BSB title fight climaxes at Cadwell

This weekend promises to be one of the most exciting rounds in the British Superbike championship this year. Not only are record crowds expected at Cadwell Park but Shane Byrne could secure the championship with another two rounds still to go.

Byrne is currently 128 points ahead of second-placed John Reynolds in the championship so only needs to rack up 22 points from the two Bank Holiday Monday races to take away any hopes Reynolds has of catching him.

Byrne is not happy to settle for easy points though: ” It’s all very well settling for safe points but that’s when mistakes creep in as was the case in the last round at Oulton, so I won’t be doing that from now on, ” said Byrne. ” I haven’t won a BSB race for seven races now and that is starting to bug me. I need to win five out of the last six races if I’m to achieve my goal of a record 14 wins in a season and obviously if I do that, the title will be well in the bag. ”

Reynolds was at the track last week for a two-hour test and was consistently lapping 0.5 seconds under last year’s fastest race lap so Monday’s action should be hot.

But Reynolds won’t be the only rider challenging Byrne for race wins this weekend. Steve Plater is still riding high from his first win of the season at Oulton Park two weeks ago and celebrates his 31st birthday on Friday, August 22, so he’ll want to make it a memorable occasion.

Plater also has the added benefit that his Honda Racing team’s headquarters are just down the road in Louth so there will be plenty of local support.

The book of condolences that was started for Steve Hislop at Oulton park, after he died in a helicopter accident on July 31, will be available again at Cadwell for people to sign.

The book will be held by Anne and Mark Joiner in the campsite close to the paddock (just look for the Mark Joiner Plumbing and Heating van). At the end of the weekend the book will be passed to Supersport rider Stuart Easton, a close friend of Steve Hislop, who will pass it on to Hislop’s Mother Margaret.

Check back regularly throughout the weekend for full reports on all the weekend’s action from Cadwell Park.

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