BSB round for Northern Ireland? Series director Stuart Higgs visits Bishopscourt circuit and calls for 'ever closer links'
British Superbike series and race director Stuart Higgs visited Bishopscourt Racing Circuit on Friday as he called for ‘ever closer’ links between Northern Ireland and the high-profile championship.
A BSB round at the Co Down venue has long been coveted and Higgs’ proclamation will raise hopes that the possibility of British championship racing at Bishopscourt could be seriously explored.
Higgs was speaking at the Adelaide Irish Motorbike Awards at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belfast on Friday night, where he presented the inaugural BSB Breakthrough Award to Scott Swann.
The accolade honours the memory of four-time British champion Keith Farmer from Clogher, who passed away unexpectedly in November 2022.
Revealing his tour of Bishopscourt, Higgs said: “I last came to this event in 2008 and I got picked up at the airport and went on a little tour to Kirkistown and Bishopscourt to have a little look around.
“History partially repeated itself because I had a little look around Bishopscourt this afternoon [Friday] because everyone keeps saying to me just go and take a look.
“So I’ve come and taken a look and when you come to events like this you really do get a reminder of the importance that this part of the world has with the links to British Superbikes, the links to the British championship.
“Now we’ve some families on the third generation [of racing in the British championship] and it’s tremendously important.
“I think the trophy in honour of a guy that I really, really liked – a four-time British and national champion, that takes some doing – and it’s about that breakthrough.
“If Scott has a small part of the skill of Keith and the attitude of Keith I think he’ll go a really long way.”
Swann, who won five National Superstock 1000 races last year and finished third in the championship, has earned a move into BSB this season with the IWR Honda team.
Higgs added: “It’s a great team. Ian Woollacott, who people will know from the British Superbike paddock, has run riders such as a guy called Tommy Bridewell, so it’s great team for a debut BSB year.
“I’d like this trophy to be annually bringing a new name to the fore and I want the links between BSB and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to be ever closer.”