Round 6 of the 2011 British Superbike Championship took place at the newly redeveloped Snetterton circtuit in Norfolk. The circuit, now the second longest in the country, incorporates an exciting infield section with many technical bends, and two hairpins. The layout was new to most of the riders and proved to be very challenging. Weather conditions were hot and dry all weekend and crowd turnout was "to capacity". With further plans to develop the area around the circuit, this stretch of tarmac could prove to become a great venue for both two and four-wheeled racing events. (see more)
The racing was superb all weekend with MSV Racing pulling out all the stops. Kork Ballington made a rare appearance on the Friday, taking a modern Superstock1000 Kawasaki out for a few laps, then impressing the fans with a few laps on his Grand Prix machine; two-stroke of course.
John Hopkins put his Samsung Suzuki on Pole then won Race 1 in a close battle with Swan Yamaha's Tommy Hill. Ryuichi Kiyonari took the top step in Race 2 after Shane Byrne and John Hopkins swapped a little too much paint in the dying moments. This also allowed Josh Brookes to capitalise and return to a podium he hasn't seen much of in 2011. Alastair Seeley showed the Supersport class how it's done in both races by winning by a country mile.
From a photographers point of view, this circuit offered a great deal. Notable aspects were the new, shiny armco barriers making for wonderful backgrounds. In places, five layers of barrier could be seen in backgrounds. Slight undulations are visible after much staring at the seemingly-flat tarmac. Another lovely experience was the sound from the Superbike exhausts as they screamed away along the Bentley Straight. Different engines at different speeds with different exhausts all united to form a symphony of wonderful sound. Only at Montreal was this experience possible.
What may be regarded as the most spectacular crash of the season has left a few good riders in a bad way. Our wishes to your speedy recovery. Take care and be back soon. (see less)