Honda Racing UK set for thrilling Thruxton
Thruxton
Fresh from a podium last time out at Brands Hatch, the Honda Racing UK team is aiming for a strong weekend as they get ready for Thruxton, for Round 6 of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
The ultra-fast and flowing Hampshire circuit is known to suit the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and having already scored three wins and a third place this season, Glenn Irwin, who is currently sixth in the series standings, will be aiming to be at the sharp end across the weekend.
Takumi Takahashi arrives at Thruxton just days after winning the Suzuka 8 Hours with Team HRC, claiming his fourth victory at the iconic event. Playing a vital role with the team during testing, and also for the race, Takumi will be looking to improve his results in BSB for the rest of the 2022 season.
Ryo Mizuno and Tom Neave will also be looking to improve their positions, with BSB rookie Tom scoring his best Superbike finish at Brands Hatch in 11th place. Aiming for the top 10, Tom has a good history at Thruxton, where last year he finished third in the Superstock class. Meanwhile Ryo will be looking to improve on his best result so far this season in 13th place.
Superbike first practice gets underway on Friday (12 August) at 13.00, with Race 1 on Saturday (13 August). Race 2 and 3 will take place on Sunday (14 August). Click here for the full weekend timetable.
We’ve got a lot of positives coming into the weekend with the podium at Brands and Takumi's win at the Suzuka 8 Hours. I’m feeling stronger and we have good memories of Thruxton, with Andrew’s win and also the podiums last season. With all that in mind I’m excited, but not underestimating our competition. Myself and the Fireblade will be a good match, but there’s a number of other good riders who will also be strong. I’m looking forward to a weekend of racing in the sunshine and seeing the crowds out in force enjoying the racing and good weather.
Thruxton is a circuit where tyre management is very key to the race result. I've finally learned to control the Pirelli tyres, so that's one of the things I'm looking forward to. The track is flat, fast and I think we have a good chance, so I will do my best for the team this weekend and try to better our previous results.
We got into a good rhythm at Suzuka and I’m hoping to keep that going in the second half of the BSB season. Last year at Thruxton I scored points, so I will be aiming towards the points this weekend and hope to get a good feeling with the Fireblade as I did at Suzuka.
I’m really fired up for this weekend, the next three rounds are my favourite circuits on the calendar and where I turned my championship around last year. I’m not going into Thruxton with any added pressure, but I’m more excited as these are my favourite tracks. After what was my best result last time out, I’m confident we can be strong this weekend and my goal is to break into the top 10. That’s my ambition for this round, so it’s step by step, keep pushing and building my confidence.