Iddon shows pace as Showdown hopes fade away at Oulton

Christian Iddon, BSB, Oulton ParkChristian Iddon’s ‘home’ round of the British Superbike Championship saw his Championship hopes evaporate as the Stockport rider didn’t manage to muster up enough points to get in to the top six as the Series enters it’s ‘Showdown’ phase, where the top half-dozen riders fight for overall honours.

Iddon had ridden strongly throughout Free Practice, saving his best ’til last in FP3, setting the fastest time of all aboard his Tyco BMW S1000RR, in drying conditions around the Cheshire parkland track’s International circuit.

The former Super Moto Champion’s Free Practice pace didn’t translate in to Qualifying, however, Christian missing the cut to progress through to Q3 by just two-tenths of a second, on the incredibly competitive BSB grid, and having to settle for 13th place, of the thirty riders competing.

It was all or nothing for Iddon, having gone on the record admitting he had ‘nothing to lose, and everything to gain’. Christian gave it everything he had to try and chip away at the points needed to get himself back in the Showdown.

But it wasn’t to be, Race One was to end sooner than hoped, taking a tumble on lap seven of eighteen. “I just lost the front [on the entry to the Britten’s Chicane]” explained Christian. “It was a massive shame, as we were looking good, I was comfortable on the bike and we had the pace for a podium”.

As a result of his good pace, Iddon would line up 8th for Race Two, but all but mathematically out of the Showdown running. After straight-lining the chicane on the opening lap, Christian would complete lap one in twentieth place, but despite hitting neutral on the exit of Druids bend and losing a couple more places, he would claw back nine places to finish 11th overall.

The final Race of the weekend left Iddon feeling much more positive, setting fastest lap and claiming ninth place from thirteenth on the grid. “It [Race 3] went well, I honestly felt at one point that we had the pace to win it. I had a bit of a technical problem during the Safety Car period that made the second half of the Race a bit difficult. But fastest lap showed we were heading in the right direction.

“We’ve made progress with the bike this weekend” summarised Iddon, “now we need to refine it”.

Speaking about the final three rounds, outside of the Showdown riders, Christian said, “We need to refocus now, It’s all about getting the results that we know the bike is capable of. Aiming to get back on the podium – which we should have the pace to do”.

Iddon is next in action this coming weekend, 16-17 September, as the BSB Championship rumbles in to Donington Park, in Leicestershire.