Christian Iddon
He’s second in the BSB championship... here’s how
It only dawned on me just how long it had been since our last venture out at a British Superbike race when my team-mate, Josh Brookes, kindly pointed it out on his social media that it’d been 260-odd days since our last race. I didn’t quite believe it so I had to check, but it turns out his maths is spot-on.
I guess it’s no wonder then that I was feeling a little bit of apprehension at the first round. My bowels were doing somersaults and although I probably hid it well, I was feeling skittish and just not particularly relaxed. I always like to get the first few rounds under my belt before I start feeling like I have some grasp of the season and the situation. It wouldn’t be unfair to say I actually dislike the first few rounds of a championship – I think it is just that venturing into the unknown. Sure, we have had a long and good testing regime with our competitors but the truth is that until the competition actually begins, you really have little idea just how you are going to stack up.
All the pre-round one media commitments were more pleasurable than usual. I think I was thankful we were getting going; that and the fact that after being royally done over by the Government’s ludicrous 4000-max capacity restrictions, it seems the BSB organisers took a more lenient view on policing other restrictions, which meant that for me, at least, it was the first time in a long period that I have felt a sense of normality in life.
Those of you who read my column regularly will know that I have struggled with the restrictions and know how it has made me feel, and I can only sympathise with those who have had the same feelings but on a greater level. So this was a big moment for me, and something I will remember.
Cometh the hour, cometh the rain cloud! Yep, after a scorchio few weeks leading up to the event, we were greeted with pretty miserable FP1 conditions and as much as we can play the ‘typical British weather’ card, actually, the opposite is true. In the entire 2020 season I think we only had three wet or damp sessions, so we were all a little out of practice. However, my Ducati was feeling pretty good underneath me and picking up a good level of grip and as conditions improved over the weekend, that good feeling stayed with me. Before I knew it, I was already sitting on the grid for race one. By some minor miracle I had managed to qualify in second place. I’m no one-lap wonder so this was a pleasant surprise and one I knew would be a big help in trying to keep me out ahead of any carnage.
Despite qualifying well and having pace in all the sessions, I still didn’t feel like I was riding all that well. I was pushing too hard and making a few mistakes, and I didn’t really want to lead the first race of the season. I was planning to sit tight in P2 or P3, get myself into a rhythm, and take it from there. Well, that plan went straight out of the window as I got an epic start and as I led the pack on lap one, I just thought, ‘well we are here now’.
The entire weekend was a battle between myself and O’Hallloran, with a few notable others throwing in their efforts in different races. Ultimately, I was to lose out in all three battles with Jason, which was a bitter pill to swallow. Race two was particularly frustrating as I led the entire race, only to get mugged on the last corner. All weekend I had been super strong in the final turn and as Jason came up the inside, I genuinely didn’t think he would get it stopped – but somehow he did!
So 2/2/2 was my scorecard and I guess it can only be a good thing to be a little disappointed. I feel so positive though about how my bike feels this year, and that the enormous amount of hard work we put in throughout testing – for the short term, at least – seems to be paying off!
We have a long way to go in the series but we are off to a good start. I just hope we can keep that momentum rolling all the way.
Hopefully see (more of) you guys at a race track soon!