Hislop eyes the title at Mallory

Steve Hislop goes into this Sunday’s penultimate round of the MCN British Superbike championship at Mallory Park looking set to clinch his first national title since 1995.

You can read more about Steve Hislop’s title tilt in the latest issue of MCN, out September 11.

But while he has a massive 56-point lead over Yamaha rival Sean Emmett there’s not the slightest hint of complacency from the MonsterMob Ducati rider.

Hislop said: ” I need to keep my head in gear and if I can continue the form I’ve shown in the last couple of rounds then I should be able to wrap up the title.

” Mallory’s not one of my favourite circuits but it’s certainly no bother to me – I set pole there last year

I expect the four-cylinder 1000s to be right up there at Mallory. It’s not such a technical track but if it’s dry, and I can win the first race, then it’s virtually all over. ”

As Hislop is only too aware, it’s ‘never over ’til it’s over’ and last year was a classic example of how badly wrong things can go. With just four races left he was leading John Reynolds by 25 points and looked ready to take the title but Reynolds missed a gear in the first race at Rockingham and Hislop ran into the back of him and crashed heavily. Reynolds went on to win the title in the final Donington round with two emphatic victories while Hizzy was laid up in hospital with a badly broken right ankle, collarbone and wrist.

Despite that, and the knowledge that he hasn’t finished a season intact since 1995 either through injury or through team politics, Hislop has never ridden better than he has done in 2002.

He said: ” What happened at Rockingham wasn’t my fault so I never dwelled on it. Of course it was disappointing to lose the title that way but I was determined to succeed this year. ”