Former Irish Superbike champion Michael Pearson has retained backing from the highly successful D&GW Racing Team for the 2012 racing season, after both parties agreed terms that will see Pearson supplied with BMW and Yamaha machinery in 2012.

Pearson, who first rode for D&GW Racing in 2011, will keep his trusty BMW 1000cc Superstock machine which will be brought up to 2012 specification over the winter.

Also in the frame is a Yamaha R6 600 Supersport machine which like the BMW will be 2012 race spec, with Pearson and D&GW heading out to Spain in early March from some pre-season testing with both bikes.

For Pearson, 2012 will see the Lisburn rider take a slightly different approach to his racing, with Pearson almost certainly not taking in any Irish Short circuit racing due to the one tyre ruling in the Ulster Short Circuit Championships.

For 2012, Pearson along with D&GW Racing, will take in selected MRO Power Bike Races in England, which will be slotted in around the 2012 Irish Road Race Championships, where Pearson is expected to do a full series in both 600 and Superbike classes..

A return to the Czech Republic is also on the agenda, with the possibility of a second race meeting in the Czech Republic pencilled in, should a clash of dates be avoided with the Irish Road Race calendar. The Southern 100 road races in the Isle of Man are also part of the Teams agenda, along with the Ulster Grand Prix.

"It's good to be finally sorted with machinery for 2012, and to that end, I am eternally grateful to D&GW Racing for having the faith in me to continue racing for them in 2012. We had a mixed bag of a year in 2011, but most of the problems that we had where out of our hands, so hopefully they are behind me now," said Pearson.

"We will definitely be looking at taking in a couple of the Power Bike Races in the mainland. I did a couple of them a few years ago at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park, so I would like to have another crack at it this year. Everyone involved with racing is finding that money is really very tight, and any help or support is very much appreciated, so to get this sort of support from D&GW Racing in these difficult times is really invaluable.

"Carryduff Forklifts will still be involved with me in 2012, with Davy Greer helping out with the Supersport 600 machine for the season, so without him, Willis Marshall, Trevor Harbinson, Richard McPherson, and all in the 36 Supporters Club, I just would not be racing. Simple as that. None of it would be possible.

"It looks like I will have to give all the Ulster short circuits a miss in 2012, including both the Easter Weekend meetings. We as a team get support from Dunlop tyres, and it is just not practical for us to go and change race set up on the bikes to suit Pirelli for one meeting here and there. I think you will see a lot of regular runners doing the same.

We will most likely head over to the Darley Moor meeting which is on that same weekend, as we will need a run out before the Cookstown 100, I am very fortunate to be in such a good position this side of Christmas, so it's all systems go now for another hard season."