British Superbikes: Peter Hickman secures top five finishes at Knockhill

Motorcycle racer Peter Hickman rode to a fifth and then a fourth place in the two MCE British Superbike races at Knockhill on Sunday.
Peter Hickman at Knockhill EMN-160627-110701002Peter Hickman at Knockhill EMN-160627-110701002
Peter Hickman at Knockhill EMN-160627-110701002

The Louth rider picked up sufficient points in Scotland to move him up into joint seventh place in the rider standings.

Hicky was running well throughout free practice, working on bike set-up ahead of the three-stage qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

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He made it through to the third section which was to set the grid for the start of the first race, and the 29-year-old rode well once again to secure a second row start in fourth place.

Peter Hickman Picture: Helen Pask EMN-160613-143250002Peter Hickman Picture: Helen Pask EMN-160613-143250002
Peter Hickman Picture: Helen Pask EMN-160613-143250002

As race one got under way, Hickman moved straight into third place and held station until John Hopkins overtook him on lap three. #

But his progress was thwarted when the course car was deployed to clear a two-rider crash at the hairpin on lap five.

By the time the car left the track on lap 10 of 30 and the race resumed, the Lincolnshire ace once again took up fifth place.

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He remained in that position for the rest of the race to cross the finish line for fifth place and 11 championship points.

Peter Hickman Picture: Helen Pask EMN-160613-143250002Peter Hickman Picture: Helen Pask EMN-160613-143250002
Peter Hickman Picture: Helen Pask EMN-160613-143250002

When the second race was due on track, the rain had begun to fall and it was declared a wet race.

Hickman began his campaign from the second row once again and bravely took up second place behind Dan Linfoot.

He briefly held the lead before being beaten back into second and then third when Leon Haslam overtook him on lap six.

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He remained in sixth place for the next 10 laps and moved up to fifth on lap 17.

On the penultimate lap Haslam was having trouble with his visor misting up, and Hicky took advantage to move back into fourth position where he remained to the chequered flag, picking up another 13 championship points.

Hickman said: “It’s been a really good weekend, my best results at Knockhill. We were less than one 10th off the lap record in practice, and I did all my laps by myself which was a really good thing.

“We went a completely different way with the set-up for this weekend, more like I would in the rain, and straightaway it was the right choice.

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“I’m really happy, I felt we should have been on the podium in race one, but things weren’t quite right.

“Maybe if I was a little braver in race two earlier on I could have been stuck in there a little bit more, but I’m happy.

“The team has done a mega job and I can’t thank them enough.”

Hickman moved up to joint seventh place in the rider standings on 74 points ahead of the next round at Snetterton, in Norfolk, over the weekend of July 8 to 10.

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