SNETTERTON Round-Up
23rd August 2020
The Track
Circuit length: 2.99m / 4.811km
Corners: 12
Lefthand: 5
Righthand: 7
BSB Lap Record : Shane Byrne - Ducati 1:47.143 (2017)
Sensational wins for the all-new Fireblade at Snetterton
The Honda Racing team is leaving Snetterton leading both the Bennetts British Superbike and the National Superstock 1000 Championships, after Glenn Irwin and Tom Neave took sensational wins in both classes aboard the brand-new Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
In the first race of the day Glenn crossed the line second, to take his fourth podium of the season. Starting from pole, after getting the fastest lap in yesterday's opening race, he was in the podium fight from the off and just missed out on the win by 0.490s.
For the final race of the day Glenn lined up ninth, but soon made his way through the pack and by lap seven he was in the podium top-three. Over the next three laps he set his sights on the front and made a pass on Christian Iddon to snatch the top spot. Glenn crossed the line to take his first win of the 2020 season, 1.138s ahead of Christian Iddon and Tommy Bridewell's Ducatis.
Extending his championship lead over his rivals by 23 points, Glenn also claimed the Monster Energy Race of Aces trophy, as well as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship fans voting him Bennetts Rewards Rider of the round.
Teammate Andrew Irwin started the final race of the day from the second row after good pace in the second race. Pushing hard over the 16 laps, he collected valuable championship points, but lacking race data he suffered front tyre issues and came home eighth. Andrew remains in the top-six in the championship standings with 58 points.
Over on the Superstock side of the garage Tom Neave took the winning tally of the new Fireblade to five wins so far this season across the BSB and Superstock classes. Making some changes for this morning's warm-up Tom was feeling confident for the 12-lap race and starting from seventh he wanted his second race win.
Cutting through the highly competitive Superstock 1000 field, Tom made up places with the start/finish line as his area of attack and on the penultimate lap he took the lead, where he eventually crossed the line to take his second win of the season and extending his championship points tally.
Davey Todd is leaving Snetterton after a solid round, which saw him well in the mix as he continues his return to short circuit racing. Following his ninth and 10th place finishes last time out, he crossed the line seventh scoring his highest place finish so far this season.
The team will now look forward to the next round of the 2020 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, which takes place in two weekends time at Silverstone National on 4/5/6 September.
#18 Andrew Irwin
You can look at this weekend and take all the negatives, or you can focus on the positives. I came here and we were always going to struggle starting from the back of the grid after the penalty from Donington. In today's third race, I wrecked the tyre trying too hard, we missed out on information from yesterday's race and the first race today, but it's a weekend where we had pace and we showed that. We can go to Silverstone now and continue to show the pace we do have, we're one of the fastest teams' in this class, and we have to keep believing and getting stronger.
#2 Glenn Irwin
Getting my first win feels really good, it almost feels as good as the second places we've had! The seconds have felt like victories as we've always extended our championship lead, but this one was super-sweet, I really wanted that win and enjoyed how well the Fireblade was working. Getting the win is sweet and it's a testament to how hard the team and myself work. The team is amazing there's no egos whatsoever and everyone from either side of the garage, the Superstock 1000 team; we all work together, I'm really enjoying it and keeping our feet on the ground.
#68 Tom Neave
I'm absolutley over the moon to be able to turn the weekend around with a win, I felt like I was really up against it until warm-up this morning. Fair play to the team for turning the bike upside down and giving me a package that worked and gave me the confidence to get the job done, as soon as I did that time in warm-up I knew I could fight for a win, so it gave me that boost I needed. I kept my head down the whole race and timed everything to perfection. I knew where I was weak and strong, and at the last turn I was able to get lined up to get the best drive up the start/finish straight, so it was a case of sitting on the back wheel into the last corner and slipstreaming into the line and playing my cards right. The new Fireblade is so strong and it was everything I wanted a bike to be in that race.
#74 Davey Todd
I'm a little disappointed to be honest, we had unreal pace - pace to win the race, to be at the front and at least battling for the win. At the start I got pushed wide at turn 2, which set us back a little bit, I tried to make my way through and I was just eager to get there, so made a few silly mistakes which set us back a bit more. We can take the positives from it though, the Fireblade was great it worked really well and the last four laps were my strongest laps of the race, it's working well for race distance, we've just got to get in the mix a little more. I'm still learning race craft being back at BSB, so that's the main thing, if I keep working on that, the bike is good, we have pace and lap times so we come back next time stronger.
Team Manager Havier Beltran
We left Donington Park leading BSB and joint-first in the Superstock championship and unfortunately this weekend we have had a few issues in the Superbike class, we're going to work through them and we believe we can come out the other side fighting strong. We now leave Snetterton leading both the Superstock and Superbike classes, and what another strong weekend for the all-new Fireblade and the team. We know we've got some work to do, and know we have areas to improve, but this is a great start to the championship for Honda Racing.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) 118
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 95
Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) 86
Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) 82
Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 65
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) 58
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 56
Lee Jackson (Massingberd-Mundy Kawasaki) 52
Kyle Ryde (Buildbase Suzuki) 44
Bradley Ray (SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad ) 30
Bourne turns the screw with Race 1 win at Snetterton
The number 17 increases his lead as O'Gorman retires in the first race of Round 2
Franco Bourne (Franco Bourne Racing/SP125 Racing) has done it again, taking an impressive win in Race 2 at Snetterton to really turn the screw and increase his lead. The number 17 escaped the clutches of Eddie O'Shea (WAM), Charlie Farrer (Victoria House Racing Academy/Mortimer Racing) and Harvey Claridge (City Lifting/SP125 Racing) to take a commanding win, but that three-way fight went right down to the wire. O'Shea emerged ahead for second - his first podium - and moved up to second season so far.
