Round six of the ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli goes north of the border to the picturesque circuit of Knockhill, so who better to preview it than Scottish BSB legend, Niall Mackenzie.


Niall, who logged up three back to back Superbike titles, is still very much a paddock insider, with two racing offspring plus team management and commentary roles under his belt.

Niall commented, “This circuit holds great memories for me as I managed to get quite a few doubles in front of my home crowd which is always a lovely feeling. It really has a unique atmosphere with a sinuous piece of tarmac, forestry and even a mountain as scenery!

“The track has a real sense of bygone days but on the flipside, Knockhill has just invested in a new pit lane complex, which will definitely impress the teams.

“The Championship has become the ‘Camier Show’ slightly but I’ve seen some real challengers finding their feet who will take it to him in the second half of the season.

“James Ellison has been able to consistently run with his Airwaves Yamaha team-mate and took his first Superbike win earlier this year at Donington Park.

“Stuart Easton has definitely been the surprise package of the season proving that with the right machinery he can run up front which he certainly seems to have found with Hydrex Honda. With home support from his loyal Scottish fans it could be a case of ‘cometh the moment, cometh the man!’

“Josh Brookes, after what can only be described as a ‘difficult’ start to the season, really looks to have got his game together putting the HM Plant Honda in the ‘circle’ with three podiums on the bounce.

“One rider looking for a better outing at Knockhill is WORX Suzuki man Michael Rutter who had a disappointing DNF-7th card from Snetterton.

“In the Mirror.co.uk British Superbike Cup, Tommy Bridewell returned to BSB on the Team NB Suzuki taking a popular first win, whilst series leader Gary Mason continues to lead by a country mile on his Quay Garage Honda.

“The Knockhill circuit favours the brave and the fit as there are no long straights so it’s 30 laps without rest and due to the narrow tarmac, all overtakes are slightly risky. With this in mind, qualifying and good starts are a must, and I for one can’t wait for the action!”

Jason Griffiths, Racing Manager at Pirelli added, “This circuit is another heavily right biased track but we showed at Snetterton that’s not a real concern for the tyres. The track is all about heavy braking and from a set-up point of view there’s plenty of elevation changes so loads for the suspension boys to think about too!”

ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli standings.

1 Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 217pts

2 James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) 162pts

3 Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) 140pts