Series fans ready for the green light

THE UK’s two biggest motorsport series are gearing up to roar into action next weekend.

Car and bike fans can look forward to their fix of the best of British as the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship and the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championships kick off.

First to start will be the twowheelers, as the world’s greatest domestic motorcycle series begins at Donington Park on Friday.

Local boys James Ellison and Dan Linfoot will be among the riders in the big class to watch, as both have eyes on the big prize this year.

Linfoot, of Wetherby, North Yorkshire, is back once again with Honda alongside Aussie team-mate Jason O’Halloran and will be looking to start racking up the wins.

Despite having not yet taken an outright win, Linfoot finished fourth overall last year and this year, armed with the revamped Honda Fireblade, he will have his eyes firmly on the top spot.

But Ellison will also be chasing hard. A rider who has missed out on the title mainly through bad luck over the last decade, this could be the final chance for the Cumbrian.

Having finished third for the last two years, hopefully this season will see a change of fortune for the Kendalborn rider.

He joins Michael Laverty at McAMS Yamaha, the team owned by The Prodigy’s Keith Flint, and will no doubt be in a much better position than last year with a team which really appreciates his talent.

Elsewhere, other North interest includes Superstock 1000 riders Chrissy Rouse and Barry Teasdale.

Rouse is returning with Mission Racing, while Teasdale, who moved up from the clubs full-time last year, will be back on his Bob Henderson Racing BMW.

Youngster James Alderson has axed the Moto 3 machine this year, and instead will take to the Superstock 600 grid on a Triumph.

Over in BTCC, Jason Plato is back again in a season which marks 20 years since he first entered the series.

Back with the Subaru Levorg, the Team BMR man will be looking to lift his third title this year, and certainly shows no signs of slowing yet.

Since he arrived in the championship in 1997, he has almost always been a topthree contender by the end of the year, and can be relied upon to really shake things up and push all the way to the final race of the year.

Also eyeing a title this year is Scorton’s Max Coates, who is back with Ciceley Racing in the Renault Clio Cup.

Coates made a massive impact as he arrived as a season rookie last year, taking the new boy honours with ease and this year he has made it clear he is aiming for the main prize.

The BTCC begins on Saturday at Brands Hatch Indy.