Tom Ward gets BSB call-up in place of injured Franco Bourne

Tom Ward will be back in the British Superbike Championship this weekend as he steps back in to replace Franco Bourne at the Rapid Honda team.

Ward will race the Rapid Honda at both this weekend’s Donington Park BSB, and the Brands Hatch season finale on 11-13 October.

He also stood in for Bourne — who was suffering then with the same hand injury that is keeping him out of the final two rounds — at Cadwell Park at the end of August, finishing 15th in Race 1, 14th in Race 2, and 16th in Race 3.

“I'm really looking forward to jumping back on the Rapid Honda Superbike again,” Ward told BritishSuperbike.com. “It'll be great to pick up where we left off at Cadwell Park and hopefully take some further steps forward over the weekend.

“I'm really grateful to the team for having me back and I'm excited to be working with them again, as it's such a great atmosphere with lovely people.”

On his injury, Franco Bourne said: “This hand injury just isn't allowing me to ride the bike to the best of my ability, so we made the tough decision with the team for me to withdraw and let Tom step in for the last two rounds.

“He did a great job at Cadwell Park so there's no reason why he can't be up there again on the package we've got."

Team Owner Matt Bainbridge concluded: "First and foremost, it's a huge shame that Franco isn’t fit to ride in the last two rounds. We wanted to finish the season strong, as we've learned so much as a team and rider, and it would have been great to end the season together on a high note.

“We remain fully supportive of Franco in his recovery, assisting with rehab, scans, and more, so hopefully he’ll be back on the superbike soon, preparing for 2025.

“We needed to be present at the last two rounds, and once again, the obvious choice was Tom. His impressive performances in Superstock, World Endurance, and his standout ride at Cadwell Park made the decision easy.”