Brands was always going to be a tough round for the team as it was the first time they had competed with the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Having struggled in qualifying, both Superbike riders found their feet in the race with Stuart Easton briefly taking the lead and nearly securing a dream podium finish. In the second race Stuart built on his impressive first outing on the Ninja ZX-10R to take a hard fought sixth place while Gary Mason overcame his first race difficulties to finish tenth. These results see Stuart Easton leaving Brands placed third in the BSB Championship, a result the team was not expecting due to the newness of the bike, which is getting stronger every outing.

Stuart Easton said,

“To be honest I’m pretty shocked at our results – we had some problems over the weekend and to leave Brands in third place in the Championship is a fantastic result. The chassis on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R isn’t quite there yet and we struggled towards the end of the race with side-grip and the front end. It’s still very early days for the team and I think this year will be about consistency, getting those points in the bag. I’m gutted to miss out on a podium in race one but I knew that whoever was behind was close and I tried to keep them off but nearly lost the front. With a fourth and a sixth I haven’t sprayed any champagne but I’m satisfied and looking forward to Oulton, which I think will suit the bike.”

Gary Mason said,

“My second race was certainly better than the first and I think we are getting there with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Brands isn’t a great track for us and with a new bike it’s hard to get on the pace, a few tenths here and there make a big difference around such a short track. But there is certainly potential, I went faster today than I ever have around Brands and as always the boys worked their guts out. I’m now really looking forward to Oulton which is a rider’s circuit and one I love.”

National Superstock 1000 rider Danny Buchan took a win in his first Superstock 1000 race for MSS Colchester Kawasaki after a nail-biting final lap move. Having taken the lead on lap six of a shortened 16-lap race following a red-flag incident, Team Green academy rider Danny held off a determined challenge from second place Jason O’Halloran on the final corner to take the chequered flag. Team mate Howie Mainwaring finished a creditable fifth place, an excellent result after a weekend marred by crashes and mechanical issues.

Danny Buchan said,

“It was a bit tight in the end but we knew the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R had the pace in qualifying so it was up to me to get out there and push for the win. When I took the lead I knew that Jason O’Halloran would fight back but as soon as he did I reacted to him, kept it tight at Druids and controlled the race. When he came by on the final lap I knew I had the power and drive out of Clearways so I could have slip-streamed him but I reacted instantly and got on the power instead. There was no way I was letting him past. There have been a few people saying I’m too young for Superstock and not aggressive enough, but now they know how it is.”

Howie Mainwaring said,

“I’ve had some bad luck over the weekend, as well as a few crashes, so I’m happy to get a solid fifth place. I could have pushed harder and possibly kept up with the leading group but it’s better to get the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R home and secure points than risk another crash.”

Team owner Nick Morgan said,

“This weekend started off as a bit of an unknown quantity, we hadn’t raced the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R before so overall I’m really happy with the results. Stuart is third in the BSB Championship, Danny is leading the Superstock and everyone else put in strong performances. I’ve got to give it to Danny though, a seventeen year old, first time out on the bike and he wasn’t phased at all, even in the last corner of the last lap. As a team we always knew that Brands would be hard, it was never going to be in our top three tracks we want to go to but we are leaving with some great results, and so nearly a podium in Superbike. It’s been a hard slog, but the whole team has worked well and we are certainly confident for Oulton Park.