One all! Dixon does it again to share wins with Haslam at Knockhill

It was one all in Scotland today as Jake Dixon became the fourth different race winner in the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship with a stunning victory in the opening race of the day at Knockhill before Leon Haslam claimed the victory in the race two.

In the opening race Dixon launched into the lead, forcing his way ahead of Leon Haslam, Glenn Irwin, Josh Brookes and Buchan, but the championship leader was instantly on the attack and he made a move at the Hairpin.

The leading five – Haslam, Dixon, Irwin, Buchan and Bradley Ray edged ahead, but Dixon was looking for his opportunity. Buchan though had other ideas and he targeted a move on Dixon at the Hairpin but it wasn’t enough and he had to tuck back behind the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki.

Dixon was pushing Haslam and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider made a mistake at the Hairpin which put him slightly wide and Dixon didn’t need an invitation as he carved his way ahead on a tighter line.

Buchan also had Haslam in his sights and the pair almost collided on the exit of the Hairpin as the pair dragged up the hill to the line, with the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki rider then holding the advantage to push the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider back into third place.

However Haslam was post race promoted to second ahead of Buchan who received a one position penalty for an undertake under the yellow flags between turn two and three.

Irwin held off Ray on the leading Be Wiser Ducati with the Tyco BMW pairing of Michael Laverty and Christian Iddon fighting all the way through the race but Laverty had the advantage at the finish line.

In race two Haslam returned to the top, hitting the lead when race one winner Dixon had a huge moment, which he then fought to come back from in the closing stages of the race.

Dixon led the pack on the opening lap from Buchan, Ray, Haslam and Glenn Irwin, but soon Ray had pushed his Buildbase Suzuki into second place and was ready to fight for the lead.

Haslam had meanwhile moved up to third by lap four with a move on Buchan into the Hairpin and then he had Ray in his sights. However Ray was soon to come under fire and Haslam made his move with Buchan also making a pass to push the Buildbase Suzuki rider back two places in a single lap.

The Buildbase Suzuki star was later forced to retire into pitlane with a technical problem, shortly after Brookes had also been sidelined on the McAMS Yamaha, putting him out of a potential top six finish.

At the front Dixon and Haslam were duelling for supremacy, trading blows with three moves within as many corners, but a huge moment cost Dixon; he dropped back behind the JG Speedfit Kawasaki and then tried everything possible to regain the ground over the closing laps.

Haslam held the advantage to the finish line ahead of Dixon by 0.215s with Buchan celebrating a double podium finish, after securing the team’s first in the opening race, when he crossed the line in third place on the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki just ahead of Glenn Irwin.

The Tyco BMW battle continued into the second race with Laverty again finishing ahead of Iddon at the chequered flag with Richard Cooper holding off the challenges of Andrew Irwin for seventh place.

James Ellison and Peter Hickman completed the top ten as the championship focus now moves to Brands Hatch for the next round of the season.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race one:

1.Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki)

2.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +1.917s

3.Danny Buchan* (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki)

4.Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +2.779s

5.Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +4.421s

6.Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +6.903s

7.Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +7.501s

8.Josh Brookes (McAMS Yamaha) +7.611s

9.Richard Cooper (Buildbase Suzuki) +9.304s

10.Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +14.458s

* #81 – 1 position penalty – overtaking #91 under yellow flag between T2 & T3

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, race two:

1.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki)

2.Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) +0.215s

3.Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +1.891s

4.Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +5.228s

5.Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +9.183s

6.Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +9.623s

7.Richard Cooper (Buildbase Suzuki) +10.216s

8.Andrew Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +10.523s

9.James Ellison (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +16.356s

10.Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +17.859s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Knockhill:

1.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 210

2.Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) 136

3.Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) 112

4.Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) 105

5.Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 98

6.Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 95

The next round of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship take place at Brands Hatch on July 20/21/22. For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Jake Dixon

(RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki)

Race one winner

“I am over the moon to have won today. I need to thank the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki team, this has been coming for a while now and it feels extra sweet to do it again at Knockhill.

