SUPERSPORT SWITCH FOR HARRISON AT TT 2023

3-time TT race winner Dean Harrison has announced he will contest the two Monster Energy Supersport Races at the 2023 Isle of Man TT Races with the BPE/Russell Racing team.

Harrison, who won in the category in 2018, makes the move to the Yamaha R6 with the blessing of his long-standing DAO Racing team after they confirmed they would not contest the Supersport class in 2023 so that they can focus fully on the 1000cc classes.

Having been on the podium in seven of the last nine Supersport races at the TT, Harrison is unquestionably one of the classes’ strongest and most consistent competitors, and with the Yamaha R6 seemingly the strongest package on the grid, Harrison is confident he’ll be able to turn that impressive podium form into more race wins:

“I rode the Yamaha during a test at Cartagena in Spain and I did my fastest ever [600cc] lap around there. The R6 doesn’t seem to move around as much as the Kawasaki and on paper, it should be a quicker bike.”

“Only me and Michael [Dunlop] have lapped over 129mph at the TT on the Supersport bikes, and I’d really like to top 130 – hopefully the Yamaha will help me get there, because I’ll certainly be trying!”

"Only me and Michael have lapped over 129mph... I'd really like to top 130"

- DEAN HARRISON

The BPE/Russell Racing team is led by Team Principal, Alister Russell, who has previously worked as Crew Chief to the likes of Keith Amor, Cameron Donald, Guy Martin, and the late William Dunlop. 2022 was the team’s first year, running Ian Hutchinson at the TT and in the British Supersport Championship. Securing Harrison represents a major coup for the young team with lofty ambitions:

“It’s great to have a top, proven winner onboard for 2023 and we’ll be fighting for podiums and race wins. It’s a big thing for the team to have a rider of his calibre. We’re looking to do a number of rounds of the British Championship so that we’re in the best possible place when we get to the TT.”