Kennedy to RAF Kawasaki, Suzuki expands to three for Farmer

Buildbase Suzuki will expand to a three-man effort for round four of the 2020 British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park as Keith Farmer makes his return, while Jack Kennedy joins an expanded RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki line-up.

The Hawk Racing team which runs Suzuki’s BSB effort intended to start the 2020 season with Farmer and rookie sensation Kyle Ryde - winner of the most recent two races at Silverstone - but the Ulsterman was injured in an accident during round one.

As such, Gino Rea stepped in for rounds two and three, scoring solid points aboard the GSX-R100R and convincing the team to enter a trio of bikes for this weekend’s event.

“It felt really good to be back on a Superbike today and I have to thank Steve and the Buildbase Suzuki team,” Farmer, who has not started a BSB race since June 2019 after breaking his leg at Knockhill, said. “We got some good laps in and it felt better than I expected to be honest – it must have been the adrenaline of being back on track!

“I have been having laser treatment and physio since the operation on the ligaments and I have been out on the motocross bike too. It is unbelievable what can be achieved now and I have to thank everyone involved in my treatment.

“I know it will be a tough weekend at Oulton Park with very little down time with qualifying and three races, but my goal is to get some races under my belt because it feels like such a long time since that last happened! I just want to have a consistent weekend and then step up at each of the last events.”

Buildbase Suzuki won’t be the only team with an expanded line-up for Oulton Park after RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki snapped up BSSP champion Kennedy, who recently lost his ride with TAG Yamaha following the team’s withdrawal.

The Irishman will be paired with Ryan Vickers on another Kawasaki ZX-10RR for the remainder of the 2020 BSB season