Honda Racing UK revved up for home round action at Cadwell Park
Cadwell Park
The Honda Racing UK team is looking forward to a short commute this Bank Holiday weekend (27-29 August), as round seven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at their home round at Cadwell Park.
Just 7.2 miles from Honda Racing UK HQ in Louth, Cadwell Park is a firm favourite for the team, as well as Lincolnshire-born Tom Neave, with Glenn Irwin, Ryo Mizuno and Takumi Takahashi also looking forward to racing at the teams local track.
Last year at the 2.25-mile circuit, both Glenn and Tom secured Pole Positions in BSB and the Pirelli National Superstock Championship aboard the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, with Tom going on to claim victory in the Superstock class.
Glenn’s consistency in the championship has moved him up to fifth in the overall standings and with just six races remaining before the Showdown, he’s targeting strong results across the three Cadwell races to retain a place in the top eight.
To mix things up over the weekend a one-lap Superpole is set to return, which will see the qualifying format start on Saturday with the standard SUPERPICKS Free Practice session, with the top 12 overall on combined times going directly into the Superpole starting list.
The remaining riders from 13th and above will take part in the 15-minute SUPERPICKS qualifying session, with the top three added to the final Superpole starting list of 15 riders. Fighting it out to claim the Pole Position spot, the riders will be released at two-minute intervals for their out lap, flying lap and cool down lap.
Superbike first practice gets underway on Saturday (27 August) at 11.00, with Race 1 on Sunday (28 August). Race 2 and 3 will take place on Bank Holiday Monday (29 August). Click here for the full weekend timetable.
It’s great to head into round seven this weekend at Cadwell Park, the team’s home race. We are up to fifth in the championship with an eye on fourth so I can’t wait to feed off all the local support for Honda Racing. Cadwell nearly feels like my local due to the time spent in Louth with the team. Thruxton was a consistent weekend which has been a trend for this season, silverware was the target but the level this year is so high and to be best of the rest in two out of three races shows the steps that myself and the Honda Fireblade have made. I’m excited to get on track this weekend, the Honda works good at Cadwell and with the chassis improvements of late I think we can build on last season’s results. Qualifying will as always be key to Cadwell and the Superpole format for this weekend is a welcomed addition!
I'm looking forward to the race and feeling more responsive than last year. It won't be easy, but I think this is a track where we can make bigger steps than we did in the last round, so I'll do my best to improve for the second half of the season!
Cadwell Park is the closest circuit to the workshop and it's not an easy circuit, but I'm looking forward to it. At Thruxton I didn't have a very good ride, but I've had one test at Cadwell Park and I'm hoping to at least try to get some points.
You always have that one round where you have a special feeling and look forward to it more than other rounds, and for me it’s Cadwell. I just feel like a different person coming to Cadwell, it’s my home track, there’s the local support, and I don’t have far to travel, which I think gives it that super special feeling. I can imagine it’s how Glenn feels when he goes to race at the North West 200, it’s a different vibe all together for me and I always get that in the run up to Cadwell. We’ve not achieved that top ten in Superbike yet, we’ve come close, but still yet to tick it off. At Thruxton I had a little shoulder injury which hampered our progress, but I’m in a much better place now after a rest and I’m heading into the weekend with an open mind. I’m feeling relaxed and ready to enjoy the weekend and extract the most we can out of it.