Be Wiser Kawasaki 2015

Rider Line-Up – Chris Walker and Danny Buchan

After recently announcing that they would move into the elite MCE British Superbike Class, Be Wiser Kawasaki are now delighted to announce their rider line-up for 2015. They are extremely pleased to say they have signed 2014 show-down contender Chris Walker and 2014 National Superstock Champion Danny Buchan who will compete in the series on the Kawasaki ZX-10R.

This new venture for the Be Wiser Kawasaki team will be managed by former British Superbike Champion, Tommy Hill. With the backing of Kawasaki, Be Wiser and Dickies and more sponsors in the pipeline, the team is already shaping up to be a strong contender next season.

Chris Walker has had a long association with the Kawasaki brand and as one of the fans favourites, he is sure to bring attention to the Be Wiser team. He has previously finished runner up in the British Championship plus he has also raced in the World Superbike and Moto GP Championships. He will no doubt bring a host of knowledge and information to the team that will help them progress in the debut season in the MCE British Superbike series.

Joining him will be 21-year-old Danny Buchan. Danny has already had a long relationship with Kawasaki and this year took his first Championship title for them, winning the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship with 11 podiums including eight wins. Danny has had many successes in his short road-racing career and is now ready to move back into the British Superbike Championship to undertake this new challenge.

Team-owner Alan Greig has a strong assocation with Be Wiser Insurance and Dickies and is looking forward to the move into the prestigious British Superbike series. He has two very good riders and has employed Tommy Hill as team-manager, to run and oversee proceedings within the team. Tommy brings a wealth of knowledge to the team and has the perfect view from a riders’ point of view, with his history in racing and his loyal sponsors the team are sure to grow in strength and statue in 2015.

Chris Walker – “I’m really excited to be back out on the grid in 2015 and to be part of this new project with the Be Wiser Kawasaki team.

I have had a long association with Kawasaki and have worked with Dickies for the last three years so to combine all aspects was a no brainer for me. I have known Alan (Greig) for a number of years through Dickies and I am looking forward to working with him next year and the future. I have watched Alan progress through the Superstock Championship and this year saw them become Championship contenders, so I have no doubt that he will produce a successful Superbike team and I am keen to help him progress and get the results they deserve.

It is great that Be Wiser have managed to gain Tommy (Hill) as the team manager for this new venture. He will add the knowledge and experience which he gained whilst riding and becoming British Champion and will be able to provide a riders perspective in all aspects of his new role. I am looking forward to working with him next season. It will also be good to team up with Britain’s youngest up-and-coming rider, Danny (Buchan), especially after this year where he has matured into a first class rider.

Danny Buchan – “I am really looking forward to the 2015 season with the Be Wiser Kawasaki Superbike team. It is another year on Kawasaki for me and another year back on the Ninja, after a very successful campaign in the National Superstock 1000 Championship this year.

I believe I am now ready for the move up into the premier British Superbike class and I would like to thank Alan and Tommy for putting their belief in me and giving me this opportunity, also Kawasaki Motors UK. It is a new team with plenty of experienced heads such as Tommy and Chris who know what it takes to win at BSB level. I wasn’t ready before to move up, I was too young and I know that now, but feel I have progressed this season and learnt my trade and feel now is the right time to step up for me, I can’t wait!”

Tommy Hill – Team Manager – “Firstly it is great news to have secured Chris Walker and Danny Buchan for our rider line-up moving towards 2015. Both have once again had a fantastic season and rightly deserve, or retain their seat on a Superbike.

Chris comes with a wealth of knowledge and some great results throughout his Superbike career. I know Chris still has a lot of fire in his belly and he still wants to win races and be finishing on the podium, so hopefully the Be Wiser Kawasaki team can be a platform for him to achieve the results he is capable of.

Danny has been outstanding this year and he has just been on top of his game every single race weekend, setting lap records, winning the Championship and above all developing as a very promising young British rider.

We are very much looking forward to getting out on track with two great riders with the Be Wiser Kawasaki Superbike team.”

