Waters to race in 2013 British superbikes

Reigning Australian superbike champion Josh Waters has confirmed he’s leaving local shores to compete in the 2013 British Superbike Championship (BSB).

The 25-year-old will switch brands too, and will pilot a Yamaha YZF-R1 under the Milwaukee Yamaha banner. His teammate will be James Ellison, who is returning to BSB after a year on a CRT machine in MotoGP.

“I am really happy and I still can’t believe I have been given this opportunity,” said Waters.

“I visited the Silverstone round this year and the championship was a big surprise to me as it is much bigger than I was expecting. I won my second Superbike title in Australia this year and I feel like that I have accomplished that goal and now I am ready for a new challenge.”

Just a few weeks ago, Waters was in the mix to fill the second world superbike seat at Suzuki alongside Leon Camier, but that position eventually went to Frenchman Jules Cluzel. Once that door closed, Waters quickly found a new suitor in the form of Milwaukee Yamaha.

“I am a realist and know that I am going to have to work hard at it this season but this is a huge step in the right direction for me, especially to work with a championship-winning team,” Waters continued.

“I am hoping that the Showdown format will work in my favour as it gives me a chance to learn some of the tracks and I want to be in the top six.

“I can’t wait to get started and hopefully we can do enough to be there when it counts. I want to be successful in the championship and I am dedicated to succeeding with the Milwaukee Yamaha team.”

Meanwhile, Waters’ fellow Australians Josh Brookes (Suzuki) and Mark Aitchison (Aprilia) will continue to race BSB in 2013. Brookes finished a close second behind veteran Shane Byrne (Kawasaki) in the 2012 title.

The 2013 season commences on April 5-7 at Brands Hatch.

In other British news, Brookes has confirmed that he’ll be racing in the 2013 Isle of Man TT on his Tyco Suzuki GSX-R1000. Brookes said: "I'm glad it's out in the open now as all the questions about whether I was going to ride or not -- and not being able to say anything -- was getting a bit tiring. Since making the decision, I've taken in some reconnaissance trips and spoken to a number of influential people.

“I fell in love with the place on my first visit back in 2009 and now that I'm with what I regard as the best team to be competing at the event with, it gives me peace of mind. It's too early to be setting any goals. It's the beginning of a new project and we'll just see how it goes."

Melbourne’s Cameron Donald is a regular Isle of Man TT competitor.