Iddon’s getting back up to pace
STOCKPORT’S Christian Iddon got his Bennetts Suzuki back in the top 10 at Snetterton having struggled for the past couple of rounds overcoming injury.
However, after making great progress it was still a weekend of what could have been with real pace showing much better than results suggest.
With two tests under their belt since the previous round, at Oulton Park, the whole team was buoyed and expectant as they were set to try out some fresh ideas on their Suzuki GSX-R 1000.
Throughout the Free Practice it seemed that these new settings were working well and Iddon entered Qualifying in a positive frame of mind.
That positivity shone through as he was easily able to progress to Q2 having set the fifth fastest lap but a freak rain shower in the next session meant that every rider unknowingly was only to get a sin- gle dry lap and unfortunately Iddon was slowed by another rider on that very lap, leaving him 14th on the grid despite having hoped to be much higher up.
Race day arrived at the Norfolk venue and the clouds had cleared for an uninterrupted day of incredible BSB race action.
Iddon made a good start to Race 1 but a faller on the opening lap dropped him a few places.
Iddon soon found his feet though and put in a set of fast laps which dragged him up to the back of the group fighting for fifth place and in the process set the sixth fastest lap of the race which determines the grid positions for Race 2.
Unfortunately, by mid race a mysterious ‘chatter’ issue set in and Iddon was left unable to race how he wanted, the former British Supermoto Champion went on to make an uncharacteristic error all of his own on the last lap of the race and was dropped out of the points.
The second encounter of the day was much more positive and was a battle from start to finish.
With the pace to fight for the podium things were promising, but a few wide lines dropped Iddon down the rankings a little and by the end of the race it was a hard fought ninth position.
Not the reward Iddon and the team were hoping for, having put in so much hard work, but still shows good progress forwards.
“It has just been one of those weekends where things have not fallen into place and the results absolutely do not show what we have put in or what I think we deserve,” remarked Iddon.
“Race 1 was always going to be a battle from where we were starting from but I got into my pace and things were looking good until we had a mysterious chatter issue and from then on I just couldn’t do anything.
“Then I made a terrible mistake on the last lap which was all my own fault.”
Iddon continued: “Race 2 we had good pace but just struggled to be in a race situation.
“When I’m alone on track I can put the bike where I want and the lap times come but with others around I have to change the way I ride a little and at the moment that is hurting us.
“We had the speed for a potential podium and it didn’t materialise so I can’t help but be disappointed but at the same time it is good to see that we are getting back up to pace and with all the hard work that is going on behind the scenes I am sure we will be able to get to the front soon.”
The next round of the BSB calendar is just two weeks away as the series heads north to Knockhill in Scotland on July 5th.