by Dave Neal
Tommy Hill and the Swan Yamaha
It’s early February and the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship is taking shape nicely with team announcements continuing apace as we head towards pre-season testing out in Spain in very early March.
With the season almost upon us, and for my first piece written specifically for Stay On The Black, I’ve put together a rundown of the teams I expect to be fighting it out for the six Showdown slots in this year’s championship. With the new Evo rules being enforced this season and lack of electronic aids, I still don’t see much of a change in the main protagonists for the season. My thoughts were confirmed in a twitter conversation with an ex-Swan Yamaha team member when talking about traction control and rider aids - ‘the fast boys will still be fast, regardless’.
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki
Paul Bird is back in the British Championship after his foray in to WSB, and it’s no shock to anyone who has followed British Championship racing to see who will line up for him next year. Stuart Easton, a former British Supersport Champion for PBM on board a Monstermob Ducati, had already been guaranteed a 2012 contract in the aftermath of his horrendous NW200 crash, a great gesture by Birdy that gave Easton full concentration in his recovery period. A lot of people carry the belief that Stuart is a champion in the waiting; early season form showed that, if he stays injury free, I see no reason why he won’t be a contender.
Partnering Easton will be two-time British Champion Shane Byrne, again a former title winner for the squad, again on the Monstermob Ducati, and who has also campaigned a Stobart Honda Fireblade for the Penrith-based team. Both riders know the team well and the high standards demanded by the boss and, depending on the pace of the Kawasaki in evo-spec, are already expected to be title contenders. There is no doubt Shakey has the smoothness and experience to get the best from the big Kawasaki and expect him to be up there from the start.
TAS Suzuki
There was no big shock in TAS Suzuki announcing that they will continue with Josh Brookes, not because it’s rumoured nobody else will work with the difficult to please Aussie, but having found a work ethic that’s acceptable to both parties and benefits the team as a whole they see continuity as the benchmark to a successful assault on the title. Philip Neill is as excited as I’ve seen him, not least that the Suzuki reverts to traditional blue and white with Tyco sponsorship after several successful years in black with Relentless energy drinks. Love him or hate him the blue-eyed Aussie is here to stay and that, for me, is a good thing.
Alongside the Aussie will be 2011 British Supersport champion Alastair Seeley. The diminutive Northern Irishman will have his work cut out to tame the superbike on the tight and twisty domestic circuits but, as he has proven at the NW200, he certainly knows his way around a superbike on the longer circuits and after his battles with Ben Wilson last year his bravery is without question. The only question is whether he has the physical strength to transfer that Supersport grit and determination in to Superbikes. I for one hope so.
Samsung Honda
The Louth based, and newly-titled, Samsung Honda squad announced Michael Laverty’s much-anticipated defection from Swan Yamaha with ex-Crescent Suzuki rider John Kirkham joining the ranks alongside the much-lauded Laverty. Laverty’s departure from Swan Yamaha was expected after team-mate Tommy Hill won the title as Michael is undoubtedly a number one rider in his own right and wasn’t expected to stay with the team as a confirmed number two. 2012 is the season where Michael Laverty has to live up to expectation and deliver a championship winning ride. Neil Tuxworth for one will accept nothing less.
Make no mistake; Jon Kirkham is a fast rider. Unfortunately he sometimes seems to doubt his ability on a superbike. However, after his demolition of numerous National Superstock fields, his future clearly lies in the Superbike class, backing this up with a podium at Brands in October and thereby winning the Superbike Riders Cup in the process. Jon couldn’t have any better chance than this to make it in to the Showdown final six. With the experience of Neil Tuxworth and Havier Beltran guiding them, I expect to see both riders in the top six come Cadwell Park in August.
Swan Yamaha
2011 British Superbike Champion Tommy Hill has, as expected, re-signed for Shaun Muir’s Guisborough-based outfit to defend his hard earned and coveted #1 plate. It will be a voyage of discovery for Hill and the Yamaha in Evo spec as both Honda and Kawasaki both ran bikes under 2012 specifications during last season, therefore already having a base to work from – I expect Yamaha to play catch-up in the early season however Shaun Muir would not be running Yamaha again if they were deemed to be less competitive under the new rules. Tommy will undoubtedly be fired up and ready to fight off any rivals in his quest for back to back titles.
Of all the names bandied about to partner Hill not many expected Isle of Man TT legend Ian Hutchinson to be the man for the job. After missing the whole of 2011, through almost career ending leg injuries received in a massive accident at Silverstone in September 2010, it was a huge boost to Hutchy’s rehabilitation as the deal included Swan Yamaha’s backing of Ian’s 2012 Isle of Man campaign, an attempt to regain the titles he was unable to defend in 2011.
Concerns have lingered over the strength of Hutchinson’s leg, these concerns were confirmed only last week after a seemingly innocuous twist of the leg during practice for ‘Revolution’ at the London Bike Show unfortunately re-broke the leg, albeit in a different place to the original injury, rendering Hutchy unable to ride for a reported 3 months. Who will substitute for the unfortunate Hutchinson is still being debated.
Stay tuned for part two of our British Superbike preview, coming soon.
