Image: Supplied.

Australian Billy McConnell will compete in the Pathway-specification class of the British Superbike Championship (BSB) next year as his current team C&L Fairburn Properties/ Jackson Racing Team is set to step to the Superbike category in 2024.

Since joining in 2022, Chris Fairburn’s team have quickly established themselves in the National Superstock class and will now move into Bennetts BSB with Honda Fireblade machinery prepared by Jackson Racing and built to the new pathway specification technical regulations.

The concept behind the Pathway class is to provide a more accessible entry for teams and riders to compete in the Superbike category who are moving up from support classes, especially the National Superstock class.

For example, Honda Racing completed a special test at Oulton Park last month on the new ‘Pathway’ specification CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, with the bike built to National Superstock specifications but fitted with the official BSB Superbike Motec electronic control unit and wiring harness.

McConnell will enter his third year with the team and returns to the Superbike class which he last competed in on a full-time basis in 2016. The Australian first contested the series in 2006 when he rode for Virgin Yamaha, having won the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup, and has subsequently lined up with MSS Kawasaki (2008), Smiths Racing BMW (2015) and FS-3 Racing Kawasaki (2016) as well as having a one-off outing for OMG Racing Suzuki.

The 2014 British Supersport Champion will now make the move back to BSB after another solid season in the Superstock series where he’s taken a victory at Thruxton as well as top-three finishes at Silverstone, Snetterton, Brands Hatch and, most recently, Donington Park.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back into BSB and the new Pathway rules are a way of getting back onto the grid,” said McConnell. “It’s been a few years since I rode in BSB, but I’ve always wanted to get back and mix it up with the top guys again.

“With 15 more races in the season, we’ll get a stack more track time and it’s good to get everything finalised before heading into winter. I’m moving back to BSB with a good team so I can’t wait to get stuck in and see what we can do.”

McConnell will be joined  in the team by Jaimie van Sikkelerus who is set to step up from the British Supersport Championship for the 2024 season.