Home round victory for Tom Neave and Honda Racing
Cadwell Park
Tom Neave and Honda Racing UK have dominated with a win at their local circuit, Cadwell Park, in Round six of the 2021 Pirelli National Superstock series as Glenn Irwin adds another 20 Championship points to his tally for a weekend total of 33 in the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
After a sensational Saturday qualifying aboard the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, setting an unofficial lap record for Pole Position, Tom headed into Sunday confident that his local knowledge of the track would pay dividends in the race, despite the changeable weather.
The Superstock grid formed up under a brightening sky with a drying line forming on the circuit after a morning shrouded in a damp mist. Tom had just regained the lead in lap three after dropping back at the start when the 15-lap race was red-flagged with rain falling in the fourth lap. After a quick decision by Race Control, the restart was re-scheduled for a 10-lap sprint, declared as a wet race, and the grid was determined by the results at the end of lap three.
Starting from Pole for the shortened race, Tom lost out at the start and had to fight back from fifth at the end of the first lap. By mid-race, Tom had chipped away in battle after battle to reach a podium position. With just three laps to go, Tom bridged the gap to second and took first with a move on Alex Olsen at Park Corner with one lap to go. Tom then stretched the lead to cross the line in first, breaking the Championship tie with Alex and placing him at the top of the board with 138 points.
The second race of the weekend in the British Superbike Championship saw Glenn Irwin grid in sixth with Takumi Takahashi on 19th and Ryo Mizuno on 20th. After securing 13 Championship points in Saturday's Race 1, Glenn quickly made it into fifth during the first lap and continued his progress to reach fourth in lap four, a position he held until lap 10 as the race developed into groups of battling riders swapping positions multiple times each lap. Crossing the line in sixth to match his grid position, Glenn added 10 points to the 13 from Race 1. Takumi initially dropped a couple of places before regaining 19th for most of the race and in the latter stages of the race, improved up to 15th before losing one place in the final lap to finish 16th. Ryo, pulled into the pits on lap four.
Glenn made a superb start in the final Superbike race of the weekend, going from fourth on the grid to first by turn one, leading the race for four laps. Despite a good ride, Glenn took another sixth and another 10 points to put him seventh in the Championship with 158 points. Takumi pulled in late in the race with a technical problem and Ryo did not grid with his technical issue from Race 2 unresolved.
The team will be back in action at Snetterton on September 3-5.
It's been such a great weekend at Cadwell Park getting the clean sweep; topping the times in Free Practice 1 and 2, qualifying for pole in the 27s and winning the race. Everyone wanted a race, and it certainly was a race, we did it in style. It was a shame that the rain came down after the first start as I'd just nicely got into the lead and it was a bit sketchy in the opening laps after the restart. Once I got my head down though, I felt quicker than the riders ahead but the yellow flags stopped me from getting past earlier as I couldn't overtake where I wanted to. I didn't want a repeat of Donington, so I sat and bided my time and as soon as the yellows were in, I went straight to the front and kept that lead to the end. A perfect end to the weekend and I can go away really happy.
I'm really happy to come away with another two top sixes and the 20 points I've collected today. It's nice to be leading races again as we have in the last couple of rounds and I feel as strong as anyone and wasn't overriding. We were only a few seconds off grabbing podium points in a couple of races and there will be more opportunities. To leave with a fourth and two 6ths at the most physical track on the calendar is a result as the team improved the bike throughout the weekend. We weren't afraid to try different things and it's nice to have a team around you like that, a team that will keep working for the results.
It was an unfortunate weekend. In Race 1 I went off the track and was out of the group, and in both races today I had some issues and could not race. I would like to thank the team for working so hard to fix the problem. We will reassemble for the next round.
As I wasn't able to keep my position after the start in both races today, it's really made me re-think how to fight in the championship. There are two weeks until Snetterton, so I will take what I've learnt here today and prepare for the next round.