Peter Hickman

Louth rider Peter Hickman rode to am impressive second place in the final round of the National Superstock championship at Brands Hatch on Sunday, missing out on the win by the closest of margins, a mere four thousandths of a second, from this year’s champion Steve Brogan. He also completed his British Superbike rides for Red Viper in 25th and 16th position to bring his 2008 season to a successful close.

In-form Hicky romped away to secure a front row start ahead of the final round of the Superstock championship and settled into third place in the opening laps. He remained behind Alistair Seeley until lap seven when he made a beautiful pass at Paddock Hill Bend to move up into second place behind Brogan.

As the race progressed Hicky began to close the gap between himself and the leader and made a passing manoeuvre at Druids on the last lap. Although he had his wheel in front at the apex he had to run wide to negotiate the hairpin and Brogan regained his position. But Hickman was not beaten and pushed hard on the final half of the lap. His last chance to take the win was at Clearways on the approach to the chequered flag. But although the pair crossed the line together it was Brogan who got his tyre over the line first to seal the victory. The margin was so small, the gap was undistinguishable to the eye but the timekeepers were able to separate the two by just 0.004s.

Hickman had just under an hour to regain his composure before forming the grid for the final two legs of the 2008 British Superbike Championship where he again deputised for the injured Aaron Zanotti on the Red Viper Honda.

Qualifying threw up a few niggling problems for the 21-year-old rider but he battled through to clinch 22nd place on the grid and a start from row six.

The gremlins returned in the opening race and Hickman completed the 30 laps in 25th place. But after some hurried adjustments the bike handled much better and Hicky rode through to a strong 16th place, missing out on a points finish by less than half a second.

“The Superstock race went really well for me,” said Hicky. “You cant get any closer than 0.004 of a second. I was a little disappointed I didn’t get the win but other than that everything went really well. The team has been fantastic all year so I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at Ultimate Racing, Sleaford Racing and all our sponsors and supporters.

“The Red Viper Honda wasn’t very well in the first race. We had a problem with the number one bike this morning so I had to ride the second bike, which had not been ridden all weekend. In the race it developed a really bad front-end problem and every time I tried to turn in it tried to spit me off so I ended up a long way back. I basically stayed out there just to find out exactly what had gone wrong and we did manage to figure out what the problem was. The second race went really well. It took me a couple of laps to make sure the bike was ok but then I got my head down and just missed out on the points, so at the end of the day I am feeling really happy.”

With 20 points gained on Sunday, Hickman consolidated his third place in the final standings in the Superstock championship with a 17-point advantage over Alistair Seeley who was third in the race on Sunday.

Sunday completes Hickman’s season of racing – unless he and the team find the finances to race at the final round of the European Superstock championship at Portimao in Portugal on November 2.

Louth rider Peter Hickman travelled to Magny Cours in France for the penultimate round of the European Superstock 1000 championship where he completed the 14-lap race in 21st place on Sunday.

“I was a little disappointed with my result,” said Hicky. “It was my first time at Magny Cours and I had to learn the track. But the weather was against us as it rained continuously all day Friday and Saturday. That suited me fine and I was 14th quickest in first qualifying, but the rain dried up for Saturday afternoon when we did our final qualifying and I had just 25 minutes to find a dry set-up and get up to speed. That resulted in me only making it to 24th on the grid for the race.”

Hicky began his race from the sixth row of the grid and did eventually move forward to complete the 14 laps in 21st position.

“I was trying a bit too hard and subsequently made a few mistakes which cost me time. I really should have been further up the field and not mixing it with those further back. But we came to Magny Cours with the sole intention of gaining circuit knowledge and we managed to get a wet and dry set up so we did achieve something from the weekend.”

Hicky travels directly from France to Brands Hatch where he is to again ride the Red Viper Honda Fireblade in the final two rounds of the British Superbike championship on Sunday.

He is also contesting the final round of the Metzeler National Superstock championship for Ultimate Racing and will be looking for a strong result to consolidate his third place in the rider standings.

Free practice and qualifying take place over Friday and Saturday with the two 30-lap British Superbike races set for 2pm and 4.45pm on Sunday. The 22 lap Superstock race is set to start at 12.30pm on Sunday.

A busy weekend was in store for Louth rider Peter Hickman who was a last minute entry into the British Superbike championship and rode to two strong finishes for Red Viper Racing plus scored a fourth place in his regular championship campaign in the Metzeler National Superstock series.

Hicky was drafted into the Red Viper Honda squad to sub for regular rider Aaron Zanotti who is sidelined with injuries sustained in a crash at Croft in the last round of the series.

The last time that Hicky rode a Superbike was at Mallory last year so he took his time to acclimatise himself to a return to slick tyres and a more powerful machine.

