Lee Johnston will kick-start his racing comeback at the Daytona 200 in March as he returns to racing for the first time since a life-threatening crash at the North West 200 last May.

The Fermanagh native will ride a Suzuki GSX-R750 under the Team Hammer banner at the legendary motorcycle race in the United States, which takes place from March 1-3.

Johnston said: “I’m so excited to get back racing after missing quite a lot of 2023, so the pre-season for me has started a lot earlier than usual and now with the news of Daytona finally being confirmed this has given me a big push both mentally and physically to be ready for March.

“Daytona is a race that I have admired for a long time, with a mix of the high-speed slipstream that we experience at road racing and then the infield section is more like short circuits so it’s the perfect blend to kick start my year to head back to Europe.”

placeholder image — Lee Johnston will make his competitive return to racing at the Daytona 200 the USA in March after a long injury layoff

Johnston has already stated his intention to return to the North West in May and the Isle of Man TT, when he will ride Honda Fireblade machinery for the Ashcourt Racing team.

The former British National Superstock 600 champion will also compete in the British Supersport Championship in 2024, although Johnston has yet to confirm his choice of machinery after previously riding a Yamaha R6.