Ian Lougher To Ride AIM Yamaha Superbike In 2009
Ian Lougher is pleased to announce that he will be riding the AIM Yamaha Superbike at the major international road races in 2009, thus renewing a partnership with team boss Alistair Flanagan with whom he rode for under the ETI-Electrack Installations Ltd banner in the 2000 BSB Supersport 600 class.
The news comes as Ian prepares for his 28th racing season and this, combined with his duties at the helm of Team Blackhorse Yamaha, means he will be as active and competitive as ever.
2008 once again saw the ever popular Welshman at the forefront of proceedings as he claimed the Southern 100 Solo Championship for the second year in a row and the fifth time in total eclipsing the legendary Joey Dunlop’s race win tally in the process to became the most successful rider at the event, further wins at Oliver’s Mount saw Ian consolidate the honour of the most successful rider ever at the North Yorkshire venue as he raised the bar to 115 wins.
Sixteen race wins at Aberdare Park were the prelude to a 125cc win at the rain-hit Ulster Grand Prix meeting in August where he also blitzed the opposition in Supersport qualifying.
At the other big two international road races, the North-West 200 and the Isle of Man TT, Ian was again a force to be reckoned with as he claimed two podiums on the Co. Antrim ‘Triangle’ and six top ten finishes on the Mountain course, three of which were in the top six. He also won the Steam Packet Lightweight 250TT on the Billown circuit.
Indeed, the Isle of Man TT in 2009 will mark another milestone in the career of Ian Lougher as the opening Superbike race on June 6th will see him come to the line on the AIM Yamaha to start his 100th Isle of Man TT, surely something nearing another record.
Both the 2009 Team Blackhorse Yamaha effort and the AIM Yamaha Superbike will be supported with the best rubber from Dunlop Tyres.
Ian Lougher:
“I am delighted that I have signed a deal with Alistair Flanagan to ride the AIM Yamaha Superbike at the major international road races in 2009.
AIM Yamaha remain one of the most knowledgeable race teams in the paddock and in recent years their strong racing development programme has seen them consistently produce some of the fastest Yamaha machinery on track, be that on the ‘roads’ or on the short circuits in the BSB series, and in both disciplines the team have an enviable record of race results.
The AIM Yamaha team know what they are about and will arrive at the North West 200 with a very strong superbike package, one which will certainly be capable of winning the premier Superbike class and I can’t wait to get going”
Alistair Flanagan:
“In Ian Lougher, we have acquired a rider of the utmost professionalism, with success and experience to match and I have no doubt that Ian and the 2009 AIM Yamaha Racing R1 Superbike will be an impressive combination. It has taken nearly two years to get this engine to its optimum, a point borne out at the recent Macau Grand Prix where it was put on pole with a lap record! It is a completely different bike now compared to the 2008 North West 200, it has 12bhp more, all manageable power and with the speed to be more than competitive.”