Monday, October 01 2012

The final round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch in just over 10 days' time (13-14 October) is set to surpass last year's incredible finale, with all six Showdown riders in contention!

Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki's Shane 'Shakey' Byrne holds a narrow nine point advantage over Title Fighter rival Josh Brookes. Kent's Byrne looked set to win the second race at Silverstone yesterday (Sunday) but an ascending Alex Lowes mugged the former double champion at the final hurdle, with an audacious move down the inside at Luffield that took everyone by surprise.

Byrne is now looking ahead to his home round at Brands Hatch as he bids to equal the record of three MCE British Superbike Championship titles. "We are racing on the edge and there are three more races to go at Brands Hatch so fingers crossed for that one," he said after the Silverstone round.

Meanwhile Brookes is bidding to overhaul his Title Fighter rival in the three races at Brands Hatch for the championship decider. "We have had great results before there and I love the track, but the pressure is on now so we need to step up for the last round," confirmed the Australian.

Success at Silverstone puts Lowes in third place and a dark horse for the title. "I was happy enough with a win in the first race so to do the double is mega," he enthused. "We just scraped into the Showdown so I am still taking it one race at a time and we will see if we can do the same again at Brands Hatch."

Reigning champion Tommy Hill will be looking forward to returning to the scene of his title win, claimed by just 0.006 seconds after a stunning duel with John Hopkins at Brands Hatch last year. With a good record at his home circuit, he is sure to be a factor.

With three races at Brands Hatch and 25 points on offer for a win, both Michael Laverty and Tommy Bridewell still retain championship hopes and could stage a major upset on the Grand Prix circuit. With many more potential race winners in the field, the stage is set for a classic confrontation.

Tickets for the final round of the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch on 12/13/14 October are available from £25, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information, call 0843 453 9000 or click here.