honda Racing) and Sam Coventry (Team 64 Motorsports) join Stapleford on the ninth row tomorrow for race one, assuming Stapleford is declared fit. Dean Hipwell (CDH Racing) and James Hillier (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) are the only two riders on row ten, as the third JG Speedfit Kawasaki of Ben Currie is out of the weekend after a crash earlier in the weekend has left him unfit.
Following the dramatic season opener at Silverstone two weeks ago, British Superbikes is back this bank holiday weekend at Oulton Park for round two of the 2019 series.
As is usual with the May Day bank holiday round at the Cheshire track, on-track action begins on Saturday with the races taking place on bank holiday Monday.
An official test at Oulton Park has punctuated the gap between rounds one and two, and it was the luckless Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) who dominated last Thursday’s running. Brookes has had some good success at Oulton Park in the past, and will be hoping that the positive signs from the test last week will continue into the weekend and to race day as the Australian looks to make up ground on the championship leaders following on from his non-scoring round in Silverstone, where mechanical problems ended his chances in both races.
Scott Redding on the Silverstone 2019 BSB podium. Image courtesy of Ducati
Brookes’ teammate Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) expressed his adoration for Oulton Park after the test on social media. He was not especially high on the time sheets, but made some strong progress from the first session to the second. Intermittent rain meant that almost all of the afternoon running was somewhat unrepresentative, and most riders – including Redding – did not even bother to venture out in the final session of the day. Having had a week to digest his first experience of a more typical British track, Redding will need to a strong Friday if he is to fight at the front and add to the single podium credit he picked up in the first race at Silverstone.
Silverstone was full of surprises but perhaps none bigger than Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) who – retrospectively – took his first career British Superbike win in the first race of the season, and followed that up with a second place in race two. Despite this, there is still little pressure on Elliott, since he is still so inexperienced in the Superbike class, and is in a team which is still in only its second season of BSB. Nonetheless, Elliott will be aiming for more of the same this weekend, as he looks to firm up his position in the championship – it might not be the expectation, but the Showdown is where they all want to be.
Josh Elliott and OMG Racing Suzuki Team. Image courtesy of Suzuki Racing
Crossing the line ahead of Elliott in both races two weeks ago was Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha), although a penalty applied after the race took the race one victory from him. Race two, though, saw no such controversy as the first outing, and Mackenzie picked up his first BSB win in just the second race of his second season in Britain’s premier class of motorcycle racing. Oulton Park was a difficult circuit for Mackenzie last year, but he was quite fast in the test, and will be aiming once more for the top three to build his tally of podium credits.
Silverstone was a positive weekend for the McAMS Yamaha team as a whole, not just for the #95 side of the garage. A collision between Mackenzie and his teammate, Jason O’Halloran, cost the team a 1-2 in the first race, and in fact cost them the win, and a mechanical problem early on in the second race for the Australian meant the #22 went away from the first weekend of the season in the same position as Brookes: pointless. However, O’Halloran was the fastest rider all weekend and, after a decent showing in the test, will be keen to turn that pace into results this weekend.
A few hours on from being handed his first win in British Superbike courtesy of a Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) penalty, Josh Elliott (OMG Suzuki) lined up on the front row as he eyed a dream double.
He did not make the start he would have wanted, though, and his poor launch ensured it was Mackenzie who made the holeshot.
However, running wide at Brooklands meant Mackenzie lost out to Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) who took the lead, and led the first lap.
Throughout the opening stages of the race, the front group was quite large, despite retirements from Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) who suffered a mechanical problem and Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) who fell after contact with Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing).
By lap nine, though, there was a distinctive front four of Josh Elliott, Dan Linfoot, Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) and Tarran Mackenzie.
Tommy Bridewell and Josh Brookes. Image courtesy of Ducati
Another quartet behind was led by Andrew Irwin, from Luke Mossey (OMG Racing Suzuki), Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing) and Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati), with the #18 Fireblade bringing the trio behind up to the front group.
This charge was halted, though, for the Northern Irishman when on lap twelve he was handed a long lap penalty for the previous incident with Redding.
Irwin took the penalty at his first opportunity, on lap thirteen, and the following lap Mackenzie passed Elliott for the lead. Elliott’s pace to that point had not been so electric, and with the trio behind of Bridewell, Mossey and Brookes closing in Mackenzie was seemingly intent on keeping the fight for the win to as few contenders as possible.
