Dean Harrison will be back for another full season in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this year, signing a new two-year deal with DAO Racing as he continues with the new-look team, combining both circuit and road racing.
The Bradford-based roads ace will return to the team, which powered him to 2019 Isle of Man Senior TT victory, continuing its relationship with Kawasaki as DAO Racing will utilise the new Ninja ZX-10R on both the short circuits and the roads.
In 2021, the team – under a different name – embarked on its first full season of Bennetts BSB, with Harrison quickly becoming a regular points finisher, with a best result of eighth at Donington Park in August.
Harrison is now looking ahead to a busy season: “I’m really excited about 2022, it feels like we’re finally getting back to some kind or normality. Last year, we didn’t have any road racing apart from one weekend at Oliver’s Mount, so our whole effort went into BSB.
“I think it proved to be an important season, when you’re running with some of the fastest superbike riders in the world, it can only help bring you on and I think both myself and the team learnt a lot.
“This year we have the international road racing back which is very exciting. I’m confident what we’ve learnt in BSB so far will help make us faster when we get back on the roads and with a team and bike I know and work well with, this could certainly be my best year yet.”
DAO Racing [pronounced Dow] is owned by Isle of Man-based Clarissa Beadman and operates from its workshop in Cumbria, headed-up by Team Manager Jonny Bagnall.
Bagnall said: “We are delighted to have signed Dean for another two seasons, he’s been an integral part of this team for several years and continuity is so important in this sport.
“It’s been fantastic to see that the international road racing calendar is filling up again and after two years off, we’re all champing at the bit to get back out onto the roads.
“Last year, we committed ourselves to the full Bennetts British Superbike season and it was definitely the right move. We learnt a lot more as a team, and Dean improved further as a rider, so we want to build upon that this year.
“For that reason, we intend to continue racing the world’s leading domestic championship alongside our road racing commitments. I think we more than proved ourselves as a team within the BSB paddock last year and I am confident we can push even further in 2022.”