For Shane Byrne it is a return to his home-base and a Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit where last October with a hat-trick of wins he sealed his third crown – now the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider is the favourite to add to his seven wins so far in this weekend’s sixth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship.

But Byrne is the first to realise that he will have a fight on his hands. Last time out in the scorching heat of Snetterton he and his team had to work overtime to have the bike in shape for the races as they tried front fork settings and tyres. He took a third and then a victory that hoisted him 32 points clear of the pursuing pack, though with the end of season Showdown in mind that equates to an advantage of seven.

Byrne reflected after his hot, hard rides at the Norfolk circuit: “We had a lot of speed on the rest, but here they caught up.” Neither he nor the team will take that, so expect him to be well charged for these races and there is no doubting that he means business. “I’m going there to win races, that is what I am employed to do,” was his outlook.

Is that bleak for the rest. Not according to the rising star of the series and potential title winner Alex Lowes on the Samsung Honda who is both full of fight and has a maturing style to his youthful exhuberance. And has his team-boss Havier Beltran noted after the Snetterton race: “I’m pleased that he used his head and we have really seen him build his race-craft.”

Lowes is full of confidence and clearly enjoying his racing, and there is the additional spur of twin brother Sam pushing for glory in the World Supersport Championship. They work and help each others efforts, and neither likes to think the other has gone one better! Family rivalry at its best as they both aim for glory.

Lowes’ Samsung debut was on the Indy circuit with a pair of seconds, results going some way to making amends for his crashes in the final round on the Grand Prix circuit last October, something that he now shrugs aside. “I’m looking forward to the races and I like the GP circuit a lot despite the fast crashes i had there – hopefully that’s them out of the way. I hope for a bit more speed and to be back on the podium there.”

His rich points haul last time out moved him back into second place ahead of Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes who is still seeking that elusive first win of the campaign and that amid a series of highly consistent points scoring rides. “I hope to improve and look forward to riding a great circuit and will be working on it once I get back from the Suzuka test,” said Brookes who will be renewing rivalries with fellow BSB riders Ryuichi Kiyonari and Josh Waters in the annual Japanese Eight Hours classic at the end of the month.

Brookes, like Byrne and Lowes, is looking well on the way to qualification among the six riders who will go forward to the Showdown sequence of seven races over the final three rounds of the season but for the rest there is plenty to fight for.

James Ellison has had more than his fair share of ill-luck so far, with the latest problem to slow him being a wheel sensor failure in the second race of the day at Snetterton. The Milwaukee Yamaha rider goes into these races fourth in the standings, but a massive 72 points down on Brookes though with 175 points to fight for prior to the end of the nine round “main season.”

Ellison reflected after Snetteton: “I am disappointed for the whole team as we showed we had the pace but couldn’t translate it to podiums. We took it on the chin and we will come back stronger. We still hold fourth in the standings and that is the most important thing.”

Kiyonari is at last showing the style that three times made him BSB champion, but the Samsung Honda rider still has work to do. The promise of the two podiums at Knockhill was followed by fifth and fourth places from a rider who needs to find extra pace and handling to be running at the sharp-end of the pack and pushing for victories.

He is just a handful of points ahead of the Buildbase BMW duo of Jon Kirkham and James Westmoreland while the determined Chris Walker, four times a runner-up in the title chase, is battling on aboard the Quattro Plant Kawasaki, and desperate to make the top six.

There is plenty to fight for with the likes of Keith Farmer on the second Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki and that Bathams Honda duo of Michael Rutter and Tommy Bridewell have both points and pride at stake as they take to the Kent circuit.

Supersport scrap

Alastair Seeley took charge of the chase for the Motorpoint British Supersport crown with a brilliant Snetterton double to pull a massive 40 points lead over Stuart Easton who was never on the pace at the Norfolk circuit.

Riding the Gearlink Kawaski, Seeley was imperious and now he is planning more of the same: “It is another good, strong circuit for me. Now it is a case of being smart, controlling the race and the series, staying 100% focussed and doing the job.”

First though he will have to deal with what is certain to be a fast and frantic response from MarTrain Yamaha’s Easton who is keen to play catch-up after a torrid time last time out as he reflected: “There’s not much to say other than Snetterton turned into a disaster for us. I’m not going to pin-point one particular area as that is pointless at this stage, but it’s behind us now. I am now looking ahead to Brands Hatch and making in-roads in Alastair’s lead.

“There’s a very long way to go in the series. Yes we have given ourselves a bit more work to do, but I know I have the ability and the team package is certainly good enough, so we are not going to panic,” Easton who will also have to contend with the ever present threat of Seeley’s team-mate Ben Wilson.

Adding to the action will be Aussie Billy McConnell, so far without a win, but a points scorer in every round aboard the Smiths Gloucester Triumph, as he looks to improve on his current fourth place in the standings.

Support network

There is the usual big supporting race programme with young Joe Francis looking to build on his advantage in the Monster Energy British Motostar Championship aboard his WD40 Honda as he takes on Moto3 rivals Tarran Mackenzie and Joe Irving, with Jordan Weaving eager to bounce back after his Snetterton demise.