The pace dropped when Mackenzie hit the front. Elliott and Buchan were able to go with him, but Linfoot dropped off the back of the leading three, and into the clutches of Bridewell who went past on the Wellington straight on lap eighteen.
On lap twenty, as Mackenzie and Elliott were beginning to stretch away from Buchan behind, Josh Brookes brought the safety car out as his Ducati expired for the third time in the weekend. There was plenty of oil pouring from the Australian’s V4R, and the retirement meant that Brookes left Silverstone with zero points.
The safety car worked to bunch the field up, so on lap twenty-five of what was now a thirty-three-lap race there was all to play for.
Mackenzie held the lead on the restart, although Elliott piled the pressure on through Woodcote and Copse.
Once again, though, it was Mackenzie and Elliott with a small gap behind to Buchan, who in turn had a small lead over Bridewell behind. By the end of lap twenty-seven, Bridewell had caught Buchan, who in turn had caught Elliott, and so there was an eight-wheeled fight for the win.
As the final lap started, though, the clear battle was for second. Mackenzie had worked a bit of a gap for himself out front, and Bridewell had dropped off a little in fourth place. Buchan was close, though, to Elliott in second, but was unable to make a move before the line.
It was Mackenzie who arrived at the flag first, for his first BSB win, and this time he kept it. With Elliott finishing second, the two winners from Silverstone leave round one joint on points at the top of the championship.
Whilst Mackenzie was somewhat expected to fight for wins this season, perhaps not so many believed he would achieve his first victory in the first round. In comparison, few probably thought that Josh Elliott would take a podium this season, but he as come away from the first round with a win and a second. For the pair of them, there are many positives to take from this first weekend of the season.
A similar situation exists for Danny Buchan, who was the only Kawasaki rider to make the top ten in the second race, and one of only two ZX-10RR pilots to finish inside the top ten across both races. It was a Saturday night turnaround which proved pivotal for Buchan’s weekend, after a difficult Saturday with a poor qualifying. A step in warm up allowed him to make a good race in the first outing – despite running on in Brooklands early on – and to set a good lap time allowing him to start further up the grid for the second race, which in turn enabled him to claim his first podium since Knockhill last summer.
Luke Stapleford. Image courtesy of Suzuki racing
Fourth place went to Tommy Bridewell who was the top Ducati, ahead of Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) who once more impressed on his first weekend as a full-time BSB rider. Two top tens – including one top five – from the first weekend of the season is a strong return for the 2015 British Supersport Champion.
Sixth place went to Luke Mossey, meaning it was three Suzukis in the top six, making the GSX-R 1000 the most populous bike in the top six in race two.
Andrew Irwin recovered from his long lap penalty just before half distance to take seventh place, a couple of tenths clear of his rookie teammate Xavi Fores (Honda Racing) in eighth; whilst Dan Linfoot and Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) completed the top ten for the second race of the season.
Glenn Irwin ended a difficult debut weekend for Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki with an eleventh place, ahead of Keith Farmer (Tyco BMW Motorrad), Ben Currie (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki), Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing) and Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) who completed the points in his second career BSB race.
Claudio Corti (Team WD-40) and Fraser Rogers (Gearlink Kawasaki) were the first two retirements, both out on lap one. The aforementioned retirement of Jason O’Halloran came a couple of laps later, and a lap before Scott Redding was out. Conor Cummins (Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles) was the next to go on lap ten, before Shaun Winfield (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) on lap sixteen. Both Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Racing) and Josh Brookes retired on lap twenty, and James Ellison (Smiths Racing) was the final retirement a lap later.
Featured Image courtesy of Dutch Photo Agency/Red Bull Content Pool
After much anticipation ahead of this season, the 2019 British Superbike season got underway under steaming sunshine in Silverstone.
Starting from pole, Tarran Mackenzie had to see his McAMS Yamaha teammate, Jason O’Halloran, take the holeshot. This would set the tone for the rest of the race as far as the battle for the win was concerned.
Behind, Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) maintained the third place with which he started the race, ahead of Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki).
Can't really put it into words right now. Just thank you to everyone who's supported me and sent me so many lovely messages! My team @OMGRacingUK have been working so hard and gave me a great bike!! To all my sponsors who have stuck with me I appreciate all the support ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Zx9NI5bxO5
There was a gap appearing behind Elliott back to fifth-placed Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha).
