16 TIME MCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE RACE WINNER LEON HASLAM RETURNS TO SERIES WITH JG SPEEDFIT KAWASAKI!

JG Speedfit Kawasaki are delighted to announce that 16 times MCE British Superbike Championship race winner Leon Haslam will join the team in 2016 as he makes a sensational return to the series, intent on fighting for his maiden Championship title.  

JG Speedfit Kawasaki, the official factory supported Kawasaki team in the UK, will expand to a three rider team in the 2016 MCE British Superbike Championship as World Superbike star Leon Haslam joins James Ellison and Peter Hickman. With 16 BSB wins and a further 38 podiums to his name, Leon has twice finished runner up in the prestigious Championship and returns following seven years in the World series that saw him secure five wins and 31 podiums.

With James and Peter having already conducted shakedown tests aboard a hybrid version of the all-new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Leon will get his first taste of the full JG Speedfit Kawasaki Superbike machine when he joins the rest of the team at the end of January for tests at Aragon and Jerez.    

2016 will mark the first time Leon joins the Kawasaki brand, and he will become a key ambassador in the newly launched Team Green – a banner which covers the on-road and off-road racing efforts of Kawasaki at every level of competition.

Returning to the British Superbike Championship with one goal, Leon Haslam said,

“I’m super excited to be coming back to BSB! It’s one of the most competitive series in the world and has a huge fan base and following, so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there and racing in front of the British crowd. 

I made the decision that I wanted to come back a few months ago and began looking at different options. I’ve known Mark for quite a while and I’ve seen how quickly and professionally the team has grown so they were my first option really. I’ve seen first-hand how dominant the old ZX-10R still was, so with this new one already proving faster in testing I can’t wait to get out there next month and try the JG Speedfit Kawasaki for the first time. It will also be my first time competing in the Showdown format so I’m looking forward to that, but our goal from the start of the year is to come back and be challenging at the front from the start!”

JG Speedfit Kawasaki Team Principal Mark Smith-Halvorsen added,

“Everyone in the team is excited to be welcoming Leon for 2016. He has proven to be one of the most successful riders within Superbike racing and we know that he won’t be returning to make up the numbers!  

Although behind the scenes the signing has been a very quick deal, we’re already in the process of building a third ZX-10R Superbike which Leon will get to experience when he joins James and Peter next month. With a combination of the new Kawasaki and three of the strongest riders on the grid, I truly believe we have the right package to win our debut MCE British Superbike Championship title. It’s up to us now, to turn that into a reality”