Richard Cooper returns to t🃏he MCE British Superbike championship i𓆉n 2018 alongside Bradley Ray as the pair form Buildbase Suzuki’s rider line-up, while Billy McConnell will contest the Pirelli National Superstock 100 series for the team.

Cooper narrowly missed out on the Superstock 1000 crown this season to Danny Buchan and as a former BSB podium finis𓆉her he🌼 makes a comeback to the premier class next to the standout rookie of this season Ray.

After “a bitter pill” of moving back to Superstock tꦬhis year, Cooper accepts it could be a move which he benefits from in 2018 thanks to a yea♚r of development with the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 and is relishing his return to BSB.

“I'm so excited to be a full time BSB rider again, it was a bitter pill to swallow for me moving back into﷽ Superstock this year but looking at the season, we had with the new Suzuki GSXR100 and the position I'm in now, you could say it was a good move,” Cooper said. “The team now have a year’s development behind the bike and even when they weren’t getting the results they deserved early in the season I knew how much potential was in the bike which showed at the end of the year.

“I was lucky enough to do the final tw🏅o round🧸s of BSB so I've got a very good idea where the bike is compared to the other bike's on track. I know teaming up with Brad Ray we can deliver results, I have 5 BSB podiums to my name and I fully intend to make that more in 2018.”

After impressing with the second-string Suzuki squad, Ray has graduated to the꧋ of🔯ficial squad and is keen to build upon his impressive rookie campaign in BSB.

“I’m really happy to be re-signing for Suzuki, and stepping up to the official team,” Ray said. “Last season was obviously my first year on a superbike and it was a learning year for me, but we improved every time we went out and by the end of the year we could challen🌸ge for the top six regularly and also finished on the podium.

“With a year of experience under my belt and also a year of development complete for the team with the new GSX-R1000, I’m a🔯lready looking forward to 2018, and the aim has got to be to keep improving and fight for the Showdown.”