Paul Jordan on the PreZ Racing Yamaha R6 at the Cookstown 100 last September

Paul Jordan has outlined his path to the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT after signing with the Isle of Man-based PreZ Racing team for 2022.

The Magherafelt man rode for the team at the Cookstown 100 last year after parting company from Burrows Engineering/RK Racing in an amicable split.

Jordan finished fourth in the Open Superbike race on the PreZ Racing Yamaha R1 first time out on the bike at the Orritor course in Co Tyrone and sealed a podium in the Supersport race, taking third behind Adam McLean and Mike Browne.

The 30-year-old – a winner in the Supertwin class at the Ulster Grand Prix in 2019 – will ride Yamaha machinery in the Superbike and Supersport classes in the PreZ Racing livery this year and will also have a Kawasaki 650 at his disposal for the Supertwin races.

Jordan intends to compete in the first two rounds of the British Supersport Championship as part of his preparation for the North West 200, which returns from May 10-14 following back-to-back cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I met with John [Preston, team owner] two weeks before Christmas and we got things sorted out then,” Jordan said.

“The plan at the moment is to do the North West, TT and Ulster Grand Prix, plus the Southern 100 and Armoy. We’re also going to do the first two rounds of the British Supersport Championship before the North West, which will help get us up to speed going to the TT.

“As it stands, I think I’m going to ride my own bike at the Cookstown 100 because it would cost too much to bring the team over for that one race. I’d like to do Skerries and also Faugheen, which is one of the real old school Irish road races, but we’ll wait and see.”

After two bleak years for road racing because of the coronavirus pandemic, with only three Irish national events taking place since 2019, Jordan is eager to take every opportunity to get as much mileage as he can under his belt before the new season begins in anger.

“The most important thing for me this season is getting as much time on the bikes as I possibly can, so that we’re not on the back foot when we get to the likes of the North West and the TT,” he said.

“I know that if I’m going to get back to where I was in 2019 it’s going to take a lot of work and effort, but I know I can do that and I feel better prepared this year than ever in terms of my fitness.

“I just need to focus on myself and enjoy my racing this year, have fun and enjoy a beer at the end of it.”

Team owner John Preston revealed a number of tests are pencilled in for Jordan prior to the opening round of the British Supersport Championship at Silverstone in April.

“We’re going to go testing at the beginning of March and beginning of April, and we’re hoping to do the first two rounds of the British Supersport Championship at Silverstone and Oulton Park in preparation for the North West,” he said.

“With a bit of luck on our side – a bit of Irish luck – we’ll get everything sorted with the bikes at the North West before we go on to the TT.

“Hopefully with the set-up we’ve got and the team we’ve got, we’ll be able to do Paul proud.”