British Superbikes preview – what to expect from Brands Hatch this weekend

As is traditional, the end-of-season showdown in the MCE British Superbike championship will be hosted at Brands Hatch in Kent. With three races over the weekend there is a maximum 75 points up for grabs.

Going into the first of those three races JG Speedfit rider Leon Haslam leads the championship from Josh Brookes on the Anvil Hire tag Yamaha by 32 points, with reigning champion Shane Byrne on the Be Wiser Ducati only one point further adrift of the series leader in third.. Haslam’s points tally means the Derbyshire rider needs just 44 points from the remaining three races to win his first British Superbike title. Winning the title is no less than Haslam deserves, not just for his efforts this year, but also for the many years before.

Haslam Jnr and his father Ron have been inseparable at the worlds racing circuits, and while the title would mean everything to Leon it will mean just as much to his father and mentor. Haslam finished as runner up last year to Byrne in his first season back in the domestic series since 2008; the intervening years were spent on the World stage competing in World Superbikes. That was the third occasion Haslam had finished in second in the championship, the previous occasions being in 2006 with Ducati and 2008 with Honda.

Theoretically Peter Hickman on the Smiths Racing BMW who currently lies in fifth place is in with a chance of taking the crown come Sunday. Realistically the championship will go to one of either Haslam, Brookes or Byrne.

As with any championship it will be the victor who takes all the plaudits, but regardless of Sundays results Jake Dixon who currently sits fourth in championship deserves high praise. We shouldn’t forget that the Ashby De La Zouch rider is on 21 years of age, and Like Luke Mossey last year has come of age in 2017. Like Haslam Dixon comes from a racing family, his father Darren won the Sidecar World Championship in 1995 and 1996, and on two wheels he won the British F1 championship in 1988 and competed in two 500c Grand Prix.

After running at the front of the series earlier in the season Luke Mossey could still have a say in the championship. Haslam’s young team mate is more than capable of taking points from Brookes and Byrne to help the series leader.  

This weekends racing will be intriguing, will Haslam play safe, or will he go for wins. That isn’t a question that needs to be asked of Brookes or Byrne. Both need to put riders between them and Haslam if they are to wrestle the Championship back in their favour.

Racing starts Saturday and as always will be covered live on British Eurosport.

1 Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 612 points

2 Josh Brookes (Anvil Hire Tag Yamaha) 580

3 Shane Byrne )Be Wiser Ducati) 579

4 Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) 558  

5 Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) 549

6 Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) 526