BSB: Buchan and FS-3 Kawasaki together again in 2019

Danny Buchan will remain with the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki squad for the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

The double National Superstock 1000 champion has impressed with the Coventry-based set-up this year, enjoying his strongest season in BSB to date after several troubled seasons earlier in his career.

Having developed himself a bit of a reputation as a crasher in the superbike class, a consistent Buchan proved critics wrong this year. Until Thruxton, when he was wiped out by another rider, Buchan was the only rider on the grid other than series leader Haslam to have finished every race in the points.

A double rostrum at Knockhill showed the youngster’s potential, as did going on to narrowly miss out on a second Showdown spot. While things haven’t gone to plan in recent rounds, his early season form was enough to convince team bosses Nigel Snook and Darren Fry to retain him for another season.

“I am really happy to be staying with FS-3 Racing Kawasaki for next year because we have worked so hard this year and I know that we have much more to still to come,” he said. “The consistency is so important for 2019, especially with so many changes in other teams; I know what we can achieve and I think it can only get better.

“I really feel that we are front-runners; it is like I have said before, you either sink or swim and I am a swimmer! We all want to be even stronger next year and with the improvements we have working together with Kawasaki we will be ready to roll at round one.

“We just missed out on the Showdown this year, but that has to be the goal for 2019 and to be regularly fighting for the podium. We have shown we can do it, so we need to raise the bar again and I am excited to be doing it again with a team and crew that I know.”

Snook added: “Giving Danny an opportunity to capitalise on his second Superstock title and establish himself as a superbike rider was a calculated risk, but one we’re delighted paid off.

“He had a strong and consistent first half of the season, including the two podiums at Knockhill, and that brought Danny to within four points of a Showdown place.

“Danny and the team have established a close and positive relationship which should give us a head-start next season. On the technical side, we’ll have the benefit of the new engine from Kawasaki and we’re building on our close relationship with K-Tec which includes a planned three-day suspension development test in Spain in mid-November.

“Together, Danny and the team have the speed and equipment to be regular be front-runners, so making next year’s Showdown is our number one objective.”