“Leon got away and then Danny Buchan showed me his front wheel and I thought it was time to get my head down. I bridged the gap back and then applied the pressure and he made a mistake so I cut down the inside and got my head down.

“Race two was a frustrating end to the race because I honestly thought I was going to be kissing the tarmac! It wasn’t great and I will have to change my underwear!

“I had to bridge a gap again to Leon which I did, but it was just a little too late and maybe if I had another lap it could have been a different story. We can try again at Brands Hatch that’s for sure!”

Leon Haslam

(JG Speedfit Kawasaki)

Race two winner

“I’m happy with the result in both races this weekend. We had a few problems in race one with some back-shift issues, which I believe cost us the win. We were still struggling a bit in race two but it was a really good battle so I’m really pleased to have taken another win.

“The team did a great job all weekend once again, we’ve extended our lead in the championship and I can’t wait to get to Brands.

“I’m heading straight to Suzuka now for testing before the main Suzuka race at the end of July.”

More, from a press release issued by McAMS Yamaha:

SCOTTISH SUN FAILS TO SHINE ON MCAMS YAMAHA SQUAD AT KNOCKHILL

Despite almost unheard of high temperatures gracing the Fife circuit of Knockhill, McAMS Yamaha ace Josh Brookes was beset by misfortune after hitting top form in qualifying. Local hero Tarran Mackenzie had a far from fairy tale homecoming but improved over the weekend for a strong final race outing.

With the Scottish circuit enjoying fantastic weather throughout the three day meeting and a newly resurfaced track, lap times immediately tumbled and the riders chipped away during each practice session.

In qualifying Brookes upped his pace through each session to ‘pull the pin’ in the vital Q3 session, taking second place on the grid with a scintillating 47.256s lap. But it wasn’t without drama as the Australian nearly slipped off mid-corner, catching the bike at the last second. Qualifying did not go as planned for Mackenzie as he struggled to post a fast time, having to settle for 19th but still only 0.8 seconds behind the fastest rider in the Q1 session.

Race one was a battle for decreasing grip for Brookes and he finished 8th not being able to lap near his qualifying potential. Taz meanwhile brought his machine home in 14th for two more Championship points from his seventh row qualifying slot.

Race two saw a stronger performance from Brookes and he was circulating well in sixth position before a mechanical issue saw him have to retire. Mackenzie started 15th on the grid but pushed up to 11th having a good battle with Peter Hickman and logged his fastest lap on the final circulation. His overall race pace was ten seconds closer to the winner than race one, so a definite improvement.

It was a disappointing weekend in the Pirelli Superstock 1000 class for McAMS Yamaha Matt Truelove who was plagued with a technical problem, with everyone hoping for a change of luck at Brands Hatch next time out.

Dominant Pirelli Superstock 600 rider Ryan Vickers saw his winning run halted as he crashed out of the lead of the class’s only race of the weekend, after earlier having achieved pole position on his Mototechniks Yamaha YZF-R6. The Norfolk youngster still sits 22 points ahead of his rivals.

Josh Brookes said; “We’ve definitely had no luck this weekend after showing such great pace in qualifying. I had no grip in race one and thought it was a quirk of the tyre but race two was only a little bit better and then we had a technical, so game over. We need to put this behind us and go on to the Brands Hatch GP circuit, which I love riding.”

Tarran Mackenzie said; “I struggled in qualifying which put us a long way back for race one and never really got going. The guys made some suspension changes between the races and it worked, I felt comfortable at faster times in the last race to come through and salvage something from the weekend.”

Ryan Vickers explained; “I’m gutted to have crashed out of the lead today. I was just starting to pull out a bit of a gap but tucked the front at Turn 3. Me and the bike are OK though and we’ll be back stronger at Brands Hatch!”

