Motorsport fans may have caught the recent NASCAR race at Bristol, which saw a return to dirt racing on the oval track for contemporary cars and drivers. In some ways it was shame NASCAR stole the thunder as the idea has been under active consideration by BSB for a couple of years.
It is no secret that many circuit racers use training on the dirt as an important part of crafting their skills. King Kenny Roberts started his Barcelona dirt training camp in the 1990s and Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards have similar facilities. Who can forget Marc Marquez taking on the best USA Dirt Trackers at the SuperPrestigio event a few years ago?
All these events together with a celebration of Brands Hatch’s dirt and grass track origins have culminated in a very special Bennetts BSB event in 2021 at Brands Hatch which will see the famous Druids Bend being converted to a dirt section.
During lockdown former British Superbike rider and now a US National Flat Track champion James Rispoli successfully tested the concept and declared himself satisfied, and James himself will make a wild card appearance in the summer for the Brands Hatch BSB round.
Bennetts BSB Series Director Stuart Higgs said: “We are always striving to make BSB stand out from the crowd. Cars have Rallycross and this recent NASCAR dirt event so it’s only logical we take the concept to two wheels. Most BSB riders use dirt track training in the winter to train so I am sure they can adapt. Of course, 200hp Superbikes on the dirt is not for the faint hearted but I am sure they can cope with the transition. Of course we can’t just have one race use the dirt section and in particular I can’t wait to see the Sidecars drifting around Druids.”