B.E. Racing team owner John Burrows is cautiously optimistic of securing Manx rider Dan Kneen’s signature for the 2015 season this week.

Kneen took the Irish National road racing scene by storm, clinching the Superbike crown at his first attempt and chalking up a hatful of wins on his debuts at circuits including Cookstown, Tandragee, Kells, Skerries, Walderstown and Faugheen.

The Braddan rider also enjoyed an excellent Isle of Man TT and shone at the Southern 100 in July before scaling new heights as he sealed his first international victory with a stunning ride in the Superstock race at the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod last month, taking a thrilling win over Bradford’s Dean Harrison.

Kneen was caught up in a crash in the first Supersport race at Ireland’s corner and suffered broken bones in his foot, but he will fly to Northern Ireland on Friday for a further assessment and Burrows is hopeful the Isle of Man rider will be fit enough to join Skerries man Michael Sweeney in the B.E. Racing colours at the Macau Grand Prix in November.

“Both Dan and Michael Sweeney will be going to Macau in the B.E. Racing colours. Sweeney is using his own Superstock bike in my colours – unfortunately we don’t have a big bike available for him, but Dan will be riding the big Suzuki he’s been riding all season,” Burrows told the News Letter.

“Dan will be attending the Royal Victoria Hospital on Friday and hopefully he’ll get the plaster cast off and then he can have his foot assessed. We’ve got about four weeks after that until we go to Macau so hopefully he’ll be more or less back to good fitness.

“He broke all the bones across the top of his foot in the crash at Dundrod and he’s going to the Royal because he wants to stick with the same surgeon who did the initial operation after the accident.

“We’ll know more on Friday depending on what they say,” Burrows added. “The plaster wasn’t due off just yet but Dan’s been going to the hyperbaric chamber for three hours a day every day since the accident, so that has helped speed things along.”

Turning his attention to the potential of securing Kneen’s signature for a second season, Burrows said he hoped to have further talks with the Manxman this week.

“We’ve a few things to finalise yet with Dan although we probably are pretty much there with it.

“There’s no guarantee that he’ll be riding for me yet but hopefully we’ll be able to sort it out,” he said.

“We’ve had discussions on the phone and Dan seems as keen to go with us again next year as we are to have him, but I’ve told him that if something better comes along I won’t stand in his way.

“We’ve a few details to look at but I’d be hopeful that we can do something. It’s our full intention to have Dan on board, put it like that, but we’ll see what happens.”

Burrows has received title backing in recent seasons from Northern Ireland company Cookstown, but is presently working on tying up further backing for 2015.

“At this minute in time we don’t have a title sponsor on board yet for next year so we’ve a few things to look at around that side of things as well,” he said.

“I feel Dan could really build on what he achieved this year.

“But we’ll know more about where we stand this week.”




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