Team Manager Grant Bunting summed up; “Knockhill never seems to be kind to us. Josh showed awesome pace in qualifying but a lack of grip and a technical wiped us out whilst Tarran ended strongly which is the main thing. A frustrating day but we move on to Brands Hatch where I know we can be strong.”

More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing BMW:

Hickman Digs Deep For Knockhill Top Ten Finishes

The Smiths Racing BMW team were in action at Knockhill in Scotland this weekend for round five of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship and although it was a challenging three days for the Gloucester-based team, Peter Hickman dug deep on race day to reward the team with two hard fought top ten finishes.

Having qualified in 16th place for the opening 30-lap race, 31-year-old Hickman knew it was going to be tough around the 1.2-mile Fife circuit with overtaking extremely difficult given the tight nature of the circuit and the close proximity of the times. Nevertheless, a good start saw the Lincoln ace immediately up into the points where his efforts were eventually rewarded with a solid tenth place.

It meant he started the second race from 12th place on the grid, and although it looked like he’d have to settle for 11th place, Hicky kept pushing until the end and a tenth place finally became his with just a few laps to go. Fighting until the very last lap, Peter was duly rewarded with his second top ten finish of the day to move into 11th place overall in the championship table.

Team-mate Sylvain Barrier qualified in 20th place for the first race where he unfortunately retired just after half race distance but the Frenchman, on his debut at the tight and twisty track, regrouped for the second race and was rewarded with a solid 17th place finish, just missing out on the points.

Peter Hickman: “It’s been a really tough weekend for myself and the team so a massive thank you to them as they’ve really dug deep and worked hard over the entire weekend to try and find out what we were missing. We never quite found it, but we did improve and considering we were so far back in qualifying, to take two tenth places is OK as it could have been a lot worse. We’ll work hard again to ensure Brands Hatch is better.”

Sylvain Barrier: “It’s been a tough weekend for me and Knockhill is a type of circuit that I’m not used so it’s been very challenging. It’s tight, twisty and not very long but I kept pushing all weekend so it’s a shame I wasn’t able to add to my points tally. The team have worked hard all weekend, as always, and I’m looking forward to going back to Brands Hatch for the second time and getting some better results.”

Darren Jones, Team Co-ordinator: “It was another tough weekend where we made a lot of unusual changes to the bike but no matter what we tried, the lap times never came for either rider. The team kept their spirits up and worked through a number of things to improve the lap consistently for race pace. We now look forward to Brands Hatch which is a track that should suit our bike better.”

More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing BSB Press Office:

TOUGH WEEKEND NORTH OF THE BORDER FOR HONDA RACING

The fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship proved a tough weekend for Honda Racing as Dan Linfoot and Jason O’Halloran struggled to find form at Scotland’s Knockhill racing circuit.

After a close qualifying session yesterday with blistering lap times at the 1.3-mile track, the Honda duo lined up for the opening race of the day with Linfoot ninth and O’Halloran 12th on the grid.

Still carrying an ankle injury, ‘The O’Show’ put in a brave effort aboard the CBR1000RR Fireblade, but struggled across the 30 laps at the physically challenging circuit. The Aussie crossed the line in 16th place narrowly missing out on vital championship points.

Meanwhile, teammate Linfoot was forced to retire early from race one after experiencing an issue back shifting. Running wide and dropping into 14th place in the early stages, he ran wide again at the hairpin on the 22nd lap, and with the issue on-going retired from the race.

For the second race Linfoot lined up without O’Halloran, who sat out of the race to avoid further damage to his ankle. Eventually coming home in 13th, Linfoot had struggled with pace across the 30 laps, a post race analysis showed there was an issue with the front wheel speed sensor.

The Honda Racing team now have two weeks before heading to Brands Hatch for the sixth round of the series (20-22 July), where they hope to return stronger and back in the mix.

