Rob Mac Racing will prepare a third bike in this year’s British Superbike Championship after confirming it will enter an Evo specification Yamaha for youngster Hampus Johansson.

The eighth team to submit an entry to the newly created Evo class, Rob Mac Racing is currently the only outfit to be splitting its resources between categories having also entered Neil Hodgson and Dan Linfoot into the BSB class.

The Yamaha R1 will be ridden by young Swedish racer Johansson, the 18-year-old set to make his debut in the British series having participated in the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship last season.

“This is a really exciting time for me,” he said. “To be able to join Rob’s team with the new Evo bike and be ready at the start of this new series is going to be fun.

“This is only my fourth season of road racing so this is a very fast learning curve. I know the British Championship is probably the fastest domestic series in the world. The current World Supersport Champion and the majority of the front runners in World Superbikers have come from the BSB so it has to be good for me!

“It will be tough to learn all the tracks and the new bike but we are all looking forward to the challenge.”

Rob McElnea was also pleased to be welcoming Johansson to the fold, adding the Evo class is a good opportunity for him to nurture young talent.

“This is a very exciting new project. The Evo class is something we wanted to get involved with, not just for the development opportunity but more for us to be able to encourage new young riders.

“To be able to bring over a young Swedish rider is a real coup for us and the series.

The British Championships continue to be the breeding ground for our new riders and Hampus see’s this new Evo class as a huge opportunity for him.”