Three-time champion Kiyonari reunites with BMW at Smiths Racing
Three-time MCE Insurance British Superbike champion Ryuichi Kiyonari will return to the grid for the next round of season at Oulton Park (9/10/11 September) when he will be reunited with BMW after Ryuichi Kiyonari joining the Smiths Racing team.
Kiyonari remains one of the most successful riders in the championship, scoring 50 race wins in his career and is determined to recapture the form that put him in the title fight in 2014 with BMW. The Japanese ace had taken the battle for a record-breaking fourth crown down to the final round but was denied the chance to challenge Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne when he suffered a broken collarbone during the warm up session.
Smiths Racing are multiple Dickies British Supersport Championship title winners and after their first taste of podium success in MCE BSB in 2015, the team are heading to Oulton Park targeting their strongest weekend of the season so far.
Kiyonari said: “I am happy to be back for Oulton Park with BMW and I am hungry to end the season with good results – I want to try and win again and fight for podiums, and so far this year hasn’t been easy.
“I had a good test with the team so I could work with them for the first time and already we made some good changes with the setting and I enjoyed riding the BMW again. It has a different engine and chassis feeling to the BMW I raced before, but already I have a good feeling which is important.
“It is good that my first race with the team is at Oulton Park as I have won many times there and had strong results, so I hope we can make a good start to the final rounds of the season there. I want to thank my sponsors and also Alan and Rebecca for this opportunity and I am looking forward to Oulton Park.”
Team Manager Rebecca Smith commented: “We are really excited by the opportunity to work with Kiyo for the remainder of 2016. It goes without saying that we haven’t had the greatest of seasons and despite investing heavily in the development of the bike we have been unable to achieve results.
“Kiyo has proven that he can compete on a BMW and as one of the most successful riders in the British Championship everyone in the team is relishing the opportunity to work with him. On top of all of that we’ve already got him reading The Farmers Weekly!”