Then the safety car came out after an incident which could have been much worse than it was in reality. Glenn Irwin (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) collided with Dean Harrison’s Silicone Engineering Kawasaki after the TT winner crashed in Becketts. Both riders and their bikes were lying in the middle of the track, but fortunately for both of them, and everyone else, both the bikes and the riders were avoided. Ben Currie (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) also went down at the same moment, but in a separate incident.
This safety car saw the pack bunched back up after the initial laps, but the same pattern arose once the race went green again.
2019 British Superbike Championship, Ben Currie, Image courtesy of Tim Keeton/Impact Images/Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki
Both McAMS Yamahas once again took off out front, gapping Scott Redding behind quite comfortably. Josh Elliott had soon tired of the view of the Panigale V4R’s bizarre tailpipe, and made his move on Redding before ten laps were up on the change of direction from Copse to Maggots.
Elliott then caught the McAMS Yamahas, who had yet to engage each other. Once on the back of Mackenzie, Elliott looked a few times at passing the 2016 British Supersport Champion in the same place as he passed Redding, but the #95 was strong enough to hold the 2015 National Superstock 1000 Champion at bay, even when he started to drop off his teammate in the mid-race.
In response, Mackenzie made a push in the final third of the race, and started to make a gap to Elliott behind whilst simultaneously closing in on O’Halloran.
Despite being within range of the Australian for a few laps, Mackenzie did not launch an attack until Brooklands on the final lap. Mackenzie dived to the inside, and blocked his teammate’s line, forcing O’Halloran a little wide and compromising the #22’s line into Luffield. O’Halloran ran a little wide in the mid-corner, and Mackenzie emulated Jorge Lorenzo in 2013 when he was up against Marc Marquez in the MotoGP. The #95 cut to the inside, and jammed his R1 on the kerb. He had turned too tight, and had to sit up slightly to avoid touching the kerb and taking both himself and his teammate out of the race. O’Halloran didn’t budge, and the contact between the two riders sent O’Halloran – who had led the race in its entirety – tumbling.
The Australian was enraged. He had dominated the race, after dominating the weekend and preseason, yet still had victory snatched from him on his McAMS Yamaha debut by none other than his teammate.
Certainly, the competitive relationship between Mackenzie and his teammate could have gotten off to a better start, but as far as Tarran is concerned he did what was necessary to win. He had one opportunity in the race to pass his teammate for the victory, and he took it. The outcome was harsh on O’Halloran, who had ridden a fantastic race, and it was unfair on the team, who had done enough to deserve a 1-2. However, Mackenzie should not be condemned – his move was one of the rider he was at the time: one in search of his first BSB win.
O’Halloran’s retirement meant that Josh Elliott, who had dropped a way off the back of the two R1s out front in the last ten laps, took his first BSB podium in his first attempt with OMG Suzuki, who also enjoyed their first BSB top three.
Certainly, whilst the main talking point of the race was what happened between the two McAMS teammates, the most impressive performance was no doubt that of Elliott. A post-race penalty for Mackenze then promoted Elliott to first, giving both him and OMG their first win in the premier class of British motorcycle racing. The win also meant that OMG Racing Suzuki took the lead in both the teams’ championship and the riders’ standings.
The expectations will now be high for Elliott, perhaps unfairly, but nonetheless it will be interesting to see how he will react.
That demoted Mackenzie to second. He will undoubtedly be out for redemption in race two.
Scott Redding benefited from O’Halloran’s fall to claim a podium on his BSB debut. Whilst third was his result, his real position was fourth, and he will be keen to improve on that for the second race.
Luke Mossey rounded out the top four in what turned out to be a stunning race for the OMG Racing Suzuki squad, and one that would have far surpassed all their pre-race expectations. Mossey was able to break away from the battle for sixth behind in the middle of the race, and was closing on Redding ahead by the end.
That battle for sixth became a battle for the top five after O’Halloran’s fall, and it was Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing) who came out on top in that fight ahead of Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) who impressed with sixth on his debut aboard the Fireblade.
Also impressing was Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) who took seventh on his full-time debut in BSB, and came home ahead of yet another impresser, this time in the shape of WD40 Racing’s Claudio Corti who was eighth.
Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing) ran wide in Brooklands in the early laps, but recovered to ninth by the end to be the top Kawasaki at the flag, ahead of BSB debutant Xavi Fores (Honda Racing) who rounded out the top ten.
Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW Motorrad) seemed to retire at one point in the race as his name dropped down the timing column, but in the end he was the top BMW in eleventh, ahead of impressive rookie Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) in twelfth, Dan Linfoot in thirteenth, Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing) and Keith Farmer (Tyco BMW Motorrad) who rounded out the points in fifteenth.
