Mossey the leader of the pack but rivals ready to attack at Snetterton
Luke Mossey leads the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings for the first time as the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider heads into his home round of Snetterton this weekend (June 30 – July 2), when the title fight reaches Norfolk.
Mossey has launched himself up the standings since scoring his debut race win in the championship at Brands Hatch and has claimed five podium finishes from the opening eight races of the season.
The 24-year-old from Cambridge holds the leading position ahead of Sunday’s two races, but team-mate Leon Haslam is bidding to fight back from injury and defending champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne eyes a winning repeat from 2016 with the Be Wiser Ducati team.
Jason O’Halloran celebrated his first victory in the Superbike class for Honda Racing last season at Snetterton and he is aiming to add to his podium finish at Oulton Park onboard the new Fireblade. The Australian topped the times in the recent official test and arrives with confidence high ahead of Sunday’s two races.
The local RAF Reserves Kawasaki team was flying high last time out at Knockhill as Jake Dixon celebrated a debut MCE BSB victory and then turned it into a dream double in the weekend’s second race. Now the 21-year-old wants to carry his momentum into the team’s home round as he bids to move closer to a spot in the all-important championship top six.
The Tyco BMW team are looking to put the previous round at Knockhill behind them as Christian Iddon aims to return from injury alongside new recruit Andy Reid, who makes his much-anticipated debut in the Superbike class after previous success in the Dickies British Supersport Championship.
The McAMS Yamaha team are also ready for a resurgence after scoring their first podium of the season so far last time out at Knockhill, with James Ellison and Michael Laverty is equally hungry to get his bid for the top six back on track in Norfolk.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings:
1.Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 141
2.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 111
3.Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 90
4.Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) 86
5.Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) 83
6.Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) 78
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Luke Mossey
JG Speedfit Kawasaki
“Your home round is always special and I am really excited for Snetterton because it is the first time I have ever led the standings so to be in this position ahead of the weekend is great for me and the team.
“We have been consistently in the top five and I was a bit disappointed to not have been on the podium twice at Knockhill but I had made a mistake and it was luck more than talent that stopped me ending up in the gravel!
“I want to make amends for that this weekend by winning races at Snetterton because we need to build up the podiums so we are in the best position for later in the season. I feel we are ready for it!”
Jake Dixon
RAF Reserves Kawasaki
“To be honest race day at Knockhill still seems like such a blur because we had race one and my head was still in the game for race two; even after that I had a five hour drive home so it wasn’t until Monday really when it all started to sink in!
“We need to work hard again throughout free practice and qualifying to come out fighting in the races, because it was such an amazing feeling that I just want to do it again – especially in front of all the team sponsors and guests at our home round.”
The double win at Knockhill leapt Dixon up the standings into eighth place overall and within striking distance of the top six – the place where all the riders want to be before the final three-round Showdown that will decide the title in the autumn.
“The top six has got closer now. We need to close that again and keep consistent because we have to keep our feet on the floor and not get carried away. I say that, but can you imagine if I could make it a double, double win? That would be a dream come true especially after all the hard work everyone has put in.”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:
Shakey Gunning For Snetterton Wins As Irwin Is Ruled Out
Round five of the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship heads for Snetterton this weekend where Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne is aiming to get back to winning ways for the Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team.
The five-times and defending champion scored a double podium at the last round at Knockhill to achieve his objective of moving into the Showdown-qualifying top six, following a tough start to the season aboard the factory-backed Be Wiser Panigale R for Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team.
Those results elevated him to third overall in the title race and added another pair of vital Podium Points to his tally, but the Sittingbourne-based Londoner has his eyes on victory this week at the Norfolk track which has seen him sample lots of success in recent years.
Indeed, Shakey won aboard the Be Wiser Ducati last year to make it six wins in his last seven races around the ‘300’ configuration and added a third place for good measure so is intent on keeping that record going as the season heads towards the half way point.
Meanwhile team-mate Glenn Irwin will not be in action aboard his Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R due to injuries sustained in a practice crash up in Scotland two weeks ago which ruled him out of Knockhill. Despite intense treatment to his dislocated left shoulder and left elbow, the Carrickfergus, County Antrim rider needs more time to recuperate and is now aiming to race at the following round at Brands Hatch on 21/23 July.
Shane Byrne: “A big part of me sees the last round at Knockhill as a job done. I went there out of Showdown contention and needing some decent points and left there third in the championship and with two more Podium Points in the bag. However, the racer in me only goes racing to win and obviously I never managed that last time out so we’ll aim to put that right at Snetterton. I think the run of tracks we now have coming up should suit both myself and the Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R far better than Knockhill did, so hopefully we can look to get some serious winning done.”
Glenn Irwin: “Today, in conjunction with my team, we have made the very difficult decision not to race at Snetterton. After meeting my shoulder and elbow specialist in England last week, we looked at pushing what is normally an eight to 12-week recovery to just five weeks. I, however, wanted to make that a two-week recovery which is in keeping with my optimistic attitude. I have tried laser treatment, oxygen, acupuncture, cryotherapy and the recovery is ahead of schedule but I want to be back fully fit and at the front so we’ll plan to be at Brands Hatch in three weeks’ time.”
More, from a press release issued by McAMS Yamaha:
Ellison and Laverty ready to come out fighting at Snetterton
The McAMS Yamaha team return to action this weekend for the fifth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Snetterton with confidence high from both sides of the garage as James Ellison and Michael Laverty arrive in Norfolk.
Ellison heads into the next round of the championship off the back of the team’s debut podium finish in the Superbike class last time out at Knockhill and confident that he can carry the momentum into this weekend’s event.
Laverty meanwhile believes the team made a breakthrough in Scotland and that the improvements found will put him in a position to come out fighting for his first podium finish of the season so far this weekend.
Ellison said: “The podium at Knockhill feels like it has been a long time coming; it was an awesome feeling but also a bit bitter sweet as we have had the pace at every single round so far and only have one podium to show for it.
“I really think we are showing what the McAMS Yamaha can do and it should be fighting for the championship so I feel that we must have got all the bad luck out of the way and now we can really get the season started and fight for those podium points.
“I know we missed the official test, so we will have some time to make up compared to the guys that did it, but it won’t take us long to get back into the swing of it. I am looking forward to having a good weekend and it is the first one with our baby Mila at the track so the pressure is on to get a win for her!”
Laverty said: “Knockhill was a funny weekend as we started in the top five in practice and then it wasn’t until the races that we made a real breakthrough with the front end feel of the McAMS Yamaha. I think race two was my strongest of the year so far but where I started so far down the grid it made life difficult!
“I feel that we arrive at Snetterton with a better feel on the base setting and it is a track that I do really enjoy so I am hoping that what we have learnt will translate to Snetterton, although it is a different circuit. I am really ready to get the ball rolling this weekend and try and build throughout the weekend to be in a strong pposition in the races on Sunday.”