Shane Byrne is confident he can get his 2012 MCE British Superbike Championship campaign off to a perfect start around his lucky home circuit of Brands Hatch.
The former World Superbike Championship racer, who finished third in the 2011
BSB standings, switches from HM Plant Honda to Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki for 2012, a team which is being helmed by series returnees Paul Bird Motorsport.
Beginning his quest for a third
BSB title around his local circuit, where he managed four victories in seven
Brands Hatch starts last season, Byrne has high hopes that he is capable of being a contender for wins on the ZX-10R.
"I won my first race at
Brands Hatch and it holds a lot of good memories for me so I intend to start where I left off last year and that's by winning," said Byrne, who also famously won at
Brands Hatch as a
WSBK wild-card in 2003.
“It's great to be back with Birdy and the boys and the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki ZX-10R should be very competitive. We have made good progress in the tests so now it's time to get down to the proper action over Easter."
Kawasaki's last win at
BSB level came in 2010 when
WSBK racer Tom Sykes won two races during a wild-card outing at Brands Hatch, though the last Kawasaki victory by a full-time
BSB competitor came back in 2004, courtesy of Scott Smart.