As well as the initial wave of retirements in the initial stages of the race, James Ellison (Smiths Racing), Shaun Winfield (Santander Salt TAG Racing) and Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) all retired.
The first British Superbike Championship qualifying session of 2019 got underway in vastly contrasting conditions to the corresponding session of 2018, with glorious sunshine baking the Northamptonshire asphalt.
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) claimed his first ever BSB pole in what was a McAMS Yamaha 1-2, with teammate Jason O’Halloran taking second. Both riders have looked evenly matched throughout the weekend and so it was not a surprise to see the pair heading up the grid, although that no doubt did not detract from the delight of both riders and team.
? NEWS: McAMS Yamaha go 1-2 in qualifying at Silverstone
Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) took his first BSB front row in his first BSB qualifying with his first competitive outing on the brand new Ducati Panigale V4R. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the multiple Grand Prix winner was aiming for pole position, but will be content enough with a front row. We have seen in WorldSBK that the V4R is able to save the tyre quite well, so if Redding can make a good start and have a clean race, the #45 could present a large threat in the closing stages.
Perhaps the star of this first BSB qualifying of the season was Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) who set the fourth-fastest time in the first qualifying of his first full season of BSB. The 2015 National Superstock 1000 champion is joined on row two by his OMG Racing Suzuki teammate Luke Mossey and the third Yamaha of Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha).
Heading up row three tomorrow will be Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing). Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW Motorrad) is the top BMW on the grid in eighth, whilst BSB rookie Luke Stapleford impressively starts ninth tomorrow on his debut for Buildbase Suzuki.
The first rider to not make Q2 was Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing), who will start eleventh tomorrow, ahead of his Honda Racing teammate Xavi Fores and the impressive rookie, Claudio Corti (Team WD40) who was the top Kawasaki in twelfth.
Three ZX-10RRs follow Corti and make up row five, with Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) an impressive thirteenth on his BSB debut, ahead of Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) and Glenn Irwin (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki).
As Buchan and Irwin will be disappointed with their respective fourteenth and fifteenth places, Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) will be disappointed with his sixteenth place. David Allingham (EHA Yamaha) lines up seventeenth tomorrow, whilst Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) was limited to eighteenth thanks to a mechanical problem in Q1.
Ben Currie (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) qualified nineteenth on his BSB debut, missing out on Q2 by just 0.007 seconds. The BMWs of Keith Farmer (Tyco BMW Motorrad) and Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing) complete the seventh row.
Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Ducati), together with Matt Truelove (Raceways Yamaha) and Joe Francis (Lloyd and Jones Bowker Motorrad) make up row eight; Shaun Winfield (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) heads up James Ellison (Smiths Racing) – who like Brookes suffered a mechanical in Q1 – and Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Racing) on the ninth row.
Fraser Rogers (Gearlink Kawasaki) will start twenty-eighth tomorrow, ahead of Dean Hipwell (CDH Racing) and James Hillier (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) on row ten; and the final two spots on the grid on row eleven will be taken up by Sam Coventry (Team 64 Motorsports) in thirty-first and Conor Cummins (Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles) in thirty-second.
After a long winter break, the British Superbike Championship returns this weekend for the opening round of the 2019 season at Silverstone.
The 2018 round at the Northamptonshire track saw the national layout used, following the MotoGP fiasco a couple of weeks prior. The results were fantastic, as the racing was close and action-packed. Additionally, it is easy for a national championship to make a facility the size of Silverstone seem empty, even with a solid attendance, because certain grandstands will be shut off, and often the races can become quite spread out on a 3.6-mile circuit. The national layout combated both of those issues, although that was not the intention, with the shorter layout seeing big groups fight for the lead for the whole race, and the smaller area making the atmosphere more tangible from the television perspective.
The Silverstone National track layout left going down Wellington Straight. Image courtesy of Tom McKay/Wikipedia
The positive feedback of Silverstone’s round last year prompted the Championship to run the shorter circuit this year as well, and as such the series will likely be off to a thrilling start.
Last year’s races saw Leon Haslam claim both victories, but with both the reigning BSB champion and Jake Dixon, last year’s runner up, having moved on, there is expected to be a shake up this year, with yet more young riders coming through and big names from the World Championship arriving to mix it up with the more established names in the British championship.
