What a weekend we all had at Thruxton, it was great to finally go racing and in dry conditions. It has really started the season off with a bang - and provided superb racing as we all now expect from the British Superbike Championship.
I must congratulate Sunday’s winners Shane Byrne and Cal Crutchlow they were both on top form. As you know I worked with Cal in 2007 when he made his Superbike debut with Rizla Suzuki. He took his first pole position and podium finish with Rizla Suzuki so to see him go out and win in the opening round was a good feeling. He is definitely a big star of the future and one to watch.
As for Shakey, he was the last rider to take a victory on a Rizla Suzuki and it looks like he is back to winning ways. He is a very capable rider as he proved a few years ago when he blitzed the World Superbike regulars at Brands Hatch and picked up the British title.
I was pleased to see Michael Rutter back up on the podium - he could be the dark horse for this season. He has had a couple of tough years but it looks like he has bounced back, a double podium is not to be sniffed at. Another Michael who caught my attention was Mr Laverty as he worked his way forward to an excellent fourth place on the Suzuki.
I work for Suzuki and spend a lot of time with the Rizla Suzuki team whereone of my jobs for this year is to help Atsushi Watanabe learn our British circuits. They are a real challenge for him as he is used to flat, wide-open tracks, not the tight, twisting, undulating circuits that we race at. Plus he has the cooler weather conditions to deal with too.
Atsu didn’t get out on track at Thruxton before the races so he was completely new to it this weekend. In his first ever British race he finished 17th which he wasn’t happy about but it was a toe in the water for him and then in race two he went for it. He had a good scrap for eighth place but got beaten up on the last lap to finish 14th. He just plugged away quietly all weekend and steadily dropped his lap times. Thruxton is a pretty daunting place for your first race but Atsu is a grafter and I’m really looking forward to working more with him.
As for Tom Sykes, he did a fantastic job on a tough weekend. He had two big offs and was still determined to go out and race. Once his hand injury from the qualifying crash is better he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. His crew were keeping his spirits up and calling him Tom Thumb as it was his left thumb that took the battering, leaving it quite swollen and bruised.
I did some commentary at the weekend with Fred Clarke which was good fun and I was interviewed for the Channel 4 British Superbike show. I always spend some time with the THINK Academy which is good. I really enjoy it and it is a worthwhile cause addressing road safety issues for bikers.
I’ve been so busy lately just working and working. This coming weekend I’m riding a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 round Scotland, then I’m off to Knockhill to meet Atsu. We are doing a track day up there with Niall Mackenzie next Monday. Tuesday we are at Donington Park and on Wednesday we hit Oulton Park. Plenty of riding – just how I like it –and not a flake of snow in sight!
See you at a race track soon.