WSBK: Kawasaki Puccetti unveils 2018 colours, Haslam set for Imola wildcard

KAWASAKI Puccetti Racing has launched its World Superbike and World Supersport squads in preparation for the 2018 season and revealed Leon Haslam is lined up for a wildcard outing at the Imola round.

Toprak Razgatlioglu has been handed his World Superbike rookie campaign by the Puccetti squad after catching the eye for the team in the European Superstock 1000 championship last year. Puccetti has retained four-time World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu and will also welcome Hikari Okubo as the Turkish rider’s new team-mate in the Supersport class for 2018.

During the presentation it was confirmed Haslam will return to the World Superbike championship with an Imola wildcard entry for Kawasaki Puccetti who will run two ZX-10RR bikes at the Imola and Misano rounds thanks to a sponsor deal with Elf with the second ZX-10RR given a special anniversary livery.

Haslam landed a wildcard entry last year for Puccetti at the Donington Park round and stormed to the team’s first podium with second place in race one. The British rider had been set to return to the Italian squad for the final two rounds of last season’s World Supersport championship but injury suffered at the British Superbike season finale at Brands Hatch ruled him out of the opportunity.

Haslam is unable to take up the Misano wildcard entry as it clashes with the Knockhill round in BSB where he competes for JG Speedfit Kawasaki. Kawasaki Puccetti confirmed its second Misano rider would be announced in the coming weeks.

Kawasaki Puccetti will now head to Phillip Island for the final pre-season test on the 19-20th February ahead of the 2018 season opener at the Australian circuit on the February 23-25.

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