Knockhill BSB: Buchan in showdown contention after podium near-miss

A return to a happy hunting ground saw Danny Buchan have his best weekend to date in the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship with Knockhill ending on a fourth place finish to move into one of the all-important top eight Showdown places.

It’s a circuit that’s been kind to him in the past, with victories in both 2019 and 2021, but whilst it’s been a challenging season so far for the Synetiq BMW rider, three top seven finishes at the weekend meant he looked a lot more like his old self at the Scottish venue. “There was a lot of expectation on this weekend after last year but others have also made big steps forward, so it was more difficult this time around,” Buchan admitted. “We were in the ballpark and made a change for the final race which was a positive step forward and I just needed a few more laps as Lee [Jackson] was within touching distance. “I hit a false neutral around lap 12 which caused me to drop back a bit and behind Kyle [Ryde] so it gave me more work to do. When I got ahead of the Ducatis, I was able to bridge the gap to Lee and sniff a podium. “We were catching the leaders and it’s great to end the weekend with a fourth. Everyone knows it’s not been easy for us so far this year but full credit to the team who keep working tirelessly. Hopefully we can get a test in before the next round and we’ll keep trying.” Buchan has taken just three top six finishes so far this season, including the two at Knockhill, but he’s crucially scored points in every race and now sits on 84 points and in eighth place overall.