Ace Jake quick to display pace

JAKE DIXON continues to be a serious Bennetts British Superbike Championship threat after ending the opening day at Cadwell Park on top.

The RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki rider was consistently quick at the Lincolnshire track yesterday ahead of tomorrow’s two races.

Clocking a hot lap of

1min 26.071secs just moments before the chequered flag fell, he knocked

FS3-Racing’s Danny Buchan down to second and relegated series leader Leon Haslam, on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki, to third place.

Dixon said: “I didn’t feel I did anything particularly different than I did on the previous laps, I just got held up every time.

“I could have done a 26 flat earlier, but when there’s so much traffic out on track it’s just difficult.”

Haslam had topped the time sheets in the morning session, despite later admitting he had issues with his JG Speedfit Kawasaki.

But Dixon, who had been third in free practice one, had kept a little back and stole top spot at the ®Êby ZOE BURN final attempt. And he is convinced the pace will pick up even more.

“The lap record will go, without a doubt,” he added. “Everything is working great and I’m learning more and more. It’s all looking good.”

Dixon (inset) is second in the championship behind Haslam but his consistency is what could give him the edge once the series heads into the Showdown next month.

Haslam remains the favourite and proved yesterday that even when he is not at his best, he can still be a threat.

“We’ve been having a little issue compared to what we had when we tested here, it’s not quite reacting the same from the engine,” he said.

“We’ve got a different engine spec so we’re looking to probably go back to what we had at the test.

“But we were quickest in the morning after an 18-lap run on a tyre so we’re not too far away.

“We’ve just got a few things we just want to make a little bit better.”