SPLITLATH Motorsport Aprilia will be back in the Mirror.co.uk BSB-Evo Championship at Croft this weekend after an agreement was reached with race chiefs this week.

It means team riders Chris Burns and Hudson Kennaugh will be able to once again battle for podiums in the hard-fought series, on board the team’s pair of Aprilia RSV4 machines.

After being excluded from the previous round at Cadwell Park and instead forced to run in the British Superbike Championship, 10 days of talks between the team, MSVR, Aprilia and the FIM have ruled that the bikes are in fact eligible to run in the Evo class.

The exclusion followed an issue with the camshafts on the team’s two bikes, which organisers deemed illegal, despite the fact that they were the only ones available to buy. The parts gave no power or performance advantage to the bikes, which in fact remain up to 20bhp down on most of their rivals’ machines.

However this week, further investigation has ruled that the problem was down to an admin error, and that the team had not deliberately or willingly added illegal parts.

It means Hudson Kennaugh, who had been leading the championship until Cadwell Park, can get back on the championship trail, while home hero Chris Burns will be chasing two podiums in front of his local fans.

Burns, who last raced at Croft two years ago taking a third place in Race Two of the Superbike Cup, is looking forward to getting back onboard in front of local crowds. His home in Newcastle is just 45 miles away from the track.

“I really like Croft as a track, but people are always surprised that I’ve only actually raced there once in its current layout,” he said. “It’s a great track, and one I always enjoy riding. I want two wins this weekend, that’s where my sights are now and I will be doing everything I can to get them. I’m hoping the home crowds will cheer me on.
“The spectators here in the North are like no others, and are always extremely supportive to all riders. I’m hoping they can get behind me, and in turn I can give them something to cheer about on Sunday afternoon.”


But for Kennaugh, the weekend will be all about grabbing as many points as possible in a bid to get his championship hopes back on track.

“It is great news that we have been ruled eligible for the Evo class,” he said. “After Cadwell I was devastated that my championship was over, but now we have been allowed back in it means we still have a chance.

“Okay, I can’t deny that being 48 points behind the leader won’t be a tough mountain to climb, but you need to remember that this is bike racing, and this is a sport where anything can happen.

“If Chris and I get two wins and two seconds for instance, we could be looking at a very different points board at the end of Sunday afternoon, and that’s what I am working on.

“I am looking forward to this round. I’ve had some strong races at Croft in the past and I am chasing two wins on Sunday. I can’t wait.”

Team Principal John Dimbylow is pleased that he and race chiefs have been able to come to a decision which is satisfactory to all parties involved.

“It has been a hard couple of weeks, and we were very upset to be disqualified over what realistically was an administrative error. However I am pleased we have been able to get a good outcome.

“We had not acted illegally, we were working with the only parts which were available to us, and it is good to see our names have been cleared over this.

“Now we must press on with the rest of our season. We have two very talented riders who both want to do well. Chris is looking forward to his home round and giving his local fans something to support, while Hudson is keen to fight back and try to regain his championship lead.”