Reigning champions Airwaves Yamaha head to Brands Hatch this Easter Bank Holiday weekend for the opening round of the 2009 British Superbike Championship. Riders Leon Camier (22) and James Ellison (28) scored a podium apiece on the Championship’s last visit to the 1.2 mile circuit. Both riders will be looking for similar performances aboard the all new factory-supported Airwaves Yamaha YZF-R1 to begin their assault on the 2009 title. Scoring a total of 3 wins and a further 5 podiums in his second British Superbike season in 2008, Leon from Ashford in Kent, is excited about the season ahead saying, “Brands Hatch is one of my favourite circuits on the calendar, it’s also mine and GSE Group’s home round so I really want to come away with some strong results. Having seen the Yamaha YZF-R1 perform so well on the World stage, it’s made me even more excited about getting the season started. “Having ridden with the team last year, I know what we can achieve so I just need to make sure I perform consistently throughout the season.” Joining Leon this year is James Ellison from Kendal in Cumbria, a former MotoGP rider who won the British Superbike Cup with Yamaha in 2004. On the weekend ahead James commented, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about the start of a season. The new Airwaves Yamaha YZF-R1 looks to be a fantastic bike so I can’t wait to take it around Brands Hatch for the first time. “To be riding for the most successful team in the paddock is a fantastic opportunity for me so I have been training hard over the winter to make sure I am as fit and strong as I can be. The competition will be tough, but with the Airwaves Yamaha team behind me, I’m confident of a good weekend with some important points finishes.” Managing Director of Yamaha UK, Andrew Smith, said “We are delighted to finally be getting the season underway with the GSE Team. Unfortunately, through no fault of theirs, our preparations have not been ideal due to the very late arrival of the special factory parts. Only a team with the experience of GSE could have coped with this situation and I would like to personally thank Darrell, Colin, Leon, James and the whole crew for their patience and understanding during this “challenging” period. Our objectives for the GSE team this year are very clear as we will be working closely with our factory World Superbike team to further jointly develop the all new R1 by running the same specification machines throughout the season. And then simply win…” Team Manager Colin Wright added, “Expectations are high for this weekend and as always we will be pushing for two podium finishes for both riders. Having competed in Superbike racing for over ten years, we know that a championship can’t be won at the first round alone, so we will be looking for some solid results to kick-off our campaign for a fifth series title.” The first round of the British Superbike Championship takes place on Monday 13th April.