Staring offered WSBK wildcard

Three-time Australian road racing champion Bryan Staring has been granted a major career opportunity with a wildcard to race at the opening round of the 2011 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island from February 25-27.

The reigning Australian Superbike champion will campaign the Kawasaki ZX-10R in front of the world’s best, and will race for Pedercini Kawasaki - the same Italian-based outfit he will ride for in the 2011 Superstock 1000cc FIM Cup.

So far, the 23-year-old has pledges from long-term personal sponsors Risk and Investment Advisors and Dicandillo Steel, but is still looking for some further sponsorship to help fund the ride.

“This is an incredible opportunity, but I am looking for support to make it happen. If I can find a sponsor, I can give them great exposure,” said Staring.

“The great news is we have the whole bike to advertise on. Pedercini doesn’t require any signage, so at the moment we have white fairings other than for the sponsors we already have.

“I am lucky I have had a lot of support from Australia, and Troy Bayliss in particular, has opened a lot of doors for me internationally.”

Staring will be joined on the grid by countrymen Troy Corser (BMW), Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki) and Josh Waters (Suzuki) at Phillip Island, in what shapes as the strongest local representation at the Australian WSBK round in many years.

After winning the 2010 Australian Superbike Championship on a Honda, Staring was signed by Pedercini to contest the 2011 Superstock 1000cc FIM Cup, but that title doesn’t start until mid April, leaving the door afar for Staring to make his WSBK debut at Phillip Island.

Staring, who is also a dedicated cyclist and won the Queensland team time trial in 2010, has already completed some exploratory laps on the Kawasaki Superbike at Malaysia’s Sepang in mid January, and is mightily impressed by the all-new machine.

“It’s a really promising motorcycle,” said Staring. “Obviously, most of my testing to this point has been on the Cup-spec bike, but in that time I have developed a real insight into what makes it tick, especially the electronics. You always have to keep working on these things, but I am really happy with how it’s all gone so far.”

Staring will have two extra days to acclimatise to the ZX-10R Superbike in the second official pre-season test at Phillip Island from February 21-22.

All the major world Superbike and Supersport teams will be in attendance at the final shakedown before the season gets underway at Phillip Island just three days later.

Staring has been the most successful Australian-based road racer over the last two years, winning the Supersport championship in 2009 before going one better and claiming the premier Superbike category in 2010.

Staring’s first Australian championship was in the 125 GP class, way back in 2004.