It’s coming home! The Bennetts British Superbike Championship returns to Kent for the annual summer bash at Brands Hatch this weekend with local contenders Bradley Ray and Jake Dixon hunting home glory as the battle to be inside the all-important top six intensifies. 
Dixon became the fourth different race winner of the season last time out at Knockhill and came tantalisingly close to making it a double celebration, but a huge moment saw the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki rider wrestle the bike back into line to finish second to standings leader Leon Haslam.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Haslam heads the standings as he arrives back at the Grand Prix circuit, the scene of his crushing title defeat last year. But he’s focused on putting that firmly behind him as he bids to hold off his closing rivals.
Ashford’s Bradley Ray is third in the title stakes after Dixon edged ahead at Knockhill, but the Donington Park double race winner knows that he needs to fire the Buildbase Suzuki to the front of the field with a home crowd eagerly watching his every move.
Glenn Irwin heads the Be Wiser Ducati charge and he is pushing for his first victory of the season at a circuit that has been strong for the team in the past with Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, who remains sidelined through injury.
Essex contender Danny Buchan surged up the order last time out and, after a double podium finish, the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki rider now holds the final place inside the top six with McAMS Yamaha’s Josh Brookes just nudged into seventh. The Australian, who was crowned the champion in 2015, will be pushing for his first win of the season at the round celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Yamaha R1.
The Tyco BMW teammates arrive at Brands Hatch equal on points, with Michael Laverty looking to repeat his podium finish from earlier in the season at the Kent circuit as Christian Iddon bids for his first top three finish of his 2018 campaign.
Meanwhile Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran and Dan Linfoot will be keen to put their recent injuries behind them, whilst Peter Hickman and James Ellison will also be pushing to leap up the order after this weekend.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
- Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 210
- Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) 136
- Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) 112
- Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) 105
- Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati) 98
- Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 95
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Jake Dixon said: “I am just taking each race as it comes but I know when we get it right, we can win – we saw that at Knockhill. It was great to win but at the same time I felt like it should have been the double; it was my mistake that cost us the win in race two. The bike is at the best place it has been this season and the team have done a fantastic job to get us to this point.
“We have a few improvements for Brands Hatch and the aim is obviously to bang in some more podiums. I am going into the weekend with an open mind and I love the Grand Prix circuit; I have had a lot of success there in the support classes so I am looking for my first Superbike podium there this weekend that’s for sure!
“I think we showed at Knockhill that we can win races and be ahead of Leon; I feel in a good place ready for the next two races but the main thing is to keep getting the Podium Points so that we get into the Showdown again and are ready to fight for the title.
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