“It’s the first time I have ridden a Honda so it’s taken me a few laps to get used to the different handling,” said Hicky. “But apart from my starting procedure I seem to have adapted quite well.”

Throughout free practice Hicky progressed up the order and was circulating well within the top 20 during qualifying. The new qualifying procedure saw Hicky excel and he made it through to the second phase where he claimed 19th position for a start from a fifth row grid position.

Although he made a poor start and dropped back to 26th on the opening lap of race one, Hicky soon got to grips with the Honda and made excellent progress through the backmarkers to complete his race in 14th place and pick up two championship points on his first attempt.

Race two saw the 21-year-old rider make a slightly better start and progress through to finish in 16th place, just missing out on a points scoring finish.

“Its been a bit hectic as I havent been out of my leathers all day!” said Hicky. “It’s gone really well for me today in the Superbike class. I had a bit of a problem with the Honda as I found it really hard to get off the line at the start and found myself dropping from 19th to near enough last both times. I also had a problem with a misfire in race two, we are not quite sure what it was but I had oil all over my boot so its thrown oil out from somewhere. Other than that the team has worked really well all weekend so I was really chuffed, especially to score two championship points as I havent ridden in the Superbike class for over a year.”

Hicky also contested the penultimate round of the Superstock championship on the Ultimate Racing Yamaha R1 where he qualified in fifth place for a second row start.

He didn’t get away to the best of starts and was circulating in eighth place for the first few laps before making his way forward. He made a beautiful pass on Victor Cox to move up to sixth place and was elevated to fifth when another rider crashed ahead of him.

He continued to hunt down Richard Cooper and gradually reeled him in to claim fourth place on lap 13. By this time the leaders were too far ahead to make any further progress and Hicky had to be content with fourth place at the chequered flag.

“I am pleased with fourth place,” said Hicky. “The bonus for me is that the other three riders who were chasing for third place in the championship either crashed or made a mistake and didn’t score points at all so I find myself 12 points clear and third in the championship so I am pretty happy with that!”

Hicky now turns his attention to the European Superstock championship where he has a wild card ride with Ultimate Racing in the penultimate round of the series at Magny Cours in France on Sunday. He then returns to the UK to travel directly to Brands Hatch for the final round of the National Superstock Championship and is on standby with Red Viper Racing in case ex-Vivaldi rider Aaron Zanotti is still not fit enough to ride in the British Superbike class.

In a frantic dash to the finish line, Louth rider Peter Hickman took advantage of series leader Steve Brogan to snatch third place in round 10 of the Metzeler National Superstock championship at Croft on Sunday, his second podium in as many rounds.

Qualifying saw Hicky put together a string of fast laps to secure a front row start in third place alongside fellow Lincolnshire rider Ben Wilson and as the 15 lap race got underway on Sunday afternoon and settled into fourth place behind race leader Jon Kirkham, series leader Steve Brogan and Ben Wilson.

Realising there was a huge battle between Brogan and Wilson developing in front of him, Hicky remained in fourth place just a fraction behind the dispute and the four riders all pulled clear of the pursuing pack.

Once or twice Hicky showed Wilson his front wheel but was unable to make the move stick and so played the waiting game, hoping to make a pass later in the race.

As they all went into the final lap the action ahead was even more intense. Wilson got past Brogan at the final corner and the latter glanced behind. He lost momentum and Hickman pounced. In the dash to the flag Hicky outpaced Brogan to clinch third place for the second podium finish of the season in third place for Ultimate Racing.

“I got away fairly well,” said Peter. “I was third into the first turn but dropped to fourth and sat behind Brogan and Wilson who were swapping places at nearly every corner. I just thought I would sit at the back of them and if they did take each other out I was there to pick up the pieces.

“On the second to last lap I got blocked by a back marker, the other two got through but I didn’t, so must have lost at least a second on them. I thought pretty much that that was going to be it but on the last lap I caught loads of time up and was right back with them in the last sector. I don’t quite know what Brogan was doing but he looked over his shoulder and must have shut the throttle off at the same time. I just sailed past him and was gifted third place. When you are given it, take it!!!”

With the 16 points accrued from Croft, Hicky moves up a place to joint fourth in the rider points but with 50 more points on offer in the final two rounds and the rider ahead just one point away from him, he could easily find himself in third place at the end of the season.

The next round is at Silverstone in Northamptonshire on September 28 and Hicky will be hunting down another good result as he heads to the season finale at Brands Hatch in mid-October.

Louth rider Peter Hickman rode to a 16th place finish in the European Superstock 1000 round at Donington Park in dire conditions on Sunday.

