My conversion at Brands Hatch

Monday 25th July - 2022

The Bennett's British Superbike Round 5 event at Brands Hatch is the Mecca of motorcycle racing in the UK.

Where do I begin to tell you about this exhilarating motorcycle race that I witnessed yesterday of the British Superbike Championship here at Brands Hatch.

MotoGP is arguably the Super Bowl of motorcycle road racing, however I will not be able to give you my opinion on that until I attend the Monster Energy British Grand Prix MotoGP at Silverstone on August 7th.

The start of the second British World Superbike race on
Sunday afternoon on Brabham Straight.

In my wildest dreams I cannot possibly see how the MotoGP motorcycle races can be any better than what I saw yesterday, anyway I will give you my opinion in due course.

As I have mentioned previously I have never had the privilege to watch a live world class motorcycle race in my life, mainly because I really have not been interested & I am a born & bred car enthusiast.

Yesterday’s programme has our very own Jason O’Halloran
 on the front cover, McAMS No.22. Yamaha 1000cc beast.
Can you spot the Aussie Flag?

Previously, two-wheel racing never really rattled my cage of floated my boat.

That all ceased yesterday, talk about exciting to watch, I was on the edge of my grand stand seat watching these high powered 1000cc beasts, & I mean beasts, trying to be tamed by their world class riders around this magnificent Grand Prix Circuit: (2.433 mile long circuit) here at the world famous Brands Hatch track.

Definitely no room for the faint hearted. If you are interested have look at this YouTube clip for yourself of the race. 2022 Bennett’s BSB, Round 5, Brands Hatch (Race 2) on Sunday 24th July.

After what I watched yesterday I am now a World Superbike fan.

(Photo above) This is the view that I had from my Grandstand seat of Paddock Hill Bend, that the experts say has the reputation of being one of the best & fastest corners in world motor sport anywhere in the world. I took this photograph just after they dropped the green flag, this shows you (30) 1000cc machines hitting Paddock Bend at 160 mph or 257 kms.

This race was absolutely spectacular between an Australian Jason O’Halloran (from Wollongong, NSW) 43-years old No.22 & a Brit who is the current World Superbike Champion, Tarran Mackenzie (from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire) 26-years old No.1. These two blokes are in the same team McAMS they both ride 1000cc Yamahas.

Saturday & Sunday they faced off against each other on three occasions, on Saturday (Jason O’Halloran won Saturday’s race), then on Sunday they were at it again hammer & tong, (Tarran Mackenzie won both races on Sunday) with the Aussie lad right up Mackenzie’s clacker on both occasions.

(Photo above) I met Gary from Scotland who sat next to me all day, he was a wealth of knowledge & helped me through out the day. As you can see by his t-shirt & hat he is a real die hard Suzuki fan. He prefers the World Superbikes over the MotoGP bikes. I love my newest t-shirt, a spark plug with wings!

Remembering that these two lads are in the same team, what I absolutely adored about it was that they are definitely not under any team instructions or orders from their team boss’s as to who wins the race, like what happens in the farcical F1 Grand Prix teams.

In their second race yesterday for 20-laps these daredevils threw every thing at each other at break neck speeds with the lead changing several times & finally the Brit knocked off our Aussie boy on the very last corner & clinched victory by 0.037 seconds, doesn’t come any closer than that.

(Photo above) In one of the many retail stalls that are scattered around certain sections of the outfield I took a liking to these three dramatic photographs. If I had the room in my suitcase I would loved to have purchased one or all of them.
(John Stanley come on down).

I’m sure if you were here with me at Brands Hatch yesterday watching these events unfold you would also be on the British Superbike Championships train.

These guys actually do pass each other, not like what you see in the procession of F1 & many tin-top car races where they more or less just follow the leader once somebody hits the lead.

I am already converted after spending just 1-day watching these world class motorcycle races, so it looks like I am off to see the MotoGP at Phillip Island this year. Now that is a first.

The large and enthusiastic crowd enjoying the racing
and Britain's current run of warm weather.

Another thing that I am very impressed with here at this exquisite, intimate, motor racing circuit is the famous names that they have given to the corners & straights around the circuit.

As follows: Brabham Straight (start-finish line), Paddock Hill Bend, Hailwoods Hill, Graham Hill Bend, Surtees, Hawthorn Hill, Hawthorns, Dingle Dell, Sheene Curve, Stirling, Clark Curve, to name a few.

Cheers from your roving correspondent from the insular peninsula in the “Shire”

Warbo

*You Tube clip below:
2022 Bennett’s BSB, Round 5, Brands Hatch (Race 2) on Sunday 24th July.