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BIRD SIGNS MCWILLIAMS TO RACE FOR STOBART HONDA IN BSB 2005 Following on from months of negotiations, Paul Bird Motorsport is pleased to announce that Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams will ride for the Stobart Honda team in the 2005 British Superbike Championship (BSB). The two year deal will see the experienced former Moto GP racer join Gary Mason and Michael Laverty in a three man team for the former double BSB champions and sees Cumbrian businessman Bird land a major coup for both his team and the BSB series.
Riding for Honda, Yamaha, Proton and Aprilia, McWilliams, originally from Belfast but now living at Newtownabbey, has spent just over a decade in Grands Prix with over 150 GP starts to his name and is the biggest signing in the recent history of Britain’s most popular motorsport series.
40 year old McWilliams, who turned down a number of lucrative offers to stay in Moto GP for 2005, was delighted with the deal:
“BSB is second only to Moto GP in status and I’m thrilled to be racing here this season. I’ve been wanting to race in BSB for a couple of seasons now but it was a case of waiting for the right ride with the right team and Stobart Honda is the one that fits the bill perfectly. I can’t thank Paul enough for hanging on whilst it was all being sorted out and we’re both in it for one reason this year, and that is to win the title. We’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that” said McWilliams.
Having not raced regularly in the UK in recent years, many of the tracks will be new or will need relearning but it’s a challenge that McWilliams is looking forward to: “There are some places I’ve never seen before and even those tracks I do know have changed so it is going to be interesting. But one of my main strengths in the world championship was my ability to learn them quickly so I don’t see that being a problem. In fact I’m relishing the task! The other factor is that I’m delighted to be back and riding for Honda again and I genuinely believe we have got the right package in order to challenge for the crown.”
The signing of McWilliams is the final piece in the jigsaw for the four times British Champions who will be sporting new colours and new sponsors as well as reverting back to Honda power after four successful years with Ducati.
“Jeremy was always my number one target and I offered the ride to him in the first place. Of course we were interested in both Shakey Byrne and Gregorio Lavilla as I didn’t think we had a chance of signing a rider of Jeremy’s calibre and it has taken a lot of time and patience but I’m absolutely thrilled to have secured his services. He is a rider with so much experience and he will bring a new dimension to the team” said Paul Bird.
As part of their policy of bringing new names to the sport, the team has secured the backing of transport giants Eddie Stobart and another company joining the team for the first time is the UK’s number one ventilation specialists Vent Axia. The MonsterMob brand has been superseded by ‘The Mob’ and they remain involved for a fifth year running along with VK Vodka Kick and Fuchs Silkolene Lubricants. The kitted bikes will utilise Dunlop tyres and riders will wear Alpine Stars clothing.
The 13 round Bennett’s British Superbike Championship regularly attracts trackside crowds of over 25,000 as well as millions of television viewers and BSB Race Director Stuart Higgs was elated with the news:
“Having a rider of Jeremy’s undoubted pedigree will add further depth to the already high quality of the rider line up. We now have a dynamic mix of GP and WSB standard riders alongside BSB regulars and emerging talent, demonstrating that BSB is probably THE most competitive series. I personally can''t wait for Brands Hatch in March.”
McWilliams started out racing in 1988 before rapidly progressing to British Championship level. He raced a 250cc machine in 1991 and in 1992 until moving on to an Oxford Products Ducati for selected rides in the Supercup Championship. From there, he moved onto the GP scene where he remained until returning to the UK this season.
During his GP career, he amassed a total of 684 points including six rostrums. With victory in the 2001 Dutch TT, he became the first British rider to win a solo Grand Prix race since Ian McConnachie in 1986, a statistic which still remains today.
After testing for his new team, McWilliams will race the Stobart Honda Fireblade at the opening round of the series which takes place at Brands Hatch in Kent on Easter Monday March 28th 2005.
Jeremy McWilliams Biography
Full Name: Jeremy McWilliams Status: Married to Jill, two sons (Jack and Zak) Date of Birth: 04/04/1964 Place of Birth: Belfast, Northern Ireland Residence: Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland Weight: 65 kg Height: 162 cm Music: Everything from Rap to R&B Favourite Food: Chicken and Pasta Favourite Drink: Coffee, VK Energy Hobbies: Trials, Moto X and anything on two wheels Dream: To win BSB and keep racing First Race: 1988 Irish Championship, 350cc Production Yamaha First Success: 1988 Winner Irish Championship Production 350 cc First Grand Prix: 1993 Australian Grand Prix, 500cc Yamaha First GP Win: 2001 Dutch TT, 250cc Aprilia Podiums: 1998 German Grand Prix, 250cc Honda, 2nd Position 1999 Dutch TT, 250cc Aprilia, 3rd Position 2000 Italian Grand Prix, 500cc, 3rd Position 2000 British Grand Prix, 500cc, 3rd Position 2001 Japanese Grand Prix, 250cc, 3rd Position Pole Positions: 1999 Australian Grand Prix, 250cc Aprilia 2000 Australian Grand Prix, 500cc Aprilia 2002 Australian Grand Prix, 500cc KR Proton First Major Victory: 1991 British 250cc Supercup (Yamaha), Brands Hatch Career Highlights 1988 Irish Champion, Production 350cc, Yamaha 1990 Irish Champion, Open 350cc, Yamaha 1991 Irish Champion, 250cc, Yamaha 1991 9th British 250cc Supercup, Yamaha 1992 12th British 250cc Supercup, Yamaha 1993 21st 500cc World Championship, Yamaha 1994 12th 500cc World Championship, Yamaha 1995 19th 500cc World Championship, Yamaha 1996 16th 500cc World Championship, Yamaha 1997 10th 250cc World Championship, Honda 1998 9th 250cc World Championship, Honda 1999 10th 250cc World Championship, Aprilia 2000 14th 500cc World Championship, Aprilia 2001 6th 250cc World Championship, Aprilia 2002 14th Moto GP World Championship, KR Proton 2003 18th Moto GP World Championship, KR Proton 2004 19th Moto GP World Championship, Aprilia
2005 BSB Race Dates
26 – 28 March Brands Hatch, Kent (Indy) British Championship R1 www.motorsportvision.co.uk 8 – 10 April Thruxton, Hants British Championship R2 www.barc.net 22 – 24 April Mallory Park, Leics British Championship R3 www.mallorypark.co.uk 30 April – 2 May Oulton Park, Cheshire British Championship R4 www.motorsportvision.co.uk 13 – 15 May Mondello Park, Co Kildare British Championship R5 www.mondellopark.ie 3 – 5 June Croft, N Yorks British Championship R6 www.croftcircuit.co.uk 24 – 26 June Knockhill, Fife British Championship R7 www.knockhill.co.uk 8 – 10 July Snetterton, Norfolk British Championship R8 www.motorsportvision.co.uk 19 - 21 August Silverstone, Northants British Championship R9 www.silverstone-circuit.co.uk 27 - 29 August Cadwell Park, Lincs British Championship R10 www.motorsportvision.co.uk 9 – 11 September Oulton Park, Cheshire British Championship R11 www.motorsportvision.co.uk 23 – 25 September Donington Park, Leics British Championship R12 www.donington-park.co.uk 7 – 9 October Brands Hatch, Kent (GP) British Championship R13 www.motorsportvision.co.uk
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