Oulton Park set for closest ever MCE British Superbike Showdown decider this weekend
Oulton Park will host the crucial ninth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship this weekend (4/5/6 September) as the vital triple-header of races will decide which four riders join Josh Brookes and Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne in the Showdown battle.
The Cheshire circuit will host the closest-ever Showdown decider in history, with four Title Fighter positions still up for the taking for the first time since the concept was introduced in 2010.
Brookes and Byrne have their positions secured so the pair will be vying for the final Podium Points on offer. With a maximum of 15, the three races this weekend could be pivotal to the final title battle after the three round Showdown.
James Ellison is the first rider lining up to stake his claim in the Showdown as he returns from injury with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team, but having been sidelined for the past two rounds he has seen his buffer cut dramatically to just six points.
Tommy Bridewell in fourth position has gained ground on Ellison ahead of him in the standings and the Tyco BMW rider will be gunning for a repeat of his victory at the circuit back in May to cement his position. However Stuart Easton is just two points adrift in fifth place ahead of the three Oulton Park races as he bravely battles back from injury.
The danger man ahead of the triple-header decider is Michael Laverty on the second Tyco BMW; he holds sixth place ahead of the weekend but precariously only holds a 21 point advantage ahead of Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot in seventh.
The next pack of riders still have the top six as their target with a maximum of 75 points available and Richard Cooper, Luke Mossey, Billy McConnell and Peter Hickman are all covered by just six points. All of the riders pushing to make the top six from Linfoot in seventh to Peter Hickman in 12th have scored podium finishes so far this season making this the most closely contested Showdown decider in history.
A little further down the field Josh Waters is looking to end season 2015 on a high. After searching for the right set-up at previous rounds this season, the Bennets Suzuki team is looking forward to returning to a familiar venue and Josh Waters is hopeful the data acquired from the previous visit to Oulton Park will help him make steps forward this weekend.
Josh Waters – “Oulton Park is a circuit we’ve already been to this season so the team has some existing data for Friday, which should give us a good place to start from. We’ll keep working hard to find the best direction to go in, and having three races also gives us even more opportunity to make some changes over the weekend and to keep on trying to improve.”
James Ellison – (3rd in standings – 147 points) – “I will be back for Oulton Park; I took the cast off my wrist over a week ago so I could move it and build the strength up before the race. I have been seeing a specialist and then I have done everything possible to stimulate the muscles and done what I can in terms of training. I have had laser treatment too and have been in the hyperbaric chamber to help stimulate the bone growth.
“Every day is different at the moment but we want to do whatever we can to be in the Showdown. I figure that unless Dan [Linfoot] or Richard [Cooper] win and we have a nightmare we should stay in the top six. We basically need three top ten finishes and anything else is a bonus on our first round back. We have to get into the Showdown because then anything can happen and it is definitely all still to play for.”
Tommy Bridewell – (4th in standings – 141 points) – “I am definitely looking forward to Oulton Park as we showed good speed and pace earlier in the year. I expect that the times will be a bit quicker over one lap pace so I think qualifying will be stronger but race pace should be similar to when we were there before.
“All the riders behind us are the danger men, the focus for them is probably on Michael [Laverty] right now as he is in sixth place and to gain points on me will take some doing! The aim for us is to have both Tyco BMWs in the Showdown so if I get confirmed then I will be helping Michael if I can to make sure we are both in by the end of the weekend.”
Stuart Easton – (5th in standings – 139 points) – “I have been so focused on Oulton Park as that always had to be my goal, because the Showdown is still there and I couldn’t give up on it until I had tried everything to be there. A couple of weeks ago I thought it wouldn’t be possible but I am now really positive that I can ride. There is obviously a big difference between riding and racing for a top ten finish in BSB, I know that.
“If it was just down to will alone I would make the Showdown because I have done everything possible to come back to Oulton Park and make it happen. It is exciting to be in this position knowing it could still be possible to make the Showdown – we are coming to try and make it happen. It is a big ask, but it certainly won’t be through the want of trying if we don’t make it.”
Michael Laverty – (6th in standings – 126 points) – “Oulton Park should be a good one for us as the bike worked well before at the start of the year here. I am hoping we can go back with what we have learnt over the last four or five rounds and be stronger. I think we should be in a good strong position there and I think we should be safe enough for the Showdown.
“I have qualified for every Showdown I have been in since it was introduced so I know how to approach it but it has been different in the past as I have won races leading up to it so that has given me a better points buffer, whereas this year I haven’t won any races so I am still scrapping out for those fourth and fifth places which don’t give you the big points haul. It’s tough as I have never gone to the final round before the Showdown still having to cement my position so I am hoping that I can have three consistent results and they will be enough.”
