The Prime Factors Racing team head to the iconic Paul Ricard circuit in France this weekend, ready to end their debut Endurance World Championship on a high at the Bol d’Or 24hr. Joining regular riders Gary Mason, Barry Burrell and Stefan Capella will be Lee Johnston, who will be making his 24 hour racing debut.    

Following the disappointment of the Oschersleben 8HR, where a crash ruled the team out, Prime Factors Racing will be looking to end their debut Superstock Endurance World Championship season on a high at the legendary Bol d’Or 24hr. Joining the team at the event will be Road Racing star Lee Johnston, who will be bringing his knowledge of the BMW S1000R as he makes his 24 hour debut. Steve Plater will also make his debut as Team Manager this weekend as the team continue to build ahead of moving into the EWC Superbike class and competing at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT in 2016.

First run in 1922, the iconic Bol d’Or event is one of the most famous motorcycle races in the world and 2015 sees it return to the Paul Ricard circuit after an absence of fifteen years. Opening in 1970, the Paul Ricard circuit held both Formula 1 and MotoGP events before closing its doors to the public in 1999. Becoming a world famous test track for ten years, the circuit reopened its doors to motorsport events in 2009.

The 5.8km circuit is one of the most exciting on the Endurance calendar, whilst the 1.8km straight also makes it the fastest. Although not the most physical of tracks, the high speeds require intense concentration making a full 24 hour event mentally demanding.

Excited to be making his debut with Prime Factors Racing, Lee Johnston is looking forward to making his 24 hour debut,

“It’s going to be a really special event and I can’t wait to get going! The Paul Ricard circuit is a legendary track so I’m looking forward to getting out on track and riding it for the first time - I’ve seen some on-board laps and it looks real fast!

Having been riding a BMW on the roads all season, the Prime Factors machine shouldn’t be too dissimilar to what I’m used to which should help us get up to speed quickly. I’m under no illusion as to what it will take but I know all the boys in the team and I understand the effort and preparation they put in so we’re going there ready to get some good results!”

Team Manager of Prime Factors Racing, Steve Plater added

“This is the big one then! The Bol d’Or is not only our last endurance race of the season, but the most famous and prestigious of the year – so everyone is looking to end on a high. This will be my first event with Prime Factors as Team Manager and with the four riders we’ve got I believe we have a very strong package.

The Paul Ricard circuit is a very special circuit and I’m excited to be going back. Although Lee, Gary, Barry and Stefan have never ridden it, we’ll be testing on the Wednesday prior to the weekend so they should be able to get up to speed by the time official practice begins. Alongside challenging for the best possible position in the race, we’ll also be using this weekend to try some things ahead of our step up for 2016.”