Buildbase Suzuki has announced its 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship line-up of former Moto3 World Champion Danny Kent joining Moto2 podium finisher Gino Rea to campaign the GSX-R1000R Superbikes.
Kent, who won his coveted title in 2015, joins the Bennetts BSB grid after racing in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship last year, where he was a race winner and podium finisher.
Kent joins a fellow World Championship competitor at Buildbase Suzuki, with Rea remaining with the team after an impressive appearance with the team during 2020. Joining the ranks after the first round had taken place and with no pre-season testing last year, Rea still fought at the sharp end and claimed a best finish of fourth at Donington Park and now the 2009 European Superstock 600 champion is feeling confident ahead of the new season.
Kent said: “I’m really motivated and happy to be joining the Buildbase Suzuki team and I’m looking forward to riding the superbike. I think a lot of people will know that my career has had both the highest highs and the lowest lows in recent years, with 2019 being a particularly low point, so I’m really grateful to Steve and Stuart [Hicken] for this opportunity. Last year I was able to take a step back and I had a good season in Superstock 1000, where I could spend more time learning how to get the best out of a 1000cc machine and prove to people I could still race a bike, and obviously I won at the last round.
“Moving to a superbike, I think my GP experience could mean I’ll manage quite well as I’m used to a stiffer chassis setup, racing swingarms, slicks, things like that. But I also know I still have a lot of learning to do; getting used to just the speed of the bikes, and some UK tracks I’ve either not been to or not raced at since 2007. I also know I’m joining a team with a lot of experience and a proven record of winning races and championships. I’m setting expectations high: I’d like to be in the Showdown at the end of the year, so hopefully we can have a good winter and find a good direction with the bike setup, and I’m excited to get started.”
Rea said: “I’m really excited to be staying with Buildbase Suzuki for 2021. Hawk Racing is one of the oldest and most experienced teams in BSB and I’ve had a lot of respect for everyone involved since stepping into the championship, so I’m very thankful to Steve and Stuart for the opportunity to race for them again.
“After joining them last year and seeing the progress we made, which resulted in leading my first BSB race with them, it’s the perfect scenario to continue together and build on our hard work from last season. Steve and Stuart are so passionate about their racing, which makes it nice and a refreshing environment to be in. I’m looking forward to getting my head down and working hard to build on our results from 2020 and give the team the results they deserve.”
Buildbase Suzuki Team Manager, Steve Hicken, commented: “I think we’re going to have one of the most talented rider line-ups on the grid this season. As a world champion at Grand Prix level, Danny’s ability is beyond question, and while he’s still relatively new to big capacity production bikes we saw him win in Superstock last year, and I think he’ll be able to adapt to the superbike very quickly and will be very exciting to watch.
“Gino’s credentials also speak for themselves as a European champion and podium finisher in Grand Prix, and I think some continuity in BSB after a couple of unsettled years will help him show his best. We started to see what he could do at the tail end of last year – leading and fighting for a podium – and hopefully we can pick up from where we left off and continue that form from the off this season.”