The stars of British Superbikes head to Bluewater on Thursday ahead of the Brands Hatch round this coming weekend.

The UK’s leading motorsport series, the MCE British Superbike Championship, arrives in Kent for the next round of the series at Brands Hatch this weekend (May 20/21/22) and ahead of the event Bluewater, Europe’s leading retail and leisure destination, will be hosting an exclusive preview this Thursday (May 19).

Throughout Thursday you will be able to get up close with the racing Superbikes at Bluewater ahead of them hitting the Kent circuit just a day later.

The 200bhp racing motorcycles can reach speeds of over 180mph and visitors to the destination can get a closer look ahead of the weekend’s action. The display will also feature the official Nissan GT-R Safety Car for four-wheel fans and Chris Walker’s British Sidecar contender.

There will also be two chances during Thursday to meet some of the MCE British Superbike Championship’s biggest stars with a meet and greet session from 13:30 – 14:30 and a second appearance later in the afternoon between 15:30 – 16:30.

Riders appearing at Bluewater during the afternoon include four-time champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and championship leader Christian Iddon plus a host of their biggest rivals ahead of the next two races of the 2016 season.

Meet and Greet – Session 1
13:30 – 14:30

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne Be Wiser Ducati
Dan Linfoot Honda Racing
Jason O’Halloran Honda Racing
James Ellison JG Speedfit Kawasaki
Danny Buchan Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati

Meet and Greet – Session 2
15:30 – 16:30

Christian Iddon Tyco BMW
John Hopkins ePayMe Yamaha
Stuart Easton ePayMe Yamaha
Leon Haslam JG Speedfit Kawasaki
James Rispoli Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha
Shaun Winfield Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha

MCE British Superbike Championship Series Director Stuart Higgs commented: “I am delighted that in partnership with the team at Bluewater we are able to bring the Championship to one of Kent’s biggest and most popular destinations outside of London.

“This is the latest initiative in an important and continuing strategy of increasing the visibility of the championship, its teams and most importantly the riders. Presenting them at Bluewater, one of Europe’s biggest retail and leisure destinations, with tens of thousands of visitors daily, is a great opportunity.

“The centre is just a short drive from Brands Hatch and this gives both followers of the series, and guests visiting Bluewater, the chance to get closer to some of the sports’ biggest stars before they are on track just a day later.”

Sharon Smith, Bluewater’s Commercial Partnerships Manager, added: “We are thrilled to welcome such a high profile event to Bluewater and one which will be popular with all of the family. The meet and greets gives the event a great interactive element and will offer something completely unique and exciting for our guests to enjoy.”

Picture supplied by PSP Images.