The battle for the 2015 MCE British Superbike Championship title begins in earnest this weekend for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team as Title Fighter James Ellison and team mate James Westmoreland head to the iconic Assen circuit in the Netherlands.

Having cemented his position in the all-important top six last time out at Oulton Park, JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider James Ellison heads into the opening round of the Showdown just 31 points adrift of the series lead. Although still suffering slightly with his injured wrist, Ellison will be looking to return to the top step of the podium and reduce the gap as he bids to secure his and the team’s first MCE British Superbike Championship title. Although not making the Showdown, team mate James Westmoreland enjoyed a strong showing at Oulton Park and heads into the Assen ready to challenge for the podium again and help Ellison.

Dubbed the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, Assen is one of the most iconic motorsport venues in the world and is considered a true Mecca for motorcycle racing. The 2.8 mile circuit is a fast and flowing circuit whilst the final chicane is a crucial section for last lap overtakes.

Ellison looking to return to the top step

Excited to get back out on his JG Speedfit Kawasaki ZX-10R, James Ellison said

“Although I’m still not 100%, I’m in a much better shape than I was at Oulton so I’m heading to Assen this weekend ready to challenge the front runners again. It is still a matter of time until I’m fully healed but we showed we can still challenge for the podium. 

Assen is a good circuit for me and the Kawasaki works well around there so we’re in a good position to kick-start our Showdown challenge. We’re 31 points behind Josh in the series, and everyone will be stepping up for the final seven races, but I believe we have the package to win the Championship so we’ll be taking each race as it comes and will keep chipping away.”

Looking forward to returning to Holland, James Westmoreland added,

“Although Assen is still a relatively new circuit for me compared to the rest of the calendar, it’s a fantastic circuit and one I look forward to going to. The long range forecasts are looking good, but if previous years are anything to go by then we need to be prepared for any kind of weather! 

Oulton was a bit of a mixed weekend for us, I struggled on the opening day which really put us on the back foot for the qualifying and the races. That said, the guys were brilliant and we were able to turn it around but we need to make sure we hit the ground running from opening practice this weekend. The bike should work well around Assen, so I believe we’ll be pushing further up the leader board than we were the past few rounds.”

JG Speedfit Kawasaki Team Manager Mike Kane added,

“Our goal at Oulton was to secure our position in the Showdown, which we succeeded in doing. It means James Ellison and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team can now challenge for the 2015 MCE British Superbike Championship title and although we’re 31 points behind, we’ve seen how competitive James is when he’s fit so I’m confident we can reduce that gap this weekend at Assen.

Westy had a good showing at Oulton and we’re now heading into three circuits which suit the Kawasaki ZX-10R so I’m confident we can see him back towards the front and hopefully challenging for another podium.”