PETER HICKMAN – BRANDS HATCH

Luck was again in short supply for Peter Hickman and the RAF Reserves BMW team at round six of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch on Sunday with just three points to show for their efforts.

The 28-year old Louth rider had been left frustrated after Saturday’s qualifying session left him back in 15th on the grid for the opening 20-lap race around the 2.4-mile GP circuit but it started well with a good getaway off the line. He’d already made up a few places by the second corner, Druids, and was on the edge of the top ten. However, Jason O’Halloran hit the back of Ryuichi Kiyonari and crashed out right in front of Hicky. With literally no place to go, he too crashed out and his race was run after just two corners.

It left him even further back on the grid, in 21st, for the second race later in the day and with lap times amongst the field tighter than ever, gaining ground was going to be a tall order. By the end of the first lap, he was up to 17th but by lap eight he’d slipped back two further places to 19th.

However, the Lincolnshire rider showed his determination throughout the race when, despite a loose foot peg, he slowly but surely moved forward in the second half of the race to be ultimately rewarded with 13th place and three hard earned points. It maintained his 13th place overall in the title standings.

Peter Hickman:

“It’s been another weekend where things just haven’t gone for us and we’re in general need of a bit of luck at the moment. I made a good start in the first race and had made a couple of places off the line but when we got to Druids the whole pack was bunched up and O’Halloran hit the back of Kiyo which left me with nowhere to go. To have a race end so soon through no fault of our own was hugely disappointing and frustrating.”

“I was way back on the grid for the second race and it was hard to make any passes as the riders in front were all lapping at a similar pace. To make matters worse, my foot kept slipping off the foot peg which I thought was oil but turned out to be a loose foot peg. I kept going and gave it 100% the whole way but I don’t feel that we deserve to be in 13th place. All we can do is keep working hard and hope that the tide will turn soon.”

The next round is at Thruxton over the weekend of July 31-August 2 when Hicky will be hoping for a change of luck as we enter the second half of the season.

Courtesy of
Helen Pask
Press Officer
Peter Hickman Racing

Pic credit Dave Yeomans

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