BSB - Showdown Sunday
Even as a fully paid up Northern Monkey, I love heading to the ‘deep south’ to the beautiful Brands Hatch circuit in Kent
In the run up to the Showdown weekend my plans were thrown in to disarray, due to circumstances beyond my control, and at one point there was a real doubt in my mind whether I would make to the races. Thanks to a great friend of mine, and an at times random Alex Briggs-style ‘in car convo’ on the way down, I made it to one of the finest race tracks in the UK for, what was to be, THE best days racing I have ever witnessed!
Those that know me well enough will know that I am a huge BSB fan and have been for as long as I can remember. The atmosphere on race day aided by the open paddocks at most circuits and access to the riders is really something for the organisers to be proud of; a big change from the days of sitting somewhere out on the banking with a ‘pack-up’, race programme, the obligatory umbrella. Even so, from this humble position we would still always reward the riders after a good race by waving and cheering them on the ‘slow down’ lap. At the end of the day we would clear our ‘pitch’ and then head home happy.
There has been much consternation with regards to the BSB Showdown rules and opinions are firmly divided, but love them or hate them they make for one hell of a show. In my opinion, the last two seasons have provided some of the highest drama ever witnessed in British Racing so from that aspect the Showdown certainly works, coincidentally both involving Tommy Hill of Swan Yamaha and formerly of Crescent Suzuki.
Tommy has been a favourite of mine since he burst on to the scene in 2003 when he won Rob Mac’s inaugural Virgin Mobile R6 Cup from Cal Crutchlow in a season of strong overtakes and high tension. I’ve followed his career closely since. During this time, Tommy has, like so many racers, had to battle through major setbacks such as serious leg injuries and, for him, the devastating loss of his close friend Craig Jones. Tommy has always fought back and it’s that grim determination and strength through such adversity that endears him to me and the ranked masses of BSB fans.
Prior to the weekend, looking at the points gap after Silverstone and the way that John Hopkins was riding, even with injury, I thought it was going to be a big ‘ask’ for Tommy to pull back the defecit over the 3 races, even at his home track in Kent, but the showdown was about to come into its own yet again.
On Saturday, Race 1 was a ‘cagey’ affair for the title contenders with Tommy’s Swan Yamaha team mate Michael Laverty underlining his race winning potential by holding off a hard-charging and somewhat in-form Josh Brookes on his Relentless Suzuki GSXR 1000, leaving Hopper and Tommy trailing in their wake. This left the 2 main protagonists to play a cat and mouse game for the duration of the race with Hopper just coming out on top by the slimmest of margins and giving us a taste of things to come on Sunday!
It was cold and damp on Sunday morning. Morning Warm-up for all classes was a difficult affair with nobody wanting to push too hard, as there were still 3 Championships to decide. Just one slightly off-line entry to a corner could result in a season’s hard work being lost in a shower of gravel and acute embarrassment.
Race 2 was the ‘marker’ for how the drama of the day was to unfold. I don’t remember ever being so nervous at the start of a race! The pressure was on Hopper more than Tommy, who was chasing a points deficit this year rather than defending an advantage. I referred to Tommy as ‘the hunter not the hunted’ as I tweeted my followers in the run up to the weekend. A much better position to be in in my opinion.
The drama came earlier than anyone thought in the first race of Sunday with John Hopkins pulling to the side of the track due to an engine misfire at Druids on the opening lap, leaving the pack to stream away. Surely, this was not going to be another Championship slipping away from Crescent Suzuki? It brought back the memories of Chris Walker in 2000 at Donington Park; one of my worst days ever as a Stalker fan and also memories of last year with an over-eager Tommy clashing with James Ellison at Lodge Corner, Oulton Park. This was an incident that ultimately cost Tommy and the team the title. It seemed for a brief moment that it just wasn’t going to be Crescent Suzuki’s day again!
Hopper managed to get the big Suzuki going again and set about chasing down the riders in front of him, picking them off lap by lap in a display of sheer aggression and knowing that every point was vital if he was going to clinch the title. Meanwhile, Tommy rode a good mature race by not getting too involved with ‘dices’ and settling for a safe but solid 4th place behind, a returning and impressive James Ellison. Despite his best efforts, Hopper could only manage 12th after a stunning run. This left just a 2 point gap between Hopper and Tommy for the 2011 British Superbike Finale. The 2011 BSB Championship title was going to be down to which of these two riders crossed the line ahead of the other!
