The British Superbike Championship is one of the tightest, most exciting championships in the world, and with a stacked grid for ’22, this season could be the most exciting one yet. With testing just around the corner, here’s a look at the runners and riders in this year’s series.
There’s one thing that’s certain in racing, and that is uncertainty. Just look at the first few rounds of MotoGP; the script was thrown well and truly out of the window, creating some incredible entertainment along the way. And with a whole host of former champions from both the British and World stage lining up on the grid alongside an abundance of young talent, it’s fair to say that the grid is looking insanely stacked. Here’s how they line up:
McAMS Yamaha – Tarran Mackenzie and Jason O’Halloran
It’s fair to say that the McAMS Yamaha duo of Mackenzie and O’Halloran were mightily impressive last season, taking the championship and looking like the title favourites all year long. By retaining the two star riders and maintaining that continuity, it would take a lot to bet against a McAMS bike not being on the top step at the end of 2022, even if 2021 champ Taz goes into the year still not at 100% fitness after a preseason track day crash.
Oxford Products Racing Ducati – Tommy Bridewell
A fan-favourite combination of team and rider, the Moto Rapido-run squad has gone from strength to strength with Tommy Bridewell on board. With another year of experience under their belts, the team and rider have never looked stronger, and with a year on the updated Pirelli rubber, they should come out the blocks faster too.
MCE Ducati – Josh Brookes and Tom Sykes
With the departure of Christian Iddon there was a big space to fill at one of the most sought after teams in the paddock, with none other than 2013 World Superbike champ, Tom Sykes jumping onboard. With Brookes looking to be back on top form in testing and Sykes looking to make a return to the top, the Paul Bird Motorsport run bikes could very easily be the ones to beat going into the season.
FHO Racing BMW – Peter Hickman and Ryan Vickers
Considering they’re one of the newer squads on the grid, the FHO squad are a well-formed team with big ambitions and the minerals to back it up. Not only is race winner and Showdown contender Hicky back in the saddle, but they’ve also drafted in the services of a fast (but so far inconsistent) Ryan Vickers who’s looking to make his mark on the championship after three seasons on a Kawasaki.
SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad – Danny Buchan and Andrew Irwin
With the arrival of BMW’s new M 1000 RR, it’s not unfair to say that was more expected from the BMW Motorrad supported team who not only struggled for race wins, but only just made it into the showdown with Buchan last year. With a year under their belts on the new bike and continuity in the same line-up however, they should be much better prepared to take on the title challenge.
Honda Racing UK – Glenn Irwin, Ryo Mizuno, Takumi Takahashi and Tom Neave
After so much success throughout their time in the paddock, Honda’s official BSB squad has really struggled to return to previous success for too long now. With factory backing, a fairly big budget and four riders for 2022, they really need to make that Fireblade work – and with all the riders having spent at least year on the bike in one guise or another, they should be in a much stronger place – especially with lead rider Irwin, who will also be tackling the Isle of Man TT for this first time this year.
FS-3 Racing Kawasaki – Lee Jackson and Rory Skinner
Retaining the services of their two 2021 riders, the FS-3 squad did go a little under the radar but had a fairly solid year, with Jackson just missing out on the Showdown and Superbike-rookie Skinner scoring a few podiums. Being the official ‘Team Green’ supported squad there’s a lot of pressure on them for this year, although the manufacturer has promised additional support to extract more power from the ZX-10RR Ninjas.
Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha – Bradley Ray and Kyle Ryde
Switching manufacturers once again, the Rich OMG squad have got themselves a pair of ex-McAMS Yamaha bikes to start the year with. Both Brad and Kyle are seriously talented and went incredibly well in testing, so they could be a real surprise package for 2022.
Buildbase Suzuki – Christian Iddon and Danny Kent
After a stellar couple of years at PBM and a third place finish in the championship, it’s fair to say that it came us a bit of a shock to Iddon that he no longer had a seat on the Panigale V4R, moving over to the experienced Buildbase Suzuki squad. With two incredibly fast riders (one being a former Moto3 World Champion) this could be the fastest duo that Hawk Racing have had in a long time – we just hope that they aren’t handicapped too much by an ageing Suzuki GSX-R1000R, which has shown flashes of brilliance but little consistency in recent years.
VisionTrack Kawasaki – Leon Haslam
Remember what happened last time Leon Haslam was in BSB on a Kawasaki? Yeah, he only went and won the title. With a fairly experienced squad behind him that’s putting all of their resources into one rider, the 2018 champ could really hit the ground running and end up with a shot at the title.
TAG Racing Honda – Luke Mossey
Both Mossey and the TAG Racing Honda squad have had a turbulent few years, but both have past success and are looking to make 2022 their year. With data and experience on their side and a hungry Mossey after a solid year in National Superstock they should be looking for regular top ten finishes.
Team LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki – Storm Stacey
The youngest rider to score points at BSB is back, on the same package he had before. Getting faster and more confident with every mile on the ZX-10RR, Storm will be looking to make his mark on 2022.
iForce BMW – Dan Linfoot, Dan Jones and Fraser Rogers
After a turbulent 2021 that included Brad Jones having to sit out most of the season with a serious injury, iForce BMW are back with a three-pronged attack for 2022. With Dan Linfoot they have a wealth of experience, and two fast young riders in Jones and Rogers.
Powerslide/Catfoss Racing Suzuki – Bjorn Estment
A fan-favourite, South African Estment scored points on multiple occasions last year and will be looking for more in 2022. With the same bike underneath him and squad behind him, that looks possible too.
Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki – Josh Owens and Liam Delves
One of the newer teams on the grid, the Rapid CDH racing team is fielding two young pilots for 2022, in the form of Josh Owens and Liam Delves. Although they don’t have the experience of the other riders, they’ll be looking for consistent finishes and the odd flash of brilliance.
Black Onyx Security Honda – Luke Hopkins
Picking up his first British Superbike points alongside a club championship in 2021, Hopkins and his family run team will be looking for regular points finishes, and a few less crashes in 2022.
NP Racing BMW – Sam Cox and Joe Sheldon-Shaw
With both riders both securing their first full-time BSB ride for 2022, it’s going to be a close battle between the two who will be looking to break into the top fifteen. Sam is also coming back from a recent bout of cancer, that was treated throughout the off-season.
Specsavers Suzuki – Leon Jeacock
A stunning looking machine and outfit, the newly formed Specsavers Suzuki will be campaigned by National Superstock veteran Leon Jeacock, who has a wealth of experience on the GSX-R1000R through his testing duties for the official Buildbase backed squad.
