Isle of Man TT race-winning team announce withdrawal from racing

Ashcourt Racing will end its motorcycle racing journey at the end of 2024, it has been announced.

The team has competed both in road racing and in the BSB series in the Supersport class, taking victories in the latter, as well as at the Isle of Man TT, Ulster Grand Prix, Scarborough, and the North West 200.

Since its current rider Lee Johnston re-joined the team in 2019 (having previously raced for the outfit under its previous East Coast Racing guise), he has taken the team to victory at the Isle of Man TT in the Supersport class, as well as to multiple wins in the British Supersport Championship, the championship points for which he was leading in 2023 before he crashed at the North West 200 and suffered severe injuries that kept him out of racing throughout the remainder of 2023.

Johnston was intending to make his road racing comeback at this year’s North West 200, but a broken leg in the lead up to the event saw him miss both the North West and the Isle of Man TT.

Johnston has been back in British Supersport action since the Brands Hatch round back in July, and scored points at Thruxton, before securing his first top-10 finish of the season at the most recent round at Oulton Park.

He also competed at the Manx Grand Prix in August, finishing second in the Lightweight race on a Honda 250.

Ashcourt’s withdrawal at the end of the 2024 season, though, leaves Johnston on the lookout for another ride in 2025.

“Racing with Ashcourt has been a remarkable journey,” said Johnston, who is Ashcourt Racing’s team manager in addition to his riding duties.

“The team has stood by me through thick and thin. Rewarding them with wins in multiple classes on both the roads and on short circuits is nothing short of what they deserve.

“I completely understand their decision to step back from racing and wish them well with future endeavours.

“In terms of my future, I’m still competitive in the British Championship and on the roads, my options are wide open at the minute and I’ll update everyone as soon as my plans for 2025 have been confirmed.”

Ashcourt Racing team principal, Phil Reed, said: “We would like to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to our outstanding rider, Lee Johnston.

“His dedication and exceptional talent have been a tremendous asset to our team, and we truly appreciate everything he contributed during his time with us.”