“As always, the start of the BSB season was hectic!

“The level of competition in the BSB National Superstock class is incredibly high, with British Superbike race winners, Isle of Man TT winners, World Endurance riders, and leading British Superbike teams all on the grid. On top of this, there is always a wave of young, up-and-coming riders joining the class each season as they look to progress through the BSB paddock.

“This creates a field of more than 40 riders, all capable of setting extremely fast lap times. The gap between the very fastest riders and those towards the back is often only two to three seconds, meaning that even a minor mistake or slight lack of pace can cost multiple positions.

“In addition to this, the bikes are becoming more and more powerful. The top Superstock machines, BMW M 1000 RR and Honda Fireblade, produce over 220 bhp as standard. As a result, riders are often lapping only slightly slower than full spec Superbikes while having much less track time and far fewer race-specific parts.

“It’s a common view within UK paddocks is that the National Superstock Championship is one of the most competitive series in all of Europe because the field is so deep and the machinery is so evenly matched.�

Oulton Park

“The first round was held at Oulton Park, which is considered one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar due to its steep elevation changes, blind corners, and narrow layout that leaves no room for error. This made for an especially demanding start to the season and despite improving my personal best from 2024 by a full second, I still wasn’t fast enough to challenge for points.â€�

Donington Park

“Donington Park quickly followed for Round 2. This weekend brought a new challenge, with every type of weather imaginable being thrown at us: sunshine, cold and windy conditions, heavy rain, and damp, drying track conditions.

“I was able to make the most of the conditions whenever I was on track and secured a safe qualifying position just outside the top 20, with good pace and a realistic chance of fighting for points in the race.

“Unfortunately, on lap three, having just made a pass on another rider through the Esses, I entered the penultimate corner of the lap, the Melbourne Hairpin. Eager to stay ahead of the rider behind and challenge the group in front, I got on the throttle too aggressively and spun the rear tyre. The result was a massive highside that launched me into the air before slamming me back onto the track, ending my race just as it was getting started.

“I was fortunate not to be hit by any of the riders behind. Unfortunately, during the crash I hit my left leg hard on the ground, breaking both my ankle and leg in the process.

“After being assessed by the medical team at the circuit, I travelled back to my local hospital for surgery. The operation went well, and I am now focused on my recovery and getting back to full fitness as quickly as possible.�

Snetterton Test Day

“We started the month with a test day at Snetterton – my first laps of the circuit on the Fireblade. The main aim was to establish a solid base setting on the bike and get back up to speed around the track having not raced here last year.

“Strict noise limits on the day, combined with some changeable weather, meant we didn’t get as much time on track as we’d have liked. However, as the conditions improved towards the end of the afternoon we managed to put some good laps together and came away with a good setting for the race event back here later in the year.â€�

Cadwell Park – NG Road Racing Round 2

“After taking four wins and setting a new lap record at round one, we decided to enter the second event of the NG Road Racing Season at Cadwell Park.

“Saturday was a solid start, qualifying second in both the Powerbike and Open classes and taking a pair of second-place finishes in the races. Overnight, we made some changes to the bike set-up and I worked on a few adjustments to my riding style. This made big improvements for Sunday as we went on to take two wins after some really close races and fast, consistent lap times.�

Oulton Park – BSB Pre-Season Test

“Our first official BSB event of the year. Two full days on track gave us the chance to run through a wide range of set-up options and really get the bike working the way we want it to.

“I was happy to put in a new personal best lap time and to be lapping with pretty consistent pace throughout. The test was a lot of hard work with a total of 90 laps logged over the two days which was all worth it as the bike is starting to feel exactly how I want it and we left Oulton Park with a big smile on our faces.�

Donington Park – Test Day

“Having missed the official BSB test there earlier in the month, it was important to get some laps in round here ahead of the race later in the season.

“Cold temperatures and high winds made the morning session tricky, but as the weather improved through the afternoon I was able to put in some strong lap times. We finished the day happy with the progress made and confident going into the start of the BSB season.�

“Symonds Racing enjoyed a highly successful outing at the NG Road Racing season opener at Brands Hatch, delivering a dominant performance across both the Powerbike and Open classes.

“Max qualified on pole position in both categories, went on to win all four races he entered, and broke both class lap records including setting a new outright NG lap record at Brands Hatch Indy in the process,� his team explains.

“With the British Superbike season still a few weeks away, we decided to enter round one of the NG Road Racing championship to gain valuable track time.

“Friday’s test day was especially useful, with lots of track sessions allowing us to test new rear suspension components and a find a good direction for the season ahead.

“Saturday started with qualifying sessions for both classes, where I was able to put the bike on pole in each with some strong laps.

“Unfortunately, due to some work that needed doing on the bike between sessions, we decided to sit out the first Open race to make sure everything was 100% ready. With no championship points on the line, it made sense not to take any unnecessary risks.

“I got back out in the first Powerbike race and managed to take a lights to flag victory, setting a new lap record of 47.2 seconds along the way.”

