Keith Flint’s Team Traction Control (TTC) will double their efforts in their debut Motorpoint British Supersport Championship season, announcing that Steve Mercer will be joining American James Rispoli on the grid, contesting in the Evo class.
Mercer returns for his first full British Championship campaign since 2007, but last year had strong performances in both the Endurance World Cup and the ACU National Endurance Championship, finishing third and first respectively. The announcement makes TTC the only team currently to be contesting both the main and Evo titles within the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship.
Mercer said: “I am dead keen to get started this season and I am really excited to get this chance with the team to ride in the Supersport Championship. I have only raced 1000cc bikes in the past and then when we were testing in Spain I rode the 600 and it felt like a breath of fresh air and it really was great fun, so much so that I lapped quicker on it as I was enjoying it so much! The bike I rode in Spain was a standard specification but I came back into the garage and was absolutely buzzing from riding it.
“Myself and Keith spoke about it and now we want to have a go at the Evo class and with James in the main Championship and me in the Evo class hopefully we can be a force to be reckoned with in both! Me and James have been spurring each other on throughout testing and we have been working really well together and I think racing in the same championship will be great for both of us and the team. I haven’t competed a full season in a British Championship since 2007 so I am really excited.”
Team Owner Keith Flint explained: “We had a great test in Spain and Steve had the chance to test the team’s standard Supersport bike and the decision for him to race full time in the Evo class was a natural one for the whole team. His performance on track was really good and it just fell into place; for me personally I was buzzing off the atmosphere we had as he really rekindled almost a schoolboy passion on the 600. At the end of the day we want to be having fun as well as running a professional team so to see Steve’s enthusiasm and potential on the bike in Spain made the decision for us to enter the Supersport Evo class. It is a great opportunity now for him to really get his teeth into a full championship and I know from my few experiences on track that the time you have riding and enjoying it means everything.”
The countdown is on to the start of the 2014 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this Easter weekend (18/19/20/21 April). Advance ticket can be purchased at www.brandshatch.co.uk or by calling 0843 453 9000.
By booking your tickets in advance you could win a £5,000 Tsingtao bike and accessories, click here for more information.
Article originally published on britishsuperbike.com