HILLER BACK WITH BOURNEMOUTH IN SUPERSPORT
After a five-year absence, Bournemouth Kawasaki will return to the Isle of Man TT Races in 2024 as they reunite with former rider James Hillier for the two Monster Energy Supersport Races.
Hillier will campaign a special 40th anniversary-liveried Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R in the two 4-lap races and will be looking to repeat the success he’s previously enjoyed with Pete Extance’s team.
Indeed, the partnership between Hillier, Extance and Bournemouth Kawasaki is one of the most successful in the modern history of the TT, taking victory in the 2013 Lightweight TT and 13 more podiums from 2009 to 2019. The team were also renowned for their exemplary finishing record, with only four DNF’s in 58 races over the same period.
The Supersport class was arguably the one the team excelled at the most, with five of their podiums coming in the middleweight division. Close second-place finishes were taken to Michael Dunlop and Lee Johnston in 2017 and 2019 respectively, with three third-place finishes also recorded.
The team make their return in a landmark year for Kawasaki, with the brand celebrating the 40th anniversary of the iconic Ninja brand. As a result, the Bournemouth Kawasaki team will run the latest ZX-6R in the highly popular green, white and blue anniversary colours.
James Hillier: “I'm excited to be back with Pete and the team at Bournemouth Kawasaki once again. We collectively have a lot of knowledge and data after many years racing together and at the TT that's a crucial element to being competitive.”
Pete Extance, Bournemouth Kawasaki Team Owner: “We are really looking forward to our return to the Isle of Man TT as Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing, which we are proud to say is an in-house dealer effort. The TT is, without doubt, the best road race in the world, and we are over the moon to be back involved in 2024. It's a great honour to be running James again, and even more so with the 40th Anniversary liveried Ninja machine. A big thanks must go to Kawasaki UK for their support.”