Of course, one of the biggest talking points this year in the World Superbike Championship has been the domination of, in the hands of Alvaro Bautista, the new Ducati Panigale V4R. Ahead of the start of the BSB season, there is some anticipation about the performance of the new Ducati in the hands of Scott Redding, his BeWiser Ducati teammate and 2015 BSB champion Josh Brookes, as well as Tommy Bridewell (Oxford MotoRapido). The main advantage of the new Panigale is its motor, and in WorldSBK it seems that Bautista has been able to extract the maximum from the V4R’s strongest point. It will be interesting to see if any of the Ducati riders in the British series are able to do something similar, although with the lack of any real straights in British tracks, the likelihood of that is small.
Nonetheless, it is going to be interesting to see how the bike performs, and also how its pilots perform. Scott Redding is perhaps the most highly anticipated rider in BSB this year, having come from Grand Prix where he was many times a winner, many times a podium finisher and once a championship challenger. From his fairly active social media accounts, it seems Redding is looking forward to this season, and that it probably not something he has felt for a few years. Certainly, the ex-MotoGP star will be both expecting and expected to fight for the championship this year, despite his lack of knowledge of the British tracks, of Pirelli tyres and of derivative racing in general.
His teammate, Josh Brookes, however, has none of the ‘excuses’ – if that’s what you’d like to call them – that Redding has for this year. A veteran of the BSB paddock, and the 2015 champion, Brookes is sure to be a favourite this year, especially with such a strong package. Perhaps it is also worth remembering that Brookes’ title winning year was also the racing debut year of the current model Yamaha R1, much as 2019 is the debut of the Panigale V4R.
Tommy Bridewell. Image courtesy of Ducati
For the third Ducati rider this year, Tommy Bridewell, there is a sense of opportunity in 2019. Having gelled so well with the V-twin Panigale in the second half of last season, it was no surprise to see the #46 retained by the MotoRapido squad for 2019, and both he and the team will be hoping that the relationship with the new V4R will be as smooth and fruitful as the short-lived partnership between Bridewell and the V-twin at the end of last year.
In all likelihood, the V4R will not be as dominant in BSB as it has been to this point in the World Championship. The regulations in BSB have so far worked perfectly since their introduction, allowing all makes and models of Superbike to be competitive on the national scene in Britain. It would therefore be a shock to see Ducati make off with this championship as they are doing on the world stage. As well as the Borgo Panigale machines, Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Suzuki and Kawasaki should all be there fighting for race wins as well.
Yamaha, with Tarran Mackenzie and Jason O’Halloran at the McAMS Yamaha outfit, and with Dan Linfoot at the TAG Racing squad, will be hoping to reclaim the championship they last won in 2015 with Brookes. Seeing the R1 so strong in the World Championship so far in 2019 must fill the BSB riders with a lot of confidence about their chances for this season.
Despite being in only his second season of BSB, Mackenzie will be heading to Silverstone this weekend in search of the first win he so nearly clinched at the same track last year, and from there will hope to fight all the way for the title. Similarly, his teammate O’Halloran, and their stablemate Linfoot, are brand new to Yamaha this year, but will be after results from the beginning.
There are also two new faces in Honda for this season, with Andrew Irwin being joined by multiple WSBK podium finisher Xavi Fores in the factory Honda squad. Irwin made a superb adaptation to Superbike last year after his mid-season call up to the PBM Ducati squad to replace the injured Shane Byrne. That earned him the Honda ride, and he will certainly be one to watch out for this year.
Fores, on the other hand, has a similar situation to Redding. The Spaniard has zero knowledge of British tracks ahead of this season, and so will be learning every time he goes out on track. However, unlike Redding, he doesn’t have 240hp.
The new BMW this year has proven a hit on the world stage, both factory BMW riders in WSBK, Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger, praising the chassis of the new S1000RR. What it has in the corners, however, it certainly loses in the straights. Whilst that might not be such a problem at most British circuits, at the most wide-open track of the year – which, whilst the Hangar straight is missing, is still very fast – a lack of power is likely to be the biggest hindrance this weekend.
Those riders who were able to make the old S1000RR work so well in the past – mostly Peter Hickman (Smith’s Racing) – will be hoping they can make the new bike work in a similar way, but with such a difference in bike characteristic there will undoubtedly be some adapting to do this year. This adaptation process will carry on through much of the season, too, since neither Smith’s nor TAS Racing received their new BMWs in time for the official BSB tests in Spain, so only had the Silverstone test last week to start work on their new machines.
