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Kevin Curtain joins Yamaha's 2010 FX campaign |
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Kevin Curtain joins Yamaha's 2010 FX campaign |
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Kevin Curtain joins Yamaha's 2010 FX campaign After withdrawing for the Australian Superbike Championship to rejoin the Formula Xtreme Road Racing Championships Yamaha Racing Team today announced the signing of long time Yamaha stalwart Kevin Curtain. Unhappy with Yamaha's decision to withdraw from Australian Superbike Bryan Staring has elected to not continue his contract with Yamaha for 2010 and will instead ride a Fireblade in the ASC. Naturally that departure was going to leave a void in Yamaha's FX armoury, a void more than suitably filled by Kevin Curtain, the man that delivered Yamaha so much success in Formula Extreme nearly ten years ago. Curtain, runner up in the World Supersport Championship in both 2005 and 2006 onboard a YZF-R6 is delighted to be reacquainted with Yamaha in Australia: “I’m stoked to be back on the same awesome team and I know the bikes will perform great. "Plus I’m back in Formula Xtreme where I had some top results before I headed over to Europe. So everything is new but really familiar at the same time. "I can’t wait to get on the bikes and start racing,” says the 42-year-old. Yamaha Motorsports manager Ray Howard is pleased to welcome Curtain on board the new team: “Kevin has more experience than the rest of the paddock put together and he is lightning fast motorcycle racer who is equally at home on big bore 1000cc bikes as he is on the smaller 600s. He can also develop a bike like few others out there. In fact, during the time he spent with Yamaha in World Supersports competition he helped develop the R6 into the race track dominator it is today,” he explains. “We anticipate that Kevin will be a great asset to the Yamaha Racing Team and his vast experience can only help our younger riders Pat Medcalf and Rick Olson,” continues Howard. Curtain will ride a YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 in the Superstock FX1000 and FX600 classes as well as showcasing the YZF-R6 Supersports bike at the Yamaha round of the World SBK Championship at Phillip Island. “Yamaha wants to promote growth in road racing in Australia, both in participation and spectator numbers. In order to achieve this, we believe a move toward the grass roots and in particular superstock machines is necessary. Racing bikes that are close to showroom spec makes for close dicing action, it decreases the gaps between privateers and factory race teams which should offer a more level playing field. And it should also encourage customers to head to the showrooms to buy similar bikes,” explains YMA Director and General Manager Steven Cotterell. “The Formula Xtreme Series offers the classes, the infrastructure and the most suitable venues to achieve the goal of re-energising road racing in Australia. Because the FX series is a two part championship that takes place in summer and winter 2010, it offers both a high level of flexibility and cost effectiveness. And the extra events will allow increased exposure for competing race teams,” he continues. “Yamaha remains dedicated to road racing in a cost effective environment that will continue to promote the sport and foster homegrown riding talent,” concluded Cotterell. Current YRT race calendar (showing dates confirmed at 1 Feb 2010): Event Dates Classes WSBK PI/ASBK 1 26-28 Feb Supersport Wakefield FX 27-28 March FX1000 and FX600 Winton FX 5-6 June FX1000 and FX600 Eastern Creek FX 3-4 July FX1000 and FX600 FX Wakefield 11-12 Sept FX1000 and FX600 Eastern Creek FX 30-31 Oct FX1000 and FX600 |
