BSB-bound Jack Kennedy says "my time to shine" after confirmation of long-touted move to Superbike class

The Dubliner won the Supersport crown for a record fourth time this season with three rounds remaining, surpassing the late Karl Harris’s tally of three titles to become the most successful rider ever in the class.

Kennedy has long been linked with a move to BSB next season and the 34-year-old will make the switch with Northern Ireland’s Mar-Train Yamaha Racing team, with technical support from Yamaha Motor UK and Raceways Motorcycles.

“I am really excited to be back in the British Superbike Championship and extremely grateful to Mar-Train Yamaha Racing for giving me this opportunity with support from Yamaha Motor UK,” said Kennedy, who wrapped up his fourth title in style with a double at Snetterton earlier this month.

“I have really gelled with the Mar-Train Yamaha Racing team this season. I love the atmosphere and I know there’s no corners cut, so I know I’m going to get the best package possible to compete towards the front.

“To have support from Yamaha Motor UK and Raceways/McAMS Yamaha is amazing as we know that we’re not making the jump to the premier class alone, and that we will have the best possible support when it comes to putting the right package together and getting the bike right for race weekends.”

Kennedy has previously competed in the British Superbike Championship, albeit without reaching the same heights he has scaled in the Supersport class.

However, he is determined to seize his latest opportunity to finally make his mark in BSB on first-rate machinery with both hands.

“Having had two previous attempts at establishing myself in the top division, I am determined to make the most of this opportunity on championship-winning machinery and find my feet in the Superbike class,” Kennedy said.

“I feel like this is my time to shine in the British Superbike Championship. I can’t wait to get going and really looking forward to the winter so I can get stuck into my training to be the best I can be both physically and mentally in 2023.”

Tim Martin, team owner of Mar-Train Yamaha Racing, said talks had been ongoing for “several months” around the Lisburn-based team’s plans to run Kennedy in BSB next year.

“We’re delighted to announce that Mar-Train Yamaha Racing will be making the step up to the British Superbike Championship in 2023 with Jack Kennedy, piloting a Yamaha R1 that will be expertly prepared by long-term crew chief Andy Jamison with parts support from Yamaha Motor UK,” said Martin.

“We had been in talks with Yamaha Motor UK and McAMS Yamaha for several months and once we tested the R1 Superbike a few weeks ago with Jack, we knew this was the right move for us as a team.

“We are under no illusions that this is a huge step up for Mar-Train Yamaha Racing and Jack, but one that we feel we are ready to take.

"Jack has nothing left to prove in the Supersport series and deserves a crack at establishing himself in the top division with front-running Superbike machinery, and that’s what we want to collectively deliver next season.”