Karl Harris will be riding the factory backed Yamaha in the forthcoming British Superbike Championship which will feature high powered production based machines from six of the world’s leading manufacturers on a starting grid expected to boast a 32 strong rider line-up. The Sheffield rider, a former triple British Supersport Champion, has a strong pedigree in the top flight, having ridden both Suzuki and Honda in Superbikes and now he is excited by the challenge of joining Rob McElnea’s equipe which will also be entering three bikes into the Supersport category.
BJ Toal, the winner of the 2007 Virgin Media Cup, will have Nick Medd as his team-mate, running in Virgin Media Yamaha colours, while Joe Dickinson will have his R6 backed by Trucklinks.
The confirmation of Harris as the official Yamaha rider follows on from the announcement that Flying Scot Stuart Easton, another former Supersport title winner, will be spearheading the MSS Discovery Kawasaki attack on the Superbike title, with the talented young Australian Billy McConnell as his teamster.
In what is being looked on as a season in which the ‘young-guns’ will come to the fore, Michael Laverty, the winner of the prestigious Irish Racer Magazine’s Irish Motorcyclist of the Year, will be looking to repeat the form that won him the 2007 Supersport crown as he returns to Superbike action.
He will be challenging for honours aboard the Relentless Suzuki by TAS in a series that is gathering strength every week – already, the HM Plant Honda team has been confirmed their riders as Leon Haslam and Cal Crutchlow, while Airwaves Ducati have an intriguing mix of youth – Leon Camier and experience with former champion Shane Byrne. They have the latest 1098R bikes, as does Michael Rutter aboard the NorthWest 200 Ducati.
Tom Sykes, already setting a hot pace in testing, rides Rizla Suzuki, alongside the twice Japanese Superbike Champion Atsushi Watanabe. James Ellison, a former winner of the Superbike Cup, returns with Hydrex Bike Animal Honda, along with Guy Martin; Adam Jenkinson rides SMT Honda, while Steve Plater continues with AIM Yamaha, for whom Ian Hutchinson will be in Supersport action.
Hawk Racing are still to confirm their plans, but are expected to run both Scott Smart and James Haydon while Chris Burns will power into the action aboard an MV Agusta – the sixth manufacturer to join the buoyant British grid which for the next three seasons will be running exclusively on Pirelli tyres.
The teams will be getting to grips with the single make tyre supply contract in a hectic nine days of testing that has been arranged for late February, early March, in Spain – there is a scheduled three day test at Almeria for Superbikes, followed by a six day test at Gaudax for both Superbikes and Supersport.
British fans will be have the opportunity to preview the action that lies ahead in the three days of official testing arranged over the Easter weekend of 22-23-24 March at Snetterton.
The calendar for the 2008 British Superbike Championship is:Round 1: April 6th - Brands Hatch (GP)
Round 2: April 20th - Thruxton
Round 3: May 5th - Oulton Park
*Round 4: May 26th - Donington Park (GP)
*Round 5: June 15th - Snetterton
Round 6: June 29th - Mallory Park
Round 7: July 20th - Oulton Park
Round 8: August 10th - Knockhill
Round 9: August 25th - Cadwell Park
*Round 10: September 14th - Croft
Round 11: September 28th - Silverstone (International)
Round 12: October 12th - Brands Hatch (Indy)
*Bank Holiday Monday raceday
