Yamaha Motor UK will provide a dedicated support package to riders competing in the new Pirelli National Sportbike Championship in 2024.
MotorSport Vision Racing recently announced the introduction of the all-new twins category for 2024 with a range of machines, including the R7, eligible for the new championship. All bikes will run on a specification Mektronic ECU platform with a ‘Balance of Performance’ formula to manage model parity. The series will run on slick tyres and riders must be a minimum of 16 years old on March 1st 2024.
To offer support to riders who choose the R7, which will be available in a special race-package, Yamaha Motor UK have teamed up with ‘Rev2Race’, run by experienced engine builder and Yamaha stalwart Kev Stephenson.
Rev2Race will run a four-bike team with the Yamaha R7 in the new series and will also become Yamaha Motor UK’s official Support Team and technical partner in the championship, providing support to any riders running R7 machinery in the series.
Kev and the Rev2Race team will be on hand each weekend for all R7 riders to provide set-up advice and technical support, as well as stocking a full complement of race spares for sale at a discounted price onsite. The official team will commit to full data sharing as Yamaha seeks to take the R7 to the forefront of the new series.
The highest placed R7 rider in the championship will be invited to compete in the R7 Cup SuperFinale, where the best riders competing on R7s across Europe will compete to win a new R7.
Riders choosing R7 will also get a ‘bLU cRU’ care package including Paddock Blue clothing, as well as social media and PR coverage via Yamaha’s UK Racing channels.
Having worked in the British Superbike paddock for over 20 years, Kev Stephenson has a long relationship with Yamaha having been the engine builder and technician for Rob McElnea’s Virgin Yamaha effort in the 2000s. Since 2019, he has been building engines for the McAMS Yamaha team (among other Yamaha efforts in the paddock) and working as a technician for the outgoing official Yamaha BSB team.
Stephenson has been developing the R7 as a race package over the last 12 months, working closely with Yamaha Motor Europe, plus liaising closely with MSVR to fully understand the technical regulations and ensure the R7 can be competitive in the new series.
Rev2Race have also been working in conjunction with the Westby Racing team, who won the MotoAmerica Twins Cup in 2022 and are in the midst of the 2023 title battle. Stephenson’s own R7 has been winning races at Club level in the UK, proving the prowess of the middleweight Supersport model which has been a significant success for Yamaha since it was unveiled in 2021.
The R7 is based on Yamaha’s award-winning 689cc CP2 engine platform with design cues taken from the World and British championship-winning R1. Agile and aerodynamic, the R7 was designed to offer a sporty performance and feel at an accessible price point.
Those interested in running the proven, race-winning R7 can contact Kev Stephenson on [email protected]
Matt Taylerson, Divisional Manager, Marketing, Yamaha Motor UK commented: “Yamaha led the way when they introduced the twin-cylinder CP2 engine back in 2014 with the MT-07 becoming one of the most successful models in Yamaha’s history. That platform has since evolved into our Supersport range with the R7, and this has become an important model for us as a brand.
"We are pleased MSVR have recognised the significance of this market with the introduction of the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship and plan to embrace the opportunity with not just an official team, but by providing extended support via that team to anyone else in the series.
“Kev Stephenson has a long history of working with Yamaha and has been developing the R7 over the last year, working closely with Westby Racing in America where the R7 has already been proven in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup, so he and the Rev2Race team are the perfect partner for this project as we look to take on the challenge and hope to get as many R7s on the grid as possible.”
Kev Stephenson, Rev2Race Yamaha concluded: “Having been working with the R7 over the last 12 months, we know exactly what the package is capable of. It’s already won races in MotoAmerica, at the highest level of club racing here in the UK and even won a race at the Isle of Man TT this year. It’s lightweight and agile and everyone who rides it is raving about the chassis, especially compared to some of the other machines in its class.
"The Yamaha CP2 engine is built to be super-reliable on the road, so the extra power required for racing can be found easily while maintaining the reliability Yamaha is renowned for. We’re really looking forward to being the official Yamaha Support Team in the new Pirelli National Sportbike Championship and hopefully we can show what the R7 is made of.”