#4 Dan Linfoot

It’s been a tough weekend, I came in wanting to leave with a strong points tally, but we’re leaving with three points, which isn’t ideal with the Showdown in mind. Race one we had the issue back shifting and on lap five I ran wide and had to re-join the back of the group I was in. I made good progress over the next few laps and made a move on [James] Ellison, but ran wide into the hairpin and ended up deep in the gravel, when I re-joined I was 18th and didn’t want to risk it happening again and potentially crashing. The lads replaced the engine for race two, but I immediately didn’t feel like I had any engine braking control and was backing into corners with no real pace. I finished the race in 13th and collected three points, but we have since found out there was an issue with the front wheel speed sensor, which is relieving to hear but also frustrating! I enjoy Knockhill and have enjoyed success here in the past, so to be walking away after a weekend like we’ve had is a little frustrating. We now have to look to Brands Hatch for the next round, I like the GP circuit and I had a podium there last year so looking forward to getting back into the mix.

#22 Jason O’Halloran

It was a hard decision to walk away today and miss the second race, but it’s been a tough weekend for me physically. We’ve had good speed through all sessions and I had a good day yesterday, but it took a lot out of me and I’m not over this injury yet. Knockhill is a really physical track and my legs just aren’t strong enough, I need to think about the next couple of races and not set my progress back any further. I’d made a good step from Snetterton, even with a small set back and managed to get strong for this weekend, but over the weekend it did become a struggle. We have to be sensible and there’s no point in hurting myself more, it’s not going to do us any favours in the long run. As soon as I am 100% fit again I know I’ll be back at the front, the Fireblade is working so well and the team are doing such a good job, which makes it even more frustrating. But I have to let my body heal and we can’t speed that up, so just need to stay focused and we will be back stronger at Brands.

Havier Beltran

Team Manager

Knockhill has been a difficult weekend for us really, we arrived here with high expectations and we’re coming away with a low points tally for both riders. Sadly Jason was in a lot of pain as the weekend unfolded and in race one he struggled over the 30 laps and to continue like that would have probably set him back even further. We had the discussion and decided it was better to regroup and try again at the next round for damage limitation really. Dan again, from practice through to qualifying we thought we were going to be stronger than where we were. We had an issue in race one with the back shifter, which caused him to run wide on a few occasions and with the speed and nature of this circuit it’s not very forgiving, so he decided to pit in. For race two the crew changed the engine and did a great job getting everything ready in time, but unfortunately we experienced another issue, this time with the front wheel speed sensor. It’s disappointing as everyone puts in so much hard work, but sometimes we have these things and we now need to re-evaluate and be stronger for the next round.

More, from a press release issued by Buildbase Suzuki:

Podium for McConnell highlight of tough weekend at Knockhill for Buildbase Suzuki

Billy McConnell finished on the podium onboard his GSX-R1000 in the first National Superstock 1000 race at Knockhill for round five of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, the Australian’s second place finish the highlight of a tough weekend for the Buildbase Suzuki team.

McConnell qualified in second place, and finished runner up in the first encounter. However, he then made an uncharacteristic mistake and crashed out of race two, collecting no points. He now sits second in the championship, 12 points off the series lead.

In the superbike class Bradley Ray was quick all weekend, but the team had been searching for the final missing piece of the setup jigsaw to give him the edge come race day. The 21-year-old finished fifth in race one after battling with the leading group throughout. The team made changes for race two that saw him hold second place for much of the action, and challenge for the lead. Unfortunately, he was unable to take the chequered flag after a stone punctured the radiator on his GSX-R1000.

Richard Cooper had also been fast all weekend and was consistently well inside the top-10 during practice. Despite a slightly disappointing showing in qualifying, the former Superstock 1000 champion had two strong races to finish ninth and seventh.

Despite having plenty to think about following the weekend’s racing, however, the team’s thoughts are currently with the Dunlop family following the passing of William on Saturday.

