Time to fly! Bennetts BSB contenders get set for Cadwell Park

The Bennetts British Superbike Championship returns to Lincolnshire this weekend (August 17/18/19) as Cadwell Park gears up for one of the biggest events of the season, and with just five races remaining before the Showdown, it is set to be a crucial round for the title contenders.

JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam tops the standings ahead of Sunday’s two races, but he’ll face tough opposition to add to his winning tally as the battle to be in the top six rages and the fight to score the final Podium Points intensifies. Twelve riders have already celebrated podium finishes with a total of five different race winners proving how fierce the competition is ahead of this weekend’s Cadwell Park event.

Jake Dixon holds second place in the overall standings, scoring a double podium finish last time out at Thruxton for the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki team as he bids to add to his Knockhill victory, but Josh Brookes has won three of the last four races and is definitely gaining momentum with the McAMS Yamaha team as he aims to add to his 2015 title victory.

Glenn Irwin missed out on the podium last time out at Thruxton for the title-winning Be Wiser Ducati team; but with just eight Podium Points between himself in fourth and second-placed Dixon, he is targeting a return to the top three this weekend to be in the best possible position ahead of the Showdown.

Donington Park double winner Bradley Ray has endured a tough run of races recently, but the Buildbase Suzuki rider is confident that he can turn it around this weekend following a positive test at the Lincolnshire circuit. He holds a narrow eight-point advantage over Danny Buchan who currently locks out the top six in the standings.

On the verge of making the cut for the Showdown six is Peter Hickman; the home hero of Cadwell Park claimed a spectacular double podium finish at Thruxton despite a kidney infection, and he has just seven points separating him from Buchan ahead of Cadwell Park.

With reigning champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne still sidelined through injury, next in line to try and gain ground and close a top six place is Christian Iddon; the Tyco BMW rider has yet to stand on the podium this season and trails Hickman by 13 points.

Louth-based Honda Racing completes the current top ten with Jason O’Halloran; the Australian had been a podium finisher earlier in the season but a broken ankle sustained on World Championship duties had briefly halted his momentum. However, at Thruxton O’Halloran was back fighting for the podium and will be looking for nothing less than a repeat performance this weekend.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:

1.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 280

2.Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) 198

3.Josh Brookes (McAMS Yamaha) 168

4.Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) 163

5.Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) 119

6.Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 111

The eighth round of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship take place at Cadwell Park on August 17/18/19. For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Josh Brookes

(McAMS Yamaha)

“For sure it was great to be back on the top of the step of the podium at Thruxton. Actually weekends like that indicate just how difficult it is to force a result and how close the competition is every single weekend. Basically we made a small change in between races but it showed to me the difference between not even being on the podium to getting a win, it’s that close.

“Cadwell Park is of course a completely different sort of circuit where bike set-up is crucial, certain bikes have favourable characteristics for the two halves of the track and you need a good set-up to handle the whole layout.

“I get quite a bit of attention for jumping the Mountain but that’s how I’ve always done it, perhaps it comes naturally to me with my motocross background. I guess it can be quite an intimidating part of the track to get wrong, so maybe some riders ride it in more of a conventional way.

“People talk about getting into the Showdown but I don’t really think about it, if I’m not in the Top Six then something’s gone really wrong with my season. Of course we need to close the gap on Leon in terms of Podium Points, and I think we are on the right course to achieve that…”

Peter Hickman

(Smiths Racing BMW)

“After everything that happened at Thruxton I am looking forward to Cadwell Park! I started Saturday feeling a bit low and during the day I started to feel worse, but still managed to do qualifying and thought I just needed an early night! Then on Saturday night I was whisked off to hospital and told I needed to rest and go on a drip as I had a kidney infection! When I woke up on Sunday morning I actually felt mint again and I left hospital then headed back to the circuit.

“I felt ok in the races, although I had less energy at the end, so I felt a bit disappointed as although we had two podiums, I feel the pace that we had was good enough for race wins and that isn’t something I would normally say with so much confidence.

“Traditionally Cadwell Park has been a good circuit for me, so I need to keep my energy levels up and be out pushing for wins again. I think the pressure at the moment is more on Brad and Danny than me, as they have the position to lose rather than the position to gain; Cadwell Park has been good for me in the past so I can’t wait!”

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

Cadwell Challenge For Be Wiser Ducati Awaits

Round eight of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season makes the annual visit to Cadwell Park this weekend with Northern Irish brothers Glenn and Andrew Irwin hoping to be in the thick of the action aboard their factory-supported Be Wiser Ducati Panigale Rs.

The annual ‘Party in the Park’ traditionally attracts the biggest attendance of the season whereby in excess of 50,000 fans are expected to converge on the Lincolnshire Wolds to witness some of the most spectacular action on the narrow and undulating switchback track near Louth.

And after a mediocre set of results at the previous round at Thruxton, both 28-year-old Glenn and 23-year-old sibling Andrew know they need to up their game to challenge for honours for Paul Bird’s Lake District-based team.

The Carrickfergus residents created history last time out by becoming the first brothers to start a BSB race from the front row but in the actual races, Glenn could only manage a best result of fifth place and Andrew, after a heavy crash, posted a best of 11th place so both are determined to improve.