Alan Greig – Team Owner – “This is a new chapter in my race team career, a daunting but very exciting one. Our title sponsors Be Wiser Insurance approached me back in November 2013 and asked if I would be interested in stepping up the next level, having run a Superstock team for the last five years.

It’s not every day this sort of offer comes your way so I just had to take on this challenge. Around about the same time I learnt that Tommy Hill was keen to start a new team so it made sense that I made contact with Tommy to see if there was any common ground in joining forces. Tommy had pretty much the same ideas as I did, mostly that if we can’t do it properly, we won’t do it at all.

It has been a long road since those initial discussions but here we are now with the Be Wiser Kawasaki Superbike Team. Plus Dickies as The Associate Sponsor and so many more new and exciting sponsors, as well as some long term sponsors of Tommy Hill have confirmed for next year. It has been a year in the making but we hope to make a big impact in the MCE British Superbike Championship in 2015 and beyond.

The rider line-up is very exciting; Chris Walker has shown this year he can still fight for podiums and we know he will certainly be looking at a repeated show-down position. Danny Buchan has made a name for himself with outstanding results in the Superstock 1000 class this season plus wins at the recent Sunflower races in Ireland, he is sure to fit in well within the Superbike series.

It is a team partly made up of legends and we hope to reward our sponsors in 2015 with this new venture, giving them the recognition they deserve and fighting for strong and good results all year.”

More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision:

BE WISER KAWASAKI ANNOUNCE WALKER AND BUCHAN FOR FOR DEBUT MCE BSB CAMPAIGN

The Be Wiser Kawasaki team will make their debut in the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in 2015 and have announced their two-strong rider line-up of the experienced Chris Walker and young gun Danny Buchan.

Walker qualified for the title-deciding Showdown for the first time in 2014 with a consistent campaign that saw him return to the podium with GBmoto Kawasaki and end the season in sixth place in the standings. As one of the most experienced riders on the grid Walker will now continue his long-term association with Kawasaki as he joins the new team managed by former champion Tommy Hill.

Reigning Superstock champion Danny Buchan will return to MCE BSB alongside Walker after lifting the 2014 Superstock crown in dominant style, celebrating eight victories and a further three second places from the 12 races, only failing to score points at Donington Park.

Walker said: “I am chuffed to bits to be a part of this team and I am pleased that I have been able to return next season after doing a good enough job in 2014 to warrant this opportunity. I believe the team can be as competitive as I was last season with GBmoto without a doubt. I know we have a good level of machinery and with Tommy’s involvement and feedback it should be fantastic. Also for me being team-mates with Danny made this quite a mouth-watering prospect because of it being a new team, where I can help with the development.

“I am looking forward to seeing Danny get his teeth into it. It is a bit like all those years ago when Niall Mackenzie and Terry Rymer helped me and took me under their wing; it was amazing at the time. For me to be able to work with Danny – with me old enough to be his dad – means we can push each other week in and week out and have a lot of fun too,” added Walker.

Buchan said: “I feel really happy to be back in the Superbike Championship and I believe that after the season I have had in Superstock that I deserve this opportunity. It is definitely going to be competitive and I won’t be doing anything differently to how I approached last season. I will come into each event with the same attitude as before – doing the absolute best job I can.

“To come back and ride the Superbike again with a competitive team was what I hoped for in 2015, so I am really excited and can’t wait to get started. It is great to be a part of a new team, but one that also comes with a lot of experience with Chris as a team-mate and also Tommy as a manager.”

Team manager Tommy Hill concluded: “This has been a massively exciting project, especially to be involved with two great riders. It is an exciting time and we have been really busy getting everything in place as we have started from scratch but we are already in a good position. I am hoping we can do a great job in 2015. We have an exciting line up with Danny and Chris and I am really looking forward to getting started. I am a very competitive person in whatever I do and this has given me a real buzz to work hard with both riders to deliver a great debut season with Be Wiser Kawasaki.”

For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com