Mahi has come on board as sponsors of the official Kawasaki Racing World Superbike Team for the opening round of the championship at Phillip Island.
The ZX-10R machines of Tom Sykes and Loris Baz will carry Mahi India branding this weekend as the Indian team attempts to gain maximum publicity for its involvement in world championship racing at the start of the 2013 calendar.
Mahi Racing is already the title sponsor of Kawasaki's factory-supported World Supersport team of reigning world champion
Kenan Sofuoglu and former champion Fabien Foret.
The team was established by Amit Sandill and Andrew Stone, and is a project supported by Indian cricket superstar Mahindra Singh Dhoni and equally famous Indian actor Nagarjuna Akkineni – both avid bike racing fans.
The aim of the project is to bring the sport to a wider global audience, an ambition that dovetails with the inclusion of an Indian round of the World Superbike and Supersport championships this season at the stunning new Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi on November 17.
Explaining Mahi's decision to sponsor the Kawasaki
WSBK team at the opening round of the series this weekend, Mahi team principal, Amit Sandill, said: “This new initiative makes sense because of the TV coverage that the superbike class gets. Superpole 1, 2 and 3 at each race, plus the two races themselves.
“Back home in India the coverage of Superbike is more than for Supersport right now so that is why we put a sponsorship amount into the KRT team.
“We are sure there is a great value in that. It is a great team, a top level Superbike team,” he added.
“Our Supersport team is also working out really well, we are very happy with it and the riders are out of this world.
“It is a challenge at the same time, the other guys all want to beat you, but both our riders are so focused it is unbelievable.
“It is a pleasure to be in a team with them.”
Guim Roda, manager of Kawasaki's
WSBK team, added: “We are happy to welcome Mahi on board for the Australian round.
“For this race, it will be an extension of the big and very good project they are building in Supersport.
“We will try to give them positive results in this first race and show their brand all over the world, supporting as much we can the Supersport category with Kenan and Fabien as well.”