The battle continues! MCE British Superbike Championship back on track as Haslam leads the title fight to Scotland
The tussle for the country’s biggest motorsport crown resumes this weekend (June 16/17/18) as the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship lands in Scotland for the fourth round of the season and Leon Haslam arrives at Knockhill as the man to beat.
The JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider holds a marginal three point advantage at the top of the standings following an impressive run of podium finishes in five of the six races so far this season. His momentum came to an abrupt end with a huge crash at Oulton Park last time out following a collision with a stricken James Ellison, but the Derbyshire contender has his sights firmly set on a victorious return this Sunday.
Haslam is coming under fire from the growing opposition and first in line is his team-mate Luke Mossey; the 24-year-old scored his first MCE BSB race win at Brands Hatch in April and is aiming to surge ahead this weekend.
Christian Iddon is yet to score his first race win in the Championship but with three podiums in as many rounds, the Tyco BMW rider is next up in the standings and pushing to become the fourth different race winner of the season.
2015 champion Josh Brookes bagged a podium finish for the Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team at the opening round of the season and he will be pushing to add to his Podium Points at a circuit where he has previously celebrated seven podium finishes.
Glenn Irwin is the first of the Be Wiser Ducatis in the overall standings ahead of this weekend and after scoring a strong second place last time out at Oulton Park he won’t be giving an inch as he bids to wrestle his way up the order.
Honda Racing hold the final place in the top six ahead of the fourth round following Jason O’Halloran’s impressive podium finish at Oulton Park – the first for the new Fireblade as the Australian became the seventh different rider to step onto the podium this season. The ‘O’Show’ topped the recent official test at Snetterton proving that the multiple title-winning team are going to be gunning for more this weekend.
Three points currently separate defending champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne from the top six but Haslam is counting on his nemesis to attack in Scotland following his first victory of the season at the third round. The Be Wiser Ducati rider has won seven of the last nine races at Knockhill and will be bidding to overhaul his rivals with two strong races on Sunday.
Smiths Racing BMW’s Peter Hickman, the McAMS Yamaha’s of James Ellison and Michael Laverty, Bennetts Suzuki’s Sylvain Guintoli and local contender Taylor Mackenzie plus Moto Rapido Ducati’s John Hopkins are all set to be in the mix too in Scotland.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings:
Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 111
Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 108
Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) 86
Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) 67
Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) 63
Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) 61
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Leon Haslam
JG Speedfit Kawasaki
“I’m looking forward to this weekend; it has been a long time since the last race at Oulton Park with the break we have had and I have missed riding! I did have the wildcard ride in the World Championship and it felt good to be on the podium there. I think going from one spec to the other, it is easier coming back to BSB than when you go the other way because the limits of the bike are easier to find here where it is more down to the rider than the electronics and trusting them.
“The Snetterton test was frustrating for us as I only had a handful of laps, but I know that the team will be ready for Knockhill and we will come out fighting. I really like Knockhill and have some good memories there – I got my first win in the 125 Championship there, won race one last year and was leading race two until I had a problem with my visor. I love the track and coming off the last race at Oulton Park when I didn’t finish because of a crash, I want to bounce back.
“I think going into this weekend the main threat will be Shakey and the Ducati. The standings don’t show because he was out of the Donington races and then had the pace at Brands Hatch and then won at Oulton Park and the next the next two tracks they have tested at already. I believe they will come back strongly this weekend so it is down to us to carry on working hard and concentrate on what we need to do so that we are winning races again.”