Johnson: from feast to famine
Now on a Honda in Aussie supersportShannon Johnson is no longer a road racing pariah. After a deal to race in America fell through earlier this year, the Victorian has now gone from famine to feast in just a few months.
The turnaround all started when he was asked to spearhead KTM Australia's assault on the Bears and Pro Twins classes in Formula Xtreme on the marque's RCR8 superbike, and now he will race a Honda supersport machine in the remaining rounds of the 2009 Woodstock Bourbon Australian Superbike Championship (ASC), starting this weekend at Queensland Raceway.
Johnson will compete on a Motologic-prepared CBR600RR, sporting livery from all-new betting agency, Motobet, and support from Procon and Response Real Estate.
"I am under no illusion as to just how difficult it will be to enter the championship at this stage, but I am very excited about the challenge and confident that the training I have been putting in the past few months will stand me in good stead," said Johnson. "I am definitely up to the task.
"Everyone has been fantastic, and I can't thank everyone enough for their support and hard work going into Queensland. To be back on a great bike that has the potential to win a championship is terrific. I am very excited."
Johnson's road racing career has now gone full circle, because he won the 2002 Australian supersport title on a Honda, and followed it up with third the year after.
This weekend's round of the ASC will be a double-header, following the abandonment of racing at round two in Tasmania following the crash that tragically claimed the life of supersport rider Judd Greedy.
Bryan Staring (Honda) currently leads the supersport title on 45pts, from Kawasaki's Ben Attard (35), defending champion Jamie Stauffer (Yamaha, 34), and Suzuki rookie Troy Herfoss (32).
In the superbike class, the top five riders are only separated by 10pts, with Glenn Allerton (Honda) and Josh Waters (Suzuki) deadlocked in first position.
The first of two 60-minute highlights programs from Queensland will go to air on ONE at 1.25am on Monday, June 15, following the MotoGP telecast from Catalunya.
For more information on the ASC, click here.
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