The new Buildbase BMW Motorrad team are working hard ahead of Oulton Park, the second round of the 2011 race season. With their confidence buoyed by successful tests, steadily improving lap times and the first points of the season taken at last weekend’s opening round at Brands Hatch Indy, the Superstock 1000, BSB-EVO and British Superbike riders are chomping at the bit to get out on track once again.
Richard Cooper took sixth place in the Superstock 1000 race while Barry Burrell took a sixth and seventh in the BSB-EVO races. Ian Lowry was wiped out by a rider in the BSB race one and was forced to retire from the second race due to a dislodged electrical connection. John Laverty, who was also taken out by another rider in race one, was unable to start the second having injured his finger. John has since undergone a minor medical procedure and hopes to rejoin the grid for Oulton Park.
Stuart Hicken, team principal, said: “The lads are chomping at the bit to get out on track at Oulton Park. Brands Hatch Indy was a real learning experience for us, we’d had so little time on the bikes that every time we went out on track, we were trying something different. But the very good news is that every session we were improving, so we’re all moving in the right direction.
“We could have done without Ian Lowry and John Laverty both being knocked off by other riders, of course! Ian’s none the worse for it but John’s had the tip of his finger removed after the fall. We’ve had a fair bit of work to do to get their bikes rebuilt and improve the setup ahead of Oulton Park. Richard and Barry both brought their bikes home with solid finishes and got us our first points of 2011, with lots more to come. All we’re hoping for now is that this glorious weather holds out, as our BMW S 1000 RRs will really get to grips with the longer, faster Oulton Park circuit.”
The Buildbase BMW Motorrad team, headed up by former-racer Stuart Hicken and his son Steve, is fielding four experienced riders on BMW S 1000 RR race bikes this year: John Laverty and Ian Lowry in British Superbikes, Barry Burrell in BSB-EVO and Richard Cooper in the National Superstock 1000 Championship.
Free practice begins this Saturday with qualifying on Sunday and the two BSB/BSB-EVO races and the Superstock 1000 race on Bank Holiday Monday. The racing will be shown live on British Eurosport 2.
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