Arriving at Cadwell, Glenn is strategically poised in fourth place in the standings and is on course to claim a vital ‘Showdown’ place which will determine the British Champion later in the season and knows his first win of the season would aid his cause massively. As for Andrew, Cadwell hasn’t been the happiest of hunting grounds in recent years but he is hoping to record a couple of solid results at a track which favours the characteristics of the 1199cc Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R.

Glenn Irwin: “We approach an important time of the season where we have two rounds to go in order to qualify for the Showdown which means five races to add to our podium points. I was still carrying injuries last year but the Be Wiser Ducati works great at Cadwell and we will take it race by race to add to our tally. I owe the team and sponsors a performance after a below par Thruxton, so the plan is to most definitely put that right.”

Andrew Irwin: “I really enjoy riding at Cadwell Park, I’ve tested the Be Wiser Ducati there so it’s nice to go back to a track I’ve already ridden at. I want two strong rides and want the gap to the leaders to be as small as possible. The Be Wiser Ducati works really well at Cadwell, I’m really looking forward to it. Thruxton wasn’t great so the plan is to get back to scoring solid points and challenging as high up the leaderboard as possible.”

There is live action on Eurosport and on the Eurosport player throughout the weekend with Datatag Qualifying on Saturday from 16.00 and the Bennetts BSB races live on Sunday at 13.30 and 16.30. Highlights on ITV4 will be shown on Wednesday evening at 20.00.

For further information, please visit the team’s website, www.pbmuk.net and the official website of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship www.pbmuk.net

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

HONDA RACING HEAD HOME TO CADWELL PARK

Nestled into the Lincolnshire countryside is Cadwell Park, host to the eighth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this weekend (17-19 August), where local lads Jason O’Halloran and Tom Neave will be looking for strong results.

Cadwell is very much a home round for the whole team, with Honda Racing based in Louth, just seven miles up the road from the technical and challenging 2.2-mile circuit, which is famous for the ‘Mountain’.

Last time out O’Halloran bolstered his championship points as he launched back into the fight aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. Robbed of a podium in race one, ‘The O’Show’ left Thruxton with two sixth place finishes and his biggest points haul since breaking his ankle in May. Cadwell is the penultimate round before the Showdown-six are decided and, with 25 points separating him from sixth place, points are crucial this weekend.

Feeling at home at his local circuit, O’Halloran’s teammate Neave is looking forward to getting going this weekend after a mixed round at Thruxton. Showing good pace throughout practice and qualifying, Neave’s races ended earlier than he’d hoped after crashing out unhurt from both. But with Cadwell calling, a circuit he knows well, the 23-year old is looking forward to being reunited with the Fireblade.

Track action for the eighth round gets underway on Friday (17 August) with first practice taking place at 1015-1100. Live timing across the weekend will be available from: britishsuperbike.com/live-timing

To keep up-to-date with all the latest news from Honda Racing over the weekend follow @HondaRacingBSB on Twitter.

#22

Jason O’Halloran

Thruxton overall was good for us and it showed the progress since the injury, but Cadwell Park is still a bit of an unknown given how physical it is, especially with the Mountain. I had a little spin there the other evening to test the ankle and we seemed OK, so we just need to take the weekend how it comes and see how we get on. The aim previously has always been podiums or wins, or at least a top-five and with the Showdown getting closer, we need to do everything to score the best we can. At Thruxton we proved that I haven’t lost the speed, it was just that the injury had been making it difficult and if you look at race one I was third into the Chicane and fighting with the lead group; I was pushed wide which cost me the podium. That shows what a massive step forward it has been since Brands Hatch just two weeks’ ago, so I am happy with the injury progress although you always want it to be faster! The team has been working really hard so we are going to be fighting back as hard as we can this weekend.

#68

Tom Neave

Now I’ve had time to reflect after Thruxton I’m feeling good ahead of this weekend. I was kicking myself after the last round and couldn’t quite believe how both races ended, but we’ve got a plan for the weekend and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve seen the lads at the workshop and to be honest I was expecting a right telling off, but everyone has been mega, I just gave them a bit more work! I think a lot got into my head at Thruxton; it was the first time I’ve worked with a team, the whole weekend was a new experience for me and I put some pressure on myself to do well and was just a bit hot-headed. I’ve learnt a lot from it and I’m now ready to get this weekend underway. I’ve had a fair few laps of Cadwell in my time, with it being my local track, and it’s somewhere I really enjoy riding. So with what I’ve learnt from Thruxton and my Cadwell knowledge, I think we’re in a good position for the weekend; I just want to enjoy it and show what I’m capable of.

Havier Beltran

Team Manager

I’m really looking forward to this weekend; it’s our home round so it’s a special one for us, but also very busy for the team and riders! I’m keen to see how both Jason and Tom get on, it’s their home round too and they both know the track well so we should be in for a good weekend. Of course with Jason and his ankle, we’re still in a bit of an unknown, we were able to get an hours’ session in last week as he missed the test earlier in the year, so thanks to MSV and Cadwell Park for facilitating this for us. I had a good chat with Tom this week and we have a plan, where I’m looking forward to seeing him progress, he did well in practice and qualifying at Thruxton, so we’ve got to get him on track for both races and keep the good momentum going.