【2021 Season Review】 Tom Neave claims the Superstock title. Glenn Irwin makes the Showdown top-eight

Finishing runner-up in 2020, Tom Neave was victorious this year and claimed his first National Championship title having scored three wins and four podiums.

The 2021 season got underway at Oulton Park in Cheshire, which saw a weekend of mixed results for the Honda Racing UK squad. Both Ryo and Takumi experience their first weekend racing on UK soil, as both riders made their racing debut in the British series.

Next was Scotland and to Knockhill, where Tom took the top-Honda honours with a fifth-place finish. However, it was at round four at the fastest circuit on the calendar at Thruxton, where the podium hunt started for the Honda team, with both Glenn and Tom on the Superbike and Superstock rostrums in third place.

The next round Tom took his first race win of 2021 at Donington Park, on the shorter National layout. Finishing second in the first race of the weekend, the Honda-man went on to take the win in the second race and move him further up the overall standings.

Cadwell Park, Honda Racing UK’s home round marked the half-way point of the season and was a weekend where the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP dominated in the Superstock class with Tom claiming pole position and setting an unofficial lap record, and taking the race win, where he then took over the lead in the overall standings. For Glenn on the Superbike he stormed ahead in qualifying to the P1 position.

The seventh round at Snetterton was another weekend with the Fireblade SP in pole position across both the Superbike and Superstock classes, and it was three out of three for Tom, who took his third consecutive race win. 

Silverstone’s National Circuit was next for the Honda team, and it was decider time for the all-important British Superbike Championship Showdown, where after claiming his first win of the season, Glenn secured a Showdown spot.

The final two rounds of the series, Oulton Park and Donington Park GP were point scoring outings for Tom, who continued to lead the Superstock series and arrived at Brands Hatch for the final round 22 points ahead of his nearest rival, where all he needed to was to finish 13th or higher in the race to claim the title.

Having qualified 19th Tom had some work to do in the race but knowing what he had to do he made his way through the pack lap by lap, and by lap seven he was up to 13th. Meanwhile up ahead his main title rival Billy McConnell had taken the lead and the pair were both tied on points. Tom however rode carefully to keep pushing up through the pack where he eventually took the chequered flag in eighth place, and as the 2021 Pirelli National Superstock Champion.

Race Reports

• Rd.01 Oulton Park A weekend of positives despite challenges at Oulton Park

• Rd.02 Knockhill Solid weekend of points for Tom Neave at Knockhill

• Rd.03 Brands Hatch GP Points all-round for Honda Racing UK at Brands Hatch

• Rd.04 Thruxton Double podium delight for Honda Racing UK at Thruxton

• Rd.05 Donington Park National Victory and second for Honda Racing UK at Donington Park

• Rd.06 Cadwell Park Home round victory for Tom Neave and Honda Racing

• Rd.07 Snetterton 300 Tom Neave dominates aboard the Fireblade at Snetterton

• Rd.08 Silverstone National Glenn Irwin and Honda Racing UK secure Showdown spot

• Rd.09 Oulton Park Fantastic fourth keeps Neave in Superstock title contention

• Rd.10 Donington Park GP Thrilling third for Neave and Honda Racing UK at Donington Park

• Rd.11 Brands Hatch GP Celebrations at Brands Hatch for Honda Racing UK