MADNESS…
In near typical BSB fashion this year, no sooner were we convinced the series was about to settle down, than it bloody well didn’t! At Brands Hatch, it seemed that it would all be coming down to Shane Byrne and Leon Haslam. And it may well do at year’s end, but with the absolutely baffling levels of inconsistency on show – who fricking knows?!
One thing we did get right was predicting Josh Brookes would fare well at Thruxton, which he did by taking his (and the team’s) first BSB win of the year. But then in race two, while leading, he fell off. Still, it was enough of a good showing that we all thought he was back with a bang, and would also be bang on it to make the showdown, right, Josh? Josh? Where for art thou, Josh? That’s what we were asking at the very next race at Cadwell Park, a track he loves, but one that he couldn’t finish better than 7th and 12th at this time around – eh, what’s going on?
Then there’s Byrne, who for some reason uncharacteristically struggled at Thruxton, and managed a single final podium position at Cadders before his bike cried off in race two. Leon Haslam had won the first race but failed to finish the second, which meant we saw James Ellison (finally) win a race on the McAms Yamaha, and he was joined by BMW’s Lee Jackson and Thruxton’s race two winner, Peter Hickman, who is now well in with a shout at taking the title if he plays his cards right. Keep it tight, Pedro!
We’re writing this just prior to Silverstone’s triple-header round, the final one before the Showdown slots are decided. While Haslam and Byrne still appear to be shoe-ins for it (and possibly Hickman), the rest better watch out as there are a couple of riders who over three races, could get the better of them. So, for Jason O’Halloran, Josh Brookes and the returning (from injury) Luke Mossey, they better hope this nasty inconsistency virus doesn’t hit again there or they could find themselves out of contention.
Lastly, we were dismayed to hear some opinions on why BSB is so inconsistent essentially alluding to the fact the series isn’t as good as everyone thinks it is. Not sure about that, we get what they’re saying (ish), but it’s still the best national series anywhere we reckon. And anyway, the same virus has been spreading through MotoGP the last couple of seasons, and nobody has complained about that, have they? No, they haven’t, so shut it!