OULTON PARK AWAITS FOR ROUND TWO
The Track
Circuit length: 2.6920M / 4.332KM
Corners: 17
Lefthand: 6
Righthand: 11
BSB Lap Record : Bradley Ray - Yamaha 1:33.620 (2022)
Thursday 2nd May 2024
Fresh from completing two days of valuable testing at the Cheshire circuit, Honda Racing UK turns its attention to a bank holiday weekend packed with Bennetts British Superbike racing.
The vital two-day test provided the team with much-needed track time to continue developing the 2024 Fireblade Superbike, as well as granting road racers John McGuinness MBE and Nathan Harrison a run out on their Superstock machines before their road racing campaigns commence next week at the North West 200.
The key priorities of the test were to put mileage onto each rider’s CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and to continue learning the characteristics of this new model.
Buoyed by his strong performance across the test, Tommy Bridewell now looks to the weekend of racing action at the 2.6-mile fast and technical circuit. A multiple-race winner at the venue already, he will be hoping to string together three successful races and take Honda back to the podium for the first time this year. He concluded the two days of testing in fourth position on combined times, posting a quickest lap of 1.34.338.
With one eye on his road racing season ahead, Dean Harrison wasted no time in getting down to business and dialling in for the race weekend ahead. The fast undulating nature of Oulton Park provided him with a much more familiar track environment than the European bends of Navarra. He split his time between his Superbike and Superstock machines and gained precious insight into how both handle the bumps, rises and falls more akin to the road circuits on which he excels. He rounded out the test with a quickest Superbike lap of 1:35.937 to sit twenty-first on combined times and an impressive 1.36.398 on his Stock Fireblade.
Andrew Irwin arrived at Oulton Park eager to leave the troubles of Navarra firmly in the past and build into the season that lies ahead. This race circuit hosted his best result of the previous season just twelve months previously as he was narrowly pipped to the final podium position at the line. His quickest lap time of the test - 1.35.664 - placed him eighteenth on combined times.
Also in attendance at the test, albeit on track for only a single day, was Jack Kennedy aboard his CBR600RR. He spent the day dialling in his setup ready for the weekend's two races. Fresh from the podium in Spain at round one he targets more at a circuit which should play into the strengths of his Supersport machine. With three sessions completed, Jack’s quickest lap of 1:38.397 saw him round out the day in third position.
#1 Tommy Bridewell
It was a fantastic first race for the team and I am delighted to stick it on the podium and get some good points on the board. I just had to sit tight and do everything that I could during race one to try and gain back some pace in the places where I was strong, but not too hard to gain back too much so that I was losing elsewhere. It was very difficult for sure because I knew that I was on the limit already, so I just had to sit there and take any chances that I could. You could say that we got lucky with the podium but you have to be there to capitalise. In race two we got a slightly better start but then lost some ground as Perie came past. Then the safety car came out and the group bunched up again and I tried to stay with that front group. I rode the wheels off the CBR600RR to stay with them and gave it everything but fifth is all we could do. It’s some good points and ticks a lot of the objectives of the weekend so I am feeling happy and content with the weekend. We head to Oulton with some upgrades coming and with some solid foundations built.
#18 Andrew Irwin
The focus of this test for me has been to identify a solid base setting from which we can build into the weekend ahead. It was good to make a step over the two days but I definitely feel that there is more to come. We will sit down as a team and go through the data to identify where we can make some improvements and then try to hit the ground running in FP1 on Saturday. I want to turn it around and get back to riding at my best and I have every confidence we can do that.
#5 Dean Harrison
It has been great to get some laps on the Stocker and the Superbike over the last two days. I feel reasonably happy with the test to be fair, Oulton is definitely a circuit that I feel much more at home with compared to Navarra. I do think that there is more to come from both bikes really and after a quick run out on the Stock bike I’m excited to get back on the Superbike this weekend and have a real go. I think it’s going to be a tight fight for points this weekend so I will get my head down in FP1 and just go from there. We’ve got a few things to try on Saturday and I’m looking forward to it.
#3 John McGuinness MBE
It feels surreal to say that this will be my thirty-fourth season of racing! It feels great to be back at a race track with the Honda team and heading into a race weekend once more after a good test. Our focus in the test was on learning as much as we could about the new bike before we really get going on the roads next week at the North West. Looking to this weekend first though, Oulton is such a unique circuit and a real test for the rider, so I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and having a go.
#25 Nathan Harrison
It feels great to be back with the team and getting some more track time ahead of the start of the road racing season. This test was all about getting some mileage under my belt and gaining bike time, I’m not going out chasing a lap time or risking anything, my focus is 100% on getting through the next few weeks fit, healthy and injury-free, and for that reason we’ve decided not to race this weekend. I’m looking forward to going to the North West, I’m putting zero pressure on myself to go and get a result. I want to get five strong finishing positions under my belt and lay the foundations for a strong year of racing on the roads.
The weekend of racing action kicks off this bank holiday weekend with practice sessions on Saturday, with qualifying and racing action across Sunday and Monday
| 1 | Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) | 36pts |
| 2 | Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) | 30pts |
| 3 | Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) | 30pts |
| 4 | Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) | 21pts |
| 5 | Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) | 20pts |
| 6 | Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) | 17pts |
| 7 | Max Cook (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) | 17pts |
| 8 | Jason O'Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) | 16pts |
| 9 | Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) | 14pts |
| 10 | Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings BMW Motorrad) | 11pts |
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