Optimum Bikes Racing confirm absence from National Superstock 1000 Championship after Dan Linfoot's title setback

Optimum Bikes Racing won’t compete in this year’s National Superstock 1000 Championship after the team was stripped of the 2023 title following a breach of regulations.

A protest was lodged and Dan Linfoot was eventually excluded from the results of the final round at Brands Hatch after his Honda Fireblade machine was deemed to be fitted with a ‘non homologated front brake master cylinder’.

As a result, Donegal’s Richard Kerr and the Dumfries-based AMD Motorsport team were declared champions by 22 points.

In a statement issued by Optimum Bikes, manager Ian Wright said it was with a ‘heavy heart’ that he could confirm the team’s absence from the championship.

“As a team we had an absolutely impeccable season in 2023 with Dan Linfoot currently finishing runner up giving the team eight wins, five lap records, 12 podiums and incredible memories that cannot be taken away,” he said.

“With the 2024 season fast approaching it is with heavy hearts I will clarify that Optimum Bikes Racing will not be taking part in any capacity in the BSB Championship. This is a very hard pill to swallow with how the whole situation was handled at the end of the 2023 season.

“We wish everyone competing in the 2024 season the best of luck.”

Wright also said he wished to ‘clear the names’ of team members who have ‘impeccable reputations’, specifically Alec Tague (crew chief) Fred Morton (chassis mechanic) Steven Hill (chassis mechanic) and Graham Ward (tyre technician).

He added that they ‘do not and have not had any involvement in building and preparing our race bikes’, and said ‘the reputations of these team members and families should not be tarnished in any way’.

Wright confirmed that bike builder Mark Sayers had changed the master cylinder on the machine, adding ‘the master cylinder fitted to the bike at Brands Hatch final round was sent to Brembo for analysis after the event and was stripped and measured and a full report was presented to MCRCB, it was found to be internally and externally identical except for a 6mm bolt hole for a reservoir bracket’.

In November, Kilmacrennan man Kerr said he would have preferred to have won the title ‘through fair and even racing’.

“I would much rather have won it through just fair and even racing,” said Kerr.

“I only got my first win in this series last year and this season we were consistently up there, so it’s really good to do it.”