Many racing fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of the British round of the World Championship of Motorcycle Racing, also known as the “Swindon Raceway”, after being forced to wait out the pandemic. The question now is will it happen tonight?
The JCCC postponed the event’s return from 1st to 2nd June due to the pandemic, meaning that it has missed out on being held on a Sunday this year. With the world seemingly turning back to something approaching normality, it’s now possible that the crowds and the excitement will return. With the season halfway complete and there being only one round remaining, the suspense is mounting.
When Is It On?
Tonight’s game will take place at 7:00 pm local time, with gates opening at 6:00 pm. A quick glance at the fixtures for tonight’s event reveals that it’s a battle between two of the most successful teams in the sport. One of the highlights of the meeting will be a battle between Tuija Lukkarinen and Jillian McLeod in the women’s race. It will be the second time this season that they have tussled for the win at Swindon, with McLeod winning the first meeting at the beginning of the year.
The men’s race will see another familiar face in Nicky Hayden, the 1994 world champion who is making a comeback after a two-year absence from competitive racing. He will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season so far, where he endured a difficult time with his team, Prema, and struggled with the older bike models. However, he appears to have found some good fortune, finishing the season in 12th place in the standings and impressing onlookers with his speed and his consistency. His team mates, Michael van der Mark and Hans Eriksson, will be seeking to make amends for their mistake in not backing Nicky Hayden in the 2018 season opener in Argentina, where they finished in fifth position. Having been on the right side of a mistake like this makes for an exciting battle between the three of them.
Why Is It Important?
The JCCC has chosen to call its latest round of the World Championship “historic”, a fitting description for what is set to be one of the most eagerly awaited return engagements in recent memory.
Since the start of this year, the world has seen a number of shocks and surprises, meaning that there have been no easy outings for anybody. As a result of this, the championship has taken a completely different shape to that which we’ve come to know and expect over the last year. It has been an incredibly eventful season and tonight’s racing is expected to add to that excitement.
The men’s race on the other hand is expected to be a battle of experience and skill as much as anything else. Having been sidelined for two years, Hayden will be looking to make up for lost time in tonight’s race. A two-time championship runner-up, Michael van der Mark, will also be looking to get back on terms with the championship and show that he is still one of the sport’s leading lights. A win for either of these riders would mark a comeback of epic proportions and send shockwaves through the paddock. But it’s not just the two men that will be going head to head – Hans Eriksson, another championship contender, and Nicky’s twin brother, Luke, are also set to do battle.
How Can I Watch?
If you’re looking to follow the action live, you can do so on the JCCC’s website or the championship’s official app. The former has an embedded video player that will allow you to follow the action live, while the latter will provide full race replays as well as scores and results from the meeting. If you’re looking for more coverage, you can also head to the championship’s social media channels, namely Twitter and Facebook, for live commentary and GIFs from tonight’s race.
The JCCC has also produced an extensive preview on YouTube, which will allow you to get to grips with the track ahead of tonight’s racing. The video covers the layout of the track as well as the various overtakes and battles that are set to unfold. This is important to ensure that you don’t get flustered by the pace of the action or bogged down by too much information. Instead, the preview is presented in such a way that it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for, without having to wade through hours of content.