The British Superbike riders will return this weekend for the fifth round of the MCE Insurance BSBK Championships at Mallory Park. It has been five weeks since BSBK teams were on a competitive track, leaving Mallory Park up for grabs. With half of the season behind them, the battle for the top six is sure to heat up. Tommy Hill has a comfortable lead in first, with 146 points, followed by Josh Brookes with 110. Brookes took a win at Cadwell park more than a month ago, but he also took a turn aboard a Superstock machine at Silverstone, where he claimed both wins for the weekend. His historic Superstock victory won't help Brookes with points, but it will give him some added confidence going into Mallory Park.
Ryuichi Kiyonari also got an added boost in confidence along the Cadwell track. Kiyonari took his first win of the season at Cadwell. Another solid finish and Kiyonari will put him right back into contention. Kiyonari currently sits in 8th place, just two points out of the top six.
Michael Laverty took two podiums at Cadwell Park, and he'll have to keep up with his podium finishes if he doesn't want to be caught by Michael Rutter, Stuart Easton, or his brother, John Laverty. Riders 4 through 6 are all within 8 points of each other, and Alastair Seeley isn't far behind, just one point out of the top 6.
This weekend also marks the return of James Ellison. Ellison has been sitting out due to an injury since the second round. But with one win, and another podium finish, Ellison could work his way back into contention. It will be an uphill battle, but with half the season remaining, Ellison could find himself in the top 6 by the end of the BSBK season.
