Josh Waters dropped by the Halsall Racing headquarters to meet his new team.

British Superbike Championship rookie Josh Waters is set to complete his maiden season in the challenging domestic series after being handed a lifeline by Halsall Kawasaki.

The deal will see the 2012 Australian Superbike Champion contest the Silverstone and Brands Hatch rounds after he was removed from the lineup at Milwaukee Yamaha in a shock eleventh-hour move prior to the Assen event.

Shaun Muir’s Yamaha outfit had drafted in then Halsall Kawasaki rider Tommy Bridewell to provide backup for Title Fighter James Ellison, with Waters’ latest move essentially competing a complete seat swap.

Waters is embracing the opportunity and hopes to show true form on two tracks he has prior experience upon, despite doing so on an unfamiliar machine in the Kawaskai ZX-10R.

“I am really grateful for the opportunity that Martin has given me to ride the Kawasaki for the remaining two rounds of the season,” said Waters.

“For me personally I want to simply focus on the future, staying in BSB and working with a leading team.

“Martin has produced a bike capable of running at the front and winning the championship next season. The rest is down to me and I am determined to make this work.”

Waters recently visited the Halsall headquarters in Bolton where he was able to meet the team and familiarise himself with the bike he will campaign.

“I was very impressed with the team and their entire approach to racing.There were so many similarities to the team I rode with for seven years in Australia, where I won two national Superbike titles.

“Martin [Halsall] and I seem to share the same philosophy and values, so I look forward to working with him and his team.”

Halsall indicated that the team has a view to extend Waters’ involvement into next year, with the possibility of a full-time ride in 2014 to be discussed after the season finale.

“Since our ride became available, there have been a number of approaches which I have assessed carefully,” explained Halsall. “I had only come to know Josh in recent months and very much liked what he was about.

“I believe with a strong team behind him and the performance of the Kawasaki which we have shown to be a leading contender, I wanted to give Josh an option for the remaining rounds, with a view to extending for next season also.

“We will evaluate that position fully after Brands and see whether it is something which can be agreed between both parties. I will sit down with Josh at the appropriate time when it is good for both of us.

“For now, the focus for the team and Josh is on the rounds at Silverstone and Brands Hatch.”

A long-time Suzuki rider in Australia and on the international stage, Waters’ 2013 campaign has been one of significant change.

He raced the Milwaukee Yamaha R1 full-time until recently, before switching to a BMW S 1000 RR at Le Mans for the French factory outfit less than a fortnight ago.

Though he has not raced a ZX-10R, he did campaign a Kawasaki ZX-6R during his stints in the Australian Supersport Championship.