“Sunday morning’s second Open race was a bit more of a challenge, starting from the back of the grid after missing Saturday’s race. This meant a pretty hectic start to the race as I worked my way through from 34th to the lead by lap eight. Once I hit the front I was then able to pull out a gap and take the win by a couple of seconds.

“Starting from pole again in the next Powerbike race, I made the most of the clear track ahead and really pushed on putting together a strong run of laps under my previous best. By lap 5 I had set a new lap record of 46.7 seconds – half a second quicker than the day before.

“In the final Open race of the weekend, I had a bit of a moment coming out of turn one, but was able to regroup and control the race from the front to take another win, along with a new class lap record of 47.0 seconds.

“Having achieved everything we wanted from the weekend, we decided to sit out the final Powerbike race, saving tyres and ending the weekend on a high.

“Overall, the weekend couldn’t have gone better, we made lots of progress with the bike set-up and came away with a load of wins and laps records!�

“The 2026 pre-season has been all about putting in lots of laps, learning as much as possible, and building momentum for the year ahead. Lots of time on track at ±Ê´Ç°ù³Ù¾±³¾Ã£´Ç, Almería and Castle Combe – three totally different tracks – have all helped me and the team step things up in different ways.â€�

±Ê´Ç°ù³Ù¾±³¾Ã£´Ç

“We kicked things off at the awesome ±Ê´Ç°ù³Ù¾±³¾Ã£´Ç circuit that has everything from blind crests and heavy braking sections to big drops super high speed corners. To go fast here you’ve got to commit everywhere.

“It ended up being a really fun and productive weekend from the first session right through to the last. From the first session out, things just started clicking and we kept building from there. Being away from a race event meant I could enjoy riding the bike without any pressure and have the opportunity to try different things with my riding style and position on the bike that I would not normally have the time to do.

“I managed to put in a new PB too, which was a bonus but the bigger win was the progress made with my riding.�

Almeria

“Next up was Almeria. A tight, technical track with not much time to breathe. With five days on track, this one was all about getting my head down and putting the laps in.

“I had a plan in mind to make the most of the track time we had which started out with just doing lots and lots on laps using hard tyres that would last the distance. This allowed me to learn the track, understand how to ride around the lack of grip that came with harder compound tyres, and work more on my riding style on the bike. The second half of the test was all about starting to try different electronic settings to understand what different changes felt like, what suited my riding style and what didn’t, and what I would need to test further back in the UK. The Final runs of the test were about putting in some real fast laps, despite some high winds I improved my lap time by almost a second to be the fastest rider in the test out of about 135 people.�

Castle Combe

“Last stop was Castle Combe Circuit. It was bright and sunny, but absolutely freezing. Even so, we managed to get some really solid laps in and worked through a busy program of electronic setups with the traction control, anti-wheel, power modes, and engine braking.

“Despite the colder weather it felt great to be back at Combe. There’s something about riding at my home track that hits a bit different, especially right before the season starts. We ended the day and finished off this run of testing with lots more learnt about the bike …not quite time to go BSB racing just yet as for some extra testing in March I will be joining NG Road Racing, my old club, for their pre-season test day at Castle Combe and first round of racing at Brands Hatch.�

“Ian Hutchinson will join Burrows Engineering / RK Racing for his 2026 Supersport campaigns at both the Northwest 200 and Isle of Man TT, onboard the team’s Ducati Panigale V2.�

Team boss John Burrows said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have Ian onboard our Ducati V2 in the Supersport class at both the Northwest 200 and the Isle of Man TT Races. Ian needs no introduction – he’s a 16-time TT winner, with many of those victories coming in the Supersport class.�

“Over the last season or so, I’ve seen a real hunger in Ian again, almost a resurgence after what has been a few tough years for him. You can see the desire to succeed is still very much there, and that’s something that really excites and motivates us as a team.

“Ian spent a lot of time circulating with Conor Cummins on our Ducati V2 during the Supersport races at the TT last year, so I’d like to think he’s seen something he’s liked, or felt that the Ducati would suit his riding style.

“On a personal note, Ian and myself both started our Mountain Course careers back in 2003 at the Manx Grand Prix, so it’s great to see things come full circle and to be teaming up for 2026.�

“Hutchinson made a welcome return to the Mountain Course last year after a year’s absence, taking a best finish of fifth in the opening Superstock race, along with two more top-ten finishes in the Supersport races.

“The Supersport class remains one of the most fiercely contested at the TT, but Hutchinson is one of only seven riders to have lapped at more than 128mph in the category, and he’ll be looking to make an immediate impact with Burrows Engineering/RK Racing across both major road race events in 2026.�

Hutchinson added: “I’ve known John for 22 years, since we both competed in the Manx Newcomers’ Race in 2003. I’ve always looked out for his results, and I’ve watched his team grow into one of the best-presented outfits in the paddock, alongside the business he’s grown. I really admire his dedication — not just to his own team, but to supporting his sons’ racing too — so to be welcomed into his team is a privilege. I can’t wait to race the Burrows Engineering Ducati.