British Superbikes Championship Racing Calendar

British Superbike Calendar

Before the start of the highly anticipated season, there will be four official test rounds. The season will have 11 events, 3 more than we got last year, with 33 races for the 25th anniversary of the relaunch of the championship by the motor circuit racing control board in 1996.

Test Rounds

The 4 official test rounds will be held at Snetterton 300 from the 25 to 27th of March, Donington Park on the 31st March, Silverstone on the 6th to 7th of April and Oulton Park on the 21st of April.

The Main Season

Round 01 - Silverstone National, 15-17 April

It’s good news for the Australian Jason O’Halloran, because the first round of racing heads off at Silverstone, where he set record lap time in the National circuit, at merely 53.34 seconds, the fastest lap across all the motor championships.

Located in Northamptonshire, the former Second World War airbase has now become the home to British motor racing, hosting many motor championships including MotoGP and F1. The racing track is a must for lovers of the sport, and hosting the season’s entree is an event that is bound to get the blood pumping.

Round 02 - Oulton Park 30 April - 2 May

Next, we head up north to Cheshire, where motorists will face off at Oulton park. The track is just over a mile longer than the Silverstone National Circuit, the tread measuring up to 2.7 miles compared with the National Circuit's 1.6.

This track is owned by Motorsports Vision, and you can find tickets for this event and several others in the season, make sure you do not miss out on buying your ticket as MSV have announced that the prices for admission will be frozen for the rest of this year.

Round 03 - Donington Park National - 20-22 May

The third race will be a return to Donington Park, one of the oldest racing circuits in Britain. The track is of historical importance, as it was the first park to be opened in 1907. Donington Park hosted its first motorcycle races in 1931 before it was revamped in the 70’s to become the circuit that we know today. The track was bought by MotorSport Vision, who also oversee the events at the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

The park, like Silverstone and Brands Hatch, features a National Circuit and a Grand Prix layout, and both are featured in different BSB events. The Grand Prix layout being the National Circuit but with an extra stretch attached called the Melbourne loop.

Round 04 - Knockhill - 17-19 June

Travelling up to Fife, the Knockhill Racing Circuit is home to Scotland's National Motorsports centre. Since its opening in 1974, the relatively short 1.3 mile track has been refined to host Motorcycle championships and British Car racing events. This event is the only race to be featured in Scotland, and as it falls right on the summer solstice, it provides fans with a thrilling experience to travel north for their summer holidays.

Round 05 - Brands Hatch GP 22-24 July

A fan favourite, this venue located in Kent, is built on a landscape that has grassy hollows forming a natural amphitheatre. This makes for comfortable viewing and is a great experience for long-time fans and newcomers alike.

It was at this circuit last season, when Tarran Mckenzie got into pole position for the championship. His brilliant performance, winning the SUPERPICKS session by a mere 0.28 seconds put the McAMS Yamaha motorist into a pole position in the standings, and was a major catalyst for the eventual winner of the British Superbikes 2021 campaign.

Round 06 - Thruxton 12-14 August

This ground was also an airbase during the Second World War, used by the RAF and USAF as a practise ground for troop carrying aircraft and gliders to prepare for the D Day Normandy landings. In 1946 it was decommissioned for military use, and in 1950 it was reopened as a motor racing track. This is one of the only tracks that was originally purposed for two-wheel motors.

Referred to as “The fastest circuit in the UK” it has less bends and dip compared to the other circuits, allowing motorists to attempt to push up to frenetic speeds of 200 mph, Thruxton is a must for fans and visitors purely for its explosive display of acceleration.

Round 07 - Cadwell Park 27-29 August

Nicknamed the “mini-nürburgring”, Cadwell Park is a beast of a track. It features many dips and crests and sharp changes in gradient, demanding the utmost agility and precision from riders; in one of the sections, commonly known as The Mountain, bikers can become airborne by several feet.

This track is exclusive to motorsports, being considered too narrow for car racing, and the largest events are all hosted by Bennetts British Superbikes.

Round 08 - Snetterton 300 9-11 September

Motor racing events at Snetterton use the 300 circuit, it is one of the finest in the UK and following the developments in 2011, it is the newest circuit. It is a challenging layout, with many fast straights and crests with varying angles. The British Superbike events here use the entire length of the track, which extends to a whopping 2.9 miles, the longest race in the British Superbike season and the second longest racing circuit in the UK.

Races can span for the best part of two hours, with the lap record standing at 1:47, set in 2015 by Shane Byrne on a PBM Ducati Panigale at an impressive average speed of 99 mph.

Showdown

The last three events are part of the season Showdown; where the top 8 riders are given an extra 1000 points and any podium points accrued during the season. They are then elevated to title contenders, with the possibility to win the championship. Other riders still compete, but for the British Superbike Riders Cup.

Round 09 - Oulton Park 23-25 September

The first race of the showdown is a return to Oulton Park, last year it was held in Silverstone where Tarran Mckenzie overturned the odds to eventually win the title championship. After qualifying as a title contender, he was still more than 100 points behind teammate Jack O’ Halloran of McAMS Yamaha. Retiring from the opening race, he went on to get first and second places in the second and third races.

Round 10 - Donington Park GP 30 September-02 October

The penultimate race is set to take place in Donington Park; however, it uses the Grand Prix circuit this time. The track is not significantly longer, as mentioned earlier, it includes the Melbourne loop. The loop is quite a difficult stretch as it makes a full turn at the end of two long straights. It is one of the best places to sit near when the riders go by as many will attempt to cut in at the crest and you will see riders veering in at angles where the side of the bike almost touches the ground.

Round 11 - Brands Hatch GP 14-16 October

The season finale at Brands Hatch is something of legend, who can forget that nail biter in 2011, when Tommy Hill and John Hopkins went head to head in the final race; John Hopkins starting the final lap in pole position with 629 points, and Tommy Hill chasing with 627. The final lap was tantalizing, as they frequently overtook each other, and ended with Hill beating Hopkins by one thousandth of a second.