Kawasaki Motors Europe is delighted to announce that as of 2009 Paul Bird Motorsports will be the official Kawasaki entry in the World Superbike Championship. The team will field riders Makoto Tamada and Broc Parkes in the 14-round series, on the latest development of the WSB specification Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Steve Guttridge, Kawasaki’s European Race Planning Manager, said of the move, “We had many proposals from teams who wanted to run our official effort next year, which underlines our strong belief in our brand, and fills us with confidence that the Ninja ZX-10R has the ability to compete at the front of the pack once again. PBM was chosen to represent us officially because Paul Bird has proven that by putting together a knowledgeable and closely-knit crew, great results can be achieved by working together in a structured way. He’s shown this many times in BSB. The team are also very motivated to use the official factory input from Kawasaki in association with their own substantial knowledge and will work closely with the riders, Tamada and Parkes, to get the most from them.” Guttridge continued, “Along with this enthusiasm from the new team there will be an increased testing programme next year, both in the early season and between races. The initial test machines are being created and developed fully at the factory in Japan. This is another step towards full factory Kawasaki commitment to the World Superbike Championship. We expect that the input and feedback between the team and Kawasaki, with regard to both communication and technical evaluation, will help in a correct final development schedule, which will allow the riders and the Ninja ZX10R to step onto the podium next season.” PBM Team Owner, Paul Bird, added, “It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to be recognised as an official team and only after our first year in WSB! Kawasaki has given us a great opportunity to raise our game at this level and to have a direct relationship with the factory is so important. My team are ultra-motivated by this new direction and we are all 100% focused on delivering the goods for Kawasaki next season.” Right now all the teams and riders will take a well-deserved break after a hectic last race in Portimao. Kawasaki Motors Europe wishes to thank all of those involved for their efforts throughout the season.