Bennetts British Superbike Championship
The 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship got underway at Spain’s Circuito de Navarra, with riders battling it out in free practice, qualifying, and the newly introduced Omologato Superpole session.
In the combined free practice classification, Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) topped the timesheets with a blistering lap of 1:36.531, just 0.001 seconds ahead of his teammate Kyle Ryde. Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) completed the top three, 0.148 seconds off the pace.
Qualifying saw a shake-up in the order, with Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings BMW Motorrad) setting the fastest time of 1:37.115. Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) and Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) secured second and third place, respectively.
The Omologato Superpole session, which determines the top 15 starting positions for Sunday’s first race, provided plenty of drama. Danny Kent claimed pole position with a lap of 1:36.609, edging out Ryan Vickers by just 0.039 seconds. Kyle Ryde completed the front row in third.
However, the session was not without incident. Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) crashed out, ending his hopes of a strong starting position. Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) suffered technical issues and was unable to set a flying lap, while Tommy Bridewell’s (Honda Racing UK) bike leaked oil, causing a premature end to his session.
Further down the Superpole classification, Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) and Rory Skinner rounded out the top five, with Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad), Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda), and Max Cook (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) securing sixth, seventh, and eighth places, respectively.
With the grid set and the riders eager to make their mark in the opening round, fans can expect a thrilling pair of races on Sunday. The close competition and impressive performances throughout free practice, qualifying, and Superpole promise an exciting start to the 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season.
Quattro Group British Supersport/British GP2
Luke Stapleford (Macadam Triumph Racing) secured pole position for Sunday’s Sprint Race with a blistering lap of 1:39.237 in Q2. Benjamin Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) and Brad Perie (Gearlink Kawasaki) complete the front row, with times of 1:39.358 and 1:39.395 respectively.
The second-row features Jack Kennedy (Honda Racing UK), Eugene McManus (ROKiT Haslam Racing Ducati), and James McManus (ROKiT Haslam Racing Ducati). Notable performances in Q2 include Rhys Irwin (Astro-JJR Suzuki) in 13th and Cameron Dawson (Gearlink Kawasaki) in 15th.
In the GP2 class, Jack Nixon (Kramer – Kramer Racing) was the top qualifier in 17th overall with a lap of 1:41.845. Owen Jenner (Kramer – Kramer Racing) and Owen Mellor (Nykos Racing) will start 25th and 27th on the grid respectively.
Harvey Claridge (Suzuki – Go Racing Developments / Nova) was disqualified from the qualifying session due to a control fuel infringement.
Earlier in the day, Benjamin Currie topped the combined Free Practice sessions with a time of 1:39.400, ahead of Brad Perie and Davey Todd (Ducati – Powertoolmate Ducati). The top 14 riders were separated by just over a second, promising close racing in Sunday’s Sprint Race.
With the grid set and the riders eager to make their mark in the opening round, fans can expect a thrilling 12-lap Sprint Race on Sunday. The battle at the front between Stapleford, Currie, and Perie will be one to watch, while the likes of Kennedy, McManus, and Todd will be aiming to challenge for podium positions.
ABK Beer 0% BMW Motorrad F900 R Cup
Mason Johnson (Johnson Racing) secured pole position for Sunday’s races with a lap of 1:47.054 in qualifying, edging out Nikki Coates (Team Art of Racing / Ernie Coates Trackdays) by just 0.056 seconds. Christian Smith (SCH Motoprep / Bathams Racing) completed the front row, a mere 0.003 seconds behind Coates.
In Heat 1, Christian Smith emerged victorious, setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1:47.106. Mason Johnson finished second, despite a one-position drop for exceeding track limits at Turn 12 on the final lap. Robert Varey (Stanford Fastline) completed the podium in third.
Heat 2 saw Thomas Strudwick (Case Moto BMW) claim the win, with Nikki Coates and Kieran Smith (Bowker Motorrad / Bathams Racing) rounding out the top three. Coates set the fastest lap of the race with a 1:47.469.
Further down the field, several riders made notable progress, including James Kelly (BMW – Team Art of Racing) and Sam West (BMW – Moto Hub) in Heat 1, who finished fifth and sixth, respectively, after starting outside the top 15.
Unfortunately, the races were not without incident, with Gary Ford (72 Racelife) and Paul Young (R&G) failing to finish Heat 1.
The Last Chance Qualifying (LCQ) Race grid has been set, with Kate Walker (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad), Simon Bastable (WSC Performance BMW), and Tyler Viveiros (Army Motorcycle Road Race Team) occupying the front row. The 8-lap race will provide an opportunity for these riders to secure their place in Sunday’s main events.
R&G British Talent Cup
The 2024 R&G British Talent Cup got underway at Spain’s Circuito de Navarra, with young riders showcasing their skills in free practice, qualifying, and the opening race of the season.
In the combined free practice classification, Amanuel Brinton (Kovara Projects / RS Racing) set the pace with a lap of 1:49.292, closely followed by Filip Surowiak (Team City Lifting / RS Racing) and Lucas Brown (SENCAT Talent Team / Mortimer Racing).
Qualifying saw a shake-up in the order, with Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing) securing pole position with a lap of 1:49.069. Lucas Brown and Amanuel Brinton completed the front row, just fractions of a second behind Correa. Unfortunately, Peter Willis (Microlise Cresswell Racing) was disqualified from the qualifying session due to a control fuel infringement, relegating him to the back of the grid.
The 14-lap Race 1 provided plenty of excitement, with Julian Correa and Lucas Brown engaging in a thrilling battle for victory. In the end, Correa claimed the win by just 0.046 seconds, with Brown settling for second place. Ryan Frost (Fibre Tec Honda) completed the podium, 18.451 seconds behind the leading duo.
Further down the field, several riders made impressive progress, including Peter Willis, who charged from the back of the grid to finish seventh, and Daniel Goodman (Fibre Tec Honda), who climbed from tenth to eighth.
The race was not without incident, as several riders failed to finish, including pole-sitter Amanuel Brinton, Filip Surowiak, and Mason Foster (BRP Racing), who all retired after nine laps. Charlie Barnes (SENCAT Talent Team / Mortimer Racing) did not start the race, while Jack Burrows (Burrows Engineering / RK Racing) and Josh Bannister (Fibre Tec Honda) also did not take part.
