Brands Hatch beckons for Honda Racing UK
Nestled in the Kent countryside Brands Hatch plays host this weekend to round six of the Bennetts British Superbike championship and the midway point of the 2024 season. At 2.4 miles in length this fast and undulating circuit, popular with fans and riders alike, has been a happy hunting ground for Honda historically with notable wins and podiums over the years.
Although relinquishing his championship lead at the last round, Tommy Bridewell remains defiantly confident that the upward trajectory of his season is sure to continue. He returns to the venue of his 2023 championship triumph for the first time this year in fine form having secured nine visits to the podium in fifteen races thus far.
Teammate Andrew Irwin is also riding in fine form of late, with a popular return to the fight at the front of the field. Back onto the podium at Knockhill and finishing just two seconds away from the lead at Snetterton a clear validation of significant progress. He will be hoping to capitalise on this progress and secure yet more valuable championship points.
Dean Harrison meanwhile, having equalled his season's best finish of eleventh last time out will be hoping to go even better at Brands and break into the top ten for the first time on a Honda. He targets a strong Friday on which to build as the weekend progresses.
Fresh from his third win of the year in the British Supersport championship, Jack Kennedy remains dedicated to fighting for championship victory number five. He heads into the weekend just ten points adrift of the series leader eager to add to his win tally once more.
The weekend’s racing action begins on Friday 19th with a busy schedule of practice sessions, to see a full timetable click here.
#1 Tommy Bridewell
Last summer when we raced at Brands I won the championship so I have some really good memories of racing there last year. It makes me excited to go back and feel those memories again as you’re driving in. I’m really enjoying my racing at the minute and enjoying working with the team, developing this new Fireblade and fighting at the front with Honda. We’ve managed to build up some solid momentum so we just need to keep this going. I’m just really excited to see all the things we are working on coming together. I’m heading to Brands fully motivated for the weekend and ready to kick things into another gear.
#18 Andrew Irwin
I’m looking forward to Brands as always, I feel like at Snetterton we started to get some consistency and I was fast in all conditions, and the same at Knockhill too which bodes well for this weekend. The forecast looks good so I’m looking forward to some better conditions and three dry races. We were right where we needed to be at Snetterton, we just need to make that final little step to be right in the podium fight. We will keep the consistency going and the momentum we have built, enjoy it and work well together as a team with our target to be inside the top six. The main thing is I am enjoying my racing again which is hugely important.
#5 Dean Harrison
Brands is always a great circuit to ride so I’m excited to get back there and have another crack at it. I really want to have a smooth weekend with no problems and just build and build throughout the weekend. We’ve had a bit of bad luck of late so I aim to hit the ground running on Friday and try and put together a solid consistent weekend without any curve balls. The weather looks good, but you never know until you’re there really, so we will see what the weekend brings.
#4 Jack Kennedy
I am grafting hard behind the scenes and I am as hungry as ever to get more results. I’m looking forward to Brands, it’s a track I really like and I have had a lot of success. It looks like a dry weekend forecasted which is good too. The team have been working hard behind the scenes to maximise performance across the board which gives me so much motivation to put the effort in on my side. I think that we are working in such a positive way and knowing that we are all putting in 110% all the time is amazing. This is what is bringing us success and enabling us to fight with the bigger capacity machines. I really enjoy the atmosphere with the team and catching up with the lads, so it’s going to be a good weekend riding the bike around a fantastic circuit. I am hungry for more wins and another weekend of putting in 110%.