For the third BMW team, PR Racing, and their rider Joe Francis, this process is delayed even further as their new bike will not be race-ready until round two at Oulton Park, and so the Liverpool-based team will be running the old-spec bike at round one this weekend.
Bradley Ray at 2019 BSB testing for Buildbase Suzuki. Image courtesy of Suzuki Racing
Suzuki once more will be pinning their hopes on Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki). The Milkybar Kid has certainly impressed the factory bosses; two wins and a further podium in the first two rounds of last season were followed by an impressive performance at the Suzuka 8 Hour last summer, and in February Ray got his first taste of MotoGP with the GSX-RR in Sepang.
Whether Ray will be able to return to the form that impressed so much at the start of last season, but faded through the rest of the year, remains to be seen, but should the #28 be able to maintain form like that throughout the thirteen rounds he could be a real problem for his rivals.
Kawasaki won their first BSB crown since Shane Byrne in 2014, last year, but with Leon Haslam having moved up to the World Championship the pressure now lies with, primarily, Glenn Irwin (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) and Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) to retain that title. Irwin’s teammate, Ben Currie (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) will also be looking to make his mark this year on the top class as he moves up from Supersport for his first season on a Superbike.
Featured Image courtesy of Dutch Photo Agency/Red Bull Content Pool
A familiar name in the world of road racing, and one of the leading figures for women in motorsport – Maria Costello has become the first woman to be named president of the TT Riders Association, in the organisation’s 67-year history.
Maria took some time out to answer my questions, ranging from her new role to her racing career and more.
Maria Costello, the new president of the TT Racers Association (image: CostelloRacing)
EH: Congratulations on your appointment as President of the TT Riders Association. For the benefit of our readers, what does the organisation do and what does your role as president involve?
MC:My role is to assist them in raising their profile, encourage riders and ‘Friends of the TTRA’ to become members and support them in any way that help them achieve their goals. You can find out more from their Website: http://ttra.co.uk
EH: How did you become interested in motorcycle racing – and motorsport in general?
MC: It began when I left school and started working as a Trainee Veterinary Nurse and needed to get from home (which was in a village in the middle of nowhere) and get to work in Northampton and I got a Honda Melody scooter. Not the coolest of machines but I loved the freedom it gave me. Then friends of the family suggested I get a motorbike and I quite fancied their son and he took me round the motorbike dealers but ultimately I fell in love with a Yamaha TZR125 and that was my first proper motorbike. Then one day on my way to work I got knocked off by a car driver with dodgy eyesight. I was injured and my motorbikes was broken but I recovered and the compensation money from the insurance company bought my first race bike and the rest is history. You can read more about it in my book: ‘Maria Costello – Queen of the Bikers’.
EH: You have had considerable success at the Isle of Man TT – a regular top 15 race finisher in all entered classes as well, the accolade of being the fastest woman ever around the mountain course as well as a podium finisher at the Classic TT. Very much a place that’s a sort of home-from-home for you. What does it take – both mentally and physically – to successfully compete at the world’s toughest race?
MC:Determination, preparation, respect, support and more determination.
EH: In addition to the TT, you’ve also been a regular competitor at other leading international events – such as the Northwest 200 and the Ulster Grand Prix. What attracts you to the road races?
MC: Road racing has become my home and I feel very fortunate to compete on real roads. It’s where I get the greatest feeling on two wheels.
Maria Costello in action at the Leathemstown Road Race meeting. (Pic. Gary Hamilton Images)
EH: Its well known that you’re an ambassador for organisations such as “Dare To Be Different” programme. There are undoubtedly many talented women racers around, but what do you think are the main problems that are preventing them from achieving their motorsport ambitions, and what can be done to open up the sport more to them?
MC:Society and the way we perceive is largely the problem as young girls have not been considered for two wheels motorsports at a young enough age. We know the best in the world started from a super young age and that’s what needs to happen for young girls. Things are changing and I think it’s important to highlight what women can and are achieving to show that there is a path to a career in motorcycle racing for women. Role models are important and they need to be visible to the youngsters that could be the future of the sport male or female.
EH: Following on from the previous question, what is your opinion on the new ‘women only’ car racing series that’s starting up in 2019?
MC: It’s not necessary. Women can compete on equal terms and should be supported as equals.
EH: Finally, what advice can you give for all the young (and not so young) aspiring racers out there?
