BSB BRITISH SUPERBIKES- ROUND 2
OULTON
PARK - MAY 4th to 6th
I really enjoyed being back in the paddock and press rooms at Silverstone, it gave me a chance to catch up with some old friends and colleagues and get the gossip.
The
best quote of the weekend has to be, and I’m not going to say who it was aimed
at but it doesn’t take a genius to work it out, “This ain’t MotoGP, this is BSB
everyman for himself, get used to it”.
Well it
couldn’t have been much worse for Ducati’s dream team but at least both Josh
Brookes and Scott Redding are both in one piece for Oulton.
Tarran
Mackenzie was absolutely incredible to watch live but I did think he over
stepped the mark on the final corner in race one and fully deserved being
knocked back a place. I called it in the press room and my friends laughed it
off, but 30 minutes later the announcement came which left me feeling rather
smug. If it had happened in MotoGP they would have probably knocked him back to
forth and given him a grid penalty, unless his surname was Marquez that is.
So who’s
going to triumph at Oulton Park this bank holiday?
Tarran is
going to feel invincible after Silverstone but Oulton Park couldn’t be more
different as a track. I still think Tarran will be up there but his teammate
Jason O’Halloran is going to be ready to prove a point.
I really
put the dampeners on Jason O'Halloran at Silverstone when I said he was due some luck -
when I said it I didn’t mean bad luck! Jason rode brilliantly all weekend and
ended up with two DNFs through no fault of his own. So I’ll say it again, Jason
is due some luck and I think he can win this weekend.
Josh
Brookes and Scott Redding both know the Ducati isn’t quite there yet but both
riders are more than capable of delivering a result anyway. I wouldn’t be
surprised to see Josh on the podium but a win might be stretching it. I know
Scott is a great rider but I can’t see him featuring at a circuit like Oulton
Park, top 5 would be a great result for him at this early stage in the season.
Josh
Elliot was the big surprise at Silverstone but I shouldn’t be that surprised as
every time I interviewed him in past seasons he’s gone on to win the race, but
how he managed to finish where he did in both races just goes to show he’s a
class act. Can he do the same at Oulton Park? Well I haven’t got a clue as I
didn’t see it coming at Silverstone, but I’d love to see him do it again - he’s
a great lad.
