Since its revival in 1996, the Bennetts British Superbike Championship has revitalized motorcycle racing in the UK with new promotions and television coverage. It is now all over like the NCAAF odds. 

It has also helped World Superbike champions such as Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson, and James Toseland reach their current positions.

Brands Hatch will host the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in 2022. This will occur in the fall after a magnificent triple-header on the Grand Prix circuit.

Due to the level and quality of the racing, the championship now receives the most support of any motorsport in the United Kingdom, with the circuits that host the races reporting yearly increases in attendance.

As the season-ending Showdown concludes at the championship’s spiritual home, as many as eight riders might still contend for the coveted title. Two races on Saturday and two on Sunday will determine the champion. As the strain rises, there will be lots of thrills, spills, and drama.

Recap

The Yamaha riders were anticipated to compete fiercely in Race 1. Throughout most of the race, O’Halloran, Ray, and Mackenzie were all within a second. However, Tommy Bridewell, riding the Oxford Products Ducati Panigale, appeared out of nowhere to join the competition.

Ray and Mackenzie battled for second place on every lap, which allowed O’Halloran an advantage of a few bike lengths. Bridewell advanced from his initial fourth-place position. 

At Brands in 2021, he had achieved a podium result. Bridewell was performing admirably until Kyle Ryde slowed him down for several laps.

Haslam, Jackson, Iddon, and Vickers were near Brookes and held pace as the laps passed. Brookes was positioned seventh. 

Bridewell continued until he overtook Ryde and narrowed the gap to the leading Yamahas. He then joined the competition for the race victory and podium positions.

On the course, Brad Ray was content. Even though it was his first time starting on the first row in the Superbike class at his home circuit, Brad knew how fast the McAMS Yamaha team was.

Bridewell finished second, ahead of Mackenzie and Ray, after numerous position changes and a moment in which Mackenzie appeared to lose a gear coming out of Surtees. 

Mackenzie refused to concede second place to anyone else. As we rounded the final corner, O’Halloran led, followed by Mackenzie, Bridewell, and Ray.

It was evident that the McAMS squad possessed actual race speed from practice and qualifying before the races. I had hoped that other manufacturers would challenge them to liven things up. 

Yamaha’s dominance wasn’t unexpected, but it’s always fascinating to see how other bikes perform in a race for the win.

Kent is in his greatest physical condition ever

Kent stated, “This weekend was much better for me.” After the test at Mallory, I felt great heading into the weekend, and my body felt better.

Before withdrawing from the final race, the former Moto3 champion was close to establishing a personal best lap time. Early in the competition, he reached a high of ninth place.

Danny Kent of Buildbase Suzuki achieved a personal best during the fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch.

We scored some points, demonstrating that we are progressing, and I was pleased to finish ninth this weekend. These are some of the finest races I’ve had this year, and I hope we can continue to have a successful second half of the season.”

After suffering severe injuries earlier in the season, Kent finished ninth in the season’s opening race on Sunday. On Saturday, he had been near the top ten in the eBay sprint.

Iddon is injured, but he still seeks the Showdown

Two crashes over the weekend left the Stockport driver bleeding and bruised for the fifth round of competition at the Kent circuit. 

Despite falling, the 37-year-old driver finished 10th and 11th in two of the weekend’s three races. In the previous race, he produced a remarkable return from 24th on the starting grid to 11th place.

This weekend was always going to be difficult, according to Iddon. “I barely made it through the first practice session, but I began to relax during the second session before crashing again.”

The British Superbike journey of Christian Iddon to Brands Hatch was never going to be simple. His arm was injured during his last race on his Buildbase Suzuki.

It would never be simple, so finishing eleventh was a satisfactory outcome. It gives us at least points and keeps us in contention for the Showdown slot. We still have nine races until we can determine the winner so that we will continue.”