BSB: Byrne: 'I've got to win all five races'

Shane Byrne has accepted he’s got to win as many of the five remaining races in the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship as possible if he’s to retain the title this year.

After a disastrous opening to the Showdown at Oulton Park, Byrne now sits 23 points behind series leader Haslam with just two rounds left.

While the gap is big, it’s not insurmountable and with 125 points still on the table, it’s not all over for Byrne but he’ll need to be achieving better results than he has in the last two rounds if he’s to have any chance of winning his first back-to-back British title.

“It’s fairly obvious that Oulton Park was a complete and utter disaster for us and definitely not how we wanted to kick off the Showdown,” he said. “That said we are ready to come back at Assen this weekend that’s for sure. I know all too well how this championship can turn around; there was a season when I went to Assen with a 27-point lead and left with only two points so anything can happen.

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“The recent run of tracks and the lack of results we’ve had lately, means only one option, and that is I have to win all remaining five races starting with the two at Assen this weekend. If I do that, even if Leon finishes second to me in every race, I’ll be the champion but it’s nowhere near as simple as that. I’d like to think I perform well under pressure and with the pressure of a title defence and the expectations of the team, manufacturer, sponsors, fans, friends and family upon me, I intend to do my very best to make this happen.”

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