O’Shea took the holeshot, just getting the jump on Farrer as the latter elected not to slice up the inside at Turn 1. The number 71 also lost out to Bourne before fighting back to slot into second, pouncing not long after to take over at the front. O’Shea was then soon shuffled back to third too, and then fourth as O’Gorman struck.
Bourne fought back again and took the lead as he swooped back around the outside of Farrer, but by the time the field arrived back at Turn 1 for Lap 2, the duel had switched again. O’Gorman made his move to hit back not long after though, and the number 72 was back at the front with a little breathing space. But it was a full six-man battle at the front, with Claridge also in there – and Jamie Lyons (Jamie Lyons Racing).
Disaster then hit for O’Gorman mid-race, as the number 72 suddenly suffered a technical problem – and pulled into pitlane. That left five fighting over the lead, but the gaps were starting to grow. As the four at the front started to pull away, Lyons was then the next to go down – sliding out and forced to watch as the quartet rode on to fight it out for the podium.
Bourne had made his way back to the front by then, and the number 17 then set about turning the screw. The fight for second place on the podium became a three-way battle, with the lead only continuing to grow from there on out – on track and in the standings.
By the final lap, Bourne remained unchallenged and he crossed the line for another win – back to back with Race 2 at Donington – but the long drag to the line decided second. O’Shea, Farrer and Claridge were locked together, but it wasn’t quite enough for the two tucked in behind – with O’Shea taking his first podium so far in second, Farrer third and Claridge just losing out on the rostrum.
Elliott Dufton (D&D Racing) took fifth and some more solid points, ahead of Corey Tinker (Stauff Fluid Power Academy) in sixth. The battle for seventh went down to the wire and it was Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing) who came out on top, ahead of Ollie Walker (Moto Rapido/SP125 Racing) and Bailey Stuart-Campbell (151s S-C Racing). Ryan Hitchcock (Wilson Racing) completed the top ten.
Annabel Thomas (Microlise Cresswell Racing) had her best ride so far to P11, narrowly beating Evann Pendrill (VHC Racing) over the line - the gap just 0.030. Josh Hiatt (Wilson Racing) took P14 by a tenth from Sullivan Mounsey (Lloyd & Jones PR Racing).
That’s it from Snetterton for Saturday, but come back for more Honda BTC action on Sunday as Race 2 begins at 11:30 (GMT +1).
O'Gorman wins three-rider photo finish by just 0.002 in Race 2
After disappointment in Race 1, the number 72 hits back on Sunday - and Bourne suffers his first DNF
After disappointment and a technical problem in Race 1 at Snetterton, Casey O'Gorman (Microlise Cresswell Racing) bounced back in stunning style on Sunday to take his second win of the season - but not by much in a dramatic last minute Red Flag decider. The number 72 beat Eddie O'Shea (WAM) by just 0.002 in a photo finish for the ages, with Harvey Claridge (City Lifting/SP125 Racing) just 0.051 off the win too as the three crossed the line almost in tandem. Franco Bourne (Franco Bourne Racing/SP125 Racing) suffered his first DNF of the season in some late heartbreak for the number 17.
O'Shea took the holeshot before Claridge struck quickly for the lead in a huge dive forward, and that allowed polesitter Bourne to move up into second too, ahead of O'Shea and O'Gorman. Charlie Farrer (Victoria House Racing Academy/Mortimer Racing) lost out to Elliott Dufton (D&D Racing) initially, but it was a huge group at the front.
Claridge, O'Shea and Bourne started to bolt, but O'Gorman and Farrer were on the case. As it went out and they caught them again, only to fade another few tenths and then catch back up, it eventually became a full five rider fight at the front again - and that's what it would remain.
By the final lap they were even three abreast over the line, and it was anyone's to win. Claridge was first into Turn 1 and he kept some daylight back to O'Shea and O'Gorman over the first half of the lap, but O'Shea timed it to perfection to swoop up the inside - just as drama hit further out for Bourne. The number 17 suddenly slid out, taking home 0 points and taking a minute to get to his feet - bringing out the Red Flag.
The quartet of leaders had already made it to the line, but it was now going to be counted back to the end of Lap 13. And then, it was O'Gorman just ahead when they crossed the line. In the stunning photo finish that results, he takes the 25 points, and it's just the tiniest 0.002 margin that decides it. O'Shea was second, with Claridge alongside the two as they almost crossed the line together - and they didn't even know who had won until they made it to parc ferme. Charlie Farrer was fourth, only a few more tenths off.
Dufton completed the top five once again, with a comfortable gap back to Evan Belford (City Lifting by RS Racing) in sixth. His gap wasn't comfortable though, as he headed a four rider fight that went down to the wire. Next in the group was Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing), ahead of Corey Tinker (Stauff Fluid Power Academy) and Ryan Hitchcock (Wilson Racing) in ninth. Ollie Walker (Moto Rapido/SP125 Racing) completed the top ten in a lonelier ride.
James Cook (Wilson Racing), Evann Pendrill (VHC Racing), Annabel Thomas (Microlise Cresswell Racing), Rossi Dobson (Rossi Dobson) and Jonathan Garness (Microlise Cresswell Racing) locked out the points finishers in Race 2.
That’s it from Snetterton and two more classics from the Honda BTC, but we don't have to wait long for Round 3 - coming soon!
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