BSB: Bathams Racing move into Superbike class with AJN Steelstock sponsorship

There will be a new team on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship grid next season as Bathams Racing move into the superbike class.

The team, formed in 2018 and managed by Michael Rutter, will be known as Bathams AJN Racing following a new title sponsorship deal with AJN Steelstock, and will race as a one-rider outfit.

Previously, the team competed in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship, initially with Rutter as its sole rider. Taylor Mackenzie joined Rutter towards the end of 2018, and went on to finish second overall in 2019.

Since then, Richard Cooper and Dan Linfoot have both represented the team in the Superstock class, however Bathams Racing opted to focus solely on road racing in 2022. Since then, the team has expanded by recruiting Craig Neve to compete alongside Rutter at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Classic TT races.

“If you had told me back in 2018 that our little race team would be entering the BSB Championship next year, I’d never have believed you,” Rutter said. “Since Matt and Tim Batham had the idea of forming a race team with me, we’ve always tried to be as competitive as we could at whatever discipline or class of motorcycle racing that we’ve entered. 
 
“Just like any rider who competes in our sport, I believe that teams and sponsors also harbour ambitions to compete at the highest level. So, it’s thanks to Alan and AJN Steelstock for joining forces with Bathams Ales to make it possible for everyone at Bathams Racing to be in a position to compete with the best teams, riders and bikes in the country.
 
“This is by far the biggest challenge that we’ve taken on. However, it’s also true that the buzz which comes from rising to that challenge is the thing that makes motorcycle racing so fantastic and addictive.”

Rutter, who will be the Bathams AJ Racing team manager, is one of the biggest names in British motorcycle racing. In BSB, Rutter competed in 431 races, winning 29 of them and recording a further 109 podiums.

Rutter finished runner-up to Steve Hislop in 2002, before taking second spot overall once again in 2004, this time finishing behind John Reynolds. Rutter also finished third in 2003 and 2005.

Bathams became personal sponsors of Rutter at the 2009 TT and the partnership has continued to grow ever since.

“I really must pay a big tribute to Bathams Ales for supporting me personally since 2009, then with the creation of the team in 2018, and now for this phase of the team’s journey, by sharing the title sponsorship with AJN Steelstock,” Rutter continued.
 
“As you can imagine, we’re already flat-out putting plans into place so that by the time we get to the first test in April, we’ll be ready to get stuck in”

An announcement regarding the team’s 2025 rider, manufacturer and road racing activities will follow in due course.  

“We are immensely proud of how well Bathams Racing has established itself in the racing community during the relatively short time that it’s been going,” Tim and Matt Batham said. “We are always humbled by the support that we get from our fans, supporters and of course the team’s other sponsors, who over the years have made it possible for us to be in a position to write the next chapter of the team’s story.

“Expanding the team with the arrival of a title sponsor who shares our passion for the sport (and beer), allows us to fulfil our long-held ambition to compete in the British Superbike Championship as well as the TT and Northwest 200. It is extremely exciting for everyone involved with the team, and we can’t wait to see the bike on next year’s BSB grid.”

AJN Steelstock will have a big presence on the grid next season having also joined forces with FS-3 Racing Kawasaki. The company first appeared on the ZX-10RR this year as a secondary sponsor alongside Completely Motorbikes.

“I’ve known Michael and the team for a while now and it’s been an absolute privilege to have spent time with them at the TT over recent years,” Alan Boyden, Joint Managing Director, at AJN Steelstock, said. “Our like-minded thinking and passion for motorcycle racing – and a good pint or two – has helped forge some great friendships.
 
“Like us, they work and play together as a team, and their professionalism and desire to achieve the very best in everything they do is one of the main reasons that attracted me to the team.”