I was watching the races from the back of the paddock looking out onto Surtees corner with Clearways/Clark Curve over to my right and, in amongst various mechanics, tyre techs and support staff from various teams, benefiting from a big screen TV on the banking opposite.
This was the race I had waited for all season. This was the race that I wanted BSB to be all about. The tension and atmosphere was electric and, as the race got under way, it was a case of watching the laps tick down and keeping my fingers crossed that everyone stayed on and finished fair and square. These seemed to be the longest laps of a race that I have ever seen. It was as if I was watching the race in slow-motion as Shakey demonstrated his Brands superiority with another fabulous ride away at the front, leaving Tommy and Hopper to ‘duke’ it out behind.
The blue touch paper was lit on the penultimate lap right in front me on the entrance to Surtees. Hopper had been strong there all day and it was almost expected that this would be his place of choice for an overtake manoeuvre on Tommy to get up to 2nd place, but more importantly, into a title-winning position ahead of his Yamaha-mounted rival. What was to unfold was simply THE best final lap of racing I have ever witnessed in a British Championship event.
I’m trying to remember my feelings as the boys traded places on that last lap, but I simply can’t put them into words. Standing at that fence willing Tommy on with all I had, seeing his foot slip in that brave move at Dingle Dell and then leading up through Sheene Curve and down to Clearways; another corner where Hopper was visibly quicker than Tommy. I honestly believed, at that point, that the Crescent Suzuki was going to make it to the line first; that is until Hopper ran wide for the one and only time during the race, at almost the very point Tommys great pal Jonesy had lost his life, and the Swan Yamaha dropped an extra gear to get every last ounce of power to the line ahead of the Crescent Suzuki. It did it. Tommy had done it! The 2011 BSB Championship Title was his...by 0.006s! Incredible!!
I went absolutely crazy. I was so happy for Tommy and his family. For once I had supported the bloke who won the title and I had said he would do so since Round 1, Race 1. It’s not a regular occurrence for me, I have to say, but the reaction from the crowd and people around me put me in no doubt that the right man had won.
The ghosts of ill-fated WSB / WSS rides, the femur breaks and all the other setbacks disappeared for Tommy as we took in what we had all just witnessed. This was the Race of The Decade.
I was up on the fence as the victor took the adulation on the ‘slow down’ lap, keen to share my unbridled joy and pride for a job well done. It’s not something I would normally do, as I normally pick the wrong riders as I said earlier, but I couldn’t help myself. I don’t mind admitting that I had misty eyes as he gave his gloves to two young fans and was presented with his one-off British Champion Shoei helmet at Graham Hill bend. It was a very, very emotional occasion.
I was fortunate enough to make it in to pit lane for the 2011 BSB Championship Title presentation and there was nowhere in the world that I would rather have been at that time. The chants of ‘Tommy, Tommy, Tommy….’ from the assembled crowd said all you need to hear about the popularity of #33. I don't think I've ever seen a more popular British champion in all my 34 years of following our sport.
Amongst all of this tribulation though, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Hopper. He looked a broken man. His disappointment must have been huge after such a magnificent debut season in BSB during which he won so many new fans, his angry 'dance' at Knockhill is a favourite image to many, in the UK and over-came the demons that almost wrecked his career
With the presentation of the trophy and TV interviews over and the enormity of it all still sinking in, the sight, in the early autumn dusk, of the pit lane convoy of Pirelli trucks heading home for the final time in 2011, it made me think just how fitting an end it was to the most thrilling season in British Superbikes for 11 years. I felt totally justified for my love of the British Superbike Championship, and felt that if, for whatever reason, I were to never make it to another meeting at least I could take comfort in the fact I'd gone out witnessing something special.
I know this is a long blog, so thanks if you’ve managed to stick with it from start to finish. It really was an incredible day and one that I very nearly missed. I am so pleased to have been there. I was there on the trackside hearing the noise, smelling the smell and feeling the power of those bikes. What is must be like for the riders, I can’t begin to imagine, but I was there for the finale of the 2011 BSB Championship and the memories will live on with me for a very long time.
If you have never seen a BSB race live, make it happen in 2012. Be a part of it!
Completly echo your sentiments regarding Tommy, I've followed his career since the TV series natural born racers which followed the kids in the virgin cup. Hopefully we will hear something positive soon about a ride for next year.
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