MC:Just do it, it was the best thing I ever did and although I’ve broken 24 bones, it’s still the best! Follow your dreams!
The final race of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship got underway in horrendously wet conditions on Sunday afternoon, and it was Richard Cooper for the Buildbase Suzuki team who came out victorious, as Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) capped off his championship-winning BSB campaign with a sixth place.
Cooper started from the front row, and used that position – and his Suzuki’s strength off the line – to make the holeshot, from which position he disappeared at the front, making just one mistake which kept him awake, and allowed Tommy Bridewell (Moto Rapido Ducati) behind to close up. Cooper responded, though, and within a couple of laps he had re-established a healthy margin at the front.
Behind the diminutive Derbyshireman, there was a battle for second place between the aforementioned Bridewell, newly-crowned British Champion Leon Haslam, Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing), Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) and Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki).
The group stayed together for a number of laps, before a mistake by Haslam let Bridewell escape the group, and cost the WSBK-bound rider a couple of positions.
Eventually, the group spread out, and the 2018 BSB season finally went out with something of an anti-climax.
Cooper came away with what was an impressive victory in awful conditions, in what may turn out to be his final BSB race, whilst Tommy Bridewell was able to hang on behind to second place, and another podium for the Moto Rapido Ducati squad.
They were joined on the podium by Grand Prix-bound Jake Dixon, who made amends for his race two crash with a podium in his final race for Lee Hardy and the RAF Regular and Reserves outfit after he pulled away from Christian Iddon and his split collarbone who came home in an impressive, heroic fourth.
Josh Brookes ended his time with the McAMS Yamaha team with a top five (5th), with a late charge allowing him to climb up the order in the final stages, although he fell just over half a second short of Iddon’s fourth spot. It’s not been a stellar year for the 2015 champion, and he will be hoping his move to PBM for 2019 will prove more fruitful.
Conserving both his team’s 100% finishing record, and his special, one-off gold fairing was behind the sixth place of Leon Haslam, as the 2018 champion cruised to sixth place after a series of rear-end slides, including a pretty spectacular one through Clark Curve. Haslam now has three weeks off, before he jumps on the new Kawasaki for 2019 preseason testing for the factory Kawasaki WorldSBK team.
A personal best finish of the season came in the shape of seventh place for Gino Rea, which was a good way to end a tricky year for the class rookie.
After fighting for the podium positions in the early laps, Jason O’Halloran somewhat mysteriously slumped to a finishing position of eighth ahead of the Smith’s BMW pairing of Peter Hickman and Sylvain Barrier, who were 9th and 10th respectively.
Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) came home in eleventh, ahead of newcomer Danny Kent (Movuno.com Halsall Racing Suzuki) in 12th, Mason Law (Team WD40 Kawasaki) in 13th, Shaun Winfield (Anvil Hire TAG Racing Yamaha) in 14th and Aaron Zanotti (Team 64 Kawasaki) who took the final point of the season in fifteenth, in his final career race.
Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) was the first crasher, as he high sided on the exit of Surtees, which was an unfortunate way to potentially end his BSB career. He was joined on the side lines by Joe Francis (Lloyd and Jones Bowker Motorrad BMW), Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki), James Ellison (Anvil Hire TAG Racing Yamaha) in what could be his final BSB race, Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Racing Kawasaki), Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team), Josh Elliott (OMG Racing UK LTD Suzuki) and Andrew Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team).
Leon Haslam marked his first race as British champion with his 15th win of the season, in treacherous conditions at Brands Hatch.
It’s almost become an expected part of British racing that the sun will not be shining but unfortunately with the rain brought many crashes. Only 14 riders finished Race 2 with 12 crashing out, including Danny Kent (Halsall Racing Suzuki), Jake Dixon (Kawasaki) and Andrew Irwin (BeWiser Ducati).
Not the end to the season that most riders would be hoping for but, it was a very good weekend for Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) who won the Championship and secured his 15th race win in a contained manner. Only romping away with first position when the end was in sight – almost like he learned from Dixon’s mistake who’s race ended with only a quarter of the race left when he finally obtained the lead.
It was an unfortunate race for Dixon on a whole who started on pole but he fell down to third after Irwin took his chance and clinched first position. Then chaos ensued as riders started falling left, right and centre due to the wet weather conditions and the camber of the track.
It wasn’t long before Irwin wasn’t leading and neither was Dixon as the race ultimately became a race between Haslam and Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) who fought long and hard for first position. When riding in the wet, being out front gives riders an advantage due to better visibility – no spray from the bike in front of them and a better view of the track means that they can judge their next move better. As the pair fought back and forth for this advantage, it was fishtailing that bothered O’Halloran.
