Northern Ireland’s Jack Burrows gained valuable experience after making his debut in the British Supersport class at Brands Hatch ahead of a mooted switch to the championship in 2027.

The 16-year-old from Dungannon was offered the chance to ride for the Scars Racing Ducati team at the final round at the Kent circuit last weekend.

Co-owned by Northern Ireland’s Dale McElveen and Leigh Finlay, Scars Racing were crowned British Supersport champions at Brands after Luke Stepleford secured the title on the Panigale V2 over Dublin’s Jack Kennedy.

Scars Racing also supported Michael Dunlop in 2026, with the Ballymoney man winning the Supersport race at the North West 200 in May and clinching a double on the Ducati at the Isle of Man TT.

placeholder image — Dungannon teenager Jack Burrows on the Scars Racing Ducati with his dad John (second from right) and his team at Brands Hatch. (Photo credit: Scars Racing)

The team will transition into the British Superbike Championship next year, spearheading BMW Motorrad’s official BSB challenge. Scottish riders Tarran Mackenzie and Rory Skinner have been heavily linked to the team.

For teenager Burrows, it will also be all-change in 2027 as he leaves the British Moto4 Cup to compete in a new class.

Burrows finished third in the championship this year riding for his dad John’s Burrows Engineering/RK Racing team.

On his Supersport bow at Brands, Burrows was 23rd in the first race and 16th in the second race in damp conditions, almost securing a championship point.

“I was realistic in my expectations in the Supersport class as it’s super competitive,” Burrows said. “I’m aware most on track have had a year of racing this class under their belt but I was excited for this new challenge.

“I managed to qualify in 23rd place, I got a good start but had to take evasive action due to an incident, so I dropped a number of positions. I got back to 23rd place and set my fastest lap of the weekend in the race.

“The rain came for race two and we decided to play it safe with full wets. The conditions were really difficult but I’m delighted with a 16th place in my first race weekend.

“It has been such a good experience to be involved in the championship-winning team at Scars Racing. I can’t thank Dale McElveen, Leigh Finlay and the whole team for this fantastic opportunity.”

His father John, a former road racer, was pleased with his performance and said it was “90 per-cent sure” that Jack would join the British Supersport Championship next year.

“The weekend at Brands was as much for us as a team as it was for Jack; I wanted to see how a weekend of Supersport worked as well and what we needed to be doing because obviously it’s a step up for us a team and for Jack in his career,” Burrows said.

“So it’s a bit of a shame [Scars Racing leaving the Supersport class next year] because although I’ve run my own team for a long time, maybe we could’ve done something together for Jack within their team, which would’ve been good.

“But Jack is still very much in the learning years of his career and I think we’ll still be able to do a good job for him going forward in 2027. We’re pretty much 90 per-cent sure that it definitely will be in Supersport in the British championship.

“He ended up with a fastest lap at Brands that was 1.9s slower than the fastest lap of the race. To me, for a lad who raced a Moto3 two weeks ago, that was quite a decent achievement.

“It would’ve been lovely to get a point wouldn’t it, but we didn’t really go there thinking about lifting points.

“I did have it in my head, ‘can Jack get into the top 20’. I didn’t know if he’d be top-10, top-20, top-25 or where we were going to slot in, but we actually did come home very happy.

“A lot of people from the outside looking in mightn’t think a 16th and a 23rd was a great achievement, but I personally think for Jack it was a box ticked and ticked well, and he stayed on the seat as well.”

Young prospect Burrows rode with the number 35 on the Scars Ducati for his British Supersport debut in memory of Trevor Ferguson from Castlecaulfield, who tragically lost his life while competing at the Manx Grand Prix in 2012.

He is close friends with Trevor’s son, Danny Ferguson, who has long-standings ties with the Burrows family.

Team owner John was close to Trevor and retired from racing shortly after the fatal accident 14 years ago.

“Jack was only two whenever Trevor passed away and he can remember him vaguely, but Danny – Trevor’s son – has been a very good friend to us and him and Jack have become great mates over the years,” Burrows said.

“There’s a closer gap between Danny and Jack than there is between me and Danny, but it was Jack’s own idea to run 35 and I was delighted, the Ferguson family was delighted and it was nice to see.

“It’s probably a bit of a one-off because our number is 16 so we’ll be always trying to use that going forward.”

Burrows was due to ride the Scars Racing Ducati at the Sunflower Trophy meeting this weekend at Bishopscourt in Co Down.

However, the organisers announced on Thursday night that the final Ulster Superbike round of the year was cancelled following a Met Office weather warning for Storm Boelo.

In September, Burrows made history as the youngest winner of a Supersport race at Ulster or Irish level after claiming a win on the Burrows Engineering/RK Racing Yamaha R6 at Kirkistown in Co Down.