As we’d hoped, after a chilly start, warm autumn sunshine greeted us for the first practice session to kick off the final race weekend of the BSB season. Brands Hatch looking at its best with the track in perfect condition. All set for a fast and exciting weekend.
Sadly, we were set up in a cosy one rider garage as Jason wasn’t with us. Unable to ride while he was recovering from an operation to repair his damaged shoulder after his freak accident colliding with McConnell’s fallen bike at the previous round at Donington Park.
Not an ideal way to finish his season but at least Jason had been able to demonstrate his skills and determination as he got to grips with our Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja after years competing on a Yamaha. The highlight of the year was surely his stunning round three race win at Donington Park when he went head to head with Bridewell, Glenn Irwin and Kent in what many regarded as the best race for many years! Jason also showed his pace qualifying on pole position at Cadwell Park, despite carrying injuries from his warm up crash at Thruxton where he’d missed out on another pole position by fractions of a second. Thanks for getting stuck in Jason and never complaining.
So all eyes on young Max who was really looking forward to getting stuck in at a circuit he always seems to go well at.
Free Practice
Couple of decent runs to get the weekend started. 18 laps and only 0.8 off the fastest time. P13 in a close field with a degree of caution being exercised in the Dingle Dell section where there were still some damp patches under the trees, the result of heavy rain the day before.
Things hotted up in free practice two with Irwin circulating on lap record pace. He and Ryde 0.5 clear of the field. Bridewell P3 to Stacey P17 covered by less than one second! Max somewhere in the middle, P10 feeling good on the bike and through to Q2.
We then had a half an hour tyre test session. A development version of the rear ‘zero compound’ Pirelli slick which has been the BSB control tyre this year was available for one rider representing each of the six manufacturers. Going straight out after FP2 was the perfect opportunity for a back-to-back test. Max was the Kawasaki representative and made two six lap runs. On the first run Max concentrated on the feeling he was getting from the tyre and how it compared to the ‘regular’ zero tyre he’d just used. On the second run he pushed harder and on his twelfth lap actually recorded a faster time than he had in free practice. His feedback was the new tyre gave more grip at maximum lean and on corner exit, and felt a bit more like the softer X compound tyre that we used in 2023. It’s now up to Pirelli whether the new spec tyre will be available in sufficient quantities for the series organiser to designate it the 2025 control tyre.
Qualifying
10 minutes free practice warm up leads into the formal qualifying runs on Saturday lunchtime. Weather not so nice – overcast with the threat of a rain shower later. Not ideal coupled with the low temperatures.
Q2 started with most of the bikes on wet weather tyres – and then straight back in as it was clear that the track was now dry enough for slick tyres. But watch out for the Dingle Dell/Stirlings Bend section and the damp patches under the trees. Jackson had taken the risk and gone straight out on slicks. Fastest by miles at that stage, he got on the still wet kerb exiting Stirlings and was flicked off his Honda. Red flag. Try again after a 10-minute delay. Two laps later and Glenn Irwin’s Ducati failed spectacularly, his brother following closely behind went down on the oil. Red flag. Try again after a 20-minute delay this time.
Max had already posted a decent time on his first slicks run – P5 – but as things speeded up, he posted his best ever time for a lap of Brands Hatch – 1.28.5. P5 on the grid for the 20-lap feature race later in the afternoon. A small error on his fastest lap cost him a place on the front row as his ideal lap time made up of his best in each of the four timing sectors was just 0.1 slower than pole man Vickers.
Race One
Would you believe it. Minutes before the pit lane opened to form the grid for the race – the rain came back, quite hard this time. Although the rain soon abated, it was at least clear that the soft option rain tyres were the correct choice as it was cold as well as wet.
Max made a decent start – maybe losing a couple of places – but he could immediately feel the bike and tyres were working well. He set about the riders in front of him passing Bridewell and Brookes in a single move down the hill and into Graham Hill Bend. Momentarily in P2 before Rollo on the less powerful Pathway class bike passed, Max settled in with the leading group. Third place at the end of lap two didn’t last long as Kent and Bridewell got through but with Max sticking with them. His race settled into a three-way dice for P4 with Hickman and Ryde. They eventually got the better of Max after he had a big moment on Clearways as he came onto the starting straight – his best sector of the lap. A recovering Glenn Irwin also passed but then crashed and in the closing laps Max just held off Brookes to hold on to P6. Struggling a bit as his tyres went off over the last few laps, Max still put in a very assured and mature performance with a best lap time which would see him start Sunday’s sprint race from P6. It really did look as if it would stay dry, so all set for some serious racing on Sunday.
Race Two
Quick 10-minute morning warm up run. Used tyres on a cold track surface – thankfully, no dramas. Ready for the penultimate race of the season. Ryde and Bridewell separated by just one point in their battle for championship honours.
The start of the 12-lap sprint race is even more important than for the longer races. Max on P6, the inside of row two, had to deal with the infamous Brands slope – the grid is set out on a distinct slope from the outside to inside. Max got a good launch working his way up the slope, but as is so often the case, the riders on the outside can carry more speed around the outside into Paddock Hill Bend while those on the inside line are pinched at the apex. Max emerged P6 behind Brookes who he passed on lap two, dropping in behind race one winner Kent. They battled for the next five laps before Max found a way by – P4. Two laps later Kent slipped back through giving Andrew Irwin an opportunity to follow him and push Max back to P6. With two laps to go, Brookes joined the party and made his way through. At the line Brookes, Irwin and Max were covered 0.2 with Max P7. Another very strong ride racing hard at the front of the field.
Race Three
The championship decider with Bridewell heading Ryde by just four points.
His best lap time in race two saw Max line up P5 for the 20-lap race. A little further up the slope but he was still pushed back a couple of places on the run up to Druids Hairpin. Racing Kent again, both got passed Vickers and Andrew Irwin on Lap 8 during a bit of a sort out, and set off after Glenn Irwin, Max P5. Vickers was back through three laps later and on lap 15 Brookes appeared again and found a way past. Max hung on and returned the compliment by repassing him on lap 19. Closing fast on a fading Glenn Irwin, Max passed him on the final lap to cross the line in the last race of the 33-race series in P5, just over a second behind Kent. Great job Max.
Upfront Ryde and Bridewell had gone head-to-head over the closing laps. In a sensational winner takes all race, well ahead of the field, whoever crossed the finish line would be champion. Kyle Ryde made it to take the Championship by just one point! Wow. Bridewell had won the crown by half a point last year – who said BSB is boring!
Footnote. Kyle had his first superbike race with us all the way back in 2017. He scored his first point for a P15 in race one of the Brands Hatch final. Well done Kyle, it’s been a long road but you got there.
Max’s strongest BSB race weekend to date bagged him a sack full of points, taking him to 203 points and P12 in the standings. Three points behind his good friend and competitor Charlie Nesbitt. A couple of technical issues and a few weaker rounds held Max back from what could have been a comfortable top ten finish. Sitting out the final round due to his injuries, Jason finished just behind Max in unlucky 13th.
Next Time
It’s going to be a long winter before BSB kicks off again at Oulton Park next May. In the meantime, we’ll be announcing our plans for 2025 soon and catching up with everyone on the Kawasaki stand at the NEC and ExCeL shows. Then in the New Year we’ll be doing some testing and getting back up to speed in the run up to the new season.
Steady away.
Regards. Nigel. Team Principal.
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