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The Castrol Honda squad has retained current team rider Josh Brookes for another
year and joining him in a return to the Honda garage is Adam “Krusty” Fergusson.
Josh Brookes has enjoyed a great season this year competing in both Supersport and Superbike classes aboard a
CBR600RR and CBR954RR Fireblade respectively. Once the team got the new CBR600RR dialled in for competition Josh’s speed was devastating. In the final three races of the 2003 season he set new lap
records in the Supersport class at Eastern Creek and Phillip Island. With a new CBR1000RR Superbike weapon beneath him next year the pressure will be on the other riders in the Superbike class to
keep pace with this promising young talent.
Adam Fergusson will be a name familiar to many Australian motorcycle race fans. Adam began his racing career in the mid-1990’s aboard 250cc
machines. After showing promising results as a privateer racer he was picked up for a ride in the official Honda Australia Superbike team in 1999 where he went on to finish first Production
Superbike in 1999 and 2000. Honda demonstrated their faith in Adam’s riding ability when a deal was signed to take Adam to the World Supersport series in 2001 with backing from Honda Australia and
European based team Alpha Technik.
With the support of several Honda staff members and Alpha Technik, Adam finished on the podium several times during his European campaign with the
highlight coming at his home race at Phillip Island in the pouring rain. It was a bold move for a team of Aussies to go up against the world’s best but Adam’s speed was certainly recognised by many.
In 2002 and again this year Adam has been competing in the USA in Formula Extreme and 750cc Superstock. He achieved many podium finishes throughout the 2003 season with a couple race wins resulting
in 5th overall in both the Formula Extreme class and Superstock classes.
Adam will ride both the CBR600RR and CBR1000RR Fireblade in next years Australian Road Racing Championship and is sure
to be a strong threat right from the get-go with years racing of experience under his belt.
Supporting the factory Castrol Honda team is the Honda MPE Financial Services satellite team with
Jason O’Halloran as the team rider. Young Jason will use the 2004 season as a learning year aboard a CBR600RR in the Australian Supersport series.
After signing Fergusson to the Castrol Honda
squad, Team Manager Paul Free said “I’m extremely pleased to have signed up my old sparring partner and confirm the team line-up for next year. We hope Fergusson will be a rock within the team and
stay with us for several years. All the ingredients are in place to make next year bigger and stronger than I expected, JB and Krusty will be something else next year.”
With a small amount of
testing scheduled before Christmas the main testing will be completed early in 2004 when the team will start dialling in the all new CBR1000RR Fireblade for Superbike competition. All the team are
excited about racing next year and are eagerly anticipating the first attack on the race track.
The first race meeting for the new look team will be round one of the 2004 Australian Superbike
Championship.
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