It wasn’t to be for future Moto2 rider Dixon who would have hoped for a better finish to the season, but he would ultimately finish 70 points behind Haslam in the Championship in second place. His progression to Moto2 will be interesting to watch as he copes without having experience on the Moto3 machine before jumping aboard the Angel Nieto Team bike with a Triumph engine.
But after a stellar season, it was Haslam who clinched the Championship before he too departs from BSB to rejoin the Superbike World Championship with the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2019. And for 12 riders at Brands Hatch, it was not a race to remember, but with the weather conditions being what they were it’s not totally surprising that almost half the grid didn’t finish the race.
Glenn Irwin on his way to his first win of the season for BeWiser Ducati. (Picture: Impact Images)
The first race of the Brands Hatch GP triple-header which concludes the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship saw Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) take his first dry win in the championship, and his first of the season, and Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) claim his first British Superbike title.
A front group emerged almost immediately, with Glenn Irwin, pole setter Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki), Peter Hickman (Smith’s BMW), Tommy Bridewell (Moto Rapido Ducati), Richard Cooper (Buildbase Suzuki), Leon Haslam, Andrew Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) and Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) breaking away at the front. The lead pack was cut by two riders after a couple of laps, as Cooper and Bridewell fell almost simultaneously in Druids, Bridewell gesturing to imply issues with the track conditions.
The race continued, though, and the remaining six riders in the front group continued to fight over the lead and the podium spots.
Despite a good charge mid-race, Andrew Irwin started to struggle a bit towards the end, and after dropping back from his teammate and brother, Glenn Irwin, he was passed by Dixon, and then pressured by Mackenzie.
Dixon pushed on and tried to catch and pass Glenn Irwin on the lead PBM Ducati, but just ran out of time at the end, whilst Taz Mackenzie was able to find a way past the second Panigale of Andy Irwin.
Glenn Irwin’s win was sublime. A lights-to-flag masterclass, a ride akin to some of those of his former teammate, Shane Byrne. There was not one moment where he looked at risk on the bike, where he looked as if he was going to throw it all away. Knowing he was going to be leaving the BeWiser Ducati team at the end of this weekend, Irwin was always going to be after a win this weekend, to sign off in a good way. With a victory already, and with two races still to come on Sunday, who’s to say this will be the only one?
Second place for Jake Dixon left him disappointed. With his only realistic option for the championship coming into this weekend being to win all three races, that was Dixon’s sole aim, so to miss out in the first one was always going to be a source of frustration and sadness, and combined with the mathematically important sixth place of Leon Haslam, Jake’s reaction was understandable. But with the pressure now completely off, the GP-bound rider can go out tomorrow and ride completely freely.
Another podium for Mackenzie proved that he is definitely one to watch for next season, and even for tomorrow. After qualifying, he complained of being not totally comfortable with the Yamaha R1, and it was clear that the situation was very similar in the race, as he had several moments through the race where he lost the rear, notably out of Sheene Curve, and later on again on the exit of Graham Hill Bend. But nonetheless, his pace was strong when he could string a lap together, and some decent changes overnight could put him in a position to take his first Superbike win tomorrow.
Fourth place in the end went to Andrew Irwin, who matched his best result of the season so far. The #18 rider has been impressive all season, and the pace he has shown in a circuit which he has already been to on a superbike proves that he has a great potential with the one litre bikes. He doesn’t yet have a berth for next season, but he is certainly writing himself a good CV.
Peter Hickman held onto fifth place for Smith’s BMW, but it was the man behind him, Leon Haslam, who stole all the lime light today, as he took his first British Superbike Championship, after an entire career of missing out. Fourteen wins propelled Haslam to this title, and with him moving to the World Championship for 2019, this is precisely the way he wanted to sign out of this three-year stint in BSB. With the chains of the championship taken away tomorrow, Haslam should be right back at the front, battling for the win in both races.
Behind the new British Champion, Josh Brookes (McAMS Yamaha) took seventh place – a disappointment considering his double win at Brands back in July – ahead of James Ellison (Anvil Hire TAG Racing Yamaha), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) and Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) who completed the top ten.
Eleventh spot went to Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki), ahead of Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki), Gino Rea (OMG Racing Suzuki), Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Racing Kawasaki) and Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) who took the final point.