Billy McConnell, “The bike was working good, we came here with a good setup from Mallory but honestly Keith was riding really well and it was going to be tough to beat him. Second in race one though was still good for the championship but I just made a mistake in race two and tucked the front and that has hurt us a little bit. But we’re not yet halfway through, there are plenty of points left to play for and we know we’ve got a good package and a competitive bike, it was just an off weekend this weekend.”

Bradley Ray, “We had good pace this weekend but we were just missing a little bit. In race one we were there or there abouts in the leading group but I couldn’t really attack. We made some changes for race two and got a good start, and I was feeling a lot more comfortable. I felt we could have at least had a podium, but I had no choice but to pull in after a stone went through the radiator. It’s really a disappointing as it’s cost us a good haul of championship points and given us some real work to do now. I’ve got another test for the Suzuka 8-hour now, so I’ll try and put this weekend behind me, have a good test, and come back stronger at Brands Hatch.”

Richard Cooper, “I’m happy enough again to be honest. We had good pace all weekend and qualifying didn’t really do us justice which is a shame and that’s really where need to work a bit more. But we really had found a bit of pace in practice and I was feeling really good. Coming from 11th on the grid we had a some work to do but I was happy with P9 and it felt like everything was starting to come to me, and we did another strong 30 laps in race two to come away with P7. I’m pretty please, we’re improving and that momentum is building, hopefully we can take that into Brands Hatch next.”

Team manager Steve Hicken, “It was a disappointing weekend on the whole. While fifth was the best we could achieve in race one with Brad, I think we could have gone better in race two, so it’s really disappointing to miss out on a result because of track debris. The stone through the radiator cost us a lot of points, and we also missed some track time with a puncture on Friday, so all-in-all quite disappointed with that.

“With Cooper, we found a lot of pace on Friday and he was strong all weekend after a really productive run-out at Mallory before we came here. It didn’t quite come together in qualifying again and that’s where we need to work. But we saw a big improvement and they were two good results.

“Tipping off in the second race was a rare mistake from Billy. It’s a shame as it’s cost us the championship lead, but he doesn’t make many and has been having a great season so far. We’ll go away and regroup, we know where we need to work and where we can improve, and after a tricky weekend we will be coming back stronger at Brands Hatch. However, at the moment our thoughts are all with William Dunlop’s friends and family at this very, very sad time.”

More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:

Solid Points For Be Wiser Ducati At Knockhill

The Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team enjoyed a strong day of racing at Knockhill in Scotland today where Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team were competing in round five of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and saw both Glenn and Andrew Irwin picking up a good haul of points in both races.

Having qualified for the first 30-lap race in fourth place aboard the factory-supported Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R, 28-year-old Glenn made a good start to move up into third place behind Leon Haslam and Jake Dixon and there he remained until half race distance before slipping back to fourth place. There was little to choose between the top five riders but, try as he might, Glenn was unable to get back up into a podium position and had to settle for fourth at the chequered flag.

With the third fastest lap of the race, the elder Carrickfergus brother started from the front row of the grid for the second race later in the day and it followed a similar pattern to that of earlier in the day. Glenn ran in the top five throughout the sun-drenched race and moved up to fourth place with ten laps of the race remaining where he duly brought the Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R home for his second successive fourth place finish.

Team-mate and younger brother Andrew also had a good day on only his second meeting substituting for the injured defending champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne on the Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R. The 23 year old started the first race from 14th on the grid, and he gained two places on the opening lap to move up into 12th. By lap 17, he was dicing for a top ten placing but with five laps to go he slipped to 11th which is where he finished to pick up five well-earned points.

Starting the second race from 11th place, Andrew held his position for the first part of the race but by half race distance he’d moved up into the top ten. He kept chipping away and with just five laps to go, he’d moved up into an excellent eighth place which he held until the end.

