Reigning Bennetts British Superbike Champion Kyle Ryde will be back to defend his title when the season gets underway at Oulton Park (May 3/4/5) after OMG Racing were boosted by a late partnership with Nitrous Competitions.
Ryde claimed his debut title with OMG Racing last season in the most sensational Showdown in Championship history, winning by a single point after celebrating 18 podium finishes, and nine of those race victories.
Just twelve days ago, a bombshell was dropped when OMG Racing announced their shock withdrawal from the Championship as result of commercial circumstances rendering the championship-winning team and rider on the sidelines. In the following days an introduction made with Nitrous Competitions and a rescue plan was invoked. The prize is a restoration of the team in a restructured format allowing the championship defence to go ahead.
OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing are now charging ahead with their final preparations equipping Kyle Ryde with his familiar Yamaha R1 running the #1 plate, ready for their first on track appearance at next week’s (April 18/19) penultimate R&G Official Test at Donington Park ready for the explosive season opener on the May Bank Holiday weekend.
Ryde said: “I am just so happy to be able to defend the title with the team after the panic of the last week. This is the best scenario for me after what happened; I have my familiar bike and team ready to defend the number one plate. I need to thank everyone who has been working so hard behind the scenes to make this happen and now we are ready to get going.”
Dave Williams, co-owner of Nitrous Competitions commented: “This is such an exciting venture for myself and co-owner Matt Phillips. I am a huge fan of the sport and even currently race myself too! For this opportunity to come and for us to be involved is a dream come true and we can’t wait to see Kyle and the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing team in action.
“Our customers at Nitrous Competitions are one big family to us and we hope that today’s news will bring plenty of winning opportunities for everyone in 2025!”
More, from a press release issued by MSVR:
Raceways Motorcycles will make a sensational return to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in 2025 with an eleventh-hour entry for 2022 champion Bradley Ray on a Yamaha R1.
The move sees Raceways, one of the most successful teams in recent Bennetts BSB history, make a shock return to the paddock after team owner Steve Rodgers took a decision to scale-back his racing activities in 2023. Racing as the McAMS Yamaha team between 2017 and 2023, Raceways amassed a total of 42 BSB victories, 107 podiums and the 2021 teams, manufacturers and riders’ crowns with Tarran Mackenzie.
The last-minute deal follows the sudden withdrawal of OMG Racing, which left 2022 champion Ray without a ride on the eve of the 2025 season. Ray, who won the championship for Yamaha with OMG in 2022, is an 11-times BSB race winner, having stormed to the title in 2022 with nine victories and 23 podium finishes.
Ray said: “I am super happy and grateful to Steve Rodgers and Yamaha Motor UK for putting together this opportunity for me at the very last minute, it has been a bit of a whirlwind!
“Obviously it has been a very difficult couple of weeks and there has been a lot of uncertainty, but when Steve rang me with the opportunity I couldn’t say no as it’s as close as we could be to the original plan for the year – remaining with Yamaha on an R1 in BSB, which is amazing. I can’t wait to get the 2025 season started as soon as possible and be back fighting for wins up the front.”
Steve Rodgers, Team Owner, concluded: “It was never really my plan to return to racing, but following what has happened with OMG it was a huge shame to see the riders facing 2025 without a ride. We came close to signing Brad as McAMS Yamaha back in the day, so when it became clear we could do something to get him on the grid this year I couldn’t quite resist the opportunity.
“Thanks to Stuart Higgs and the team at MSV, plus the guys at Yamaha Motor UK for helping us make it happen. It’s not a simple task setting up a BSB team in a couple of weeks, but we’ll give it a go!”
The new team, ‘Raceways Yamaha’ will debut on track for the first time at the R&G Official Test at Donington Park (18/19 April), ahead of the final pre-season test at Oulton Park (23/24 April) with the first round of the season taking place at the Cheshire venue on the May Bank Holiday weekend (3/4/5 May).
More, from another press release issued by MSVR:
Michael Laverty has announced live on TNT Sports during the MotoGP round at Qatar that his MLav Racing team will sensationally debut in the Bennetts British Superbike and Pirelli National Superstock Championships this season.
2023 Superstock Champion Richard Kerr will line up in Bennetts BSB and will be joined by multiple IDM Superbike Champion Ilya Mikhalchik in the Superstock class, lining up on the BMW M 1000 RR.
The team owned by Michael Laverty, who himself is a ten-time Bennetts BSB race winner, already is represented globally in the Moto3 World Championship, JuniorGP World Championship, European Talent Cup, the R&G British Talent Cup.
More, from yet another press release issued by MSVR:
The FHO Racing Team will not be participating in the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, however the team’s long term plans remain open and under consideration by owner Faye Ho, based in Macau.
IDM Superbike champion and World Endurance rider Ilya Mikhalchik previously announced as riding for FHO Racing will now feature in the line-up in the all-new BMW team in the series owned by ten-time BSB race winner Michael Laverty, competing in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship.
