BSB: Franco Bourne steps up to Superbike class at Snetterton

Franco Bourne will step up to the Superbike class at Snetterton and join the factory Honda Racing UK team.

Franco Bourne will step up to the BSB class and replace Andrew Irwin in the Honda Racing UK team. The 19-year-old will be his temporarily replace Irwin who continues to recover from his crash at the Knockhill test.

Bourne has had a successful season in the Pirelli Nation Superstock Championship for the Marvel HCL Motorsport team. He currently sits in third position in the standings, behind Richard Kerr. So far, he has had three podiums this year, including one race win at Silverstone in the opening round.

The 2020 Honda British Talent Cup champion, continued his seamless adaptation to racing a ‘big bike’ at round two where he backed up his impressive early season form with another podium at Oulton Park, cementing his credentials as a future star.  

Bourne attended a short shakedown test for the team at Cadwell Park last Thursday to acquaint himself with the Superbike. This is before he makes his debut at the fifth round of Bennetts BSB at Snetterton.

Bourne will join Tom Neave in the Honda Racing UK team who currently sits in 13th In the championship standings.

Bourne said: “I hope that Andrew is ok, I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery. I have to say when this chance came about, I was obviously disappointed with what had happened to Andrew. But I was extremely happy to take the opportunity to jump onto such a good bike with a team as established as Honda Racing.

“I’ve known Harv for over ten years, since my first introduction to riding on tarmac through the Bikewise initiative, and I want to thank him for giving me this fantastic opportunity.

“I came onto the Honda Fireblade in Superstock off the back of riding a bike that I really struggled with, so the adaptation has been great. I gelled with it as a bike immediately even though everything was so new, the chassis, the brakes, the power and the slick tyres. But it’s a bike that I adapted to very quickly. I think this will stand me in good stead with racing the Superbike.

“We had a small shakedown test, to adjust the riding position and give me a quick feel of things. I think the fact that riding a Superstock is so new, it will help me to adapt again as the Superbike just does everything that the Superstock bike does, but it does it a little bit better. I know there is a lot of learning to do.

“The bike is definitely more physical to ride too and I didn’t push too much, so I’m excited to see what we can do. I come away from that small test with loads more positives than negatives.

“I want to thank Matthew Bainbridge, Pete Boast and all of the team at Marvel HCL Motorsport for getting me to where I am today, and for allowing me to grab this opportunity with both hands.”

Image credit: britishsuperbike.com