BSB: Foreign testing ban

BSB has announced that from January 1st 2013, no contracted MCE-BSB team will be allowed to test abroad. 

All teams will have to use UK tracks in the run up to the season opener in April at Brands Hatch.

Furthermore, teams will also be restricted to a maximum of 12 days testing for the whole of the 2013 season. BSB have already put together four official test days at Donington, Brands Hatch and Snetterton. 

The decision has been taken with the full support of BSB's constituent teams. 

BSB director Stuart Higgs said: 'We've been discussing a policy for testing as BSB class teams have rightly identified that it is an area of considerable expense with varying returns and the Spanish tracks have little, if any points of reference with actual championship venues.'

'We are now in a period of rules stability...on this point most agree that it's pretty pointless evaluating new things anywhere other than places we will actually race at.'

Higgs also pointed out that many 'BSB' tests that have taken place in Spain and France have been totally outside official BSB oversight. Teams are known to organize tests themselves, with worrying safety consequences. 

'This was highlighted with a very serious situation which occurred a couple of years go when Ed Rendell crashed whilst testing a 600cc Kawasaki in Spain. I was very distressed at the standard of immediate care he received after sustaining a broken pelvis, and it was a race against time to get him medically evacuated back to the UK. 

'This was at a test that was nothing to do with BSB, yet we quickly got together with the team and family and helped source medical repatriation specialists. It was an extremely worrying time.'

The official 2013 MCE BSB tests are as follows:

14 March Donington Park GP
19 March Brands Hatch
20 March Snetterton 300
21 March Snetterton 300