Johnson racing RC8R at Winton Xtreme - UPDATED

KTM, a company steeped in motocross tradition, will go road racing this weekend when former Australian supersport champion Shannon Johnson pilots an RC8R in round one of the Formula Xtreme TT Series at Victoria's Winton circuit.

The low-key baby steps debut for the KTM Australia-backed RC8R will see Johnson compete in the Bears and Pro Twins classes, where, on pedigree alone, he should be a front-runner from the get-go.

Johnson is staying clear of premier Formula Xtreme class at Winton, but there will inevitable comparisons between his lap times and those produced by the likes of Craig Coxhell (Honda) in the main game.

If Johnson is competitive at Winton, it's highly likely that KTM - in addition to more Formula Xtreme outings -- may choose to compete in a round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASC) later this year, ahead of a full-scale assault in 2010.

The general manager of KTM Australia, Jeff Leisk, would not elaborate on future racing plans, but it's a given the marque eventually wants to fight it out in the main game - the ASC.

KTM could be following the lead set by MV Agusta, which competed in Bears events in 2007 before embarking on an ASC campaign in 2008 with veteran Kevin Curtain.

KTM is set to go world superbike racing in 2010, and is using this year's German Superbike Championship as a platform for ongoing development. The team was competitive in round one at Eurospeedway on April 26, with Stefan Nebel third overall.

Meanwhile, KTNM may provide a racing lifeline for Johnson, who severed ties with Kawasaki at the end of last year, and then saw a deal to race in America fall through.

Johnson made a return to racing in the Victorian title last month, and came away with a new outright lap record at Broadford on a Honda Fireblade.

For more information on the RC8R, click here.

For more information on Formula Xtreme, click here.

Postscript: Johnson hit the ground running at Winton and, other than a crash in one race, was otherwise unbeaten and set a best lap of 1:23.649. The current lap record is held by Suzuki veteran Shawn Giles with a 1:21.806.

KTM general manager Jeff Leisk was delighted with the race debut.

"KTM entered the Formula Xtreme Superbike event as a testing platform to determine how a professional rider like Shannon Johnson could bring out the best in our signature street bike, the 1190 RC8 R," said Leisk.   "We're certainly thrilled with his winning result, and will now look to test at future events as we continue to heighten the profile of KTM's street bike range."

Johnson was equally ebullient, and said: "It's my first time on a twin race bike, and I can say that this bike is really easy to ride, with very smooth power and a great handling chassis.

"I know I can get stronger and with time improve my riding again, and unleash further potential of the KTM 1190 RC8 R, which is my game plan for round two next month."

Johnson will next race the RC8R in round two of the Formula Xtreme TT Series at Sydney's Eastern Creek on June 13-14.

Meanwhile, in KTM retail news, the 2008 model RC8 is now selling at $23,995 plus on-road costs, a saving of $3000.

For the location of your nearest KTM dealer, click here.