Richards and Gowland back in BSB Evo

Glen Richards returns to the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship this season after signing a deal with Team WFR to lead their three-rider assault on the Evo title with Honda Fireblades.

Richards joins the Yorkshire-based operation, with the team evolving from the Embassy Racing outfit which took titles in the Superstock and Supersport Championships with the Australian in 2007 and 2008.

Richards is joined in the new team by Graeme Gowland and Alex Lowes.
Richards said: “The Embassy days were the most enjoyable and successful of my career and I have always kept in touch with the guys.

“When I heard that some of them were putting together the Team WFR Evo project I knew it would be something special.  I kept my fingers crossed and when I got the call I did everything in my power to make sure I was in their rider line-up.

“The Evo concept makes great sense to me and I believe it will provide the kind of racing the teams can afford and the fans will love – and as a rider, the more emphasis on my skills and the reduced importance of electronics can only be good.”

Gowland (24) returns to BSB after running his own British Supersport team last year. He said: “I was unsure about my plans for 2011 and felt it would be difficult to raise the funds to finance my own ride in BSB.

“I believed I did a good job on limited resources with the PTR Supersport bike last year but I was more hoping rather than expecting something to happen.

“I truly believe that I will be on the best Evo bike on the grid and so it’s just down to me now.  To be given a genuine chance to prove my ability without compromise is the most exciting feeling I have had in bike racing and I’m determined to do well.”

For Alex Lowes it’s a full-time step up to BSB Evo and he said: “When I heard what Team WFR had planned, I thought it would be perfect for me – a team in Evo with Glen Richards as a team-mate would be great.

“Then when I saw the set-up at the workshops and heard about the technical details of the bike build, testing programme and that there were three riders in the team, I was blown away. It’s a brilliant opportunity for me.”