Showdown bound for Honda Racing UK
The showdown rounds commence for Honda Racing UK with a trip to Oulton Park for round nine of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship the first opportunity to take home an increased points haul.
With the eight rounds of the main season now complete, this return to the venue of Tommy Bridewell’s first podium of the year marks the start of the three-round showdown, in which more points are awarded to those in the race’s top fifteen finishing positions. Sitting at the top of the championship standings heading into the weekend, he holds a nineteen-point advantage over closest rival Kyle Ryde, with Glenn Irwin a further forty-one in arrears. The 2.69-mile circuit has historically always been a strong venue for Tommy and with further developments to the Fireblade an extension to this points advantage is the clear target.
His teammate, Andrew Irwin, makes a welcome return to the starting grid having missed the racing action at Cadwell Park due to injuries sustained in an FP3 crash. Now fully fit and healthy, he looks to capitalise on the strong pace he has repeatedly showcased during recent rounds.
In British Supersport, Honda Racing UK will field two CBR600RRs for the remainder of the season as Dean Harrison continues to impress on the smaller capacity machine, missing out on the podium at Cadwell last time out by less than a tenth of a second. Alongside him in the garage, Jack Kennedy’s assault on championship number five continues. Although he relinquished the championship lead last time out, Jack is still right in the fight trailing rival Luke Stapleford by just a single point.
For a full weekend timetable please click here.
#1 Tommy Bridewell
Heading to Oulton Park for the first round of the showdown leading the championship is a good place to be, but we have to keep our heads down and keep working to maximise everything across the weekend. It’s good to be heading back to a circuit that we have raced at previously, we have learnt a lot about this new Fireblade and we are certainly further down the development path. If we can leave the weekend having extended our points advantage then it will be objective achieved.
#18 Andrew Irwin
I can’t escape the fact that Cadwell wasn’t in the plan. Unfortunately, we had to miss the races which is frustrating because I was fast in all conditions throughout the weekend and I believe another strong result was on the cards. That said, all of my focus and energy is on looking forward and leaving that in the past. I am fully fit and raring to get to Oulton and continue our progression. It will be good to get back to a circuit that we have raced at before this year and see just how far we have developed the package. I feel like I am riding in a good way and for sure the bike is in a stronger place too, so let’s see what the weekend can bring.
#4 Jack Kennedy
I’m really looking forward to Oulton Park as it is a track that I am really strong at. We raced there earlier this year so it is good to head back to a track that we have been to already as it enables us to hit the ground running, we already know our gearing and have the setup from previously. We certainly have a stronger machine now than we had at the start of the year at Oulton Park so that should make it easier for me in terms of the races and being able to fight for the win, which ultimately is our goal for this round. We have to maximise our points compared to our championship rivals. The weather looks like it could play a curve ball but I am confident in the wet or dry and feel like we have all bases covered because the bike is great to ride in any conditions.
#5 Dean Harrison
Cadwell was a bit of a roller coaster to be fair, we missed out on the podium in race one by next to nothing and then crashed out of race two. I’m hoping that we can continue the strong pace that we’ve shown recently and be in a position to fight again this weekend at Oulton Park. We had a quick run out at the circuit last week which went well, and has enabled us to get through some of the setup work already which will only help heading into Free Practice. I think if we can come away from the weekend having shown that we can be there fighting inside the top five then that’ll be a job well done.