After a great Superbike Test at Cadwell Park on Friday, Hickman was back on top of the time sheets as he headed to Round Eight of the British Superbike Championship, relieved the BMW M 1000 RR setup was finally coming good, setting a 1:26.417 lap time.
However, over the weekend, despite hard work from the FHO Racing team, Pete struggled to find the same pace he’d enjoyed Friday evening.
In FP1 Hicky managed a 1:26.750 lap time to put him 11th and subsequently a place in Superpole (top 12) as FP2 was held in the rain.
Superpole was cancelled on Saturday due to the threat of rain so a normal qualifying took place instead. Hicky managed a 1:26.228 just before the rain came down at the halfway point of the session giving him a P9 start for the sprint race later in the day.
Race One 12 laps
Starting on row three at the tight Lincolnshire circuit was going to make it a hard race. Hicky got away well but got caught up with the riders around him in the first few corners, jostling for position he lost a few places. In the closing stages, Hicky managed to get the better of Kennedy and retook P9 just behind teammate Josh Brookes but was unable to pass him.
Hickman’s fastest lap of the race was 1:26.795 on lap 8
Race Two 18 laps
Starting alongside Charlie Nesbitt and behind O’Halloran on row 4, Hicky made a strong start and broke away from Kennedy. Unfortunately, Hicky’s race ended prematurely though when on lap 5 he retired to the pits with a mechanical issue. A frustrating start to the day.
Hickman’s fastest lap of the race was 1:27.106 on lap 4.
Race Three 18 laps
Hicky found himself further back for the start of the third race of the weekend as he didn’t record a fast lap in race 2. Nesbitt and Brookes alongside and with Tom Neave ahead. A good start from the line however progress was halted quickly when he found himself spending the race trying to pass Neave on the Honda, despite being faster Hicky just couldn’t find a way past and the pack in front pulled away. Tom eventually crashed on lap 14 and this left Hickman alone with a big gap in front to teammate Josh Brookes and Storm Stacey. Hicky crossed the line in 10th.
Hickman’s fastest lap of the race was 1:27.267 on lap 14.
Peter Hickman:
Race 1: 9th / Race 2: DNF / Race 3: 10th
“The weekend started with a heaps of promise, P1 and at the front on the Friday evening test session and it felt like we were looking good, but we struggled to get anywhere near that pace for the rest of the weekend. It’s odd and we don’t know why, which is the hardest thing.
If you know what’s wrong you can work to fix it, but the problem is that the bike actually feels pretty good at the moment, and yet I can’t get a lap time. Josh is also in the same boat, and it’s been a super tough time for us both as well as the whole team.
As a team, we’re trying to keep our heads up, work together to work out solutions and keep trying to go in the right direction. We have made improvements since Thruxton, The results aren’t showing that at the moment, but we have made a step forward. We just have to keep trying and trying until we work it out; both myself and Josh have had the results in the past, and we both know what we’re capable of, we just need to find that sweet spot in order to move back to where we should be.”
CHALLENGING WEEKEND AT CADWELL