The complete weekend was marred by heavy and persistent rain and final qualifying was no exception. But the weather was the same for all competitors and Hicky posted the 21st fastest time to start Sunday’s 12-lap affair from a sixth row grid position.

As the race got underway the sun made a brief appearance but the track was still very damp and full wets was the obvious tyre choice.

As the riders approached Redgate for the first time, one rider fell and brought down several more who all slid into the gravel trap. Although Hicky was impeded he managed to avoid the melee and continued on his way.

He completed the first lap in 13th place and continued to make progress through to 10th position on lap six. But he encountered a problem with the back mudguard and slowed dramatically over the final few laps to complete his race in 16th place.

“I started the race quite well,” said Hicky. “But got caught up in the first turn which held me up a bit. But then I got my head down and managed to make my way through to 10th and felt quite comfortable. But then I heard a banging under my foot, which concerned me. A lap later I had a bit of clear track and was able to look down to discover the back mudguard was trapping in the back wheel which was unnerving to say the least.

“When I realised it was just the mudguard and nothing more sinister I tried to get back into my race but by then my tyre was shot and I was struggling to run in a straight line.

“But at least we know what the problem was and can rectify it for the race at Croft next weekend.”

Hicky will return to domestic action next Sunday in round 10 of the National Superstock championship at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire.

Louth rider Peter Hickman rode to his first podium finish of the season when he took a fine third place in round nine of the Metzeler National Superstock championship at his home track of Cadwell Park on Monday to move up a place in the rider points to six place with three rounds left to race.

Qualifying saw the Team Ultimate Racing rider claim a fourth row start in 10th place and as Monday’s ninth round affair got underway he made a scintillating start to come through the field and take up fifth place on the opening lap. He went on to pass Jimmy Storrar for fourth place one lap later and begin to chase after the three leading riders who had begun to pull away.

But the safety car was deployed for a crash on lap five which allowed Hicky to make up the ground and latch onto the back of Ben Wilson in third place. Once the car left the track Hicky stuck to Wilson’s rear wheel, biding his time and waiting for the opportunity to make a pass on the fellow Lincolnshire rider.

When Wilson made a mistake on the penultimate lap and clipped the grass at the chicane, Hickman pounced and nipped past into third place, which he held to the chequered flag.

“Its been a fantastic weekend,” Said Hicky. “It’s been a long time coming but here we finally are on the podium. The bike has been working really well all weekend, I have been struggling myself as I maybe put a little bit too much pressure on myself and was trying to hard in practice. I made a cracking start from 10th on the grid and was fourth going into the first turn. I knew if I got the start right I could run with the leaders as I have got the race pace. I just sat behind Ben Wilson and waited for him to make a mistake and with two laps to go he did just that and I passed him at the bottom of the mountain.

“I would just like to say thank you to everybody who has helped me out, everyone at Ultimate Racing, Sleaford Racing, Louth Volks World, they have all been fantastic all year and finally I am able to repay their faith in me with a podium here at Cadwell.”

The next round is at Croft in North Yorkshire on September 14 but before that Hicky is to ride at Donington Park in the European Superstock championship where he has been awarded a wild card ride on September 7.

Spurred on by his Cadwell result, Hicky will be full of confidence for both Donington and Croft and will be looking for more success at each venue.

Louth rider Peter Hickman rode his Ultimate Racing Yamaha R1 to a fine points finish in round eight of the 2008 Metzeler National Superstock championship at Knockhill on Sunday.

Hicky was not really relishing the thought of racing at Knockhill, as the Scottish circuit is not one of his more favoured circuits. But he managed to qualify in 14th place to start the race from the fourth row. He was unable to make any progress in the early stages and fell back as far as 18th before making a move back through the midfielders.

He gradually made up places to compete his race in 13th place and pick up a further three championship points, bringing his total to 60 - the same as his race number!

He now holds seventh place in the rider points table and is looking forward to the next race at his home circuit of Cadwell Park.

“I am pleased I got a few points but I cant understand why I am just not fast around this circuit. I quite enjoy it but can’t seem to get and speed around here.

“We made a few changes from the warm up to the race and luckily they did work but being mid-pack off the start didn’t help really as I kept getting blocked all the time. There was also an awful lot of spray so visibility was a problem but other than that I am pleased I was able to at least finish the race.”

Next round - Cadwell Park - August 25.

A rain shower prior to the start of the European Superstock 1000 race spoilt the event for Louth rider Peter Hickman when he opted for the wrong choice of tyres for the 14-lap race at Brands Hatch on Sunday. Although he started from the inside of the second row, Hicky began to drop back as the track dried and finished the race in 17th place, just outside a points scoring position.

Qualifying had seen the 21-year-old Lincolnshire rider secure a fine eighth position - although it could have been even better. Hicky explained: “I was seventh in first qualifying and I knew there was more to come so was quite pleased the second session was completely dry.

