In one of the most dramatic races ever witnessed, Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne took an emotional sixth British Superbike Championship crown, which also meant an incredible 18th ‘BSB’ title for Öhlins, in just 21 seasons.
Battling Leon Haslam and Josh Brookes in an ultra tight points table, Byrne won the day in front of a massive 58,000 fans at his local Brands Hatch circuit, on his Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R machine.
Byrne was one of eight of the ten leading British Superbike finishers using Öhlins Superbike forks and shocks, with technical support from the renowned Swedish suspension brand. In the more production based Supersport 600 class Keith Farmer took his Appleyard Macadam Yamaha YZF-R6 to the title, heading up a strong field of runners using Öhlins FKR cartridge kits and TTX GP shock absorbers.
It has been a dominant year for Öhlins in the well attended British Superbike series with competitors from all classes signing up for product and expert support from the state-of-the-art service unit in the paddock.
In attendance, Chris Witter, General Manager Öhlins Distribution & Test Centre commented,
“What an incredibly dramatic finale, in what is arguably the biggest domestic motorsport series in the world! Congratulations to Shane Byrne and his squad and commiserations to Leon Haslam who had such a strong season. To crash out of contention in the final race was a cruel ending to a riveting season for Leon and his team, but we look forward to seeing them back fighting strong next season.
Although it is a great accolade to share in the success of winning high profile championships, the large volume of competitors interested in Öhlins products from across the whole paddock wouldn’t be possible without the dedication of our highly skilled team. Consequently, we are looking to increase our BSB support service even further in 2018 and it’s with thanks to our race manager Richard Brendish and his team of technicians, plus Andy White from our service centre Kais that we can say with confidence Öhlins is the No.1 choice for BSB riders.”
Öhlins British Superbike Championship Successes thru the years
1996 – Niall Mackenzie – Cadbury’s Boost YZF750- Öhlins
1997 – Niall Mackenzie – Cadbury’s Boost YZF750- Öhlins
1998 – Niall Mackenzie – Cadbury’s Boost YZF750- Öhlins
1999 – Troy Bayliss – INS GSE Ducati 996 – Öhlins
2000 – Neil Hodgson – INS GSE Ducati 996 – Öhlins
2001 – John Reynolds – Reve Red Bull Ducati 996 – Öhlins
2002 – Steve Hislop – MonsterMob Ducati 998 – Öhlins
2003 – Shane Byrne – MonsterMob Ducati 998 – Öhlins
2004 – John Reynolds – Rizla Crescent Suzuki GSXR1000 – Öhlins
2005 – Gregorio Lavilla – GSE Airwaves Ducati 999 – Öhlins
2008 – Shane Byrne – GSE Airwaves Ducati 1098 – Öhlins
2009 – Leon Camier – GSE Airwaves Yamaha YZF-R1 – Öhlins
2010 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR – Öhlins
2011 – Tommy Hill – Swan Yamaha – Öhlins
2013 – Alex Lowes – Samsung Honda – Öhlins
2015 – Josh Brookes – Milwaukee Yamaha – Öhlins
2016 – Shane Byrne – Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R – Öhlins
2017 – Shane Byrne – Be Wiser Ducati Panigale R – Öhlins