BSB: Max Cook to race in BSB with FS-3 Kawasaki for 2023

Max Cook has signed for FS-3 Kawasaki for the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The young talent will make the jump from Junior Superstock to Superbike.

Cook had a successful year in 2022, wrapping up the Junior Superstock 600 title with multiple races to go. To reward his efforts with the championship, FS-3 Kawasaki gave Cook a test on their Superbike with Cook showing great promise.

Max Cook will race alongside Lee Jackson, who finished fourth place in the championship last year. The highlight of Jackson’s season would come with a historic race win at Oulton Park. He would later take his second race win when the championship visited Oulton Park for the second time.

Cook said: “This is a dream come true for me. Firstly, I would like to thank Nigel and Darren for supporting me for six years and now, to finally be their rider is so surreal! Nigel has supported me throughout my years at Red Bull Rookies Cup, Moto3 Junior World Championship, and most recently, winning the Junior Superstock 600 championship, so he knows what I can do on a bike.

“Of course, this is a big step for me, but I feel like I am totally ready for the challenge and looking forward to showing people what I can do. To have Lee Jackson as my teammate is amazing. We all know he is very fast, and he is someone that I have always looked up to, so I can’t wait to soak up his knowledge. I have already had a taste for the superbike in early October, and I’m very excited to give it the beans in a proper run out in winter testing!”

Nigel Snook, Team Manager of Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki said: “We’ve been supporting Max for six years and have been really impressed with his progress. He’s served his apprenticeship winning the BSB Moto 3 championship in 2017, then progressing through the British Talent Cup, Red Bull Rookies and the Junior World Championship. His talent really shone through this year as he dominated the Junior Superstock Championship and made a very impressive Supersport debut at the final round at Brands Hatch.

“As a team, we pride ourselves on actively supporting young talented riders, So the decision to promote Max to ride alongside Lee Jackson fitted perfectly with our philosophy. As a front-running BSB team, it’s easy to overlook a long-term development plan in return for instant results. We believe every team in the paddock has the responsibility to nurture young talent to keep British riders at the forefront of world racing and show everyone that the British Superbike Championship is the strongest domestic championship in the world.

“Just coming up to his 20th birthday, Max will certainly have his work cut out getting used to the raw power of a superbike, but we’ve got a full testing plan in place for him over the winter, and he’s very excited to get going. Based on his previous experience, we don’t think it will be too long before he surprises a few people.’’

Image from britishsuperbike.com