Sensational comeback for former BSB rider in Ulster Superbike Championship with J McC Roofing Racing

The Jordanstown man will compete in the Supersport class for the Banbridge-based outfit and was drafted in by team owner Jason McCaw after reigning Ulster Superbike and Supersport champion Jason Lynn opted to take a year out.

Reid last raced competitively in the 2019 British Superstock Championship for the Tyco BMW team but feels the time is right to return to racing after a four-year hiatus.

The 29-year-old, who will make his racing debut on the J McC Kawasaki at Bishopscourt on March 16, said: “This was very out of the blue and I got a call just after the New Year from Jason, who said he was quite interested in doing something. He put an opportunity on the table and I asked for a bit of time to think about it to weigh everything up.

“I had to think about whether I wanted to jump back into racing again and if I could make it work around having a full-time job.

“Deep down it’s always there and lots of things were going through my head. I thought ‘this doesn’t seem like a bad idea’ and it’s pretty interesting. The team is obviously very good and Jason runs a very good ship by the looks of things,” added Reid, whose career has been plagued by a series of bad injuries.

“He was sound and straight to the point. He seems like a nice guy and I took him at his word and there was no beating around the bush.

“He gave me time to think about it and wasn’t pushing for an answer, so there is mutual respect there and now I’m looking forward to it.”

Reid will defend the team’s Ulster Supersport crown on a Kawasaki 636 but hasn’t totally ruled out the possibility of riding the Kawasaki Superbike.

“I think Supersport is a good spot to dip my toe back in considering I haven’t been on a bike in so long,” said Reid, who has raced for several high-profile teams in the past, including Team Traction Control, EHA Racing and FFX Racing.

“That’s not to say I won’t test the Superbike or see how that goes. I might be more comfortable on a Superbike, I don’t know, but I haven’t ridden a bike in quite a few years so let’s see if I can even remember how to do this!

“We’ll see how it all goes. I’m keen, I’m looking forward to it and I’ve kept myself fit and relatively healthy throughout my whole time off the bike.

“I haven’t even had much time to look at who’s even in the championship or when it starts, but I like the sound of this and I do miss the sounds, the smells, the atmosphere.”

Team boss McCaw revealed he previously tried to sign Reid in 2021 but with Lynn absent this season, he made another approach and this time got his man.

“I asked Andy to ride for me in 2021 but he wasn’t interested then,” he said.

“With Jason taking a year out and achieving the Ulster Superbike and Supersport titles in the same season, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place because who do you get to step up to the mantle?

“I thought I’d give Andy another pop and offered him a package, and he was happy enough with that.

“He’s a good lad and he wanted to ride the Supersport bike but hopefully he might jump onto a Superbike later.”

Reid finished as the joint runner-up in the 2014 Junior Superstock Championship, eight points behind Kyle Ryde.

He was ninth in the British Supersport Championship in 2015 and 2016 before making his British Superbike debut with Tyco BMW in 2017.

In 2018, the Northern Ireland rider claimed eighth in the Superstock 1000 Championship on the EHA Aprilia before ending his final full season in 12th in the class after re-joining Tyco BMW in 2019.

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