BSB: PR Racing BMW unveil three-man 2022 Superbike team

For the first time in its history PR Racing will enter three riders in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this season.

The Liverpool-based team, which has also extended its title sponsorship deal with e-commerce supply chain fulfilment company, iForce, has signed veteran Dan Linfoot, as well as Superstock race winner Fraser Rogers and Superbike rookie Dan Jones.

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Linfoot joins after a tough few years with TAG Racing. His 2021 campaign ended with two rounds remaining after he and the team agreed to go their separate ways after three years together. The team also withdrew from the Superbike class midway through 2020 due to unsolvable chatter issues, with Linfoot ending that campaign in the Superstock class with Bathams Racing BMW.

As part of the move to PR Racing, Linfoot will reunite with crew chief Ray Stringer, who helped guide him to the Showdown in 2014 – which led to a move to Honda the following year. It’s a positive situation for Linfoot, who after another difficult year, admitted to MCN that he did consider options in other championships.

“I’ve been in Superbikes a long time, I’ve made it into the Showdown before, I just want to get back to that level where we all feel we can be and enjoy it,” Linfoot told MCN. “I still feel fast, I still feel that on my day I could still trouble most of them if the package was right, so why not?

“We’re not a factory team, we’re not McAMS Yamaha or PBM, we’re not going to be knocking on the door for race wins, but it would be nice to be at the back end of the Showdown, and regularly in the top 10.”

Whilst Linfoot hasn’t raced a BMW in the Superbike class before, his time with Bathams Racing towards the end of 2020 saw him ride the old S1000 RR in Superstock trim. He’ll also have two young riders alongside him this season, and he’s happy to help when required.

“I don’t feel it but naturally I’m in my mid-30s now, so I guess I’m on the experienced side, or on the slope downhill, whatever you want to call it, so I’m absolutely happy to spend as much or as little time as they want to discuss things. They’ll do some things better than me, I’m sure they will, it’s a part of racing, but if there’s anything that I can help them with, I’m happy to do so.”

One of those riders is Rogers, who moves up into the premier class from Superstock. Rogers finished fourth overall last season onboard an Aprilia RSV4, taking one victory and seven podiums throughout his campaign.

Alongside his Superstock campaign, Rogers also made his Moto2 debut last year, replacing the injured Barry Baltus (NTS RW Racing GP) at Portimao – ending the race in 20th position.

Rogers has previous Superbike experience, racing with Gearlink Kawasaki for the final three rounds of 2018 before joining full-time in 2019. However, Rogers broke his humerus at the second round, held at Oulton Park, and missed the remainder of the Superbike season.

“For me, the time was right to move up,” Rogers told MCN. “I feel like I more or less accomplished everything I wanted to do in the Superstock class. We want to be in and around the top 10 right from the off, be consistent throughout the year and see how close to the Showdown we can get by the end of it.

“I don’t want to be messing around. I want to hit the ground running and obviously the first goal of the first weekend is to be inside the top 12 for the Superpicks session. I need to score points in the first three races and then we’ll assess things from there.”

Rogers has already been speaking to good friend Scott Redding, who has signed for the factory BMW team in the World Superbike Championship, and will therefore also be racing an M1000 RR.

“I sort of know its pros and cons as such already. It’s a quirky motorbike but I think it will suit the way I ride a little bit more. I think it suits BSB more than it does WorldSBK if I’m honest – Buchan and Hickman won a couple of races last year and then it won at Portimao, which is a British circuit on steroids.

“I believe it’s a good bike and a good package, and the team are doing everything they can to make it as competitive as possible for me and the Dans.”

Jones moves up from the team’s GP2 effort and this will be his first foray into production bike racing. He finished fourth overall last season, taking seven podiums and seven front row starts along the way.

“I just want to grab the opportunity with both hands,” Jones said. “I’m very excited for things to get underway now and I know I have a big learning curve ahead of me, but it’s one I’m looking forward to.

“This is the Premier League of bike racing, it’s the highest level we can reach in Britain. The prospect of reaching it has always been my aim and to finally achieve that is nice. It’s something I expected, it may have come sooner than some people expected, but here we are and I’m ready to give it a go.”