Glenn Irwin: “I felt today’s results were the best we could get as you could clearly see the circuit suited the Kawasakis more. Together with the team, we worked really well, and we leave in a healthy position with 26 points which is a good haul for the championship. I’m disappointed not to have won as I was desperate to do that for the Dunlop family. William was a good friend of mine and it’s been a difficult weekend personally. My results today aren’t really significant compared to what the Dunlop family are going through and my thoughts are very much with them.”

Andrew Irwin: “It’s been a really enjoyable meeting for me and I’m really enjoying my racing at the minute. When you’re enjoying it, you’re generally fast and my aim is to simply keep improving. To get two strong finishes in just my second British Superbike outing is very pleasing so I’ll keep chipping away and look to edge closer to the top six group next time out. I’d also like to echo Glenn’s comments that all our thoughts are with the Dunlops after the tragic loss of William this weekend.”

Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “Firstly our condolences go out to the Dunlop family at this very difficult time. As for the results, Glenn came away with a good haul of points from the weekend considering this isn’t the strongest circuit for the Be Wiser Ducati. It’s shown in the past that with a clear track we can do the lap times but when it comes to the races on Sunday, we are missing in a few areas compared to our competitors. As for Andrew, he rode superbly in both races just missing out on a top six finish. Each time he rides the bike, he’s learning more and more which can only be a good thing for future races. We’ll go to Brands Hatch in good spirits and hopefully with a few upgrades from Ducati, that will give the boys something to fight with at the sharp end in a fortnight’s time.”

The results see Glenn move into fourth in the standings, just ahead of Shakey with Andrew moving into 18th after just four races going into the next round at Brands Hatch over the weekend of July 20/22. For further information, please visit www.pbmuk.net and www.pbmuk.net

More, from a press release issued by Tyco BMW Racing:

FARMER LEADS SUPERSTOCK CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER DOUBLE RACE WIN

Knockhill played host to the fifth round of the British Superbike Championship this weekend. Following a full resurfacing of the track, coupled with some glorious Scottish sunshine, the way was paved for some seriously fast lap times and provided some incredibly close racing at the 1.2669 mile Scottish circuit.

The National Superstock 1000 class was dominated by Tyco BMW’s Keith Farmer as he took to the top step twice over the weekend with an emphatic double race win aboard the TAS Racing prepared S1000RR. The Clogher ace set a new circuit lap record in race one crossing the line with a staggering 5.065 second advantage over second place, only to better this in race two with a 48.462 second lap time and smash his own lap record in the second race of the weekend. Claiming a valuable 50 points, Keith now leads the National Superstock 1000 championship with 145 points.

Following a successful test at the Highlands circuit the week before, Michael Laverty and Christian Iddon continued to make good progress throughout both practice and qualifying with lap times consistently in the 47s. With less than a second covering the racing field, the Tyco BMW duo proved they both had good pace on the TAS Racing prepared BMW S1000RR, crossing the line in sixth and seventh in race one, and a hard fought fifth and sixth in race two respectively. Michael leaves the Scottish circuit increasing his points tally by 21 to place him eighth in the overall championship standings with 67 points, equalled by team-mate Christian Iddon who also stands on 67 points.

The Tyco BMW team are focused and now in a strong position to fight for a top six showdown spot as the 2018 Championship reaches the mid-way point at Brands Hatch on 20-22 July.

“A solid weekend was exactly what we asked for and both Michael and Christian delivered exactly that, with Keith adding the bonus of a double race win. Our task in both Superbike and Superstock is clear at this point and Knockhill was a step in the right direction. Thanks to Tyco, BMW Motorrad and all our partners for their continued support.

