The Bennetts British Superbike Championship makes its annual visit to Norfolk’s Snetterton circuit, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this season, this weekend (3/4/5 September).
The circuit’s two-wheeled heritage will be commemorated at the event, as the country’s leading riders battle for Snetterton’s most prestigious two-wheeled title, the ‘Pirelli Race of Aces’. The overall prize will be awarded to the highest combined points scorer across the three races.
The stakes will be high at the East Anglian circuit, as the battle to be crowned 2021 Bennetts BSB champion at the Brands Hatch season finale in October intensifies. Just six races now remain to decide which eight riders will battle for the crown in the end of season Showdown.
Championship leader Jason O'Halloran has played his cards right so far this season to become the first and only competitor so far to confirm his Title Fighter status. The McAMS Yamaha rider claimed his ninth win of the season last time out at Cadwell Park, which cemented his position. The Australian is now continuing his focus on scoring vital Podium Points at the circuit where he claimed his maiden Bennetts BSB race win.
Christian Iddon and Tarran Mackenzie are joint second in the standings following a challenging weekend in Lincolnshire. The pair have both been race winners so far this season, and will be eager to return to the top this weekend to close the deficit to O’Halloran.
Iddon has fond memories of Snetterton; it was the track where he celebrated his first Bennetts BSB race win last season so he will be determined to strike again this weekend. Mackenzie meanwhile, is determined to make amends after sitting out the Sunday races at Cadwell Park with a finger injury.
Tommy Bridewell had a consistent weekend at Cadwell Park with a trio of top three finishes, with race two marking his 50th in the championship. The Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider is aiming to repeat the hat trick of podium finishes he delivered at Snetterton last year, with just a narrow five-point margin currently separating him from Peter Hickman.
Hickman had a weekend to remember at his home round, becoming the sixth different race winner of 2021 and securing FHO Racing BMW its first victory in the Superbike class in just its debut season. He will be hunting another podium haul this weekend in his bid to give the team its first Showdown appearance.
Danny Buchan was forced to miss the Cadwell Park races after his high-speed crash at Donington Park, which dropped the SYNETIQ BMW rider to sixth in the overall standings, but he returns ready to stack up the points again this weekend.
Glenn Irwin trails him in the standings by just 11 points ahead of the next three races, and the Honda Racing rider is bidding to replicate the form that took him to a victory and the ‘Race of Aces’ title last season.
Lee Jackson meanwhile is the rider in a precarious position as the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki contender holds the final place inside the top eight of the standings and only by a narrow two-point margin from Bradley Ray with local contender Ryan Vickers also hoping to shuffle the Showdown pack.
A resurgent weekend could also yet see Knockhill podium finisher Rory Skinner, or reigning champion Josh Brookes, still make the cut in six races’ time at Silverstone if they play their cards right.
1. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 342
2. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) 223
3. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 223
4. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 205
5. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) 200
6. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) 165
7. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) 154
8. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 133
9. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) 131
10. Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular and Reserve Kawasaki) 114
11. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 111
12. Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) 105