Smiths Racing’s Peter Hickman set the fastest laptime during the opening MCE British Superbike free practice session at Cadwell Park, but the local lad left it till there was only one minute left on the clock to top the timesheets.
Hickman’s penultimate lap saw the Louth rider put in a 1’27.150. Be Wiser Ducati’s Glenn Irwin is still not 100 per cent fit after recovering from a shoulder and elbow injury at Knockhill, but that did not hold him back today and he was only four one-hundredths slower than Hickman, with a 1’27.190 lap.
There was one faller in the session, and that was reigning champion Shane Byrne. The five-time champ crashed unhurt at the bottom of the mountain with less than two minutes remaining to the session. He got back on his bike and rode it to the pits when the free practice outing came to an end. He wasn’t able to better his 1’27.518 time, but it still placed him P3.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam has won six times at the Lincolnshire track, and set the fourth fastest time, going a tenth slower than Byrne. Young gun Jake Dixon completed the top five. Hopkins, Iddon, O’Halloran, Ellison and Jessopp ended the 45 minute outing inside the top ten.
Previous double race victor at the track, Anvil Hire TAG Racing’s Josh Brookes was P13 and was nearly one second off the time of Byrne after 19 laps. Laverty and Linfoot were 11th and 12th fastest respectively.
There were some absentees during the session, including title hopeful JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey. The youngster is still recovering from broken vertebrae after crashing in a free practice session at Thruxton. FS-3 Racing’s Billy McConnell is also sitting out this round due to his injuries from a crash at the Hampshire round two weeks ago.
