Former British Superbike Championship front runner James Ellison has announced he will return to competitive racing this season with selected appearances in the BSB-supporting BMW Motorrad F 900 R Cup.

The 15-time BSB race winner was a familiar face in the domestic paddock since 2008 but hasn't been present on the grid since his swansong campaign in 2019 on the OMG Racing Suzuki.

For 2024, however, Ellison will be back in action competing in the one-make BMW Motorrad F 900 R Cup in a handful of events - confirmed so far as at Navarra and Donington Park - with backing from media and production company, HSO.

“I am really excited to get the opportunity to compete back in the British Superbike paddock again and I want to take this opportunity to thank BMW Motorrad and HSO for making it happen," he said.

“I haven’t sat on the grid at a BSB event since 2019, but have been competing successfully in a few World and European Classic Endurance events over the last few years, as well as instructing on track under ‘Back on Track Trackdays’, so I’m absolutely thrilled to get back out there and compete again.

“I’ll get my first taste of the BMW F 900 at the Official BSB Navarra test just a few days before Round one, so the learning curve will be steep, but I’m more than ready for the challenge.”

After winning the BSB Privateers Cup in his debut season in 2004, Ellison went on to spend two seasons in MotoGP before re-joining the BSB grid in 2008 on the Hydrex Honda.

Going on to finish runner-up to Leon Camier the following season on the Airwaves Yamaha, Ellison remained a perennial front-runner in the years thereafter with teams including Milwaukee Yamaha, Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki and Swan Honda.