STP’s Chris Burns stood on the podium at Thruxton after his Superbike Cup and says he is feeling better on a bike than he has for years – but also admitted he has made some bad choices during his career
He said: “I had almost forgotten what it was like to get a podium, it has been so long! Not only was I pleased to be top three, I was happier than ever because it was a result we didn’t expect at a track like Thruxton. If we can do that while we’re way down on power, imagine what we can do when we’ve got the full competitive package?

“I have to admit I’m feeling happy and confident with my riding for the first time in about six years. I’ve made some bad decisions since I left Superstock in 2002, and I had got to the point where racing just didn’t excite me anymore.”

Rizla Suzuki’s Asushi Watanabe has been learning Oulton’s various curves and raises by way of a track day there this week. Team manager Jack Valentine says that the Japanese Superbike Champion might struggle this weekend as Oulton is a hard place to learn. What group did they put him in? Super-very-piss-on-your-chips-fast?

HM Plant Honda’s Steve “Baywatch” Brogan is hoping to emulate his Thruxton performances and get another double which, he says, wasn’t unexpected. ““It’s been a dream start to the season with two wins. For me it was no surprise to win either one of the Thruxton races, as both the team and the bikes are so capable. The real challenge will be to do that week in week out: that’s going to be a tough job! But every weekend we need to go to a different track and aim for those two wins. I feel I’ve silenced a lot of critics who maybe didn’t think I had it in me to run at the front of both classes.” Showoff.

Tom Grant is to replace the injured Adam Jenkinson on the SMT Honda for this weekend. Jenkinson had a massive 150+mph crash at Thruxton’s Church Corner, on the same lap as the Harris/Sykes/Haslam interface, and broke his arm. Grant was originally intending to compete in European Superstock this year but that deal fell through and the Yorkshireman appeared at Thruxton for the first round of BSB on a Supersport Yamaha hired through his former team- boss Rob McElnea.

Paul Veazey will return to the UK championships this weekend after inking a deal with Astro Racing Kawasaki. The 21-year-old from Middlesbrough will contest the British Supersport Cup with the squad, lining up for his first race this Bank Holiday Monday at Oulton Park, Cheshire. The move comes after Veazey parted company with the Q Motosport team, with which he had entered the Spanish CEV Supersport Championship, following a massive crash in the opening round just over a week ago.

“It wasn’t really anyone’s fault, it was an amicable split,” he said. “The crash was so bad that the bike was written off, and neither myself or the team could afford to build another. If we’d put all our cash into building one we’d not have been able to finish the season so we agreed it was not a feasible arrangement for us to continue.”