The Quattro British Supersport Championship headed to the demanding Brands Hatch circuit this weekend, where Luke Stapleford and the Scars Racing Ducati team battled through another challenging round to secure valuable championship points. Brands Hatch has never been one of Stapleford’s favourite circuits, but the team made the most of the weekend, claiming seventh place in Race One before bouncing back with an impressive third-place finish in Race Two.

The team continues to face the challenge of adapting to the new Ducati regulations, which have significantly affected the bike’s set-up and handling. Alongside these technical changes, Stapleford has also been refining his riding style to maximise the potential of the package. The weekend began positively in practice, although the pace increased dramatically as the event progressed. Stapleford delivered a strong qualifying performance to secure third on the grid for Race One.

A good launch saw him well placed into the opening laps, but a mistake at Turn Two, a corner that proved troublesome throughout the weekend saw him run wide and lose several positions. Despite pushing hard, he was unable to close the gap to the leading group and crossed the line in seventh.

Starting fourth on the grid for Race Two, Stapleford again made an excellent start and quickly found himself in a seven-rider battle for victory. He briefly led the chasing pack after making several decisive moves, but ultimately couldn’t match the pace of race winner Bayliss and Jack Kennedy. Nevertheless, he secured a hard-earned third place, adding another podium to the team’s tally. The result also strengthened Stapleford’s position at the top of the championship standings, extending his lead by a further two points.

Luke Stapleford:

“It was a difficult weekend for us but ended on a high, extending the championship lead by a couple of points and grabbing a podium.

I can’t thank the boys enough. They’ve grafted hard over a few tough weekends, but we’re on the right track and focused on getting the job done.”

Leigh Finlay – Team Owner:

“We’ve had to work really hard to adapt to the new restrictive rules and we’ve still managed podium finishes over the past few rounds.

Everyone is working hard and Luke is riding really well. We know we’ll get on top of this problem and come back fighting even stronger.”