Honda Racing UK concludes 2026 British Supersport campaign after dramatic final weekend
With the championship title still mathematically within reach, Jack Kennedy arrived at the final round determined to take the fight to the very end. The five-time British Supersport Champion wasted no time in showing his intentions, topping the combined free practice classification on Friday with a lap of 1:28.236, while teammate Dean Harrison completed an impressive opening day in third position, just 0.208 seconds behind.
Kennedy carried that momentum into Saturday’s sprint race, fighting at the front and taking his turn leading the field as he looked to keep his championship ambitions alive. Despite throwing everything into the contest, Jack and the CBR600RR crossed the line in second place, just 0.046 seconds behind race winner Oli Bayliss after 12 fiercely contested laps.
Harrison was equally impressive, producing a strong ride to fifth position and setting the fastest lap of the race with a 1:27.771. His performance secured pole position for Sunday’s feature race, providing further evidence of the progress made by the multiple TT winner and the CBR600RR in his first full championship season in the class.
Sunday brought an entirely different challenge as rain arrived at Brands Hatch, leaving teams and riders facing difficult decisions over tyre selection for the final race of the season.
With conditions uncertain and the possibility of a drying circuit, the Honda Racing UK garage split its strategy. Kennedy elected to run full slick tyres, while Harrison committed to full wets, each rider taking a different approach to the changing track conditions.
For Kennedy, the gamble proved a step too far. The circuit remained too wet for the slick-shod CBR600RR to operate at its best, leaving the Irishman struggling for grip and unable to reproduce the pace that had made him a front-running contender throughout the weekend. As the track gradually improved, Kennedy’s lap times began to recover, with a noticeable improvement over the final two laps. However, the opportunity to fight at the front had already passed, and he eventually finished in 20th position.
Harrison’s decision to run full wet tyres provided greater confidence in the early stages, although the changing conditions presented their own challenges as the race progressed. Starting from pole position, the Yorkshireman battled through the 12-lap encounter to finish ninth, bringing his final Supersport appearance of the 2026 season to a close with another points-scoring result.
The weekend marked the conclusion of a demanding campaign for Honda Racing UK in the British Supersport Championship, with Kennedy finishing second in the overall standings on 398 points and Harrison fourth with 332 points.
Both riders have played an important role in the continued development of the Honda CBR600RR throughout the season, combining their experience, determination and technical feedback to push the package forward against increasingly competitive opposition.
With the final chequered flag of 2026 now behind them, Kennedy and Harrison will take a well-earned week or so to relax and recharge before turning their attention to their winter training and preparation programmes for the 2027 season.
For Honda Racing UK, the focus now shifts towards building on the lessons learned throughout 2026 and returning stronger for the challenges ahead.
Jack Kennedy
The last race didn’t represent the challenge we had on all season in the Championship. The pressure was off by the time it got started as it was impossible to win the Championship. I took a gamble and went with the full slicks because the start finish wasn't that bad and it wasn’t raining as we sat up on the grid. As the race got away and we got into turns two to four I knew I’d made the wrong choice. I knew I had a massive battle to even stay on the bike, never mind, score some points. I managed to stay on it and keep improving by probably a second every lap but it was far too little too late though as the race was away from me at the front. I was obviously disappointed but at the same time, I’m really happy to hold on to second in the championship. I think it’s clear to everyone that has watched our season play out that we haven’t stopped pushing for a single corner, let alone a lap. The team gave it everything and I did too, we had to if we wanted to keep our championship hopes up. I’m super grateful to my crew chief and the team we’ve built around us for this challenge and I’m ready to keep pushing in 2027. It’s impossible to race without team and private sponsors and I’m thankful to them and to Honda UK for giving me the opportunity to race this year. I’ll take a short break with my family and then we’ll start our preparations for 2027.
Dean Harrison
What a weekend to finish the season on. I had a podium at the start of the year at Donington Park and finished with a pole position at Brands Hatch for the final race. I learned plenty in-between and clearly would have liked a little bit more pace, but it's important to remind myself that my teammate is a five times champion and this is my first full season in the British Supersport Championships. The weekend went okay, it's hard to accept not being at the front when you know you have the pace to do so, but we kept the bike upright in challenging conditions and raced hard. That's the story of our season really, pushing hard and racing at the front when we can. The CBR600RR has been great, as has the team that Honda Racing UK put around me. As you read this, I'm riding to Morocco on my Honda Africa Twin. I just love riding bikes and can't wait to get stuck into 2027. Thanks to my team, sponsors, friends and family for supporting me in 2026, I look forward to more of the same in 2027.
Team Manager Scot Hargreaves
Jack and Dean have been fighting at the sharp end throughout the year. Jack finishing second in the championship is a great achievement, and both riders have played their part in a strong season for the CBR600RR. We're incredibly fortunate to have the support of som many great sponsors and suppliers and I can't thank them all enough for their support in my first full season as the team manager. There's no real break for me, we've already started our 2027 plans. Thank you for your support, I hope we can repay you with more success next year.