Adam Jenkinson had to settle for second best to Hudson Kennaugh last time out in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship and the series leader will be keen to overturn that result while in the Superstock 600 Jordan Simpkin will be looking for a third victory to maintain his advantage over Luke Hedger.

Brothers Tim and Tristan Reeves expect to extend their lead – they’ve won seven times already – in the Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship while Jonathan Railton, the series leader in the Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge, can expect another tough time from Marty Nutt. And in the Triumph Triple Challenge it will again be a case of who can beat Chrissy Rouse.

Weekend race schedule

FRIDAY (Indy Circuit test day)

09.00 – 09.20 INDY Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge Free Practice

09.25 – 09.45 INDY Triumph Triple Challenge Free Practice

09.50 – 10.10 INDY Eastern Airways British Sidecars Free Practice

10.15 – 10.35 INDY Triumph Young Guns evaluation Session 1

10.40 – 11.05 INDY Pirelli National Superstock 600 in association with Black Horse Official Test

11.10 – 11.35 INDY Pirelli National Superstock 1000 in association with Black Horse – Odd no’s Official Test

11.40 – 12.05 INDY Pirelli National Superstock 1000 in association with Black Horse – Even no’s Official Test

12.10 – 12.30 INDY Triumph Young Guns evaluation Session 2

12.35 – 12.55 INDY Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge Qualifying

13.00 – 13.20 INDY Triumph Triple Challenge Qualifying

13.25 – 13.45 INDY // Eastern Airways British Sidecars Qualifying

14.05 – 14.35 INDY Monster Energy Motostar Official Test

14.40 – 15.00 INDY Triumph Young Guns evaluation Session 3

15.05 – 15.50 INDY MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKES in association with PIRELLI Official Test

16.00 – 16.30 INDY Motorpoint British Supersport Official Test

16.45 INDY Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge 15 laps

17.15 INDY Triumph Triple Challenge 15 laps

17.45 INDY Eastern Airways British Sidecars 15 laps

18.05 – 18.25 INDY Triumph Young Guns evaluation Session 4

SATURDAY

09.00 – 09.25 GP Monster Energy Motostar Qualifying 1

09.35 – 10.15 GP MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKES in association with PIRELLI Free Practice 1

10.20 – 11.00 GP Motorpoint British Supersport Free Practice

11.05 – 11.35 GP Pirelli National Superstock 600 in association with Black Horse Qualifying 1

11.40 – 12.10 GP Pirelli National Superstock 1000 in association with Black Horse Qualifying 1

12.20 – 13.00 GP MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKES in association with PIRELLI Free Practice 2

13.10 – 13.35 GP Triumph Triple Challenge Free Practice

13.40 - 14.05 GP Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge Free Practice

14.15 – 14.40 GP Monster Energy Motostar Qualifying 2

14.50 – 15.20 GP Motorpoint British Supersport Qualifying

15.30 – 16.24 GP MCE British Superbikes in association with Pirelli Datatag Extreme Qualifying

16.30 – 16.55 GP Pirelli National Superstock 600 in association with Black Horse Qualifying 2

17.05 – 17.30 GP Pirelli National Superstock 1000 in association with Black Horse Qualifying 2

17.40 – 18.05 GP Eastern Airways British Sidecars Free Practice

SUNDAY

09.00 – 09.08 GP Motorpoint British Supersport Warm up

09.13 – 09.21 GP Pirelli National Superstock 600 in association with Black Horse Warm up

09.26 – 09.36 GP MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKES in association with PIRELLI Warm up

09.41 – 09.49 GP Monster Energy Motostar Warm up

09.54 – 10.02 GP Pirelli National Superstock 1000 in association with Black Horse Warm up

10.15 GP Motorpoint British Supersport 10 laps

10.45 GP Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge 10 laps

11.05 – 11.55 Pit Walk, Club MCE/VIP Safety Car rides

12.05 GP Triumph Triple Challenge 10 laps

12.40 GP Pirelli National Superstock 600 in association with Black Horse 12 laps

13.15 Pit lane opens for MCE BSB race one: Club MCE and VIP grid walk

13.30 GP MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKES in association with PIRELLI 18 laps

14.15 GP Monster Energy Motostar 12 laps

14.55 GP Pirelli National Superstock 1000 in association with Black Horse 15 laps

15.40 GP Motorpoint British Supersport 16 laps

16.15 Pit lane opens for MCE BSB race two: Club MCE and VIP grid walk

16.30 GP MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKES in association with PIRELLI 18 laps

17.20 GP Eastern Airways British Sidecars 10 laps

TV times

1130-1230 Live MCE British Superbikes [HD]

The sixth round of the 2013 MCE British Superbike Championship at the Brands Hatch GP circuit.

1330-1715 Live MCE British Superbikes [HD]

The sixth round of the 2013 MCE British Superbike Championship at the Brands Hatch GP circuit.

Last year's stats courtesy of Pirelli

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