Following a difficult two rounds at Snetterton and Knockhill, the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team head back to their home round at Brands Hatch, ready to return to the top step of the podium around the iconic Grand Prix circuit.

The annual Brands Hatch summer event sees one of the largest crowds of the season, and JG Speedfit Kawasaki duo James Ellison and James Westmoreland will be looking to put on a memorable display this weekend. On the MCE British Superbike Championship’s visit to the shorter Brands Hatch Indy circuit earlier this year, Ellison proved unbeatable as he took pole position, both race wins and a new lap record, something he will be looking to replicate around the longer Grand Prix course.

Often referred to as the home of Superbike racing in the UK, the Brands Hatch GP circuit is one of the most iconic motorsport venues in the world and a firm favourite amongst fans and riders alike. With a mix of undulations, fast and flowing corners and the slow Druids hairpin, it is considered a true ‘riders’ circuit whilst the amphitheatre style gives fans an unrivalled view of the action.

This weekend will also be an extra special one for fans, as the ‘Monster Energy Fans' day on Thursday will give spectators the chance to get up close and personal with the team as they prepare for the weekend ahead. Both Ellison and Westy will also be giving live interviews at 14.10 on the Monster Energy stage. Sunday sees the riders who qualify on the front row of the grid for race two able to enter the Monster Energy ‘King of Brands Hatch’, whereby they will be given the option to start from the back row of the grid and battle their way through the field to not only earn the ‘King of Brands’ trophy but also a prize purse of £50,000.



Eager to make amends for Knockhill, James Ellison is looking to repeat his Brands Hatch form from earlier this season

“The last few rounds haven’t gone to plan at all so I’m really looking forward to getting back out at Brands Hatch and putting things right! We had an incredible round here back in April and although the Indy track is different to the full circuit, we can certainly carry over a lot of the information that will hopefully mean we can kick off Friday morning strongly. 

I’m still struggling a little with the injury, but it didn’t affect me too much at Knockhill and Brands is a less physical track so I don’t think it will be too much of a problem this weekend. Even with the way things went at Snetterton and Knockhill we were still one of, if not the fastest, riders of the weekend so I don’t see any reason why we can’t do that again and get back to where we belong. The King of Brands option is certainly an interesting prospect, I think it will all depend on how close the times are between the top 20 riders or so but if we’re in a position where I think we can still get through to the front group then I might just go for it!”

Coming off the back of his best finishes of the year, James Westmoreland has now set his sights on breaking into the top five

“We made some massive improvements at Knockhill so I’m quite excited for first free practice at Brands to see how they work at a different circuit. The whole weekend in Scotland I felt comfortable on the bike and a lot more settled so I’m pretty confident that we can be running top ten from the off Friday. 

Brands is a great circuit and the crowd for the summer round always push you on to do your best. It’s a circuit that I’ve done well at in the past and have had some great results there so the aim for this weekend is to not just pick up where we left off at Knockhill but also ensure we get through to Q3. Qualifying is certainly an area I’ve been a bit weak at this year so it’s vital we work on that this weekend as its key to success on Sunday! ”

JG Speedfit Kawasaki Team Principal Mark Smith-Halvorsen added,

“The Brands Hatch summer round is always an exciting weekend and the vast crowd that packs the Indy circuit certainly create an unbeatable atmosphere. We’ve had a couple of difficult races at Snetterton and Knockhill but the entire team have been working hard to ensure we head into this weekend ready to put those results behind us and focus on returning to the podium!

Brands Hatch is not only GBmoto’s home event, but our sponsors JG Speedfit and Global Reach Partners too - so both James Ellison and James Westmoreland can be guaranteed of plenty of support from our crowd! The introduction of the ‘King of Brands’ award is an exciting prospect, although we’ll have to see how things go over the course of the weekend, before we decide as a team if that is an option that we have or will consider”

MCE British Superbike Calendar 2015

17/18/19 July                 Brands Hatch GP (Kent)
31 July - 1/2 August       Thruxton (Hampshire)
21/22/23 August            Cadwell Park (Lincolnshire)
4/5/6 September            Oulton Park International (Cheshire)
18/19/20 September      TT Circuit Assen (The Netherlands)
2/3/4 October                Silverstone GP (Northamptonshire)
16/17/18 October           Brands Hatch GP (Kent)