BSB: Introducing… Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha

The Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha team were headline-breakers and record-makers in 2017, with an astonishing campaign putting the Swadlincote-based crew firmly on the British Superbike map. Josh Brookes’ three wins meant he was just three points shy of delivering the championship to a team that are full-on privateers. Aside from Josh, teammate Shaun Winfield also continued to improve throughout the year, securing two point-scoring rides as well as setting a better fastest lap than the official Yamaha-backed McAMS team at Thruxton in race two. With Brookes moving out of the team in 2018, James Ellison moves in for his final BSB year. Could the Cumbrian take them one step further than ‘Brookesy’ managed last season?

James Ellison had a difficult 2017, with a balanced mixture of reliability problems and crashes keeping one of the most popular riders out of The Showdown. However, after a disastrous weekend at Thruxton, Ellison took a win at Cadwell Park and four more podiums to complete the year in 8th overall. Whilst it may be his final year in BSB, Ellison is more determined than ever before to sign out of the most competitive Superbike championship in the world with title success.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport Radio, Ellison said: “Coming to the Tag Racing Yamaha team was a big thing for me, the Yamaha suits my style and although I had offers from different teams for 2018, I wanted to be on a Yamaha again. The team are capable of running at the front and I don’t doubt for one moment that they’ll do the same this year; the move to the outfit was quite easy for me to be honest.

“I am here for one thing and one thing only and that is to win the championship. I won’t be surprised if I did win it, I’ve got a lot of fans behind me and people can see how well the team performed last season. I want to win it, they want to win it, so lets go out and get it won.”

Shaun Winfield, unexpectedly, remains with the team for another season. The son of team owner, Rob, Winfield had some sterling rides aboard the bike in just his second season on the machine. ‘Munch’ hit the ground running with a point scoring ride in race one at Donington Park, although he had to wait until race one at Oulton Park in September to repeat the achievement. Having Josh Brookes as a teammate in 2017 has brought Winfield on in leaps and bounds and now, he will have to apply all that knowledge without Josh in 2018. Keep your eye on Shaun.

Rob Winfield could never have imagined in his wildest dreams that he would finish three porins off the championship win in 2017, having scored just three points the year before with James Rispoli. With new rider, the revamped Tag Racing will be up for the championship again in 2018. 2017 was no fluke and if anyone can put the Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha back up the sharp end, James Ellison is the man. Another stunning season awaits, with more expectation on them in 2018. Will they step up?