Yamaha and Rev2Race have announced a support package for the upcoming and recently announced British National Sportbike Championship which will be a part of the BSB paddock from 2024.
The National Sportbike Championship will arrive in 2024 as a class which somewhat mirrors the Supertwins class at the Isle of Man TT, in that mid-capacity twin-cylinder motorcycles will be the machinery of choice, such as the Yamaha R7.
The R7 is the sports bike home for Yamaha’s 689cc CP2 engine, and those who run the R7 in the National Sportbike Championship will have the chance to compete in the R7 Cup SuperFinale, that prize going to the top-placed R7 rider at the end of the season.
Additionally, all Yamaha riders in the series will receive technical support from Rev2Race, who have signed a deal with Yamaha to be the official Yamaha Support Team and technical partner in National Sportbike.
As well as running its own four-bike team in the series next year, Rev2Race will also provide technical support to all teams and riders running Yamaha R7s in the championship, which will include full data sharing between all Yamaha-powered teams.
Rev2Race is run by Kev Stephenson, who has been building BSB engines for Yamaha teams, including McAMS Yamaha, since 2019, and whose history of building Yamaha race engines goes back to the 2000s when he worked as an engine builder and technician for the Virgin Yamaha team.
On the R7, Rev2Race has worked with Westby Racing, who won the US equivalent of the National Sportbike Championship, MotoAmerica Twins Cup, in 2022 with R7 machinery.
Matt Taylerson, Divisional Manager of Marketing at Yamaha Motor UK, said: “Yamaha led the way when they introduced the twin-cylinder CP2 engine back in 2014 with the MT-07 becoming one of the most successful models in Yamaha’s history. That platform has since evolved into our Supersport range with the R7, and this has become an important model for us as a brand. We are pleased MSVR have recognised the significance of this market with the introduction of the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship and plan to embrace the opportunity with not just an official team, but by providing extended support via that team to anyone else in the series.
“Kev Stephenson has a long history of working with Yamaha and has been developing the R7 over the last year, working closely with Westby Racing in America where the R7 has already been proven in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup, so he and the Rev2Race team are the perfect partner for this project as we look to take on the challenge and hope to get as many R7s on the grid as possible.”
Kev Stephenson from Rev2Race Yamaha said: “Having been working with the R7 over the last 12 months, we know exactly what the package is capable of. It’s already won races in MotoAmerica, at the highest level of club racing here in the UK and even won a race at the Isle of Man TT this year. It’s lightweight and agile and everyone who rides it is raving about the chassis, especially compared to some of the other machines in its class. The Yamaha CP2 engine is built to be super-reliable on the road, so the extra power required for racing can be found easily while maintaining the reliability Yamaha is renowned for. We’re really looking forward to being the official Yamaha Support Team in the new Pirelli National Sportbike Championship and hopefully we can show what the R7 is made of.”
Those interested in running the Yamaha R7 can contact Kev Stephenson on rev2race@yahoo.co.uk.
