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20 December 2022

MTM Kawasaki Team Confirms 2023 Rider Line Up

Looking optimistically towards next season, MTM Kawasaki has unveiled its 2023 rider line-up. The Belgian team will continue its 2022 project in World Supersport category with Spanish rider Adrián Huertas. Additionally, they will welcome back Jeffrey Buis in Supersport 300, who will line up with rookie Loris Veneman, for a full Dutch squad to defend World Supersport 300 teams title.  

MTM Kawasaki is happy to announce the renewal of the contract with 2021 World Supersport 300 World Champion Adrián Huertas to race in World Supersport category for the 2023 season. Huertas will embark on his second year with the team in the category, after a good rookie season in which he showed good promise and the potential to get even better future results.  

Huertas will race once again with MTM Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R to start his third consecutive year with the team, with the clear target to improve last year’s results – the best being a 7th place finish – and try to be able to fight in the top group for all the races during the season. Both team and rider have gained more knowledge and experience during the past year and are now making ready for the mutual challenge of a new season.  

The MTM Kawasaki World Supersport 300 team will see a brand new line-up with the team opting for a full Dutch squad as 2020 World Champion Jeffrey Buis returns to the team joined by Loris Veneman. The 16 year old rider will make his debut in the WorldSBK Championship at Assen, which will be the first Supersport 300 race of his career.  

Buis comes back to MTM Kawasaki team after one year away in Supersport category intent on recapturing the magic which allowed the duo to achieve 7 race wins, 13 podiums and one World Championship in the Supersport 300 series during their 3 years together. The potential is certainly there and the team will help Jeffrey to make his return on a completely different bike - compared to Supersport - during the preseason ready for the first round.  

Jeffrey’s teammate will be Loris Veneman, who makes his team debut at his home race in Assen. Loris comes from Northern Talent Cup, in which he raced during 2022, impressing with some great performances while gaining crucial experience fighting in the front group to end the season 4th overall.  

Transition and preseason will be important for Veneman, as Loris is ready to take this opportunity to race with the 2022 World Supersport 300 Teams Champion. His target will be to gain as much experience as possible during initial tests with the team,  to learn quickly from the team staff and his teammates in order to be ready to score points as soon as possible.  

The 2022 WorldSSP season starts in Phillip Island, coming back to the original pre-covid calendar and will be comprised of 12 events; one of them still to be announced. The WorldSSP300 season will see the lights out at a special venue as the first of 8 race events will be at Assen next April, regarded as the “home race” for both team and two of its three riders.

Adrián Huertas: “I’m very happy to announce I will continue with MTM Kawasaki Team for the 2023 season in World Supersport Championship. We had ups and downs during our first season, but I strongly believe in the team, in the work they’re doing and I believe we will be able to improve a lot this season working together. It will be my third year with Ludo and all the team and I can’t wait to start the first tests and work with the clear target to be competitive all the season and fight for the big goal. We did it together in Supersport 300 and it’s time to do it together in World Supersport. I want to thank Ludo, Kawasaki and all my sponsors and family and I can’t wait to be on track with my Ninja and reach our targets” 

Jeffrey Buis: "I'm happy to be riding for MTM Kawasaki again in 2023, thanks to Ludo, Kawasaki Benelux and Kawasaki Europe for giving me another chance to prove myself in the 300 class. Last season wasn't a really good one for me, with some mistakes, and everything didn't really fall into place in Supersport. Because of that, I'm happy that I can get back to the 300 and the 2023 goal may be clear but I'm going to do everything I can to prepare myself to the next season and then we will see at the first race at Assen how things will stand."

Loris Veneman: "I really want to thank MTM Kawasaki team and my sponsors for giving me this opportunity. I am going full steam ahead and have been preparing myself physically for a while now and my school also helps enormously in the planning. The World Supersport 300 is a nice step from the Northern Talent Cup and I am very much looking forward to be in the World Superbike paddock. I will have to learn a lot on the new bike and the new tracks but the team is very experienced and of course, with Jeffrey, I have a former world champion and I can’t wait to ride with him. The opening race at the end of April will be at my favourite circuit of Assen but before I will prepare myself a lot during private practices and with the team in order to be as competitive as possible at the start at Assen."