Jake Dixon will be happy to have finished the opening World Superbike race this afternoon, crossing the line 18th at Donington Park.
Whilst he misses out on the points it is a solid finish and gives him a platform to build on for tomorrow’s race at his home round.
After laying solid foundations in Friday’s practices, Dixon was able to take a good step forward in FP3, improving on his previous best by a full second to move up to seventh in the combined standings (1’25.645).
A little over an hour later, the Dover born rider was back out for Superpole. The short session saw the cancellation of several fast lap times set under yellow flag conditions, which impacted a number of riders. Dixon’s best of 1’25.817 placed him on the sixth row of the grid for the opening race.
As the lights went out on Race One, Dixon lost a little ground in traffic through the opening turns. Running twentieth at the end of lap one, he did gain a position during the early stages of the race.
With the gaps ahead soon opening up, opportunities to make further progress proved limited, but for Dixon it was about maintaining a consistent rhythm and bringing the Honda home to win the race.
Speaking after race one, Dixon said: “Clearly it was a difficult race. We actually had a really positive morning in FP3 and it was good to place inside the top ten. But the race then highlighted the struggles we’re having, particularly with corner exits, and more generally with the rear of the bike. We still have a lot to improve. We made a good step with the front this weekend, but the rear still needs work.
“After the race I told the team that we should try something for tomorrow because right now we don’t really have anything to lose. This is my first race back in good physical condition and it’s important we stay positive, even if it’s tough for everyone involved right now. We need to keep our heads up and keep pushing.”