The AIR Kawasaki team started off as a collective group of road racing enthusiasts who decided to set up a team to compete at road racing events. Currently the team is now competing at road races in Ireland, England, Isles of Man, Germany and Czech Rep with great success.
The first purchase the team made was an ex-Hawk Kawasaki superstock bike…
The 1st bike purchased Ex-Hawk Kawasaki Superstock built for 2006 TT
…which Dywer Agnew raced at the Stars of Darley meeting in 2006.
Dywer and his dad with the AIR Kawasaki on the grid at the NW 200 in 2007
Dywer also competed at Oulton Park, Cookstown, Scarborough and the North West 200 after which we parted company.
We signed Marc Ramsbottom as our new rider to compete at the Bush road races in June 2007. Unfortunately Marc lost his life racing at the Isles of Man TT two weeks earlier.
Mark Buckley heads Ian Lougher on his way to winning the 1st heat at Scarborough Cock o' the North 07
It was at this time Mark Buckley offered to ride the bikes at the Scarborough Cock o’ the North meeting. Mark also competed at the Skerries, the Gold Cup and the Ulster GP with great results.
Mark Buckley in action at Tornagrough, Ulster GP, 07
His most outstanding achievements were at the Ulster GP 07 taking 9th place in the Superstock race and 10th in Superbike race finishing in front of John McGuniness on the HM Plant Honda and the late, great, Martin Finnagan. At the end of the season Mark decided to form his own team.
For the 2008 season, we signed Irish support champion Stephen McKnight who competed at various Irish road races before competing at the Isles of Man TT. With Stephen lapping at over 117 mph in practice on the 600 kawasaki, the team had high hopes of him attaining a silver replica in the 600 races. Unfortunately, Stephen crashed in the superbike race on the Saturday, ruling him out of the remainder of the TT.
Carl Rennie and Stephen McKnight in the AIR Kawasaki Awning before the start of the Kells road races 2008
Before the Kells meeting in July 2008, the team purchased an ex-Hawk Kawasaki Superbike with Carl Rennie on board to ride this and another spare 600 Kawasaki.
Carl Rennie and Stephen McKnight battle it out on board the 2 AIR Kawasaki 600s at Kells 08
Carl and Stephen both competed at Kells, Ulster GP, Scarborough Gold Cup, and Anglesey.
Carl Rennie on board the Superbike at Kells 08.
At Anglesey, Carl won the penultimate round of the Wirral 100 championship to retain his superbike title. Another of Carl’s achievements was on his only outing at the Scarborough Gold Cup, lapping at one minute fifty on board the 600 Kawasaki.
AIR Kawasaki Superbike
The team made a fresh start in 2009 signing Tim Poole to ride. Tim got off to a flyer winning at Oulton Park and Darley Moor winning the Curtis Milner Trophy on the 600 Kawasaki.
Tim Poole with the Curtis Milner Trophy along side Team Manager Billy Smyth and Mechanic Paul Redfern
Tim also won at the Cookstown 100 on his first attempt. It was while competing at the Barry Sheen classic meeting at Scarborough that Tim crashed and was seriously injured unable to race again for the remainder of the season.
Tim Poole on his way to another win at Darley Moor 09
In the space of three months Tim had won a total of 14 races with AIR Kawasaki.
Looking for a replacement rider, the team then approached the Czech 600 and Endurance Champion Michal Dokoupil. An agreement was reached giving Michal the opportunity to compete in Irish road races.
Michal seen below with some of his trophy along side his mechanic Miloslav who has been with him since the start of his racing career.
Indi and his mechanic Miloslav (Albert)
