BSB Round 6 Croft

The forecast wasn’t fantastic for the weekend but the weather had to be better than the official test here last week, it pissed down all day!

After my success at the NW200 I’m gagging for major improvements at BSB on my Sendo Superbike, it’s very frustrating just managing to get in the top ten and not really being competitive! I’m certainly not doubting my own ability now I’ve proven a point at the NW200.

Fortunately both practice sessions on Friday were dry; we desperately need testing time to improve my base setting.

We went back to basics with many settings basically to give myself more feel from the rear end of the bike, this worked instantly and boosted my confidence instantly ending the first session in fourth position. Second session carried on working through our programme, didn’t lap much faster but found some good base settings ending the day in ninth position.

I knew it wouldn’t last and sure enough when I woke on Saturday morning the rain was falling making the first session very slippery, fortunately as the day went on it dried so our second session was dry. Half way through the session we threw the qualifiers in ending qualifying ninth on the grid.

My first race start was mega, managed to work my way into fourth position and felt confident, after ten laps the rear tyre started to go off leaving me desperate for grip and losing ground! By lap twenty two, the end of the race, I’d dropped back to eleventh position. I was mortified but if I’d have pushed any harder almost definitely would have crashed.

Dunlop suggested I use a different tyre for race two and it seemed to work. My start was very good and made my way through to fifth position, on lap ten the red flags came out as the rain started to fall.

The re-start was declared wet but it was actually dry and would be over fourteen laps, there were black clouds everywhere and it was drizzling intermittently on different parts of the circuit.

I charged my way through to second position but was struggling on straight-line speed dropping down to sixth with one lap to go.

I passed Mason on the last lap with the intention of attacking Richards at the complex but entered Tower corner too hard as it was drizzling and lost the front. I re-mounted and rode off before the marshals even managed to get to me, finishing the race in seventh.

Not a good result but happy to be competitive again rather than an also-ran!

Looking forward to Knockhill with more improvements and horsepower for the Kawasaki?