MMB Racing rounded off their 2025 British Supersport Championship campaign at Brands Hatch with a weekend of highs and lows. In Saturday’s dry Sprint Race, Eugene McManus delivered a superb performance to finish fourth, set a new lap record, and claim pole position for Sunday’s Feature Race. Teammate Harry Truelove also impressed, battling hard to take eighth place. However, Sunday’s wet conditions brought a tougher challenge — McManus suffered a DNF after a fall while running in the lead group. In contrast, Truelove brought his Ducati home safely in 12th, concluding a strong season for the MMB Racing duo. However, the season ended on a real high, with James McManus making a return, thanks to the Haslam family who supplied a BMW900 for him to race on for the final weekend of the season as he battles back from injury earlier in the season.
Friday Practice
Friday’s conditions remained dry but cool, with riders using the two half-hour sessions to fine-tune bike setups and adapt to the fast, flowing Brands Hatch GP layout.
The morning session was briefly interrupted by a red flag, but once underway again, both MMB riders got straight to work. McManus ended FP1 in 8th place with a best lap of 1:29.079, while Truelove finished 13th on 1:29.798.
In the afternoon’s second session, the pace quickened dramatically. McManus impressed with a 1:27.831, securing 4th fastest overall, while Truelove continued to improve, setting a 1:28.606 on his final flying lap to finish the day 11th on combined times. Both riders comfortably progressed straight into Qualifying 2, avoiding the first qualifying session cut.
Qualifying
Saturday morning’s qualifying session saw blistering pace across the field, with the top six riders lapping under the existing race lap record of 1:27.675 — an early sign of the intense competition ahead.
Eugene McManus delivered another strong performance, setting the 5th quickest lap, placing him well within striking distance to be among the race leaders.
Harry Truelove showed his trademark determination, improving steadily throughout the session before posting a 1:28.318 on his final lap to secure 11th on the grid for the Sprint Race.
Sprint Race – 12 laps
Saturday afternoon’s 12-lap Sprint Race was a thriller from start to finish. McManus got away cleanly, maintaining his position after a tight opening lap. By lap five, he had climbed to fourth place, just seven-tenths off the lead trio. As the laps ticked down, he closed the gap relentlessly, crossing the line a mere 0.135 seconds off the podium — and only 0.314 seconds behind the race winner.
In the process, McManus shattered the previous lap record, clocking an incredible 1:27.101, which also secured him pole position for Sunday’s 15-lap Feature Race.
Truelove’s race was equally hard-fought. Launching from 11th, he stormed up to 7th on the opening lap and spent the majority of the race battling in a tight four-rider group for 8th place. Despite relentless pressure from behind, he showed composure and consistency, reclaiming 8th position on the final lap after briefly slipping to 9th — a strong performance that demonstrated both pace and determination.
Feature Race – 15 laps
With McManus starting from pole and Truelove lining up 9th, MMB Racing were well placed to end their 2025 campaign on a high. Both riders were aiming to carry their Sprint Race momentum into Sunday’s 15-lap Feature Race, with the potential for another podium challenge and a strong double-points finish for the team.
However, the weather had other ideas. The organisers wisely adjusted the timetable, bringing the race start forward as heavy rain loomed over Brands Hatch. Even so, the riders faced a wet and slippery track, making full wet tyres the only sensible choice.
Both MMB Racing riders made cautious starts in the tricky conditions, McManus slipping back to sixth and Truelove to 15th in the opening laps. The race was neutralised on lap four following a crash at Paddock Hill Bend, bringing out the safety car and allowing the field to bunch back up.
When racing resumed a lap later, McManus remained in the leading group but dropped to seventh. Truelove held steady in 15th, keeping his Ducati upright in the worsening spray.
Then, on lap nine, the safety car was deployed again — this time following a crash involving McManus himself at Paddock Hill Bend. Thankfully, he was unhurt, but his race and season came to an abrupt end.
That left Truelove as MMB Racing’s sole remaining rider. Despite the treacherous conditions, he maintained a strong pace within a competitive group of four riders, eventually bringing his machine home in 12th place, securing valuable points and concluding the team’s 2025 British Supersport campaign.
Eugene McManus ended the championship on 239 points, finishing 6th overall, with three podiums finishes during the season. Teammate Harry Truelove moved up to 9th with 146 points — a strong result for both riders and a positive conclusion to MMB Racing’s 2025 British Supersport season.
The real highlight for the team, however, was seeing James McManus back on two wheels after his injury early in the season. The team would like to say a big thank you as always to the Haslam Family for supplying James with a BMW900 to play on this weekend at Brands Hatch.
