In 2014, a ‘Senior’ class was introduced into the Kawasaki 300’s meaning that the series wasn't just limited to ‘Juniors’.
 
All riders are on the Kawasaki Ninja 300 machine – reliable four-stroke technology with a proven race pedigree. We spoke to Andy Smith, a ‘Senior’ competitor in the series and a strong advocate on why it’s such a fun series to take part in:
 
Who has raced in the series and moved onto other classes?
 
Bemsee is the oldest bike racing club in the World and has an amazing track record of producing world class riders. Over recent years this has included riders such as Casey Stoner, Cal Crutchlow, Chaz Davies, Danny Webb, Bradley Smith, Danny Buchan and Tommy Hill. The Kawasaki Junior Cup has carried on this tradition with riders like Mason Law, Stefan Hill, Carl Stevens, Aaron Clarke, Max Alexander, Louis Vallelely and Joel Markland taking part in the series and going on to make a name for themselves.
 
Typically, how many riders line up on the grid?
 
The number of riders varies but it’s typically over 20 at each round. There has been a great deal of interest in both the junior and senior cup so I expect this number to be closer to 30 for the 2016 series.

What was the thinking behind introducing the senior class?
 
The Senior Kawasaki 300 Cup was started in 2014. Many older riders including some of the dads of the Junior riders were attracted by the low-cost, low maintenance and fun racing that they witnessed in the Junior Cup and asked Bemsee to run a Senior series. I started riding in the Senior Kawasaki 300 Cup at the start of the 2015 season.
 
What makes the Ninja 300 such a great bike to race in your opinion? 
 
They are great little bikes! They’re reliable and have enough power to keep things interesting and fun but not too much to make them intimidating. They are very predictable and forgiving to race and it's all about rider skill, race craft and not BHP!
 
What do you like the most about a one make series?
 
Being one make series with very tight regulations and on a controlled tyre makes the series an absolute level playing field. It also helps to make it affordable and competitive, many other classes allow engines to be tuned, lightweight wheels etc. which riders on a limited budget can't afford and are therefore at an immediate disadvantage. Racing the Ninja 300 is all about rider skill and carrying as much corner speed as you can.

Is it best for those who have never raced before or more experience riders - or both?
 
The Ninja 300 race series is excellent for both novice and experienced riders. For novices it's a great bike to learn the fundamentals of racing on for more experience riders it's great fun riding these bikes flat out.

Who has stood out for you this year?
 
There are a lot of great riders on the grid this year. I’d say, the names to look out for in the future would be Alex Murley and Harry Rowlings - both of whom have been riding in the Junior Cup for a couple of years and are about to make their move on to bigger bikes. Alex set a new lap record for the series at Cadwell Park last weekend of 1.45.7, pretty impressive seeing as Superstock BMW S1000RR is lapping at around 1.30.0.  I have my eye on Luke Hopkins too, he is still only 13 years old and the youngest rider in the paddock and Patrick “Paddy” Byrne for the Junior cup next year. 
 
In the Senior Cup there is a real spread of ages from late teens to over 50’s. Graham Haw is the oldest rider in the series, he has only been racing for a few years but that has not stopped him challenging Carl Mitchell the reigning 22-year-old champion for the series lead. This year has also seen some fantastic riding from Monica Isaac she has been on the podium a number of times and has taken a couple of wins this season. I wouldn't like to place any bets on who will win the 2016 senior cup with a number of new riders joining the series including two more ladies, Sarah Jordan and Karie Henly.

How can people get involved?
 
If you've ever thought about racing, then my advice would be give it a go. Getting involved is a lot simpler than you think. All you need to do is attend a day course to get your ACU novice licence, Bemsee run a novice day and ACU training day in February at Brands Hatch with other operators running courses all over the country throughout the year.
 
Bemsee have two Ninja 300 race bikes that you can hire to see if racing is for you, they also provide free instruction for new and experienced riders and, in my opinion, have the best rider development scheme of any race club in the country. 
 
A brand new race prepared Ninja 300 costs around £5700 + VAT with full race suspension, power commander, exhaust system etc. There are often secondhand bikes available at the end of the season as juniors move on in their race careers. The 2016 race series will start around April so there's plenty of time to get involved but don't leave it too late.
 
If you are interested in finding out more then please contact Mike Dommett at Bemsee (mikedommett@hotmail.com) or call the Bemsee Office 01708 720305.