The Yamaha Racing Team will ramp up their support in the Supersport 300cc category, naming a three-rider team to compete at this years’ Australian Superbike Championship, under the ‘bLU cRU 300 Racing’ banner, for the 2018 season.

Zac Levy, Hunter Ford and Tom Bramich will headline the all new attack and be on their R3 race machines that have look and feel of the factory YRT bikes in the 1000 and 600cc classes, carrying many of the same logos and sponsors from companies like YMI and YMF who have made this venture possible, as well as share in the experience and knowledge that only a manufacturer based team can supply.

Ian Irving will oversee the team and work as a conduit between YRT and ‘bLU cRU 300 Racing’, providing critical bike advise, technical services and general race knowledge through his years of experience and guide these up and coming riders through some challenging years of racing.

And the pit lane will be a sea of blue with the three rider YRT team now being joined by the ‘bLU cRU 300 Racing’ team who will operate right alongside the Yamaha R3 service truck making for a huge Yamaha presence at road racing events are the country.

The new initiative in the Supersport 300cc class is all part of Yamaha’s global ‘Step Up’ strategy that is now being implemented into road racing as it is in motocross and off-road racing. While still in its development stages, Yamaha road racers now have a racing path laid out in front of them that can take them from the introduction level of the R15 and R3 Cups, to Supersport 300cc and 600cc and through to the premier 1000cc Australian Superbike Category on the thundering Yamaha YZF-R1M.

“The Step – Up program has been very successful in motocross and we are now implementing it in road racing,” begins YRT’s John Redding. “In the past, there has been significant support at the top of the tree for road racing but little as riders climb the ranks so we have taken on what has worked in motocross and tweaked it to suit the needs of road racers.

“Aspiring road racers in Australia now can follow a clear path presented by Yamaha that will reward them with good support through all the racing categories as their career continues to grow. Yamaha take pride in developing and nurturing racing talent in this country and I’m proud to be able to assist them in implementing this program.

“The three riders selected have the desire and talent to be future stars of the sport and we look forward to helping them achieve their racing goals,” Redding ends.

For Zac, Hunter and Tom the extra support from Yamaha and YRT is gratefully accepted and something that will allow them continue to pursue their careers with guidance, support and knowledge knowing that they have the best equipment and people in their corner to fast track their development.

“I have been on Yamaha for some time now and the passion the company has for racing is obvious,” states Zac Levy. “I worked with the YRT guys at times during the 2017 season but the additional and on-going support offered for 2018 is exciting and can only be a benefit to myself, Hunter and Tom during the season.

“It’s great that Yamaha has come up with this program for up and coming riders and hopefully we can follow it all the way through to the full Yamaha Racing team in years to come,” Levy sums up on behalf of himself and his team mates.

Round one of the ASBK will be ran in conjunction with the opening round of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island on Feb 22-25.