BRITISH superbike championship leader Leon Camier fears his Airwaves Yamaha team will not have it all its own way at Knockhill this weekend, a circuit which traditionally favours its Honda rivals.
The Yamaha team has gone five years without a win at the 1.3-mile Fife circuit, while Camier’s most recent visit resulted in disappointing fifth and eighth-placed finishes last season.
Honda, meanwhile, has flourished at the Scottish track, winning six of the last eight races held since 2005.
It is an eye-catching statistic that is not lost on Camier, who pinpointed the Hydrex Honda pairing of Karl Harris and Scotland’s Stuart Easton as his chief adversaries this weekend.
Easton is desperate to put on a good show in front of his home fans as he bids to improve on his current third place in the standings.
“I can’t wait to get to Knockhill as it’s my home round and I hope that all the Scottish fans will come and get behind me,” said Easton.
“I am third overall in the standings, so I am in a strong position to challenge the Airwaves Yamahas and if I am going to do it anywhere it has to be in Scotland. If I can pull it off I will be buying everyone a drink!”
Camier, after double wins at Thruxton and Snetterton, now leads the championship by 55 points from team-mate James Ellison.
He said: “I’m not a huge fan of short tracks but I’ve always liked Knockhill.
“I’m expecting the Hondas to be strong right from the start and I know that Hydrex Honda tested there recently but I’m sure it’ll be a fun fight to get on to the podium.
“I’ve been training really hard throughout the season so fitness won’t be a problem, even after three back-to-back race events.”
Ellison offered a more optimistic assessment of Yamaha’s chances this weekend, although should his team find themselves at the head of the pack come Sunday, the 28-year-old is likely to once again play second fiddle to his team-mate.
With Ellison managing just one win in 10 races against Camier’s eight, the form book suggests there will only be one outcome should it come down to a straight fight between the Yamaha duo, but the Lancastrian admits he is upbeat ahead of the sixth round of the season.
“Knockhill’s been good to me and it’s a circuit I’ve always enjoyed,” said Ellison. “I think the Airwaves Yamaha should work well there, so I’m looking forward to it.”