British Superbikes chief Stuart Higgs believes proposed track changes at Knockhill will prove popular with fans and riders alike ahead of this summer’s meet.
As revealed in Courier Sport this week, the Fife circuit, which will host round four of the championships on the weekend of June 27 to 29, looks set to use a new circuit configuration which will see riders negotiate the course counter-clockwise.
The Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board (MCRCB), the sport’s governing body, and promoter MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR) undertook a full evaluation of what would be needed to allow for the annual event to be run in that direction, and a multi-class official test has been pencilled in for May 8 and 9.
And Higgs, the BSB series director, reckons the new set-up will be well-received.
“Since the circuit restarted events in the counter-clockwise direction we’ve been curious to learn how they’ve been received and in talking with Niall Mackenzie, Stuart Easton and Dennis Hobbs, amongst others, who have had first-hand experience, they were very enthusiastic and positive as to how it was to ride,” he said.
“In fact there are a number of factors which have shown this configuration to be better for competitors and spectators and viewers, with some of the well-known features of the circuit much enhanced.
“For BSB to make the transition the circuit needed to have a number of inspections by the respective regulatory bodies, MCRCB for British Championship level motorcycle racing and the MSA for car racing.
“MCRCB made two detailed inspections.
“I participated representing MSVR as the promoter and organiser and invited multiple British champions Niall Mackenzie and Stuart Easton for their invaluable input.
“We made a number of determinations specifically taking into account the higher performance level of BSB and some of the characteristics and procedures of BSB events.
“The co-operation and commitment of the circuit management was excellent.”
Regular racing events using the alternative layout used to take place right up until the early 1990s but, apart from a single event in 1994, racing using this circuit direction has been missing from the Knockhill events calendar.