BSB: Bennetts Suzuki to run iconic Sheene livery at Brands Hatch

The Bennetts Suzuki team will celebrate 40 years since Barry Sheene took his maiden Grand Prix world title with a special livery at the seventh round of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Tommy Bridewell and Ryuichi Kiyonari will both race with their GSX-R adorned in the iconic red, white and yellow colours Sheene rode to glory in 1976 with Suzuki’s XR14 RG500.

The very bikes Sheene won the 1976 and 1977 world titles on will also be on display at Brands Hatch through the weekend.

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“Like so many, Barry Sheene was a hero of mine and the reason I got into bike racing,” said team boss Martin Halsall. “I remember lusting after Suzukis through the glass of the dealership in Bolton when I was younger, and I was really keen to come up with a way of doing something special this year to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of his first world title. Having watched the bike race in those colours in the ‘70s, it’s going to be really special to have our bikes in the same iconic livery.”

The celebration comes as Bennetts Suzuki return to the venue at which Tommy Bridewell took their debut Suzuki podium earlier this year. Finishing third in race one, Bridewell’s rostrum was Suzuki’s first in BSB since 2014. 

Team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari returns to Britain off the back of an impressive run at the Suzuka 8 Hour. After battling for the lead in the opening stages of the race, Kiyonari led an epic fightback for Team Kagayama after a number of problems mid-way through the gruelling endurance encounter to finish sixth. 

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