Kawasaki UK’s official presence at the Isle of Man TT will look a little different in 2024, as Lee Hardy Racing fields David Johnson.
Johnson is an experienced road racer by now, having made his Isle of Man TT debut back in 2010. He’s set to race for the Lee Hardy Racing team this year at the North West 200 and Macau Grand Prix, as well as on the Isle of Man, in the Superbike and Superstock classes on Kawasaki ZX-10RR machinery.
Lee Hardy’s road racing programme in 2024 comes as the team steps back from its BSB commitments, at least for this year. On the short circuits, the team has become known for bringing through young talents to the Superbike class, most notably with current Moto2 World Championship rider Jake Dixon who finished runner-up to Leon Haslam in the 2018 British Superbike Championship.
The team already has some road racing experience, having made its own TT debut back in 2013. The team has also been running Kawasaki machinery since 2017, so it is familiar with the machinery it will race on the roads this year, albeit now in an official capacity.
As for Kawasaki, it needed a new team to take on its official representation on the roads after Dean Harrison left DAO Racing for Honda Racing UK, and DAO left the roads for an all-in effort in BSB.
David Johnson said: “I’m very happy to get the Kawasaki ride with Lee Hardy Racing. I’ve always got along great with Lee, and he always prepares immaculate, very competitive bikes. I have been riding a lot out here in Australia, and since agreeing on a deal, I’ve been extra motivated to be at the top of my game come May.”
Lee Hardy, Lee Hardy Racing team owner, added: “I am looking forward to being back on the roads, especially as the Official Kawasaki Road Racing Team for 2024. I am pleased to have signed Davo for the North West, TT and Macau, and am sure he is going to be a great asset to the team.
“I am also very proud to be supported by Kawasaki and it is an incredible opportunity for LHR to officially represent the brand, as you can imagine with all new projects we can’t wait to get going!”
Ross Burridge, Head of Marketing & Racing Department at Kawasaki UK, said: “The Road Racing season is always an incredible spectacle, and it’s fantastic to have such a strong combination of rider and team for 2024, who we’re sure will put on a great show for the thousands of fans lining the roads.
“With a strict few months of training and testing planned for Davo and the team, we are sure they will be right in the thick of the action when the flag drops at the NW200 in May."
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