Samsung superbike team

The new-look Samsung Superbike team lines up in BSB for 2007 with a Suzuki GSX-R1000 for Dean Thomas.

The bike is the ex-Kirkham K5 but with one of last year’s Rizla Suzuki engines.

Thomas was lapping in the low 1:33s and said: “We’re making steady progress with the bike but we expect to go a lot better than this.”

Former BSB privateer Jon Kirkham (22) is also racing in Samsung colours, riding a standard Ducati 1098S in the National Superstock series.

Kirkham said: “I got fed up in BSB not getting the right kit. I realised what a disadvantage I was at when I rode Shakey’s Rizla Suzuki at Snetterton and knew I would never get the same good tyres as a privateer.”

While Thomas is racing in BSB he has also set up his own personal new team, Revolution Motorsports. This will field promising Joe Dickinson on a 1098S Ducati in National Superstock this year.