Yahoo News British Superbike Championship 2018 – what to expect from Brands Hatch this weekend
The Bennetts British Superbike Championship makes its second of three visits to Brands Hatch in Kent for round six of this years championship. It will be the first of the two rounds that are held on the full Grand Prix circuit, the second being the season finale in October.
With four rounds of the regular season remaining, JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider Leon Haslam takes a commanding 74 point lead to the circuit ahead of this weekends racing. Haslam has now won six from the last seven races, including race two of the last round at Knockhill.
In race one he finished second behind Jake Dixon meaning Haslam has now finished in the podium places for the last seven races. Over the five rounds and ten races to date, the Derbyshire-based racer has finished outside the top three on only two occasions; the opening race of the season at Donington and race one on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in round two.
With defending champion Shane Byrne sidelined, Haslam will not have a better chance of claiming his first BSB title, and after the bad luck that befell the 35 year old at last years final round at Brands Hatch no one would begrudge him glory. There are strong rumours that Haslam is to return to the world stage for 2019, taking the place of Tom Sykes who this week confirmed he will be parting ways with the factory Kawasaki World Superbike team. Haslam himself has admitted he would be open to the proposition.
Fellow Kawasaki rider Dixon elevated himself to second in the championship ahead of Bradley Ray thanks to a race win in race one at Knockhill and second in race two. It was Dixons first win since he achieved the double at last years Knockhill round. Dixon became the fourth race winner of 2018 and Haslam aside has been the most consistent rider of late, taking six consecutive podiums.
The RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki rider has now matched his 2017 tally of six podium finishes. Interestingly all of Dixon's podiums in 2017 aside from the two race wins at Knockhill came after that double victory and before the end-of-season showdown. While he will be full of confidence heading to Brands after his Knockhill showing he will also be mindful that in five outings on the GP circuit last year he scored only 15 points in total.
Another rider who will be hoping for a change in fortune at the Kent circuit is Be Wiser Ducati rider Glenn Irwin. The Irishman, elevated to number one rider in the absence of Byrne only managed 14 points across the five races on the circuit last year and will need to improve on that this time around with competition for the top six as fierce as ever.
Ray still sits third in the championship but need to rediscover his early season form. The young Suzuki rider has only finished one of the last four races and has not finished in the podium places since the third race of the season.
Knockhill was a good round for Kawasaki; the manufacturer locked out the podium in both races. FS-3 Kawasaki rider Danny Buchan finished third in both races, his first podium finishes of the year. The 32 point haul elevated Buchan to sixth place in the championship, relegating 2015 champion Josh Brookes to seventh.
Last year eventual Champion Shane Byrne won four of the five races on the Brands GP circuit, will anyone better that this year and go on to win all five, a feat that Byrne achieved in 2012 on his way to his third title. On current form Haslam is the strongest bet, but since his return to the domestic series in 2016 he has not tasted victory on the GP circuit. Haslam as always will have good backing from the Brands crowd but it will be Ray and Dixon who will enjoy local support. Both riders will be looking to further cement their place in the top six for the end of season showdown.
BSB standings
1. Leon Haslam - JG Speedfit Kawakasi - 210 points
2. Jake Dixon - RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki - 136
3. Bradley Ray - Buildbase Suzuki - 112
4. Glen Irwin - Be Wiser Ducati - 105
5. Shane Byrne - Be Wiser Ducati - 98
6. Danny Buchan - FS-3 Kawasaki - 95
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