Of course our successes this weekend will not be celebrated following the sad loss of our close friend and former Tas Racing/Tyco BMW rider William Dunlop. Our thoughts are with William’s partner Janine the family circle and also the Temple Golf Club Team”

Philip Neill – Team Manager

“We could not have done anymore this weekend, with two race wins, two pole positions and a lap record! We started the weekend fast with really strong race pace, so was quietly confident heading into both races after setting pole position. In both races we had a similar situation, once we got into the lead, I set my own pace concentrating on my own lines and markers, then managed to pull a gap and control the race. I’m chuffed to bits with the efforts from everyone all weekend and thank you to the whole Tyco BMW team, they have done a mega job and the BMW S1000RR has just worked fantastically all weekend. We had a really successful test prior to Knockhill where I really got to grips with how to ride the bigger bike, the whole package has made the job much easier and made a huge difference finding our ‘happy place’ in me and the bike.”

Keith Farmer, National Superstock 1000 #33

“We are leaving Knockhill with a decent points haul following 5th and 6th place finishes, but being honest I’m a little bit frustrated not to have the pace to challenge the leaders today. We worked hard this weekend and were strong throughout, but we just missed that last percent this weekend with the Tyco BMW to stay in podium contention. We have made some good steps forward since Snetterton and will keep working hard to take that next step at Brands Hatch next time out.”

Michael Laverty, Superbike #7

“I don’t think I’ve ever ridden so hard for 7th and 6th in all my life, there wasn’t a single moment in either race where I took a breath! We kept chipping away all weekend and got closer and closer and got into Q3 which was good. I wasn’t too strong on new tyres at the start of each race, I didn’t make the most of the Tyco BMW package – but came good towards the end of both races with a strong finish. I’m content with the weekend to take away a 7th and 6th, it’s solid amount of points and now we just need to keep working hard and aim for that showdown.”

Christian Iddon, Superbike #21

More, from a press release issued by RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki:

Victory at Knockhill for Dixon and RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki

Jake Dixon and the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team enjoyed a superb day of racing at Knockhill on Sunday with brilliant first and second place finishes taken at round five of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The results have moved Dixon up to second place overall in the Championship.

Having taken a double victory at the Scottish venue in 2017, both Dixon and the team had high hopes coming into the event and, after strong performances throughout the free practice sessions, the Ashby resident converted this into a superb pole position during Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session. Indeed, his lap of 47.158s was the quickest ever around the 1.2-mile circuit.

That naturally put him in confident mood for the opening 30-lap race and although it was Leon Haslam who grabbed the early lead, Jake slotted straight into second and in the wheel tracks of his fellow Kawasaki rider. There was little to choose between the leading five riders but when Haslam ran wide at the hairpin on lap 25, Jake took full advantage to dive up the inside and take the lead. He never looked back and eventually ran out victor by some 1.7s.

Lining up for race two in second place on the grid, Jake was soon in the lead and held on until lap 24 when Haslam briefly took over. Jake immediately retaliated but had a huge moment a lap later which nearly caused him to crash and dropped him back to second. He clawed back the gap to Haslam but just ran out of time to regain the lead and so had to settle for second place.

Team-mate Jordan Weaving was also in action in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship and after qualifying in 18th place on the Briggs Equipment Kawasaki ZX-10R, the South African improved considerably in the two races, taking 12th on Saturday and then an excellent seventh on Sunday.

Jake Dixon: “I was absolutely over the moon after the first race and I couldn’t thank the team enough for all their hard work. We had a chat at the beginning of the weekend to discuss where we could improve and although Leon got away a little bit in the first race, I clawed him back and took full advantage when he ran wide at the hairpin. As soon as I got into the lead, I had a real good go and to take another BSB win felt brilliant.”

“I was gutted not to have taken the double though as I felt really comfortable and if it hadn’t been for the moment, I felt confident I could have held on. I was doing everything perfectly and had the pace to push on but when I had the moment, I don’t know how I stayed on. Fortunately I did and brought the bike home in second but we’re a lot closer to Leon now and we’re going to be here until the end of the year for sure.”

Round six of the series takes place at Brands Hatch, Kent on July 20-22.