This weekend the 2019 KMSC season comes to a climatic halt when we host the final rounds of both the Scottish and KMSC Championships. The weekend’s action will play out on the Knockhill clockwise track, which will see 32 races across nine individual Championship classes take place over the course of the weekend (28/29 September).
Action will get underway on Saturday morning from 9am with a series of warm up sessions for each class. From there, the riders will be straight into the all-important qualifying sessions – with those vying for Championship glory surely eager to secure as high a grid spot as possible without pushing the limit too far and crashing out; which could prove disastrous for their title ambitions before the weekend even starts.
We’ve already seen our first KMSC Champion of 2019 crowned, when Sam Munro secured the Formula 600 Championship in association with BitWise with a round to spare. Munro has been impeccable aboard his Kawasaki ZX6R this season winning every round at Knockhill, however, this weekend he’ll step up to the Superbike class on a BMW S1000 RR to mix it with the likes of Birnie, Gilfillan and the returning Donald MacFadyen.
A look back at the 2018 finale.
Indeed, the Superbike and Clubman classes sponsored by Shirlaw’s Motorcycles will both go down to the wire this weekend. Greg Gilfillan has already wrapped up the Scottish Championship, and currently leads the KMSC points as well; but with 100 points up for grabs this weekend – it’s far from over. Mathematically, Bruce Birnie is the only rider that can challenge Gilfillan for the title this weekend. Birnie somehow has to bridge a 47-points deficit and hope that Gilfillan comes unstuck in several of the races. It will be interesting to see how each rider approaches the weekend, with Gilfillan on the verge of a memorable double.
In the Clubman class, Andy Buchanan leads the series with Christopher Liddell in hot pursuit. However, a crash at East Fortune looks likely to rule Liddell out from this final outing of the year, effectively securing Buchanan’s Championship win for 2019, with no other riders in touching distance of his points haul, even if he fails to score a single point this weekend. That said, he’ll be keen to go out with a bang this weekend wit yet more race wins to his 2019 tally.
Elsewhere, the Scottish Sidecar Championship will come down to the wire. All-conquering British Championship duo, Stephen Kershaw and Stuart Clark currently lead the standing by 18-points, however, lurking in the wings are the pairing of Shand and Belsey who with two wins this weekend – given the absence of Kershaw/Clark could snatch the title at the last gasp – no pressure there then.
Additional Championships up for grabs this weekend include the CB500 series which will come down to a three-way tussle between Keith Shepherd (P1), Mark Fearn (P2) and Jodie Chalk (P3). It’s another three-way in the Lightweight category with Torquil Paterson (P1), Logan Turner (P2) and Grand Reid (P3) set to go head to-head for the title. William Mason has a healthy Championship lead in the Pre-Injection 600 series, however, with 100 points up for grabs and Harry Pullar and Cameron Robb still pushing hard, anything can happen.
In the final two series set to go this weekend, Mark Bowran, current leader of the Formula 400 Championship is yet to enter. That could leave room for a last-minute ascension to the title for either Rod Walker or Declan Connell… quick Mark get your entry in! In the F125 Championship, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out on top with Owen Paterson, Ryan Burns, Logan Turner and Fletcher McInally all set to face-off this weekend.
Tickets for each event day can be booked online (subject to pre booking discounts). Alternatively, tickets will be available on the gate all weekend.
Come along, it’s the Championship-deciding weekend and the action will be hot.