The bike is working really well; I did half the final session on old tyres so dropped from seventh all the way down to 21st. But with seven minutes to go I pitted for a new tyre and did my out lap before going for a quick one. I was P1 at the first sector and then the red flag came out so I was slightly annoyed to say the least.

“When we got out again there were four and a half minutes left and I went out first to go as fast as I could and here we are in eighth place. But for the red flag it could have been a lot better but I know I am there or thereabouts.”

But as the race start approached the heavens opened and a heavy shower wetted the track. Tyre choice was always going to be a lottery as it would perhaps dry on the straights but would remain wet around the corners and under the trees.

Hicky opted for a full wet on the front and an intermediate on the rear. But by the time the race got underway the rain had stopped and a dry line was beginning to form.

It soon became apparent that he had gone the wrong way with tyre choice as the riders on slicks began to take advantage of the drying track, leaving Hicky to run wide in search of wet tarmac to keep his tyre cool.

But as race progressed he fell back to eventually complete the 14 laps in 17th place and said: “I didn’t get the best of starts and dropped back to 10th at Surtees on the first lap. But I soon made it back through to eighth and was looking to move further forward. By lap two I was up to seventh but then the front tyre began to show signs of wear and I knew my race was effectively over unless we got some more rain.

“I am disappointed both for myself and the team really as we had high hopes of a good result here.”

Hicky returns to domestic action at the weekend when the British Superbike championship makes its annual visit north of the border to Knockhill where Hicky will contest round eight of the Metzeler National Superstock championship.

OULTON PARK (18/19/20 July)

Louth rider Peter Hickman secured two strong finishes in fifth and eighth place in rounds six and seven of the Metzeler National Superstock championship at Oulton Park at the weekend.

In a rain disrupted qualifying period Hicky posted a fast time in the first session to seal a ninth place start from a third row grid position for the start of both races. The final session was run in wet conditions and with nothing to be gained from venturing out in the tricky conditions Hicky sensibly decided to stick with his time posted in the earlier session.

As race one got underway on Saturday the 21-year-old county ace gradually moved through the field until he reached sixth place.

But he encountered a problem in the closing laps when he realised he was short on fuel and had to try and conserve what little fuel he had left in order to reach the finish line.

As they rounded the final corner two of the leaders went down gifting him fourth place. But on the drag to the flag the engine cut out and although he was able to coast over the finish line he was pipped at the post by Adrian Coates who overtook him as they crossed the finish line.

After ensuring there was sufficient fuel onboard for race two Hicky set off to settle into ninth position which he maintained until the very last lap when he reeled in Victor Cox at Turn One to claim eighth place and a further eight championship points for Ultimate Racing.

“Saturday’s result should have been better but I ran out of fuel. For the last two laps it had been stuttering and when I came out of the last turn I got it all the way to Deer Leap and it stopped so Coates just pipped me to the line,” said Hicky.

“On Sunday I made a much better start but just got kind of got stuck in a rut at 1m 40.8s, which was just about the same as everyone else.

But its not quite fast enough to pass anyone so I had to be content with eighth place.

We are now going to Brands Hatch in two weeks time as I have a wild card ride in the European Superstock championship race that runs alongside the World Superbike series. I am really looking forward to the experience and seeing how I go against the top guys in Europe.”

Peter is now placed in seventh place in the overall championship standings with the next round set for Knockhill in Scotland on August 10.

PETER HICKMAN - SNETTERTON

Louth Superstock rider Peter Hickman claimed a sixth place finish to his Metzeler National Superstock race at Snetterton on Sunday for Ultimate Racing but he was denied the chance to add to his points tally when the second race was postponed because of the adverse weather
conditions.

Qualifying had gone well for Hicky who earned himself a front row start in fourth place but he failed to capitalise on his grid position when he made a bad start to the race and dropped back to seventh place on the first lap.

He lost ground to eighth for a while before regaining his composure and making it back through to seventh and then sixth where he stayed until the chequered flag.

But his sixth place does not reflect the progress the young rider has made as he was up with the leaders challenging in a group of four riders for fourth place throughout the 15 laps and things could have been different if he had got away to a clean start as his lap times were on a par with the race winner.

“I fluffed the start,” said Hicky. “That allowed the leading riders to get away. But my lap times prove that if I had got away with the top three I could have run with them today.”

Hicky was hoping to rectify the situation with a good start to the second race but a heavy rain storm delayed the action in the Superbike class and his race was regrettably postponed and will be run at a later date.

The Superstock class are not on the race programme for Mallory Park so Hicky will not see race action for five weeks when they rejoin the action at Oulton Park on July 20.