PTR announces a seventh rider for its 2012 World Supersport Championship campaign, signing former Moto2 race winner Jules Cluzel to its team.
Jules Cluzel will make his World Supersport Championship debut in 2012 after all having been announced as part of PTR's vast rider line-up.
The Frenchman, a winner in Moto2 in 2010, had been due to ride a Kawasaki for WTR Ten 10 Racing this season, but was dropped in favour of Massimo Roccoli when the team went into partnership with the Bike Service outfit.
Nonetheless, Cluzel has persevered with his WSS endeavour and will now line-up aboard a Honda CBR600R for PTR as part of a massive seven-strong team that already includes Sam Lowes, Pawel Szkopek, Ronan Quarmby, Martin Jessopp, PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz.
"I am very happy to have secured a seat with PTR Honda, one of the front running teams in the World Supersport Championship,” he said. “There are not many bikes that can win the Championship but I have one of them. I cannot wait to get to know the team and bike better in the Australia test and then see what we can achieve in the first race. I cannot wait to get started."
Cluzel's appointment comes just three weeks before the new season gets underway, but Simon Buckmaster is confident he will prove immediately fast.
"It is very late in the day but we are delighted to welcome Jules to the team and are sure with his pedigree and proven speed that he will be an addition to an already strong squad. We look forward to seeing what he can achieve in this Championship with the experience at the top level he has already had, it will be exciting."
Having competed on the international stage since 2005, Cluzel's grand prix career peaked in 2010 when, during the inaugural season of Moto2, he scored a win at
Silverstone on the way to seventh in the overall standings.
