Yamaha Confident for Brands
After a short break since the weather-affected affair at Snetterton, this weekend the Bennetts British Superbike Championship returns to action at Brands Hatch for the sixth round of the season.
With 14 races completed, OMG GRILLA Yamaha rider Kyle Ryde and McAMS Racing’s Danny Kent are the leading R1 riders in the overall standings, positioned in joint fifth with 147 points each.
Kyle Ryde said: “I’m excited to get going again at Brands Hatch. It’s only been a short break, but I’ve missed riding my Yamaha R1. Last time out at Snetterton was a good weekend for us with a podium finish and two top fives in really tricky conditions. We’re heading towards the weekend with confidence in our ability to perform. Brands Hatch is a track that I enjoy and one that I’ve had some strong success at in the past, including a win and two podiums at the end of last year. We’ll aim to continue from that form and to head home with three solid results on Sunday.”
Following a challenging yet encouraging home round for Ryde’s counterpart Ryan Vickers, the No.7 rider maintained his spot in the top ten and sits in eighth with 92 points to his name.
As the domestic series returns to the legendary Brands Hatch venue, the weekend ahead looks set to be a positive one, with the nature of the circuit playing into the strengths of the R1s characteristics.
Yamaha has held the lap record around the 2.4-mile circuit in the class since 2017. This, combined with two wins and four separate podium finishes at the venue in 2023, bodes well for what lies ahead.
As McAMS Racing and Kent continue on the relentless pursuit of securing a debut win in the championship, the Brands Hatch weekend looks set to provide a more than favourable opportunity.
The family-run team approach the weekend with a sense of cautious optimism after a difficult campaign at Snetterton.
Last year at Brands Hatch, Kent produced one of the most successful weekends of his superbike career, securing a second and third-place finish and demonstrating race-winning pedigree.
In Yamaha R7 territory, Brands Hatch is set to host Round 5 of the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship.
After an exceptional effort last time out which saw him progress 26 places from a pit-lane start to seventh at the flag, lead R7 rider, Ash Barnes (Raceways GYTR Pro Shop Yamaha) is eager to kick off another three-day weekend.
The 18-year-old currently sits at the top of the Yamaha R7 bLU cRU standings, and third overall in the championship, followed by bLU cRU runner-up, Harrison Dessoy (Rev2Race Yamaha) in fifth.
Ash Barnes said: “I’m looking forward to getting to Brands Hatch this weekend. It’s a circuit that I really enjoy, and I believe that the R7 package will be competitive there. Snetterton was a bitter-sweet one for us. To secure my first pole position of the season felt great, but unfortunately due to a technical issue, we couldn’t take up that front spot on the grid. Despite having to start from the pitlane, we fought through 26 places to finish seventh across the line. With the negatives aside, that was a great indicator of our potential within the championship. We’ll carry that momentum with us as we approach this weekend.”
Third place in the bLU cRU standings, Rossi Banham (RB-Racing Yamaha) is also coming off the back of a good weekend at Snetterton. Having made phenomenal progression through the field from 26th on the grid to ninth across the line, the R7 youngster is keen for the Brands Hatch weekend to commence.
Three Bennetts British Superbike races and a single Pirelli National Sportbike race lie ahead for the riders in blue at Brands Hatch. As the tension builds, it’s full focus on securing another host of positive results.