The View From The Pitlane - BSB NEWS

The 2025 race season is rapidly approaching and it’s that time of year when excitement starts to build as the nights get increasingly lighter and social media is awash with countdowns, news and other information as the season nears.

In BSB, we have to wait a little longer this year as the first meeting isn’t until May at Oulton Park, but with official testing starting next month, all the teams and riders are in the final throes of preparations with just about everything in place as far as the BSB class is concerned.

We touched on the increased Scottish involvement in BSB last month with Rory Skinner remaining with the TAS team under the title sponsorship of Cheshire Mouldings only for 2025, a switch from BMW to the Ducati Panigale V4R. BSB Pathway champion Lewis Rollo elevates to the main BSB class whilst remaining with Ian Newton’s IN Competition SENCAT Aprilia squad aboard the RSV4 whilst World Championship emigrant John McPhee teams up with the Hawk team aboard a MasterMac Honda.

But what of the opposition? Well, for the other two dozen confirmed riders, it’s a case of some are staying put with their 2024 teams and a few are moving and shaking to other teams in the bid for success, with one or two recent twists!

Defending champion Kyle Ryde sticks with the Alan Gardner’s OMG team for a fifth successive year and is again aboard the trusty Yamaha R1 although he’ll have two new teammates this season. Former BSB champ Bradley Ray returns to both the series and the team he won the crown with in 2022 and will look to resurrect his career after a couple of less fruitful years in World Superbikes. Superstock runner-up in 2024, Joe Talbot, moves into BSB as part of a two-year deal to make it a formidable trio.

Runner-up last season and champion in 2023, Tommy Bridewell continues with Honda Racing UK, as does his teammate Andrew Irwin whereas Andrew’s elder brother Glenn, remains with PBM on the Ducati which has seen him come so close to landing the title in recent years. Staying put at McAMS Yamaha is former world champion Danny Kent whilst Charlie Nesbitt remains at MasterMac Honda to partner John McPhee. Podium finisher last season, Max Cook, again rides for mentors Nigel Snook and Darren Fry on the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki with backing form AJN Steelstock this season.

The TAG Honda duo of Fraser Rogers and Dutchman Jaimie van Sikkelerus will be hoping to put their injury-hit seasons at TAG Racing Honda firmly behind them whilst Billy McConnell will look to continue the progress of his first year with the C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Honda team in BSB after their podium success at Thruxton.

Luke Hedger remains with the Whitecliffe CDH Racing team but switches to Honda machinery with rookie teammate Jamie Davis joining him in Dean Hipwell’s squad. South African Blaze Baker has recovered from injury to make his BSB debut for the NP Honda Racing Team and Ulsterman Scott Swann graduates from an impressive season in Superstock to ride Ian Woollacott’s Send My Bag Honda.

As for the others, it’s all change as both riders and teams seek fresh challenges. Double BSB champion Josh Brookes has moved to DAO Racing on Honda machinery where he’s joined by Lee Jackson whilst Leon Haslam has ditched his own team to ride for Steve Moore aboard the Moto Rapido Ducati. Snetterton winner in the wet last year, Storm Stacey, joins the brand-new Bathams AJN Racing Team on a BMW headed up by legend Michael Rutter whilst Christian Iddon joins the AJN Steelstock FS-3 Kawasaki to partner Max Cook.

But the story that has got most tongues wagging recently is that of a trio of BMW riders and team boss Faye Ho. Originally planning the retention of long-time rider Peter Hickman who was set to be joined at FHO Racing by 2024 Superstock champion Davey Todd as a combined BSB/TT ‘super team’, the recent announcement that both Hicky and Toddy had parted company with the Macanese business lady and set up their own team entitled 8TEN Racing, combined with Ukrainian Illia Mykhalchyk, the reigning German IDM Superbike champion, now being confirmed on the FHO BMW adds some additional spice.

Make sure you get your tickets in good time for the Knockhill BSB round which takes place on July 4/6 and comprises round four of the series once again. And don’t forget to order a programme too as we’ll make sure there’s plenty of coverage of the locals in it once again. I even stickered the Peugeot up with a bit of advertising so if nothing else, given the pain I sustained in promoting these, the least you can do is buy one this year!