Honda Racing aims for Scottish silverware at Knockhill
Honda Racing passes Hadrian’s Wall this week on its way to Round 4 of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship (BSB) and Quattro British Supersport Championship at Knockhill (July 4-6). The short, undulating circuit on the Scottish hillsides in Fife is a favourite for riders and fans alike, bringing a unique challenge to the visiting series.
The Honda team arrives hot on the heels of its most successful event of the season so far. Two weeks ago at Snetterton, last year’s BSB vice-champion Tommy Bridewell claimed the first podium finishes of his 2025 campaign on the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, while defending Supersport champion Jack Kennedy claimed his first victory of the year aboard the Honda CBR600RR.
From the flat, open expanses of Norfolk, the action now moves to a circuit which changes in elevation by 121 feet (37 metres) from the highest to the lowest parts of the 1.3-mile layout. This creates a challenge that Honda’s riders relish, with Bridewell taking two pole positions and one win among three podium finishes at last year’s event, while team-mate Andrew Irwin also reached the BSB podium.
In Supersport, Kennedy won both races at Knockhill in 2024 and will be eager to repeat that feat again this weekend in his battle to claim a sixth title. The Irishman’s team-mate Dean Harrison, a double winner at last month’s Isle of Man TT, will also seek to land his first podium of the British Supersport season at Knockhill, a circuit that he enjoys.
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Tommy Bridewell
“It sounds like we’re in for a weekend like last year with intermittent weather, a bit of everything in the mix, and so we’ll have to take it as it comes. On the Saturday last year it was dry and I won that one, I was able to just ride away from them, and then the two races on Sunday were wet and pretty miserable! Knockhill is one of those rounds that I’d say is very nadgery. It’s not always about trying to be at the optimum pace for each corner, because often if you’re quick in one part you often won’t be quick in another. So it’s about stringing together a lap and balancing it all out as the best compromise, really. I don’t mind it, I think it’s a tricky circuit for a 230 bhp superbike, but it’s great to see the number of Scottish fans who come out to see us and to see the strong following that BSB has around the country. For me, the last round at Snetterton was much stronger and we made a good step in understanding the bike. We still have weak areas, so this weekend is about continuing to work as positively as we did at Snetterton and carrying that progress forwards to close the gap a bit more to the guys who’ve been at the front so far.”
Andrew Irwin
“I’m looking forward to Knockhill, it’s a track that I’ve always enjoyed. The start of my season hasn’t gone exactly to plan but we were fast at Donington and I think that will translate into how we run this weekend. Three solid races is the plan, from which we can really change the shape of our season from this point onwards. I’ve got good memories of Knockhill; last year, we ran well and I was quick in the wet, which may be a factor this year. It feels like sort of a home round; the Scottish fans are really welcoming and the circuit is truly unique. Certainly, it’s a big change from Snetterton last time out, and the variety of tracks that we get to race on in BSB is part of what makes the series so good.”
Jack Kennedy
“You could say that Knockhill was the turning point of our season last year; it was where we found our form and got a really good setting with the bike. Saturday was dry and we won and Sunday was wet and we won again so it’s all pretty positive. I feel quite ready, and you can say that the bike is in a better place now than it was last year, too. We got our first win of the season last time out at Snetterton and so I can’t wait to get back and enjoy Knockhill. For some reason the whole place, the atmosphere and the fans, remind me of Mondello Park back in Ireland. I really enjoy that aspect of it.”
Dean Harrison
“I don’t see why we shouldn’t have a good weekend at Knockhill. I’m looking forward to my first time there on the CBR600RR. I don’t have a massive amount of experience there, to be honest, but I don’t actually mind the place. The thing with Knockhill is that it rains a lot there. Last year it rained on the way there and it was still raining when I left, there were just a couple of dry sessions all weekend! But I’m actually looking forward to it. I’m feeling good, the bike’s good, I’ve got my brain back into short circuit riding and, as far as little tracks go, it’s one of the most technical. I’m ready to go for sure.”
Team Manager Havier Beltran
“We’ve been building momentum through the first part of the season, working with the riders to get their machines to the point where they can mount a sustained challenge - and the signs are encouraging. Both the Superbike and Supersport classes are so competitive that every podium and race win is extremely hard-earned, and that is not going to change very soon. Knockhill is a track that our riders enjoy and that we’ve seen success at, so we will be fully focused on building from where we got to at Snetterton and aiming for more success.”