Anthony West considering BSB

Anthony West, whose planned return to MotoGP this season ended due to a lack of sponsorship, has given an update on his 2012 racing options.

In late January the former factory Kawasaki MotoGP rider, a race winner in 250GP and WSS, announced that he had lost out on the Speed Master CRT MotoGP ride, adding: "I will most likely not race anymore and will [return] to Australia to find a normal job."

Fortunately, West now has a more upbeat view of his racing future and is considering offers to race in most of the leading national Superbike championships - plus endurance - with the aim of a world championship return in 2013.

Writing on his official Facebook page, West said:

"To keep people up to date, I have had some offers to ride BSB, AMA, IDM and endurance racing, of course I want to be in GP but all rides are taken and same in WSBK. I'm just looking for the best way to go, and a team that can win!!! And I will start now to try [to] raise the money to come back into GP or WSBK for 2013"

Of those categories, BSB is surely the most prestigious - especially in the eyes of the WSBK/MotoGP paddocks - and therefore likely to be top of West's list.

In terms of "a team that can win", Swan Yamaha now needs a replacement for the injured Ian Hutchison, riding alongside the team's reigning BSB champion Tommy Hill.

Rumours of WSBK legend Noriyuki Haga switching to BSB have been circling for months and the Japanese would also be an ideal 'super-sub' for the Swan team.

It is estimated that TT star Hutchison will need three months to recover from his latest left-leg fracture and his main priority is returning to fitness in time for June's Isle of Man races.

Wet-weather ace West raced for MZ in Moto2 for the past two seasons, claiming a best finish of fourth. Italian Mattia Pasini has taken over the Speed Master (Aprilia) MotoGP seat.