BSB: Introducing… Smith’s BMW

The Smith’s BMW team enjoyed a their best British Superbike season to date in 2017, with Peter Hickman delivering the team their first win at Thruxton, whilst Lee Jackson set a new lap record at Cadwell Park. A fourth place overall for Peter Hickman was enough to see him remain with the team for another year, whereas Lee Jackson is replaced by Frenchman and BSB rookie, Sylvain Barrier.

Peter Hickman has been growing in stature for the last few seasons, taking on the big names of the roads, achieving podiums and now, he is a regular, accomplished BSB rider. ‘Hicky’ failed to finish just one race last season and even that was in submarine-like conditions in race three, Silverstone. Of the races he did finish, every single one of them was in the top nine, a statistic that only Shane Byrne and Christian Iddon can lay claim to. BMW’s number one rider will be looking to continue this incredible form in the season to come.

Sylvain Barrier’s appointment into the Smith’s BMW team as quite perplexing and questionable but when you read the statistics, it may well have been a master stroke. Barrier’s relationship with BMW is a strong one, having rode for their ‘Evo’ team in World Superbikes in 2014 for a short period of time, placing it in the top 10 on three occasions. In 2012 and 2013, he was the FIM European Superstock 1000 champion and has since been in MotoAmerica, where an injury hit season saw him down in 15th in the standings, achieving a 6th place at Sonoma Raceway, California. One questions remains: can Barrier adapt to the quirkiness of the British circuits? 2018 will reveal the answer in due course.

The Smith’s BMW team have been steadily improving since coming up to the championship in 2015. Billy McConnell’s first BSB podium at Cadwell Park was also the team’s first and it seems a long time ago. A difficult 2016 with various riders was salvaged at the end of year by Ryuichi Kiyonari but it is Peter Hickman who has really put the team on the map in 2017. What an incredible season for the ex-Supersport champions and now, as they retain their star rider, they’ll be hungry for that British Superbike Championship.