RAF Regular and Reserve Kawasaki rider Jake Dixon scored a memorable double in today’s two MCE British Superbike Championship races. If the first one was a straightforward lights-to-flag win for the young man, the second was far from it – a thrilling encounter throughout the ebbed and flowed all the way to the end.
Starting once again on the front row, Dixon made another good start to the race, however just 2 turns in and Luke Mossey cut underneath through McIntyre’s, Dixon fought back for a bit before Mossey eventually made the move stick at Clark’s Corner. However, it wasn’t long before Dixon was back at it, passing Mossey once again for the lead in a frantic opening to the race. So, with barely 5 laps on the clock Dixon was leading ahead of Mossey, Ellison and with the fastest man on track at that point Shane Byrne closing fast in P4. But, true to form, just 2 laps later Mossey was back at the head of the pack, quickly followed past Dixon by James Ellison; and then Byrne shot past Dixon heading into the Hairpin – so from leading the race to P4 in a couple of laps – BSB really is a tough school.
Dixon then took stock and settled down for a while; happy to let the guys at the front make all the running – which they did. Mossey recording the fastest lap of the race on lap 10 with a 48.296 second effort – not enough to wrestle Shane Byrne’s current record off the Paul Bird Motorsport man.
Mossey then streaked away for a few laps and built up a 1.4 second lead at the front; only for that to disappear on one lap as he made a mistake going into the Hairpin, allowing James Ellison to take the lead of the race. Ellison sat out front for a while in comfortable fashion from lap 19 onwards. However, just two laps later Dixon pulled the pin once again and in the remaining laps reeled in firstly Byrne at the Hairpin, then Mossey at McIntyre’s and then Ellison at the same corner on the next lap to regain the lead with 3 laps to go – which he rounded out despite pressure from the closing Ellison to win the race. Byrne though, still had a little left in the tank and took Mossey at the hairpin in the dying stages for his second podium of the weekend.
Those results, see Mossey leave Knockhill with the Championship lead as the BSB rollercoaster moves on to Snetterton Ciccuit in a couple of weeks time.
“Yeah, that one was a lot harder. I knew the guys were coming for me and they did – roughing me up a bit too. I then just sat there for a while, biding my time and then I managed to get a good run on Shakey, quickly followed by Luke and James at the same corner. It’s great, but I know I need to keep my feet on the ground and go again at Snetterton.”
That rounds out the 2017 BSB meeting at Knockhill. There’s been a few challenges along the way; a few bumps and bruises here and there; and a few memorable stories to emerge from the weekend. It’s never quite plain sailing at Knockhill, but then why would you expect anything less?
Hope you all have a safe journey home and see you next time.
