John McGuinness proves he’s still got it with new record at first 2025 BSB race

John McGuinness took part in his first National Superstock race of the season at the Brands Hatch British Superbike Championship round, posting his best-ever lap time of the Kent circuit.

McGuinness qualified 12th on Saturday on a 1:27.946, then scored points for 14th in the first race of the weekend.

“I’m really happy to have my personal best lap time at Brands Hatch and to finish in the points at my first BSB weekend of this season,”  McGuinness said after Saturday at Brands Hatch.

“It was a brilliant start but I got nipped a bit at turn one and I thought ‘Oh, this is not going to be good!’ But we got away with it.

“I’ve done loads of riding – testing before the start of the year, track days and instructing as well as competing at the North West 200 and TT.

“But this is very different and you’ve got to dig deep and pull yourself out of your comfort zone.

“To be here enjoying my riding, and working with my kids on the team, and to be in the mix with some spicy riders has fully ticked all the boxes for me. I shall go home a happy man.”

Team manager Havier Beltran said: "John has done what he has consistently done this year: beaten his own records and enjoyed competing at the highest level.”

Family affair for John McGuinness at Brands Hatch

His son, Ewan McGuinness, was helping his dad as a mechanic in the garage.

"Mega fun weekend! Took the weekend off the normal job to spanner for [my dad]," Ewan posted to social media.

McGuinness was in the top-15 battle again in Sunday’s Race 2, ultimately finishing 17th but with a faster race time than in Race 1.

“Being in the mix for points and battling away with these younger guys was good,” he said.

“It was good racing, no paint was traded, and in the end I went faster again in this race than I did yesterday.

“I went faster over a lap yesterday than I ever have before at Brands Hatch and today the overall race time was faster, so that’s progress.

“The bike’s never missed a beat across all the sessions of the weekend and I kept it on its wheels, so it’s wins all round for us, really.”