BRADFORD motorcycling ace Dean Harrison has confirmed that he is in the process of finalising his new team for next season.

In July it was announced that Harrison and DAO Racing Kawasaki would be parting ways at the end of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship and road racing campaign, with Harrison competing in his final ‘SuperSport’ race this weekend having moved categories post Thruxton in August.

The partnership has been a successful one on the roads since Harrison joined the team, then known as Silicone Engineering Racing, in 2016. Harrison racked up three Isle of Man TT podiums that year, as well victories at Oliver’s Mount.

In total, Harrison has claimed 12 TT podiums with the team, with the highlight being his Senior TT victory in 2019. Together, Harrison and DAO Racing have also celebrated two Classic TT victories, podiums at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix, and victories at the Southern 100.

Discussing whether he is any closer to finding a new team to work with, Harrison confirmed to the T&A: “We are very close to it being finalised; it’s nearly done but not quite ready just yet. We don’t expect the announcement to be too far away. However, we must iron a few things out to get it over the line such as the bike, the team and where we’re going to race.”

Reflecting on his time with DAO Racing Kawasaki, Harrison confirmed his admiration for the work they’ve done but admitted that it’s the right time for a change.

He said: “When you’ve been with a team for eight years then you tend to think that it’s time for a change. I got offered a job elsewhere, which I explained to them (DAO); however, they did get a little bit bitter about it and decided to end the contract early.

“Saying that, I didn’t fall out with anybody, we shook hands and we agreed that it would be best that I moved on. Overall, I had a fantastic time with the team at DAO; we had a very successful time together and we created some great memories together. I couldn’t say anything bad about my time with them.”

Harrison transferred from the Bennetts British Superbike Championship to the Quattro Group British SuperSport midway through August due to a small fallout with his team.

However, the move has seen him pick up a top five finish at Oulton Park and a top ten finish at Donington Park, and with the season finale taking place at Brands Hatch this weekend, Harrison is aiming to go one better.

“It should be a good weekend; I’m feeling confident after my strong finishes in recent weeks. It would be great to get another top five finish this time around, and perhaps even go one better and get a top three finish.

“It’s been a long season, a lot has happened and I feel like I’m ready for a break now. So, I’ll look to finish the year as strongly as possible at Brands Hatch, and then we can regroup."