Francis takes win on return from broken arm

Joe Francis took a dominant victory for Keith Flint’s CAME BPT Yamaha team in the Motorpoint British Supersport championship at Brands Hatch this weekend, just weeks after breaking his arm in the opening round of the season.

The Cheshire ace was out of action for more than a month after a crash in the wet spring race at Silverstone left him with a broken arm, but that didn’t stop the youngster as he returned at Brands Hatch. 

The former Motostar British Champion checked out in the early stages to control the race from the front and comfortably secure his debut victory in the 600cc Supersport class. The win came just 24 hours after a clever race saw Francis cross the line second to team-mate James Westmoreland after opting not to take risks in sketchy conditions.

“It really has been a great weekend and I know I’m still only 80% fit,” he said after the race. “It has only been five weeks since I broke my arm and they didn’t know at the start how long I would be out of action for but I was determined to be back for Brands.

“I was  only able to train for two weeks prior to Brands so I’m sure there is a lot more to come. I’m so pleased with the results this weekend  and to take my first win for the team is a brilliant feeling and I would like to thank all the CAME BPT team for their continued support towards me.

“With the weather conditions changing before the Sprint race I really didn’t want to push hard and risk hurting myself again, I just felt really comfortable on the bike and was able to ride it to the best of my ability, which allowed me to take my first Supersport podium.

“The second race just ran like a dream really, it was hard to lead 25 laps and keep your concentration 100%. I felt good and just rode the bike, I saw I pulled out a big lead so did ease off a little in the closing laps. It’s brilliant to gain my first win on my first complete race weekend and I can’t wait for the rest of the season now.”