Race wins and a Championship for Team Green at BSB Finale!
The final round of the British Superbike Championship took place under cloudy skies at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent this weekend, and what a weekend it was for Team Green! JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider, Leon Haslam came into the final round with an outside chance of winning the title, and although it wasn't meant to be for Haslam, there was an array of success across the board for other Kawasaki riders and teams.
The weekend began in dramatic style for Haslam, when his handlebar sheared off in a freak incident in qualifying, causing him to crash and be forced to start from 17th on the grid for race 1. A crash littered and very wet race 1 followed with two red flags putting paid to Haslam's chances of progressing, and ultimately ending with his own crash and with it the chance of the title. However, it was success for the other half of the JG Speedfit Kawasaki garage as Peter Hickman stormed to his second victory of the season!
Moving into Sunday, the weather had dried, and there was two races left for the riders to end the year on a high. It was to be a day to remember for James Ellison, who after not winning a race all year, romped to an amazing double win, ensuring him third place in the final Championship standings! This also meant that JG Speedfit Kawasaki ended the year winning an amazing 50% of all Superbike races in 2016, a fantastic feat. This plethora of wins also meant that Kawasaki were handed the Manufacturers Championship yet again! A true testament to the awesome Ninja ZX-10R.
Success was not limited to the Superbike class as Jordan Weaving of the NMT No Limits Kawasaki team added a second British Championship to his CV by taking the Junior Superstock title on his Ninja ZX-6R. Weaving has been excellent all season, including winning 4 of the last 6 races meaning all he had to do was finish in the top 11 in the final round to seal the deal. He rode a very smart race to take 7th place and with it the title, the teams second in as many seasons.
We now move into the off season and begin our plans for 2017. Senior Racing co-ordinator, Ross Burridge was happy with how the season ended; “There's no hiding the fact that we were all bitterly disappointed that Leon couldn't take the title win, but it certainly wasn't for the lack of trying and I am sure that he will be back stronger in 2017 to try again. It was a great end to the year for JG Speedfit Kawasaki, and both myself and Kawasaki are very grateful for the effort that has gone into 2016 for both riders and team.
“I'd also like to give a huge congratulations to Jordan Weaving who has turned in to a professional, calculated rider and deserves his title more than anyone. I can't wait to see what he moves to in the next stage of his career.”
