Jack Kennedy gets his best placed finish of the 2023 season at Brands Hatch.

Mar-Train Yamaha Racing’s Jack Kennedy reflected on a “mixed bag” at Brands Hatch despite claiming his best finish of the season so far in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Kennedy surged to fourth place in a rain-affected sprint race on Saturday, which he followed up with 10th and 13th-placed finishes on Sunday.

The Dubliner excelled in Saturday’s wet conditions before a red flag brought a premature halt to proceedings due to an oil spillage on the track.
Kennedy had qualified fourth following an impressive Superpole earlier in the day, but some bike issues on Sunday stalled any further progress for the Mar-Train Yamaha Racing team

Jack Kennedy

He said: “Definitely mixed emotions over the weekend. We did well to get through Q1 and into Superpole, and then it rained.

“I was able to put it P4 on the grid thanks to the bike Mar-Train gave me for the wet conditions. I was able to push in the rain.

“I was really happy to bring home fourth place. That’s my best and the team’s best in the Superbikes.

“Of course, I wish the race had gone the full distance. I felt comfortable on the bike and in the conditions and I could maybe have caught up with the front guys.

“But that’s all ifs, buts and maybes. It was just nice to ride along with the front guys.”

Reflecting on Sunday’s two races, Kennedy added: “I finished 10th in the first race. I had some front brake inconsistencies, and it was very hard to manage.

“I had to keep adjusting, and then I didn’t know if I would have a front brake at the end of the straight. So, it was tricky to manage.

“In race three I brought it home in 13th, but I struggled a bit with the bike. It was running at a high temperature which meant I lost a bit of power.

“The pace was crazy in race three, and I managed to hold on for the first half or so. But then I struggled after as the fuel load came down.

“I was disappointed to drop down three places near the end of that race, from 10th to 13th. But overall, we had another three points finishes and we move on to Thruxton.”

Mar-Train Yamaha Racing Team owner Tim Martin gleaned the positives from Saturday’s brilliant result in the wet, but shared Kennedy’s disappointment that the team couldn’t build more momentum on Sunday.

Tim Martin – Team Owner

“The weather was really poor on Saturday, and we had to go through Free Practice 4 and qualifying. In the Sprint Race we got a reasonably good start and ended up finishing fourth. Unfortunately, the race ended prematurely due to some oil spilling onto the track.

“It is still the best finish we have had in British Superbikes, and Jack’s highest finish as well. So that was a massive positive.”

Martin added: “On Sunday we started P4 on the grid for race two. We started brightly and Jack was competing in the top 5 or 7 for the opening laps. Then he drifted back a little bit to finish 10th.

“We then started P10 on the grid for race three and finished 13th. So, it was a mixed bag.

“We had a really good start to the weekend but unfortunately couldn’t progress as the weekend unfolded. That’s racing for you.

“We now look ahead to Thruxton in a couple weeks’ time. It is an old-fashioned fast circuit and is a good spectacle for everyone.

“I know Jack will be looking forward to that, as will all the team.”

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