Josh Waters confirms Suzuki BSB berth
Suzuki GB’s official MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship team, Halsall Racing, are set to challenge for the title this season after announcing their two-strong rider line-up of race winner Josh Waters and former British Supermoto Champion Christian Iddon.
Australian Waters was a double MCE BSB race winner onboard a Suzuki in 2014 and believes he will be in a prime position to challenge at the top again this year. The double Australian Superbike Champion scored his domestic title victories with Suzuki before moving to MCE BSB.
Iddon, a multiple British Supermoto Champion, has previous experience in the British Championship, proving to be a title contender in the Supersport class before moving to the World Superbike Championship. Iddon also lined up on the grid at Assen as a wild-card entry in MCE BSB last year, scoring an impressive pole position and claiming a top-five finish in the opening race.
Waters said: “I am really happy to be back in the Championship again next season and it is great to be staying with Suzuki. I have had a lot of success in my career with Suzuki, so to be back with them in Martin’s [Halsall’s] team is really exciting.
“We ended the 2014 season strongly with the Suzuki, so next year we want to hit the ground running and start where we left off. I feel like I already know the Suzuki and with the support we have we can only improve and go for more podiums and more wins. I know that the team with Jack [Valentine, team manager] have a lot of experience and are really determined for next season so we are all feeling ready to get started.”
Iddon said: “I am really happy to be back and with an official team. I have never ridden a Suzuki before so that’s a new and exciting experience for me. The team are really working hard ready for the new season. The Halsall Racing team have had a rapid and meteoric transition from when they first joined the British Championship paddock and with the backing from Suzuki GB they will only get stronger.
“I have spent two seasons developing new bikes, which has made me a stronger rider, but with the Suzuki and the combined experience of the team and Jack [Valentine] we can hopefully fire in some settings that only need refining so we can hit the ground running at the start of the season.
“I am excited to get back to the Championship to race in front of the huge British crowds – they are the best in the world and that is one of the things I am most looking forward to in 2015.”
Team owner Martin Halsall said: “2015 is looking really exciting as we embark on our new adventure with Suzuki. We’re really looking forward to working with Josh Waters and Christian Iddon, they both have a lot of promise and I think they will fit in great with the team. We’ll be doing our best to put together a great package for the pair of them and can’t wait to get started in a couple of months’ time.”
Team Manager Jack Valentine said: “I’m really pleased we’ve signed Josh and Christian to ride the Halsall Suzuki in 2015. Josh has a wealth of experience with the GSX-R and he’s already highlighted some of the areas he’d like to improve. His strong end to the 2014 season shows the bike has got potential and he is determined to get the most out of it.
“Christian joins us having spent two years racing brand new bikes in World Superbikes, impressing with podiums and front row starts on the Supersport MV Agusta and strong EVO results on the Bimota BB3. He showed the kind of results he is capable of, rocking up at Assen last year with an unproven bike only to go and take pole position. I’m confident he’ll get on really well with the GSX-R.
“In Josh and Christian we’ve got a really strong line-up, one that I believe is capable of taking Suzuki back into the Showdown,” he added.
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