Staring to race World Supersport in 2014
The Aussie has scored a last minute ride with the Rivamoto Honda team in World Supersport, and will make his debut with the team at the Phillip Island eni World Superbike Championship season opener at Phillip Island.
If Rivamoto sounds familiar, they're the Russian-backed team managed by Jeremy McWilliams that ran a Yamaha for fellow Aussie Jed Metcher in the 2012 World Supersport season. Last season, Rivamoto finished seventh in the 2013 World Supersport title, with Jack Kennedy in the saddle.
The 26-year-old Staring will attempt to become Australia's first World Supersport champion since Andrew Pitt in 2008.
"I'm very happy to be on a motorcycle again within the Superbike World Championship. And it's great to be working with Jeremy McWilliams and all the Rivamoto crew," said Staring.
"I absolutely expect nothing less than to be competitive. If I didn't believe I could fight for a championship I wouldn't enter. But as far as a big result at the opening event of the season goes, I just want to do my absolute best and I know everything will fall in place."
No stranger to the World Supersport and World Superbike paddock, Staring spent 2011 and 2012 competing in the FIM Superstock 1000cc European-based support class, scoring three race wins in 2012 before heading to MotoGP on a Honda-powered Gresini CRT machine in 2013.
The MotoGP experience was not a good one for the three-time Australian road racing champion, who could only gather a few points on the underpowered CRT bike, finishing 26th in the championship.
Given that difficult MotoGP season, Staring is delighted to be given another chance in a sport that he says "can be very punishing".
"I have all the motivation I need to succeed, but sometimes motivation alone isn't enough and sometimes it can make the difference. There are a lot of variables in road racing and my 2013 season was a great example of this."
The last time Staring competed on a Supersport-spec machine was in 2009, when he edged out Yamaha teammate Jamie Stauffer to win that year's Aussie Supersport championship. And he also set a new domestic lap record of 1:35:200 at Phillip Island that year - a benchmark that still stands.
Joining Staring at the Phillip Island season opener, will be two other Australians, which are entered as wildcards: Victorian Ryan Taylor (Yamaha) and UK-based South Australian Billy McConnell (Triumph).
Of the international riders, the greatest challenge is expected to come from three-time world Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki), Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta), 2013 Suzuka 8-Hour winner Michael van der Mark (Honda), and Roberto Rolfo (Kawasaki).
After the late call-up for WSS duties, Staring will be playing catch up on his opposition, with his first ride on the Rivamoto CBR 600RR coming in the final pre-season test at Phillip Island on February 17-18.
"I'll have to rely on some old (supersport) experience for the start of the season, but I hope I can get the feeling back quickly and I'm so happy to have the two days of testing to bring some feeling back on the supersport bike."
After the test, it will be down to real business with opening practice and qualifying on Friday, February 21, before final qualifying on Saturday and the 18-lap World Supersport race on Sunday, February 23.
Bryan Staring Profile
Born: Perth, WA
Age: 26
2004 - Australian 125 GP champion
2009 - Australian Supersport Champion
2010 - Australian Superbike Champion
2011/2012 - European FIM Superstock Championship - finished 4th in 2012
2013 - MotoGP - CRT/FTR Honda
Images: 2SNAP, courtesy of IRPR